Created by Shelley Simpson and Esther Lamb, New Zealand website www.toggle.co.nz offers crafters and artists an alternative market for their goods.

The internet provides two important advantages: low overheads mean that sellers receive a better price for their goods, and a very wide audience can be reached.Created by Shelley Simpson and Esther Lamb, New Zealand website www.toggle.co.nz offers crafters and artists an alternative market for their goods.

The internet provides two important advantages: low overheads mean that sellers receive a better price for their goods, and a very wide audience can be reached.Esther and Shelley are friends who developed the concept while talking about ways to sell the things they make. Esther says she has always "made things over the years" and Shelley is a "Sunday, Monday and Tuesday painter".

Esther had sold her Ponsonby restaurant Stella to spend more time with her three children and was looking for an income from her felt bags and brooches. Shelley has spent nine years working with digital media. They realised that the best outlet for their creative work would be a website.

The conversation went quickly from just selling their own work to discussing a range of products that could be sold on the website. It became apparent to them that there is a community of crafters and artists out there who would benefit from a website that sold their work.

"When we started looking at what people were making, it was a revelation, there were all these people out there making wonderful things." says Shelley.

The guiding philosophy for toggle.co.nz is simple - everything is hand picked by Shelley and Esther and everything is handmade. Esther believes "there is a renaissance of affection for handmade products. We've done the legwork, found these excellent crafters and artists to exhibit on toggle.co.nz."

Toggle is where you will find contemporary New Zealand art and craft, much of it drawing on traditional techniques. The site currently sells work under the following categories; Accessories, Artwork, Children, Home Ware, Jewellery, Kits and Print.

Each month a range of products is featured, which this month include artist John Reynolds' badges made exclusively for toggle.co.nz, glass amulets by New Zealand glass artist Ruth Allen and hand spun, dyed and knitted alpaca baby slippers made by Napier knitter Margaret Quinn.

Image: Bag by Beatrice Clarke