Creative Chat with designer & maker Laura Windebank, Founder of Pineandbear

We have had some wonderful creative businesses enrol on our Online Course and come along to our Pinterest Workshops. We have so enjoyed connecting with them online and in person and thought it would be great to share our Creative Chats with you here on our blog!

We have reached out to these artists, designers, makers and small business owners to share their business story with us. Details of their creative process, where they find inspiration and the highs and lows of running their own business. Our latest Creative Chat takes us to a creative studio in Brighton.

Our 2nd Creative Chat is with Laura Windebank, a designer & maker at Pineandbear, a Brighton based studio making retro-inspired making home decor and accessories for curious kids and adults alike.

Do you have a favourite creation, one that you’re most proud of?

I think my absolute favourite to make is my felt pennant flags. I love coming up with new colour combinations and wording for them. I hand draw all the letters, and I really enjoy the typography process. I even find cutting out the letters quite therapeutic although I think it might be time to buy a machine to do it for me! I get lots of custom requests for my pennants, and I love working closely with the customer to create a bespoke pennant for them.

What’s in your creation toolbox?

My creation tool box is full of embroidery threads, buttons, balls of wool, beads, and strings and of course a mountain of felt!

What do you enjoy about running your own business and which parts come most easily to you?

I’m incredibly lucky to get to do something I love every day and nurture my creativity, which I am very thankful for. I love the flexibility of running my own business as it means I can be there for my daughter and work around family time. I guess the easy bit is the creative process, as this is the bit I really love doing.

“I love the flexibility of running my own business as it means I can be there for my daughter and work around family time.” – Laura Windebank, founder Pineandbear

What don’t you enjoy, what do you find difficult, and what are the challenges?

I really don’t enjoy the business/administrative side of things and tend to get so engrossed in the making, that I forget about the important financial bit! I have always found the marketing side of things difficult. I think naturally being quite shy means I’m not very good at promoting myself, but it’s something I’ve been really working on. I think that’s why I like Pinterest, as you can quietly and slowly market yourself, without feeling pressured.

Who is your perfect/ideal customer and what do they value from you?

I’m not sure I have an ideal customer. All my customers are really lovely, and I am always so humbled when they find time to write a lovely review of my work. I hope when people see my work they value its authenticity as my work really is a reflection of my own personal style and our family lifestyle. I really hope my products bring out a happy nostalgia and encourage people to go camping!

“I hope when people see my work they value its authenticity as my work really is a reflection of my own personal style and our family lifestyle.” – Laura Windebank, founder Pineandbear

Can you tell us about your creative process?

My creative process is quite organic and intuitive. I tend to sketch down lots of ideas, and pin like mad for a while to create a visual mood board for a new product. Then I play around with colour and design until I’m happy with it. This is my happy place.

Where do you work from and do you work on your own?

I work on my own from my sunny studio in Brighton, with the radio or a podcast for company.

Where does your design inspiration come from?

I get inspiration from so many places. A lot of it comes from vintage camp and scout gear, but also vintage Americana and retro typography. My husband is a collector of all things old, and I often find inspiration from his car boot finds. This may be an old Finnish enamel camping mug or vintage shop sign.

“As a family we love to camp and go adventuring in nature, making happy memories and this was the main inspiration behind my brand.” – Laura Windebank, founder Pineandbear

Do you have any work in progress you’re excited about and you like to share with us?

I’m currently working on my Christmas range and some new dressing up kits for children which I’m really excited about. Think Wes Anderson’s Moon Rise Kingdom!

“I try and make a little Pinterest time every day, which I really look forward to and have already seen my engagement creeping up. I now have a goal and a purpose to my pinning, and hopefully a much more coherent brand aesthetic.” – Laura Windebank, founder Pineandbear

What are your passions and interests?

I love to cook, and I’m a real book worm. We love to spend summer weekends camping in our beloved Commer camper van or trawling a car boot. I also love a physical challenge, and am currently training for a half marathon over snowdonia which is happening in a few weeks, Eek!!

What was the biggest take away from doing our Pinterest course?

I really enjoyed doing the Pinterest course and have learnt loads of tips and tricks from you. Consistency is key with Pinterest which I hadn’t realised before. So now I try and make a little Pinterest time every day, which I really look forward to and have already seen my engagement creeping up. I now have a goal and a purpose to my pinning and hopefully a much more coherent brand aesthetic.

Find out more about Laura and her business Pineandbear here:

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