SarahCreat.es

06/10/2025

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05/10/2025

Today I popped by the opening of the brand new .studio.flowers and space in The Wheel House at Longniddry Steading and it’s soooooo perfect. So much more room to showcase their stunning blooms, plants, lifestyle goods and workshops… and don’t even get me started on the actual water wheel– the serene, gentle sound of water makes the whole plant room feel like a little sanctuary 🤍 Blissful shopping!

It also marks 4.5 years of working alongside these amazing girls behind it all. It’s been a genuine joy helping grow both businesses – from branding and websites to launches, seasonal campaigns and more. I’ve seen first-hand just how much heart, dedication and creative flair goes into every bouquet, wedding, workshop and moment they create. They've also grown with me as I've transitioned from SarahCreates to .es

The new space is an exciting next chapter – and I am looking forward to what lies ahead for us all.

This gorgeous peace lily (chosen by my son!) came home with me to mark the occasion.

Well done Sophie & Julie; it's always a pleasure xx

21/08/2025

A great opportunity for e-comm businesses in East Lothian

🎉 Calling all East Lothian ecommerce business owners!

We’re excited to announce the return of the Master Ecommerce programme - a fully funded opportunity to grow your online business, delivered by Learn Ecommerce in partnership with Invest East Lothian.

📅 Starts Monday 8th September 2025
💻 Learn at your own pace with a 5-part video-on-demand series
👥 Get 1-2-1 expert support from ecommerce specialists
💬 Join live interactive sessions with real business experts

Whether you're selling through Shopify, Squarespace, or another platform, this programme is designed to help you build a strategy, sharpen your skills, and unlock your ecommerce potential.

By the end of it, you’ll know exactly what it takes to run a successful transactional website with international reach - all year round.

👉 Open to business owners and managers of established ecommerce sites who are ready to invest time and effort into growth.

Learn more and register your interest here: https://learnecommerce.co.uk/master25/eastlothian

FSB Scotland Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Business Gateway East Lothian

29/04/2025

Some quiet changes are happening…after many brilliant years as the solo-SarahCreates, I’m slowly evolving the business into a small team: .es — a multidisciplinary design studio for brands who need branding, websites and creative direction that actually works.A fresh look (and a new website!) will be on its way at some point — I've been contemplating posting this update for weeks now so don't hold your breath! But, we're in business...

09/04/2025

I’m NEVER one to jump on a trend—especially not a social media one.

Well… unless you count illegible MSN symbol statuses c.2000 or those deeply cringey Facebook updates back in the day 😬

Anyway! I’ve fully embraced ChatGPT as a part of my day-to-day business these days—it helps me power through admin, chip away at the never-ending to-do list, look into expanding the business, research everything (with fact-checking, don’t worry) and loads more. Day to day life too...Research into the best car seats? Exercises for a dodgy hip? She’s got me every.damn.time.

But when it comes to generating images with AI? That’s felt like a _HARD_ no for me as a creative.

Then I saw this trend concept that made me think, “…that’s actually kind of sweet.” And then I was back in efficiency-mode—seeing a totally new way of bringing User Personas to life. And honestly? That felt a little bit more alright.

So here we are: each persona, styled and packaged up like an “action figure doll”. Definitely not the result of a one-click prompt(!)—but once we got in the groove, the process felt slightly less painful, even playful at times!

Sure, the usual AI quirks are still hanging about (jaunty dumbbell, anyone?)—but the possibilities this opens up? 🤯 Mind.Blowing.

Imagine its as a video: an interactive, video persona. One you could ask…
— What do you value most in a brand?
— What’s your relationship with money?
— What kind of decisions are hardest for you to make?
— What’s your family life like?
— What would stop you buying something?

And get instant answers. Wild, right?

06/04/2025

Strategy first, design-led, *always* client-focused.

This is the kind of work I love—quiet, considered and deeply rooted in what people really need from a brand.

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Brand identity and single-page website (launching soon) for Panmuir Developments—an expert property development company working across the south east corner.

Panmuir had earned trust through the quality of their work (with no identity and website!), but needed a brand that matched the level of care and precision they bring to every build.

We began by exploring what trust looks like when it’s quiet. What strength feels like when it’s not macho. And, how we could communicate reliability, refinement and technical confidence in a way that still feels human and trustworthy.

The identity draws from architectural structure and design principles—the mark rooted in form, balance and spatial clarity. The typography and colour palette are deliberately restrained, drawing inspiration from building materials and natural tones: stone, timber, shadow and light.

Nothing is included just for decoration. Every element has a reason; just like a home should be.

Throughout, we positioned Panmuir not as one of many, but as a safe, experienced partner who will treat your home with care and build it with precision.

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06/01/2025

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year. I ended up switching off nearly a week earlier than planned 😫 due to a poorly toddler at home, but it turned out to be exactly what I needed in a round about sort of way—a slow yet productive break! Managed to stay on it at the gym, decluttered the house and my head feels like it is in the right place for a solid start to 2025 💪🏼

I’ll be back at my desk tomorrow, tackling emails and catching up, so if you’ve been in touch, thank you for your patience—I’ll be working through everything over the next week or so.

January and February are already fully booked, though I might be able to squeeze in the odd small project here and there. For bigger projects, I’m currently booking into March and beyond, so please do reach out if you’d like to chat about working together.

Here’s to a brilliant year ahead!

*2025 must be the year I finally get new brand photos… feeling like I have a few more lines and pounds since these were taken!

03/12/2024

Those of you with beady eyes might've noticed I mentioned a second part was coming a couple of weeks ago when I shared the basics of SEO... 👀 Well, here we are! Like I said before, SEO is always changing; the goalposts move constantly. The next big thing? Optimising for AI. 🤖✨

Let's dive into this together in my latest blog post, where I talk about how small businesses can stay ahead of the game and use AI optimisation to build their brand.

Don't be scared, I've broken it down into genuinely helpful content and steps. Link in bio for all the juicy details!

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18/11/2024

Is SEO just a buzzword you've heard? Well, I'll let you in on something: It’s the secret sauce that makes your website the main course in Google’s feast.⁠
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SEO is probably one of the things I get quizzed about the most when it comes to website builds. In true imposter form, I always play my knowledge down. However over the years I've stored so much information around it that I'm actually fairly clued up and not so afraid to say so anywhere. There's always more to learn though, hey? So, for now, fire away with any questions below and I'll respond 👇🏼

SEO is probably one of the things I get quizzed about the most when it comes to website builds, I share my knowledge on the basics of search engine optimisation for your small business

15/11/2024

Scottish Bee Company's Heather Honey stands head and shoulders above its competition. Until recently their heather, blossom and signature honeys all followed the same label style with colour and text differentiators. I was tasked with "making heather's label more premium", and so we did! It still nestles nicely beside the range, but we've added a lovely metallic ink on a silver stock with a matte varnish to finish 👌🏼 Very much looking forward to revisiting other designs in the future—stay tuned for new packaging designs soon 👀

Side note: When discussing goals, objectives and ideals with a client for a final product, I always have the chat about print budget upfront! This allows me to design with print finishes in mind, or indeed to design with a tighter budget in mind too.

12/11/2024

Imagine your four-legged friend, nose to the ground, free to roam and explore—this is the spirit behind Seek Dog Park just outside North Berwick 🐶

I wanted the brand to capture that feeling of adventure by using hand-drawn, flowing feel that could mimic the way a dog moves and explores a space or follows a scent, but also encompassing a sense of fun too! No stiff edges, just the freedom that comes with a session in the Seek field. I hope you love the cheeky face and can really feel the playful energy we I've poured into this design ✨

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