New Theme | Dark Flora

(Sources 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5)

First of all, how on earth is it September already? This time last year I had only a couple of weeks left in my first placement and this year I have just started my new job it really is unreal how much can change or happen in a year. Speaking of which, due to the fact I've moved back home, worked constantly, working on my new blog and spent time catching up with friends this blog has been neglected slightly and there has been no weekly content. I am trying to figure out where I want to take this blog as I have had the same structure for about two years now and want to push it more when I start my own projects. It will take time so stick with me whilst I sort it all out. But I am back to freelancing and working on designs ready for Premiere Vision which I am hoping will bring some success for my designs. You really never know how PV is going to go and there is a lot of competition but all it takes is that one meeting and that one design for someone to pick it up.

So the new theme is Dark Flora which is a theme I have wanted to do for months. Of course it is me, I love florals and so is a great them for me. As with any new project that I haven't really had the chance to do before it comes with is challenges, so the best thing to do at the beginning is to breathe, turn on the music and design away. It will need a lot of working in to and patience to get the layout, colours and florals right. I have this imagined in my head like I do at the beginning of every theme but it is all just about making it fun and enjoying the process of working in to the designs, layering, varying scales and using filters. I've found that during my research I didn't want to look to much in to what other designers have done as I would feel like I had to replicate that rather than take my on approach on it. Some designs can be oversized, smaller, darker, brighter, blurred, layered or mirrored. It really is all about experimenting and if it is not right then just try again or ask for some help. I really enjoyed creating this mood board for it after being inspired on Pinterest for the layout. It really helps to have a mood board for each project and it never has to be a final cut before you start the project as your inspiration can change. Like the name suggest, it just has to replicate the mood or feel of the theme and to pick out little parts from each image.

What do you think of the theme?

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A Life Update

How cute is this Art Hoop by the littlelow Etsy shop? I think her work is amazing and would love one to hang on my wall (hint if ever there was one). It is very true to life I think!

My aim for this blog was to only discuss my work and my career to keep family, friends and keen followers up-to-date with what is happening in the creative sense but, sometimes, I have found myself writing about life when certain things happen. If ever I go to write a life post on here I always try to make it as honest as possible as I never know who is reading, whether it be my mum (a frequent reader) or a student looking for some advice. 

The last time I wrote a blog post about life I had been made redundant, which was hard to write as I still hadn’t come to terms with how much it had change my career and life plans. Everything was truly up in the air and, I’m not going to lie, the whole situation knocked my confidence massively (quick shout out to all my family, friends and boyfriend for helping me through that). However, since becoming a crew member at Fat Face here in Nottingham and getting busy with freelance/blog work my attitude and confidence has completely turned around and I am finally excited and happy about all the goings on again and planning lots of exciting things I hope become reality. 

So I thought, whilst sitting in Starbucks on a rainy day, I wold type away about what has been going on and what is around the corner. I still have good and bad days when it comes to how my career is going and how slow my progression can be, but as long as I know I am working hard then that is sure to pay off. I have found it’s all about trusting yourself and your decisions and not rushing in to things. Inhale then exhale and keep going forward!

I am still freelancing (which comes to an end in a couple of months) so I want to produce as much work as possible which isn’t always easy as I work a lot of hours at Fat Face. I love being busy and knowing I have spent each day working as hard as I can juggling two jobs at once plus finding the time for a good gym session, time with the boyfriend before he goes to Borneo and a catch up with friends. But, overall, its a great challenge and I am aiming to take on more things very soon. I am moving back home to live with my parents for a adult pit stop (as I like to call it) in the next couple of weeks and will continue to work in fashion retail. Once my freelancing contract ends I plan on spending my spare time working on all the projects I have written down and new ones I think of continuously in my busy mind so I have a fresh, new portfolio that utilises all the skills I have learnt over this last year. Of course all this sounds achievable and exciting in my head but I know that in reality I will have to work harder than ever to stay focused and get stuff done. I’m quite excited to get back home, clear out my room from top to bottom to make it a little studio and begin working on new things such as these projects, working on my new personal blog I am setting up and getting back in to photography.

I’ve realised over the last few months that its ok to be sad and a bit down when things aren’t going right, just don’t allow the focus on that to take over and to get back up and “just deal with it”. I have had a lot of interviews and a lot of rejections which is always difficult to take when all you want to do is design and better yourself. But, hey, thats ok! I got this! It got to a point a few weeks ago when the stress of job hunting and constant interviews took its toll and made my body shut down with exhaustion for a couple of days and since then I have been a little easier on myself to slow down and focus on one move and one goal at a time. My goals haven’t changed, they are just a bit harder to grab right now and that’s ok! 

As Lauren Conrad once said in The Hills (and one of my  favourite quotes to use) “life’s tough, get a helmet”!

My current portfolio is up on Behance (click the portfolio link above) and you can follow me on Instagram @lisajaynetextiles

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Editorial Inspiration

My current freelance work is taking a lot of inspiration from the Valentino Spring Summer 2015 collection (see previous post) which is quite exciting now I've got my head around the drawing and technical issues I had creating the collection. The colours are gorgeous with dark blues, greens, reds and mustards. Primary colours in a more attractive manner.

The motifs are quite folky which means searching Pinterest for inspiration and then losing three hours due to how addictive it the site can be (of course I go of route to cute other things). I sometimes find that searching for editorials from the runway collection I am working on helps bring the mood together and I have come across the visually stunning and well put together editorial for the Valentino SS15 collection my Michal Pudelka. The clothes speak so loudly in the photos, nothing "fancy" needs to be done to make the garments stand out. It helps to see how the different repeat or placement patterns stand together and the contrast between them blend well together. I'm always pinning but to check out what all things folky I am looking at, follow me on Pinterest.

See the full editorial here.

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New Theme | Freelancing

(Source: Vogue UK)

After a little break from freelancing it's time to get back in to it and create as many design groups as I can before Premiere Vision. My last collection was a William Morris inspired one and this new collection is also based around the idea of his work, but more inspired by the Valentino Spring Summer 2015 runway collection. I achieved a good outcome with the last group and I'm very excited about this new theme. Of course, I'm a little wary and scared as I always feel about taking on a theme I haven't experimented with before. I have a constant look in my head of how I want the designs to look and try not to feel disappointed when the outcomes don't match the ideal look in my head. But, overall, it's about experimenting and testing myself and my design skills. There is always something to learn from designing a collection and to use those for future themes. 

So, lets get designing... 

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Competition | Bohemia

"Inspired by the catwalk shows of Etro, Valentino and Burberry, "A Travellers Dance" captures the Boho style. A colourful and unique print designed by hand that layers a fee-flwing repeat with a visually eye-catching boarder".

I recently entered the latest Textile Federation competition entitled "Bohemia" which I somehow manage to squeeze in to my busy schedule. I was quite excited by the project so wanted to give it a go and use this as a base to test my graphic tablet skills. I designed the print using various internet found paisley and indian woodblock designs which I then changed slightly using different brush marks that had a sketchy and relaxed edge to it. I then use copyright free designs for the boarder (which were slightly modified) that fit in with the half drop design of the main print. I was really inspired by the way Burberry had simple straight block repeats in a two colour way in their A/W 2015 collection (bottom right) and wanted this for the boarder rather than Etros dip-dye hem from their S/S 2015 garment (bottom left). This print, however, gave the the idea for the main repeat of my design which I decided to make slightly more busy and use warmer colours as well as the purples and blues. There is so much inspiration for the Boho style print and pattern so I could have spent a lot longer design this print in real depth, but competition deadlines call and submission is a must! I am quite pleased with the overall look which still carries my handwriting. Every project definitely teaches you something and this one taught me to not be afraid so much of an open brief. And yes the mood board is a great reference, but what it does and should do is in the name and allow that mood to be felt but not have to follow whats on the board so tightly and restrict design freedom.

Lesson learnt! Next project please!

See the design over at Textile Federation.

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Inspiration | Marc Jacobs A/W 15

I am a big fan of William Morris designs and so I was thrilled when I discovered my latest freelance print theme was designing all over Morris prints.
I had a brief research in to this trend that took the runway by storm and was instantly inspired my the Marc by Marc Jacobs Autumn / Winter 2015 collection.
The colours range from browns, green, blues and reds creating an exiting colour palette for me to work from. The prints are so bold and stand out on the jackets, trousers and skirts that Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley placed them on.
I am just hoping my designs come out as great as these.

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Project | Intimates Print

Another project under my belt this week was researching and creating a Spring / Summer 2016 print trend for underwear and nightwear. And so, I came up with the theme Elegance. A theme composed of a soft base colour, bright core colours and a dark accent colour that all compliment one another. The prints range from being very busy to spaced out and half drop, straight or all over repeats. It was a very quick project but if I had more time I would wanted to expand on the number of prints I created and combine elements a lot more.

Below are the florals and leaves I hand painted with inks and watercolours that were then indexed in Photoshop. Indexing, for those who are a bit unsure what I mean by that, is where I have made the drawings around only 5-6 colours so I could easily select and fill the different shades of my florals and leaves. These were then made in to three simple prints that were inspired by the prints on my mood board.

As I stated in my previous project post, I love to put together design mood boards that show my prints to their full potential. I placed the prints on the best underwear / nightwear garments suitable from WGSN. I love seeing my prints on simple working flats and presented nicely, it makes the print feel to me much more successful and professional.

Designing the prints was something I got stuck in to and went in to frantic design mode. It was a lot of fun creating prints that I hand drew and brought to life in Photoshop just like I used to at University. 

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Future Brightness!

JIMMY MARBLE - ETSY

How cool is this handmade banner by Jimmy Marble as featured on his Etsy store?

It's very true and nothing but relevant in my life at the moment. It has taken me a while to get my head around things and be brave enough to write this blog post. But I want my blog to be honest and for my readers who follow by designer / blogging journey whether it is going good or bad. Mostly, I want to look back at this in a fews years and realise how far I have come.

A couple of weeks ago the future seemed a bit murky and miserable as I was made redundant from my Junior Print Designer position. It came as a shock and hit me harder than I expected.. Despite knowing this job was a stepping stone to reach better things in the future, I was still quite upset. When all you've ever wanted to do was be a textile designer and it is taken from you it can knock your confidence a lot. I managed to stay positive and hide my disappointment from everyone as much as I could (I'm an ugly crier, so crying in public is not my favourite thing to share). But, my family, friends and boyfriend have been nothing but supportive (thanks dudes!).

Back on the job hunt just like I was five months previously felt tricky and I was scared. I didn't (and still don't if I'm honest) know where I wanted to take my career as I thought I had more time to figure it all out. I searched for many jobs using my tips and tricks that got me my first job and, before I knew it, I now have a few offers on the table.

Now, with a couple of doors I could open in the next coming weeks the future does look bright again. A few opportunities that have come along I couldn't have relinquished without my friends, so Thanks Gals / Guys!

I'm currently freelancing full time which has been a great learning curve and a challenge I've actually enjoyed. You can't always get things right first time, whether that be a design or a job. I'm still learning about designing, about myself as a designer and about the industry. It can all be overwhelming at times and doors may close unexpectedly, but other doors will open too.

In life, you can get things wrong and I'm slowly learning that its ok for this to happen. I did my best with the opportunity given and it just wasn't meant to be. What is next? Who knows. But the The Future DOES Look Bright if I want it to. No one but me can get me to my next job and my next learning curve as a designer. So, good luck to me I guess!

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Woop! Yeah! Moment

It's always quite exciting when you reach the end of a design that has been challenging and taken you days and days to complete. It's even more of a Woop! Yeah! moment when it sells ... and it sells in New York. My first freelance design recently sold on a sales trip in New York and it couldn't have made the start of my freelancing career chapter better. I was excited to learn that my first collection, based around fragmented florals, who going to New York but I became ecstatic when I learnt I had sold a design that couldn't have been more painful to finalise.

Freelancing so far has been a great challenge. Yes, it has been a bit scary at times because you have to guide yourself a lot more and make your life fit in around designing for hours on end. But, the themes and ideas are endless excitement that only gets better when your work is greatly received.

So, here is to more of them Woop! Yeah! Moments. I hope there are more to come.

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Hello March

TUMBLR

Pinch, punch, it is the first of the month!

I cannot believe March has arrived already, where is the time going? It has been a crazy time for me recently, so please excuse the lack of blogging. I try to keep up to date with my blog as much as possible, as I enjoy writing down (mostly for my own benefit) how life and work is going. I think a lot of the time I want to blog about a lot of things, but have a confidence crash and believe no one will actually want to hear about my goings on or what I find inspirational. But, I love blogging and writing, so why stop huh? 

My I currently in the process of chaining my blog to make it more "me". I am creating a logo for myself (not easy when you have no idea about branding) and making my blog much more updated with a new layout. So, keep your eye peeled for that!

This year, as I promised myself, was the year of doing more and staying positive. So that means more blogging and staying positive about something I have built up slowly since the good old days of University. I am being more creative, but can't quite share any of that right now and I would certainly like to do more but spare time is spare for a reason. 

With the new season of Spring now upon us with more sightings of the sun and the spring showers about to begin, work is getting very busy with lots of request from all the stores we design for. It has been quite challenging recently, more for myself a designer and testing my boundaries than anything. I love (yes, I did say love) the routine that I have to put in 9-6 every day and the satisfaction of knowing I've worked my hardest when faced with all kinds of challenges. But, as much as I want to be more creative, I need to learn that it is ok to not be busy all the time. If I need a moment of doing nothing then thats what I need. I'm writing this with a cold because I have pretty much run my body down and its a tad tired now. Just remember, slow and steady always wins the race and sometimes instead of going slow you just need to stop and let yourself prepare for the next stage of the race.

It is still quite a scary time for me. Having just graduated a couple of months ago I am still working out what kind of designer I am, what I can now and what I will be able to do with more practice, patience and positivity. (The three P's is something I need to remember). I am someone who is slightly afraid of the unknown and not knowing what way my career will go is scary. But it can also be exciting as there are endless possibilities out there if I look hard enough and be brave to take the leap. Over the next month I will take another step forward in my career with as much determination as when I started it last year. 

So, HELLO MARCH! Lets see what you have in store shall we!?

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