The 'Storm in the Sea' Scarf

Happy Friday! As much as I enjoy working for myself it does get very tiring at times as I find it hard to switch off and I'm constantly thinking of new ideas or my mental to-do list, (whenever I'm not writing in my notebook). But it's so important to have breaks and enjoy the time off, so I hope you've all got some exciting plans for the weekend.

So as you may or may not know that I've been working on a new collection of silk scarves which I am now sampling. It's taken such a long time to finish designing the collection and at times I felt like I was going crazy and that I'd never get finished. But I've been documenting all the little things and each step that I've taken. And I thought it would be a good idea to now reveal my designs in the process.

So I know that a lot of print designers do their sketches without colour and then have them digitally manipulated , so placing them at the right scale and size and then adding the colour, which is probably so much more convenient rather than making the exact shade that you've imagined and making sure you've got enough of that colour, as it's impossible to get that exact colour again! And there's so many designers who specialise in printed scarves with each one having their own unique style. But I guess I'm kind of awkward like that and just prefer to do all the designing and painting by hand. I just feel as if I can't really imagine a finished design when I'm working on a screen, whereas drawing everything to scale helps me visualise the finished scarf and how it will be worn.

So anyway I thought about showing everyone my work in progress; when I'm in the middle of painting or mixing a colour; or adding the detail once it's all painted. I decided to start with the third scarf in the 'Underwater Escapade' Collection. This one is called 'Storm in the Sea' and it's a mixture of lots of designs I drew from my research. The idea is all in the name, and I basically wanted to throw in all my small doodles to create a square that was covered with different colours and artwork. I wanted to use a variation of bright colours and have a subtle background in contrast. And even though this was quite a risk to take as I wasn't sure how it would turn out, I'm loving the final outcome.

Below I've added a few photos of the design whilst I was still working on it, so you can see how I do my designing. I hope you all enjoy reading this post, xo

All designs Copyright ©Suki Sabur 2016. All rights reserved.

What to do when you don't feel creative..

Do you ever have those days when you wake up and you don't feel inspired at all? I woke up like this today. It's bad enough on a normal day when you have a long lost of things to do, but on a Monday morning, it definitely sucks twice as much.

One of the reasons why I knew I wanted to start up my own label is because I don't like being told what to do. When I'm working for someone else and helping them towards achieving their own goals, it definitely doesn't inspire me. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying I don't like helping people that I love, I'll definitely admit that it makes you so much happier when you see others happy. But I just feel like I have my own goals that I want to work towards, and if I don't spend a certain amount of time each day being creative, I'll be in a crappy mood.

So you've got your own creative business and you're having one of those days? Don't panic if you can't get that design right, or you're painting out of the lines, or even worse you've spilt your dirty paint water everywhere or sewn the pattern completely wrong.

TAKE A BREATHER!

Make yourself a coffee or herbal tea (or any drink/snack that you prefer) and take a quick break. You might want to carry on soldiering on in your usual workspace/desk or you may prefer to change the scenery. Depending on what you'll feel like doing, you could maybe go for a stroll in the park which I always find helps the mind and sparks creativity. The amazing thing about working for yourself is that YOU can decide what you want to do and when you want to do it! I'm sure you've got plenty to be getting on with, so here's a list of things that I like to do. They might not all work for you, but I hope they can atleast give you a little bit of inspiration..

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1. Grab a notebook and start making lists of things you need to do, maybe things that you need to prepare for. There's always some sort of list to make and I find that it helps me feel like I'm getting things done and being organised when I'm ticking things off my lists.

2. Reply back to those emails that you've been putting off. Little things like this don't take long to do but they do make you feel productive and a little less stressed. It doesn't seem very professional when you take days to send a reply, and with technology now it's so easy to communicate with clients/suppliers any time of the day.

3. Research! If you're starting a new project or looking for ideas you can get started on creating a moodboard or collecting sources. Pinterest is a great way of doing this, and so so easy! This might lead you to having new ideas and help get that creative spark back sooner than you know it!

4. Read a book. Whether it's one that's related to what you do and educational, or a biography of a person you admire, it will help you feel relaxed and get your thinking cap on. This is something that I do a lot and at times I'll get bored and instantly just decide that I'm in the mood to be creative again.

5. If you write a blog about your work or what you do, this might be a good time to plan a new post or type up one that you've been planning but putting off. It'll make you feel like you're reaching out to your readers and customers and you'll also be doing something productive at the same time.

6. Listen to inspiring music. Words help me be creative. Song lyrics inspire me. The type of music I listen to always depends on my mood, and this varies a lot. It might not help everyone but I do think this can spark your creative thoughts and lead to new ideas.

7. Put together colour palettes. For me, colour is so effective as I still associate certain things like shapes, numbers and days of the week with their very own colour. Colour helps me with my thinking and coming up with new designs.

8. Get other things done such as cooking/cleaning etc. Yes this will not help you get your actual work done, but if you're really not in the mood then why push yourself so much? If you get other things ticked off your list then you'll feel less stressed, and you'll have more time later on to get back to being creative when you're in the mood.

9. Try a new technique. So you paint and sell your artwork on canvases? Why not paint on fabric and make a bag out of it? Or you make clothes but you've been thinking about finding a pair of embellished shoes that will go with your plain velvet skirt? Get creative and do some customising. It will get you thinking and give you new ideas. And you'll definitely learn something new!

10. Social Media. Why not spend some time refining your Facebook page or your Twitter profile? Connect with your customers on Instagram or Etsy and let them know about what you've been up to. Don't underestimate genuine conversation with people who are fans of your designs. People definitely like to know the person they are buying products from, as there is a reason they are buying handmade, unique products rather than something from the high street.

So that's my list of ideas which I hope will help you when you're not feeling very creative. Keep busy and you'll get that spark back in no time. Let me know if you guys have any other things that you like to do as I'd love to know whether other people do the same or if there's anything new that I've never tried. I hope you enjoyed this post. xo

My Insta-Diary

Birthday cake for breakfast anyone? Since my birthday I've been binging on lots of sugary things, especially as January is a very popular month for birthdays in the family. My breakfast normally consists of anything chocolatey and a strong coffee. I've just recently discovered flavoured syrups for my coffee and they are so amazing for the cold, frosty mornings when you just want to stay in bed all day. I'm in love with a gingerbread flavoured syrup which I've been adding to my morning coffee errryday!

Since Christmas my days have been occupied with me coming up with new designs, sampling products, ordering stock and prepping for the next few months. I've got some exciting things coming up which you guys will find out about nearer to the time. Even my Instagram has been fairly quiet-can you believe it?! So here's a few snaps that I've posted so far this month. I'm loving my plate which you can buy from Art Rookie here. xo

Liberty 'Wall of Wishes'

Happy Saturday Everyone! I hope you are all having a lovely weekend so far. So during my trip to London in the holidays, there was one thing I was SO excited to go and do. I'd seen this on Liberty's Instagram previously and I couldn't wait til I had my chance to go and put up my very own wish.

Yes I'm talking about the amazing 'Wall of Wishes' they've put up in aid of charity, where you can donate any amount you wish and then use one of the tags to write a wish and hang it up with the rest of them. I have to say it does look beautiful with all the tags hanging together, and I know it's not the same thing but it did remind me of Paris' Love Lock Bridge.

So I made my way into Liberty's and onto the second floor, went over to the checkout to donate, and I was then told to go over to the 'Wall of Wishes' and I could grab a tag and write my message. But when we got closer we noticed that the table was empty. We walked back to the lovely gentleman who had served us and were then told that they had run out of the tags, and as it was a Monday and the Head Office is closed, they were unfortunately unable to put out more tags.

I was then kindly told to scribble my name and address down on a piece of paper and that a tag would be posted to me so I could still write my wish. After 12 days of expecting it to arrive in the post I'm guessing it's been misplaced, which is completely understandable with the busy rush of the sales! Sadly I've seen that it's now been taken down and they will announce a winner on the 29th of January.

So as I was unfortunately unable to write my very own wish on the wall, I decided that I would write a post about it instead. This year I am launching my very own label of luxury silk scarves and pocket squares. If you've read my previous post you might have visited my website that launched this week, where you can view my designs and see the collections. My wish for the Liberty 'Wall of Wishes' would most definitely have mentioned the fact that I've always dreamed of my scarves being in the Liberty Scarf Hall one day.

Every time I pop into Liberty's I head straight for the scarf hall so I can admire all those beautiful, unique designs by some amazing and VERY talented designers. My wish would be to have my very own silk scarves hanging up there with the rest of them, and maybe one day there will be people like me who will go into the store just to admire those mesmerising pieces of silk, wool or any other fabrics that scarves have been made of. I might even be so lucky to have people not only love the designs, but love them enough that they hate to part with it and just have to buy a piece.

Hoping that my scarves do get noticed, and I'm hoping that this year will be even more exciting than I imagine! If you haven't seen my collection of the 'Underwater Escapade' you can view my website here, or go onto sukisabur.co.uk. xo

My Website Launches Today!

I'm hoping this year will be an exciting one! I've got so many amazing things planned and I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens. Some of you may or may not know that it's my birthday today, and I'm not normally one to celebrate or do anything special as I've never really believed that it matters. But this year I wanted it to be memorable in terms of my designs and my business.

Over the holidays I've been working extra hard on my website and trying to get the majority of it done. I can't believe that I've actually finally designed my very own website showcasing my collections of scarves and illustrations all by myself! Of course I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of a few lovely (and VERY clever) people. It's safe to say that I've still got so much work to do, and I'll be launching my shop in the coming months which I'm very excited about.

But for now I am pleased to share my website with you lovely lot. If you've read any of my previous posts you might have seen a few snaps of my designs and my style of work. You can now view a full collection of my designs on sukisabur.co.uk. And if you're reading my blog for the first time, thank you so much for taking the time out to read this post. I hope you love my new website and I would definitely appreciate any feedback on anything I could improve and add.

If you know anyone who would like any of the products in my Society6 shop or who would love to purchase a unique hand-drawn silk scarf in the near future then be sure to share this with them. xo

sukisabur.co.uk

Pantone Colours of the Year

So one thing I always look forward to every year is the Pantone Colour of the Year. Even though I'm not one to follow trends that often and I wear the colours and clothes I like to wear, it's very exciting seeing new trends and the products in stores. And there's no denying that these trends have a massive impact on shoppers!

Luckily I've been loving Pantone's Colour of the Year for the past few years. From Marsala which was last year's, to Radiant Orchid the year before. And this year it's not only one but TWO colours. Hello Rose Quartz and Serenity! These two colours put together remind me of beautiful skies; one thing that often inspires me.

So to welcome in 2016, I've joined the bandwagon and taken advantage of this years colours by using my own photographs to create new designs. I actually fall in love with beautiful skies every single time; the colours; the texture; the unique patterns; and the way it is brand new with each day. I've added a few photos below of some of the products that are available, but if you want to see the full collection you can shop here.