Glitz, glitter and a concrete truck

Dannevirke's Fiona Carson mixes her Stampin' Up business with driving a concrete truck. Photo / Christine McKay

Dannevirke's Fiona Carson has become used to people raising their eyebrows and asking, "You do what?"

Fiona runs her own successful Stampin' Up business and was named as one of the top 10 Stampin' Up demonstrators in New Zealand at last year's conference in Brisbane.

Stampin' Up is a Utah-based company selling creative scrapbooking items and Fiona is now number seven on their list of demonstrators in New Zealand, sharing her skills with clients at her home workshop and markets.

But it's not the cards, the glitz and glitter as a demonstrator which causes people to stop and ask that question. Rather it's her job as a driver, behind the wheel of a six-wheeler Hino concrete truck on major projects which sometimes leaves people gobsmacked because it's so far removed from her craft work.

Fiona returned to driving after a lay-off of 18 years.

"I left to have my son, so I tell people I've been on maternity leave for 18 years," she said.

"My husband Bart is on the farm and I'm no good at that so when I saw a part-time job advertised with Firth in Palmerston North, I knew it was for me.

''I'd worked for them before and I've delivered concrete to Te Papa in Wellington, the Westpac Stadium and high rises all around the city and I get a real sense of pride in seeing the end result of my deliveries."

Even though early 4am starts are the norm, Fiona loves her job.

"It's cool. There I am carting concrete which I've always been fascinated with.

''I'm carrying five cubic meters of the wet stuff, hauling a moving cargo, so you do have to have your wits about you," she said.

"I spend 90 per cent of my day going backwards and it's incredible what sand, cement and stones can create. My dad used to drive a concrete truck in Wellington and he would tell me stories, so I guess it's in my blood.

"Crafting is great, but some days I need something else and driving is it. The variety is amazing, from a giant water tank, to delivering concrete to people's homes where they're bucketing it inside for concrete bench tops.

''On one job in Hawke's Bay we started at 2am carting concrete to Watties from Firth's Napier plant."

Driving over Saddle Rd and seeing the end result of her concrete deliveries to Stringfellows' major reconstruction of the road has also been great.

"Even a new cowshed at Mangamaire in Pahiatua gives me a buzz," she said.

But on her first day at work Fiona's seven male colleagues were rather confused when they asked about her other job.

"I told them I made cards and they said didn't I know you could buy cards at Paper Plus," she said.

After receiving handmade Christmas crackers filled with gifts, the men now are more aware of Fiona's other occupation, but in a few weeks Stampin' Up and the truckies will collide as she's told her male workmates they'll be making cards for their partners for Valentine's Day.

Fiona's Stampin' Up goal for this year is to qualify for the company's Alaskan cruise.
"I'll make it," she said.

"It's a combination of sales and customers and now as well as card classes, I'm running speciality classes.

''At my classroom at home, it's not just card making, far from it. It's about giving people a helping hand and letting their creativity come to the fore."

And to help fill in any spare time Fiona will also be entering exhibits in the Dannevirke and Districts A&P Show in early February, hoping to eclipse her large number of winning certificates of last year.