Q&A with Elizabeth Rachael
How are you? What have you been up to today?
Hey! I’m really good thank you! My little boy turned 1 yesterday so I’ve mainly been tidying up after his party with a bit of sketching in between.
Can you tell us about your design process? Where does your inspiration come from and what are the steps from initial idea to finished piece?
My inspiration comes from nature, especially wildflowers. I love drawing wildflowers especially because there’s something so beautifully unkempt about them, and that mirrors my drawing style really well.
Sometimes when I start a design I’ll sketch the layout first, but most of the time I just put pen to paper and see where it takes me.
What does a typical work day look like for you? And how would you spend your ideal day off?
I normally start work at 8am by sketching straight away. I like to get all my drawing for the day done in the morning. I think because it’s so relaxing, it’s a great way to start the day.
At the moment I'm trying to do Couch to 5k (although I'm only 2 weeks in) so I’ll go for a run at lunch along the Mersey river banks and then spend the afternoon at my computer editing all my drawings into prints!
My ideal day off would be a sunny one. I’d spend it having a picnic in the park with my family and friends. Later someone would offer to take the baby for the night so I could have a full nights sleep!
What’s your favourite snack to keep you going while you're working?
Chocolate and biscuits! I'm such a chocolate fiend. Cadburys Marvellous Creation popping candy is my favourite.
If you could only save floral print or animal print, what would it be?
Ooooo tough one, because I love drawing florals but I don’t actually wear them, but I'm a sucker for anything in a zebra print. Ahhh, I think I’d have to save florals because I don’t know what I’d do if I could never draw them again.
You’ve got some gorgeous art prints in your own shop - how did designing for our leather products differ from your usual process?
I had to put a lot of thought into the layout of the coin purse which took me quite a while to get my head around. I also had to try keep in mind how the design would print onto leather as I didn’t want any detail to become lost.
What’s your favourite product in the Sbri collection?
I'm not just saying this, but it is actually the coin purse. I’ve used a card holder for the past 5+ years so I’m constantly losing all my change and as a result I never have any cash on me. I love the coin purse because you can actually fit a few cards in too!
Tell us three little things that bring you joy
1. My baby boy Leo
2. A Tiktok binge
3. Chippy chips!
Any quotes to live by?
“So far you’ve survived everything you thought you couldn’t”
Dream collaboration?
I love collaborating with small sustainable brands like yourselves. So just more of that I think!
Shop the full Sbri x Elizabeth Rachael collection here, where you'll find a whole garden's worth of beautiful floral leather accessories: purses, keyrings, glasses cases and bags. You can find more of Liz's work on www.elizabethrachael.com or on Instagram, @elizabethrachael.