Category: Design

Welcome to DaisyBisley.com

Hello, my name is Claire (aka DaisyBisley) and it appears it’s been a while since my last post.

A lot has happened in the time away, there have been ups and downs, some more downs and then ups again. I’m not going to tell you everything that’s happened, but instead tell you whats changed. This blog before was meant for me to share my adventures in trying to live more positively and my design work. Neither of those things really came to much as I was too busy being hard on myself and seeing others’ success as my failure. Not a good way to be, especially when you’re a creative and you’re already super hard on yourself!

So what’s changed?… Lettering!

I’ve always been able to write fancy, doodling words all over my school books and prided myself on having pretty cool handwriting (when it’s not an unreadable scrawl of ridiculousness). But it wasn’t until late 2014 when I started to notice incredible letter artists all over Instagram sharing their beautiful work, that I realised all that doodling of words might have been useful. I scrolled through feeds endlessly and decided to give it a go, starting a 365 that included a Christmas countdown and taking on as many lettering challenges as I could. I wrote hello, minimum and aluminium about a million times and strived to get better. Taking Skillshare class after Skillshare class, reading book after book and even signing up for Sean Wes’ Learn Lettering class. It was so much fun learning from all these amazingly talented people and it still is. The learning never stops!

Its changed everything, my understanding of design, its process, typography and how I look at the fonts and art around me. Its even changed how I feel about my own art. For the first time, in a long time I’m happy with my work, see that I am good at it and that others enjoy it – that’s what art and design are all about.

It has led me down a path I never thought I’d find myself on with my career, weddings. I’m taking bookings for wedding stationery, hand lettered prints and chalkboard design and in the process have met some of the most talented and awesome people in Scotland’s wedding industry. I also get to hang out with these cool folk!

So this is DaisyBisley now: Design, lettering and wedding goodies! Welcome to my new website and blog. Here is my little space on the web where I’ll share my work, things and artists that inspire me (and hopefully you too) and some occasional wedding chat. I also hope to build up a bank of resources for like minded folk who love lettering as much as I do or want to give it a go for the first time.

The last year has been a good one and things seem to be getting even better with my lettering adventures, I can’t wait to share with you where DaisyBisley is going next…

If you’re looking for some unique wedding stationery or your favourite quote hand lettered give me a shout using the contact page or the buttons below.

Much lettery love

How To Keep Calm and Focused

Keeping focused and calm during a big project can prove pretty difficult sometimes, especially if things go wrong. These past three weeks have seen ups and downs, disasters and successes as well as some stress filled days.

I’ve been working on the biggest project I’ve ever been commissioned to do so I was determined to succeed and make it happen. It meant learning a lot along the way and also thinking on my feet. It also caused stress when things started to go wrong and I had the horrible feeling it might not be done in time. Finding ways to stay calm, focused and motivated were essential to keep on top of things.With all this in mind I wanted to share some of the things I’ve learned or rediscovered during the project.

Write It Down

Making a to do list not only helps you keep track of what needs to be done, but also helps you prioritise your job list. You can also use it to break down bigger projects in to more manageable goals. So instead of “Carina’s Logo” you can break it down in to:

Research
Initial Sketches
Finalise Design
Digitise Line Work
Deliver Final Design

This keeps you on track and focused on the smaller goals instead of one big intimidating one.

Take a Breather

Breaks are important to keep you motivated, especially if you’re stuck in a rut or suffering from the dreaded creative block. Take five minutes to do some deep breathing or half an hour to chill out and get some lunch. Going for a walk is another great way to refresh your brain. Go out and get some air and you’re guaranteed to come back ready to go. Take a camera and/or notepad with you too as you never know when inspiration will strike.

Whatever you choose make sure you walk away from what you’re working on and don’t focus on it! I personally love taking half an hour out to read a chapter or two of a book. It totally breaks my mind away from what I’m working on, allowing me to go back completely refreshed and ready to work. Remember to set an alarm though as we all know how a book can grab you and keep you!

Workin’ 9 to 5

It’s important to try and set regular working hours and a working schedule. This will help establish a routine and keep you organised.

Get up early and enjoy your breakie! Breakfast is a great time to prepare for the rest of your day. I’ve heard of folk practising mindful techniques or thinking of things they are grateful for to help them start the day on a positive. I personally like to spend my breakfast time relaxing and focusing on positive things before I start my work. It really helps me to get in the right frame of mind before getting stuck in.
I also like to take half an hour to watch some morning telly. Either Frasier or Everybody Loves Raymond are my shows of choice as a good dose of laughter can also set you up for a great day.

Sort Your Space Out

I am a notoriously messy desk keeper while working! During a project my work space ends up covered in paper, notes, pencils, pens and empty cups that once held my tea. It’s definitely something I still need to work on, especially as I feel way more productive when my desk is tidy! A tidy workspace will stop you getting distracted and in turn keep you more focused.

De-clutter your workspace and try to keep it organised. Organise your notes and inspirations on a pin board and make some cool storage pots for your stuff – the perfect excuse to get your DIY on (and make more mess), just make sure you tidy up after yourself!

And The Reward Goes To

Here’s the fun part! Help yourself to achieve your goals by setting rewards. If you get all your research done or knock out ten sketches then treat yourself to a walk in the park or something sweeter. You know, that tub of ice cream that’s been at the back of the freezer. Not all of it mind, just a wee bit. Go on, you;ve worked hard and deserve it! Or if you’ve been working solid for a few days without fail reward yourself with a day off.

Rewarding yourself this way will keep you motivated during a project, especially if you’ve been struggling with it. Recently I’ve been going for the ice cream reward, it’s definitely been getting my days work done knowing the Carte D’or was waiting for me at the end of the day.

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Well these are some of the ways I keep calm, focused and motivated whilst working on any project big or small and I hope you found them useful for your freelance work, art commissions or even personal projects.

Even if you’re not working on something at the moment I hope there is something you can take away from the things I’ve learned. Best of luck with all your projects.

How do you keep calm and focused when you’re working? Share your wisdom in the comments.

Small Business Heroes: Ink+Smog Editions

I’ve been designing various things for folk for years now, but I never put much thought in to making a career out of it. Recently however, I’ve found myself in a pretty cool place – Finally knowing what I want from my designs. I’ve thought about designing cards for a while now, but never thought it possible. When I got asked to design a friend’s wedding invite a while ago I was excited and loved the process of it, just to be a part of such an important day felt amazing. A few lovely bloggers had said that my designs were great and I should really think about pursuing the greetings card idea. However, it still didn’t click until I started designing two wedding cards at the end of May, one for Joni and Joe and one for Peter’s cousin Ermanno and his new wife Rebecca. What a buzz there was doing it and now I know I can do this!

So now it’s a case of finding and evolving in to the type of business I want to be and for that I’ve been looking for inspirational folk to learn from. There are so many talented artists out there that inspire me and one day I hope to find myself among the ranks of these incredible people. So without further ado I want to introduce one of my most recent finds:

I came across Ink + Smog through Julie Ann Art (who I will definitely be blogging about in the future). I was on Rosemary and Robin’s Etsy store for five minutes before I decided I HAD to have something of theirs in our home! I have a gallery planned for our hallway and I’ll be framing these cards up to be part of it.

The thing that struck me most when my parcel arrived was how personal it felt. Each card had a little bit of history and information with it including how it was made and what from. I loved this idea and have never had anything like it before. It makes you as a customer feel valued and a bit special and is definitely something that I appreciate.

The cards themselves just make me think of summer and as we have very short summers in Scotland (usually, I don’t know what the hell’s going on this year) bright colours are something I find myself craving. I also want our home to have a bright fun feel and getting that across in the art we have is perfect for two folk who appreciate all things creative!

I’ve worked in customer service in some way or another since I was 16 and although I’ve moaned in the past about it there is nothing better than putting a smile on someone’s face with something you have done. This is why I really loved the postcard that came with my cards. The fact that Rosemary and Robin took the time to write a short note especially for me meant the world. My inner customer service geek, yes that is a thing, was smiling from ear to ear. I truly hope that when I get my own store sorted I can make my customers feel as special as Rosemary and Robin made me. Thanks so much guys and I’ll be posting pics of our finished gallery when I finally paint the hall!

You can find Ink + Smog here:

Blog | Etsy | Facebook | Twitter

No go check out their links and get some Ink + Smog goodies for your home – their cards are too pretty to give away!