About Nicky Bourke—Waikanae Paper Artist

About Me – Waikanae Paper Artist

“Art gives us purpose, place, and meaning — it’s where imagination meets memory, and colour meets the soul.”

Hello and welcome! I’m Nicky Bourke, the artist behind Waikanae Paper Artist and The PaperCraft Studio NZ.

I’ve always believed that creativity lives in the everyday — the gentle beat of rain on the window, the scent of a slow cooker simmering, the brushstrokes of colour down a pansy petal, or the quiet rhythm of folding paper by hand with music playing in the background. It’s here that my soul relaxes in colour and finds space to create heartfelt pieces that bring joy to others.

At The PaperCraft Studio, I design and create:

🎨 Hand-painted greeting cards
🎁 Wrapping papers & festive napkins
📓 Notebooks, postcards & mindfulness gifts (including yoga mats)
🌸 Lifestyle designs inspired by flowers, food, and the natural beauty of New Zealand

My work also embraces technology and explores the re-generation of family art — giving new life to the watercolours, sketches, and creative heirlooms passed down through generations. It’s a way of honouring my roots while creating something fresh and vibrant for today.

Here on my blog, you’ll find personal reflections, behind-the-scenes glimpses of my creative process, and even favourite recipes from my home in Waikanae. My hope is that these posts encourage you to pause, notice beauty in your own life, and reconnect with your own creative spirit.

Thank you for visiting — I’m so glad you’re here.

Warmly,
Nicky Bourke
Waikanae Paper Artist

PAINT PURPOSE & NAVIGATING THE MESSY MIDDLE

Life in the so-called “messy middle” is real. It’s that peculiar phase where everything you’ve been doing to juggle life, work, family, and just existing seems to collide—and your body and mind throw up their hands in protest. For me, it showed up as a feeling of discontent. A “wake-up call” the realisation that I’d stumbled into “Sniper Alley” and the realisations that come to meet you in the "Alley" I remember laughing with a friend about how entering your 50s should come with a warning label and a welcome drink. Everything starts to feel a bit… off. You push through—because we’re good at that, right? You brush it off, go to work, help the family, show up for friends, and keep moving. But eventually, you notice you’re running on autopilot and that glass of wine or comfy blanket isn’t doing the trick anymore. So I started having those deeper conversations with others—turns out many of us are standing knee-deep in the messy middle too. We’re surrounded by wellness trends, s...

HEART IN PAPER - FIND AND CREATE YOUR MOMENT

Welcome to My First Blog: A Place to Pause, Reflect, and Maybe Even Belong: "Crafted Moments - The Beginning" by Nicky Bourke There’s nothing particularly remarkable about me—at least, that’s what I used to think. I’m in my mid-50s, married, and a proud mum to a teenage daughter. We live in beautiful New Zealand, in a home my husband built with his own hands. It’s more than a house—it’s a labour of love, complete with blood, sweat, tears, and yes… a few swear words too. The gardens have grown slowly over the years, filled with plants begged, borrowed, gifted, or discovered at sales. Every bloom, every branch tells a story of patience and persistence. And now, when I look around, I see the vision we had taking shape before my eyes. They say “Home is where the heart is,” and I believe that deeply—because this home holds mine. So, What’s This Blog Really About? That’s a good question. This blog needs to have purpose—and more importantly—it needs to conne...

CREATIVE EVERYDAY INSPIRATION - EMBRACING THE JOURNEY

Nicky's Blog Space Blog 2 'Creative Everyday Inspiration' Letting the Words Flow – From My First Blog Journey “The first step in creativity is setting your thoughts free”. Starting this blog wasn’t the hard part. My mind had been swirling with ideas for years, and never really having the time to finally put them into words was a rush of pure freedom. The real challenge has been shaping those thoughts into something meaningful to share. Now I’m considering redesigning that first post – the font feels off, the background image is frustratingly wrong, and honestly, I have no clue how to fix it. Yikes! Time to learn, grow, and embrace the journey. Bear with me - technology and me are another challenge altogether. Here’s the thing: I’m not going to go back to change it. That first post captured a moment of pure elation – the joy of finally letting the trapped words pour out. This blog is about discovery and growth, and I want you to see the evolution, mistakes and all. I’ll s...

"From the Heart to the Hands"

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The PaperCraft Studio — by Nicky Bourke