Recently, QBD Books had the opportunity to sit down with Lauren and Kathryn, the inspiring founders of ‘Auburn Designs’. Since December 2022, we have been stocking their beautiful bookmarks in our stores across the country. As each bookmark design is completely unique, it is no surprise that they are incredibly loved by our customers.
In our Q&A, we talked about their creative processes, all-time favourite designs, how they became the business we know today, and more! Let’s dive in!
- Let’s start from the beginning! How did Auburn Designs come to be the business we know and love today?
Auburn Designs began seven years ago. We were two sisters looking for a change in our careers. Having a passion for creativity and a love of handcrafted products we set about creating a jewellery line that would let us develop our skills and creative talent. Once we started we couldn’t stop! We worked hard together to perfect our art and to grow a range of beautiful products that are both unique and affordable. - We are thrilled to be selling your beautiful bookmarks nation-wide in our QBD stores. With hundreds of unique patterns for our customers to choose from, where do you find your design inspiration?
Our environment is a huge inspiration for our creativity. We are located on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Our studio sits at the base of the Hinterland with beautiful views of luscious green landscapes that inspire us year round. We’re also only a ten minute drive to stunning local beaches that bring a plethora of ocean colours and ever changing patterns to our work. Over the last few years customer requests have also played a large role in our creative designs. The challenge of turning their ideas into a product inspires us.
- How is each bookmark made? What is your process like?
The process of making each bookmark begins with a design concept. We love to bounce ideas off of each other and work together to blend coloured inks, florals and sparkles to create stunning designs. We pour our resin into moulds in multiple layers, each pour adding a different element and drying time to the curing process. Add in a deburring technique and tassels and your bookmark is complete. It’s a seven to ten day process from start to finish.
- Do you have an all-time favourite design?
Our designs are one-of-a-kind and we rarely repeat them. The resin process makes each product so unique that we probably couldn’t recreate a peace exactly even if we tried! Our favourite element to work with is definitely dried florals. - What’s next for Auburn Designs?
We have hit the ground running in 2023. Working with QBD is keeping us busy. We’re always exploring new concepts and hope to continue to grow our business while maintaining high quality and affordable products.
- How do you feel about working with QBD Books?
Working with QBD is a small business dream. To have an established Australian company embrace our handcrafted products has been both humbling and exhilarating. The QBD team is a pleasure to work with and we value their time and input. We come from a family of readers and find it rewarding to create both a practical and beautiful product to be enjoyed by many.
To shop the wonderful products by Auburn Designs, make sure to visit us in-store! For more information, you can find their Instagram profile at @auburn.designs
