About My Guestbook
Nestled in the Waitākere Ranges of West Auckland, in a little slice of paradise called Laingholm, you'll find our studio surrounded by native trees, birdsong and the occasional courier driver wondering if they're still in Auckland.
As I write this, it's hard to believe how much has changed over the past twenty years. What began as a move from the UK to New Zealand in 2006 has grown into a life we love, a family business, and a studio dedicated to creating keepsakes that help people celebrate and preserve life's most meaningful moments.
The business you see today didn't start with guestbooks.
Back in 2007, after leaving my corporate career, I launched My Canvas, creating fine art canvas prints from a spare bedroom at home. Like many small businesses, it slowly took over every available space, first the spare room, then the kitchen table, and eventually the garage. For years, My Canvas and My Guestbook operated side by side, but behind the scenes it was always just one studio and one very busy owner wearing all the hats.
Before all of that, however, I was working in recruitment.
In 2006 I moved from the UK to New Zealand to manage the Auckland accountancy division of an international recruitment company. I'd spent eight years with the same group in Manchester and was excited by the opportunity to start a new chapter on the other side of the world.
Living in Laingholm, I would leave home before dawn and often return after dark. It wasn't long before I began questioning whether there might be a different way to work and live. The people I worked with were great, but as I approached ten years in recruitment, I knew I was ready for a change. A chance conversation with a life coach I met through a networking group gave me the confidence to take a leap of faith and build something of my own.
That leap eventually became the business we know today.
After the first COVID lockdown, I realised that managing two websites, two Facebook pages and two Instagram accounts was, frankly, bonkers. So I brought everything together under one roof and My Guestbook became the heart of the business.
Today we're a family-run studio creating handcrafted guestbooks, fingerprint trees, memorial books, visitor books and keepsakes for customers throughout New Zealand. Over the years we've been privileged to create pieces for weddings, anniversaries, milestone birthdays, memorials, family histories and countless other occasions.
Steven lost his mum shortly before the COVID lockdowns and then being made redundant after sixteen years with the same company, we found ourselves reflecting on what mattered most. Years of restructures and workplace uncertainty had taken their toll, so rather than rushing into another corporate IT role, he joined me in the business. It gave us the opportunity to build something together while also giving him more time to focus on his music
Our son Daniel helps in the studio on Wednesday afternoons, and Luna, our resident quality control officer, is always nearby making sure every parcel receives her approval before it leaves.
These days I work from a dedicated studio just a short walk from our house, so the commute is wonderfully short. It's more practical than glamorous, but there's usually coffee brewing, music playing, several projects on the bench and a never-ending list of ideas scribbled on scraps of paper.
As a small New Zealand business ourselves, we know how much it means when people choose to shop locally. That's why we make every effort to source our materials and services from other New Zealand businesses wherever possible. From the paper, leather and book cloth we use to the packaging that protects your order on its journey, supporting local suppliers is something we're genuinely proud of.
Every order is designed, made, packed and shipped by us. There are no overseas warehouses, no production lines and no outsourced customer service teams. Just a small family business creating meaningful keepsakes that we hope will be treasured for generations.
Thank you for supporting our little studio.
Tracey, Steven, Daniel & Luna
