New move, New Studio

My last event was at the end of March and after barely recovering from that show, I had to pack all of my life’s belongings.

Yes, cue the excitement here! With only 3 days to go, I packed all of my possessions from my downtown apartment, as well as my work studio at the WhiteHouse in Kensington Market (lovely creative and friendly bunch of people here) to the east side.

Welcome to Studio 501.  This is where the magic happens!

Wanderlust: Hawaii Holiday

 Hawaii was magical and unforgettable.

The beautiful landscape, the inviting beaches, the towering palm trees and the smell of the salt ocean air draws you into another world - this is truly paradise. Hawaii is a place to experience with all the senses and it's is so picturesque that it's hard to take a bad photo.

There was only one week to fit all of our excursions in and the island is quite large, so make do with the time that you have. Here are my top 5 places that I’ve enjoyed and I hope you will find helpful too:

 1. Snorkel at Hanuama Bay – This was a local’s recommendation and I highly suggest you make this one of your top spots. Make sure you get here early because the crowds swarm in at 9am and scare away the fishes. Go further out and you might see a turtle. We bought an underwater camera with film (they still make these things!), but I recommend renting a go-pro for better quality photos and video.

2. Sushi - Eat sushi to your heart's content. I had sushi almost every day but I'm a fanatic. I recommend Suntory for traditional Japanese meals (it reminded me of the meals I would have in Japan) but I also enjoyed Doraku Sushi and Island Vintage Coffee for their Ahi Poke Bowl. The Poke bowl is made up of raw fish, seasonings,  and rice and feature the freshest fish in Hawaii. I have cravings for them ever since I've been back.

3.  Luau – I really enjoyed myself at a Luau. We went to the Chief's Luau and it's full of narrative, jokes, fire throwers and Hula dancers set against a beautiful backdrop. We had a feast of pit roasted pig, purple taro bread and local Hawaiian cuisine.

4. Diamond Head Crater - We got up early in the morning to hike all the way up the crater. Once the sun is overhead, it makes it harder to climb to the top and the trail gets overcrowded with people. The hike is worth it once you reach the top, and the reward is the spectacular views of the island.

5. Pali Lookout – We took a day excursion around Honolulu and we stopped at Pali lookout. This is such a beautiful lookout point, with panoramic views of O’ahu. This is quite breathtaking and the photos do not capture the natural beauty. Also, ladies, you’ll need to hold onto your skirts as it's extremely windy here.

Back to School

A few months ago, I decided to go back to school to learn some new skills. I signed myself up to Gem Setting Class to further develop my jewellery line. I’m someone who needs to be hands on with learning. Reading a textbook and having demonstrations are helpful, but the real test is when you apply those skills. I find myself being too quick with the processes and trying to get things done quickly, but the real art of gem setting (and metalsmithing), seems to be in taking your time; slow and with patient intention. In this case, it's not the bunny that wins the race, it's the slow moving turtle.

It’s almost counter intuitive for me to be doing things with such patience, but it’s such a welcoming way to work. Turning off my hyper brain to tell myself to slow down. Filing and sanding down sterling silver to smooth the edges with repetitious motion is pretty time consuming, but also meditative and hypnotizing.

On the third class, as we were making gypsy settings, (which are gems that are set flush inside the metal), I realize you need to be quite strong to move and push even micro millimeters of metal to firmly hold the gems. At the end of class, my right arm was pretty sore and it felt like I had been doing one-arm push-ups all day.

Embarking on a new path or learning something new is always a bit nerve racking. Will I do it right? Will I fail? Sometimes just taking that step in expanding yourself is just what you need.

via pinterest

Reflections and Insights from 2015

So 2015 just flew by.  It was a year full of saying Yes!, traveling to Crafts shows large and small and learning some big lessons along the way. I didn't accomplish all of the things I wanted, but here is what I took away from the past year:

1. I challenged myself.  It was our biggest year yet, and I signed up to 2 big Crafts at the end of the year.  Holiday season is nuts, and I thought I was prepared but I wasn't ready for the response. We ran out of inventory in our Vancouver show and I had to build up stock in 2 weeks for our next show. A big feat since all of our products are handmade here in Toronto.  A lot of late nights and lattes in November were had. It was exhausting but exhilarating and I'm definitely my happiest when I can tell my story and see the pieces come to life on my customers. (Thank you dearly for continuing to support me!).

2. Learned how to Build a Booth.  Dreaming up the perfect booth design for months and finally executing it paints a different story. Working under a budget and time constraints to construct a beautiful storefront for just a few days, then having to take it down, is sooo much easier said than done. Try setting up in 6 hours at 4 in the morning! A lot of lessons to be learned here but we managed to win Honorable Mention for Best Booth Design at the One of a Kind Show 2015.

3. Pivoting. My biggest lesson in 2015 is learning that the 'tried and tested' may not work the next year. Everything changes quickly, different platforms to social media, you name it, you have to  constantly adapt every year. Each year presents different challenges and you can't rest on what's worked in the past. It's about experimenting with the new and testing what may or may not work well for your brand. It's been a bit sad to see Canadian fashion brands go out of business in recent years, and perhaps they are not nimble enough to adapt to what is clearly a shifting market.  

4. Be Present. Living in a big city, especially one like Toronto, and having a business that runs online, it's hard to unplug and relax. It was nice to escape to Hawaii in July for some down time. The beautiful beaches, and gorgeous sunsets are amazing visuals and reminders to just be present in the moment.

5. Vision. I had a big to-do list in 2015 and not everything was completed. As a busy entrepreneur there are so many tasks to complete that it can be quite overwhelming. It's hard to take time out to plan for the bigger picture but it's also important to grow and evolve. This year I'm allowing myself to map out my path and to not feel guilty about taking time out. As I come into my 6th year of business, (it's been 5 years since I quit my day job!) I've set some new goals and taken a new direction of where this brand will go. I'll be going back to school this semester and I hopefully will be sharing more of what I'll be learning here.

xoxo,

Sabrina

Outdoor Markets: Kempenfest 2015

As summer winds down and we look towards fall, I wanted to update you on our summer adventures thus far. We've successfully survived our first outdoor market over the July break. We were lucky to have such awesome neighbors beside us to help us out during that freak thunderstorm. Several tents blew away, but ours stayed pretty grounded.

We have a few shows lined up for fall and the holidays and I'll be documenting our process more in depth. Stay tuned, it's going to be very busy season!

Follow us on instagram at @loveatfirstblush for more adventures and behind the scenes of our studio.

Design and Development: Sourcing the Finest Crystals

Lessons in Sourcing

When I worked for my last fashion design job, most of our trims and embellishments were brought to us on trim cards, all neatly laid with lists of color options. We would call our own in-house trim department to bring us several options of any trim we had our heart set on and in a weeks time, we would get an abundance of trims to choose from; from photos to real trims brought to us.
  
It was just as simple as a phone call or an email.

Having my own company presents its own set of challenges in sourcing as I don't have my own trim department and not everything is brought to me on a color card. Instead, I do my own shopping, locally and at trade shows, finding the right companies to work with that have the best quality and selection.

It's fun to pick out my own crystals and inspect them myself as each crystal is truly unique and one of a kind. It's like picking out a diamond, you're looking for cut, clarity and carat. For me designing and creating a product is about the process, always striving to continually perfect my craft. 
And because of this, I find I am very attached to most of my work because I know the story of how I bought each crystal and where it came from.

In the Studio

It's getting colder in the studio these days as my desks is right next to the window, which is looking mighty frosty outside. The wind chill in Toronto takes my breath away. I’m lucky I get lots of light, but it's a drawback in the winter months as it brings in the chilly air. I’ve hung my handmade dreamcatcher next to the window which catches lots of light and hopefully will bring spring weather soon.

Wanderlust: Santa Barbara and my Top 5

Last year I was lucky to get in some time to travel to the beautiful beaches of Santa Barbara. It's still cold and wintery in Toronto, so what better way to look back at my California trip than today.

Here are my top 5 things to do in Santa Barbara:

1. Butterfly Beach- this beach is away from the main downtown area so you can enjoy your time away from the crowd. Sometimes you might run into tourists with their cameras if you decide to photo shoot on this beach. While I was messing around with this billowy scarf, 2 Japanese tourists started taking my photo. Erm, kind of embarrassing.

2. Rent a Bike Cruiser- The best possible way to cover ground and see all of the beaches on foot would be to rent a bike cruiser for a few hours. Its fun and you get great exercise, especially if you can make it up the peak for the great view of the harbor. I recommend taking some sandwiches and snacks for the rest stops.

3. Pool hopping- Hands down, the Bacara resort has the most beautiful pool to dip your toes in. You won’t be disappointed with their picturesque pool especially when the sun starts to set.

1. High Tea at the Four Seasons Biltmore- A beautiful view of the ocean from the patio and sweeping fabric from the indoor courtyard remind me a Moroccan villa. I recommend the High Tea just so you spend a few hours soaking up the beauty of this place and the excellent service. You definitely need to spoil yourself here.

 5. Farmer’s market- Sunday’s are not complete without checking out the market for the colorful fruit and vegetables, picking up a bundle of Gerber flowers, and fresh herbs for homemade tea.

A few other places that didn’t quite make the cut, but are still worthy to check out:
• walking down State Street, the heart of the city
• the new public market for fresh and organic meals
• getting Mexican food at Playa Azul or Superica

For my most recent adventures and studio happenings, please follow me on instagram @loveatfirstblush.

Bracelet Stacks

Working on more leather bracelets in the studio. I love how the natural leather starts from a nude color and patinas over time to a tan brown. I love wearing mine stacked with other bracelets and rings.

In the Studio

In and around the studio these days at the Kensington market. I can't believe it's the start of a new year already, 2014 just flew by. My new year resolution is to stay organized. I started hanging up my tools on the corkboard and adding some green life to brighten up the studio and naturally clean the air. What are your new year goals for this year?

Craft Show

November flew by too quickly for me to write up a blog post. I just wrapped up a quick trip out west to Vancouver for the Make It! Craft show. It was our first time planning and setting up for a large 10 x 5 feet booth and it wasn't as daunting as I had imagined it to be.

I kept everything quite minimal and simple so it would be an easy set up and take down, with a black and white theme to match our branding. We also got access to electricity so I used this to our advantage, adding some vintage looking globe lights to make it look romantic, like an outside patio or garden dripping with lights.

It was nice to be back in Vancouver for a few days, you Vancouverites are so chill and sweet. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our table for the 4 days we were there. The other side of my job that I love, (besides designing and creating), is meeting and talking to all of the people that support local crafters and Canadian makers. You are the kindest and sweetest people that I have ever had a chance to meet and it makes my job so much more fulfilling, and the reason why I love to do these shows.

xoxo,
Sabrina

If you want to more up to the minute updates, please follow me on instagram.