First attempts at lino cutting

I did some lino cuts!  They may not be the best prints ever but for a very first time attempt I am pretty pleased with them.  And the main thing is I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  The cutting was easier than I thought, and the printing harder!  I've signed up for a workshop at Paper Village in September which should help me along a little.

I've had the whole week of work and rather than going away decided to have a 'creative holiday', which meant investing in art, craft and sewing material, and it's been really fantastic.  I'd forgotten how much I love just getting totally absorbed in making something, it is the best way I can enjoy my own company - something I sometimes struggle with.  I realised I spend a LOT of time on the internet looking at prettty things I want, or reading craft books and just passively consuming things, in theory it's supposed to be 'inspiration' but so often it is just another way of not doing things myself.

And I want to change that!

I tend to think of myself as not artistic or creative enough to have a go myself, but I've read a few books lately that have really inspired me to just get on with it and learn through having a bash.  'Lotta Prints' is particularly excellent (have I mentioned before how much I love Lotta Jansdotter??) and I highly recommend it for someone with no knowledge of printing processes who just wants to have a go.  Not featured on this blog are the potato prints I did to build myself up to the lino cutting!

I also have something slightly more sophisticated that I've made and would like to share, but as it is a present for someone I think may read this blog I will have to hold off for now....

The best thing of all is that it is Sunday night (just! So very nearly midnight), but there is no Sunday night feeling for me as I'm not back in work until Thursday, woop!  Summer has finally arrived in the UK which I'm hoping means the next few days will be all about picnics, walks, suppers outside and hopefully a trip out to this lovely place to jump in the river - one of my all time very favourite things to do.  It's the first time this year that it's even seemed like an option due to the weather being so rubbish, but the forecast for Wednesday is 28 degrees(!) so leaping into cold cold water could be just the right thing to do.