Molly Mahon

The Joy of Colour, Print and Pattern.

Molly Mahon's Guide to Block Printing

Getting to know Molly

The Joy of Colour, Print and Pattern Molly Mahon is an expert at creating pared-back designs with bold and zesty colours. Inspired by nature and the rich colours of India, her signature block prints focus on colour, texture and pattern, bringing joy into the home and an ancient craft into the modern day. Molly is passionate about allowing everyone to express their inner creativity.

Molly, a Surrey native, moved to London after graduating from university and lived there for many years with her husband Rollo and their three children. Molly was bitten by the printing bug after attending her first block printing class and became fascinated with the craft. Molly later moved to Sussex, settling in cottage in the Ashdown Forest. Molly is passionate about the ability of bright colours and textiles to change one's life, from wallpaper to lampshades and armchairs. Molly understands the joy colour, print and pattern can bring to one's life.

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Glossary of key terms Block A piece of thick, flat material, with a design on its surface, used to print repeated impressions of that design.

Oil-Based Paints These paints consist of natural oils, such as linseed oil. They are made up of a resin in a solvent thinner.

Chalk Paint A water-based paint, since chalk paints do not use acrylics or oils, they are more environmentally friendly. They have a matt finish and come in earthy and muted colours.

Negative Space The area that isn't being printed is the negative space.

Eco-Friendly Fabric Paint These are non-toxic water-based paints that do not contain ozone-depleting chemicals and are free of volatile organic solvents.

Emulsion Paint A water-based paint with the addition of vinyl or acrylic to make it more durable.

It's mainly seen on the walls and ceilings.

Khadi Paper A paper made in India from recycled cotton rag.

Lining Paper A paper used to prepare to blank walls or ceilings for painting or papering with decorative wallpaper.

Relief A technique in which the image is printed from a raised surface.

Screen Print The process of transferring a stencilled design onto a flat surface using a mesh screen, ink and a squeegee.

Sugar Paper A heavy paper produced in many colours and used in artwork especially for making folded or cutout designs Stippler A sponge-like piece of apparatus used to apply paint to a printing block.

Water-Based Paints Also known as latex paints, they are made up of a pigment and bind with water acting as a carrier.

Linoleum Print A type of relief print in which the image is cut into a piece of linoleum.

Definitions from The Art of Education , PracticalDIY.com, Free Dictionary, Permaset & House & Beautiful

Why block printing?

What is it about block printing that Molly finds so alluring?

Why is it important to keep this ancient practice alive?

Molly empowers you to start your block printing journey.

Lesson Summary Block printing is an excellent way to bring colour and pattern into your home.

You can print on a variety of surfaces, worn materials particularly print well.

Everything from tea towels to wallpaper can be block printed.

Many of the blocks that Molly uses are hand carved in Jaipur, India.

Alternatively, you can cut lino blocks that have been pre-mounted onto an MDF block.

Your Assignment Look around your house for old scraps of material to practise printing on. This could be anything from old linen to old pillowcases being given new life.

Your Notes

Block printing tool kit Molly outlines the essential tools you'll need to get started with block printing.

Essential Tools Tracing paper Printing paper Lino cutting toolset with a Safety Hand Guard Pre-mounted lino block Stippler Eco fabric paint Fruit knife Biscuit cutter Sand paper Iron Paintbrushes Tea towel Apron Fabrics; cotton and linen Paint tray

Recommended Tools Felt or old wool blankets as padding A sturdy and tall table Sugar paper Khadi paper Sketchbook Large potato Vintage Indian printing blocks

Paints Poster paint Emulsion paint Water-based screen printing paint Chalk paint

Printing on paper You can print on paper with poster paint, emulsion paint, or screen printing paint.

Printing on fabric Molly suggests using water-based screen printing paint, emulsion paint, or chalk paint when printing on fabric.

Molly uses a print pad made of felt mounted on a plywood panel.

Padding on the table is very important as it soaks up excess paint and has a lot of give.

Sugar paper is lovely and absorbent.

Khadi paper is waste from the t-shirt manufacturing process.

Molly recommends as thick lino as possible.

Prints on fabric are set with an iron on a dry setting.

Molly recommends washing blocks in cold water and towelling them down, then leaving them to air dry.

Essdee sells a great Lino Cutting & Printing Kit, which you can get here.

Molly's pre-made kits Molly sells various block printing kits that can be useful when taking this course.

You can buy a card-making kit, a tea-towel kit and a lampshade kit. You can find further information about Molly's kits here.

Finding inspiration Molly outlines her three key areas of inspiration, encouraging you to go out into the world and find what makes your heart sing, getting you to think about what motivates you to create art that you love.

Lesson Summary Molly finds inspiration in three places: Charleston, India, and nature.

Charleston combines geometric shapes with florals and knows no bounds.

Molly gets a lot of inspiration from being outside and absorbing the environment.

Molly is inspired by the bright colours and boldness.

Molly recommends keeping track of your drawings in a notebook.

Molly draws things she has seen and any ideas she has.

Try picking leaves off the ground and stop to see the brilliance of nature.

Your assignment Be daring and go out and find out what inspires you. Consider some of your favourite artists and examine their work and colour choices. Pick up some old antique fabric and play with the colours. Create a work of art using your key pieces of inspiration.

Your Notes

Printing with a potato Block printing doesn’t need to be complex. Molly demonstrates how to print simple yet gorgeous patterns with an everyday baking potato!

Equipment Potato Knife Pot of paint (chalk paint) Stippler

Lesson Summary Molly is using Hemway chalk paint in Ruby Red. You can buy it here.

Potato printing provides a nice rhythm and flows into what block printing is all about.

Hand printing on a small scale aids in the creation of 'perfect imperfections'.

Enjoy the process as much as the finished product.

Your Assignment Make simple prints with potatoes using a knife and biscuit cutters, as cutting tools.

Make sure to experiment with negative space.

Your Notes

Finding your colour palette Molly empowers you to find your colour palette and choose colours that speak to you in this lesson.

Lesson Summary Molly has mixed colours over time to create the colour palette she prefers.

Paint half-circles of your favourite colours on a piece of paper, gathering as many colours as you like.

When designing a particular item, you can use the half-circles to see which colour feel right.

Blue, yellow, and red are your primary colours. All colours are derived from mixing these colours.

Begin with your primary colours and work your way up from there to create a complete colour palette.

The colours in your palette should give you a feeling of joy.

Make a note of the measurements of each colour when mixing them.

Chalk paints, as well as screen printing and block printing paints, are excellent for mixing.

Colours can be toned down by using white and built up by adding black.

Further reading For further reading about colour theory and colour mixing Molly recommends the following books: Living with Colour by Rebecca Atwood and Colour Mixing Bible by Ian Sidaway.

Your Assignment Using the knowledge gained from the lesson buy paints and start experimenting with colour mixing. Make half-circles and spots like Molly and start experimenting with colour combinations. Choose colours that speak to you and make you happy.

Key colour concepts

Hue

The Colour Wheel

A hue is a pure colour without the addition of any tint. shade or tone. This includes primary, secondary and tertiary colours that can be found on the colour wheel.

The colour wheel consists of twelve hues and is broken down into, primary, secondary and tertiary colours.

Tint

Primary colours

A tint is a hue of a colour where white is added. Pastel colours are examples of tinted colours. A tint is lighter than the original colour.

Yellow, red and blue.

Tone

These are colours that are made by mixing together primary colours (orange, purple and green).

A tone is the hue of colour with which pure grey is added. A tone is softer than the original colour

Shade A shade is the hue of colour with which black is added. A shade is darker than the original colour.

Definitions from Colourwheelartist.com

Secondary colours

Tertiary colours These are colours that are obtained by mixing together the primary and secondary colours.

The Colour Wheel Secondary Colours

Hue

Primary Colours

Tertiary Colours

Hue

+

=

Tint

+

=

Tone

+

=

Shade

Printing on different mediums It's all about the medium! Molly explains how your approach to printing is often shaped by the medium, from printing on paper to printing on fabric. In this lesson, Molly teaches you how to make beautiful prints on any surface.

Lesson Summary Printing on paper You can print on any type of paper, but Molly prefers Indian Khadi paper.

Lining paper is available at any DIY store. You can buy some here.

Molly suggests reusing existing fabrics, particularly old worn sheets and tea towels.

Molly recommends using bleached linens if you want your colours to pop.

Preparing fabrics Molly recommends washing fabrics at the highest temperature they can take.

To wash fabrics, use a gentle detergent; for natural fabrics, use a bleach-free detergent such as Ecover.

Paint sets with time and heat, once the fabric is dry, iron the fabric with the steam setting off.

Lightweight fabrics may jump around while printing, so Molly suggests pinning or masking taping them down.

Your Assignment Gather different pieces of cloth and paper, begin experimenting with various mediums.

Look at how the different colour combinations sit. Compare the ways in which the colours and prints look on different mediums. What's your favourite medium to print on? Let us know in the course comments section.

Printing on different mediums continued...

Your Notes

The design process Molly guides you through her design process, highlighting key skills and steps that can be applied to any print.

Equipment Ruler Potato Pencil Couple of sharp knives Sugar paper (or printer paper) Block printing paint (emulsion, poster or anything water-based) Stippler Tracing paper Mounted Linoleum Printing Block (Lino) Masking tape

Printing the pattern You don't need a huge range of blocks to make patterns.

Using sugar paper Molly prints her star pattern A motif is the starting point of every pattern; it is the part that will be repeated.

Repeat patterns A block repeat entails printing in a grid structure, with the motif repeated horizontally and vertically in the same manner.

Printing halfway past the print above is referred to as a brick repeat.

With a brick repeat, the first motif begins in the top left-hand corner and the one below halfway along.

In a half drop repeat, every second line of the motif is dropped. A half drop repeat is very common on wallpaper.

A diamond repeat is made by repeating the pattern in a diamond shape.

An onion repeat, (or ogre) is where the repeat is shaped much like an onion with its rounded edges.

A random repeat has no formula and the repeat is simply scattered around.

The design process continued...

A stripe repeat is where the repeated motifs are touching and the repeat is in a straight line, either horizontally or vertically.

A half drop stripe repeat is similar to a stripe repeat in that the motifs are touching, but every second line of the motif is dropped.

Top and bottom motifs line up in a connected repeat, with each motif connecting.

Further reading For further reading about block printing patterns and repeats, Molly recommends the following books. How to Make Repeat Patterns: A Guide for Designers, Architects and Artists by Paul Jackson and House of Prints by Molly Mahon.

Your assignment Using the information garnered from this lesson make simple repeat patterns.

Your Notes

Sources; Print Mag & Bitesize

Common repeat patterns

BLOCK PATTERN REPEAT

BRICK REPEAT

ONION/ OGEE REPEAT

HALF DROP PATTERN REPEAT

DIAMOND PATTERN REPEAT

RANDOM REPEAT

STRIPE REPEAT/ BLOCK

STRIPE REPEAT / HALF DROP

CONNECTED REPEAT

Molly's inspiration: Charleston Molly shows you around the wonderful Charleston Farmhouse, once the home of Vanessa Bell and the Bloomsbury group, showing how her own designs have been influenced by the work and decoration shown here.

Lesson Summary Charleston Farm located in the English county of East Sussex was the Bloomsbury Group's country retreat.

The home incorporates a variety of fabrics, colours, and prints to create an incredibly personal space.

Charleston is an excellent example of artists collaborating, an example of living in the moment.

Circles and stripes of colour are a common combination used by the Bloomsbury Group.

The house pushes you to be bold and adventurous and is definitely worth a visit.

Molly's Charleston-inspired block printing kit can be purchased here.

Further reading You can find out further information about the Bloomsbury group on The Tate Modern's website here. If you are interested in reading about the life and work of The Bloomsbury Group, Wendy Hitchmough's 'The Bloomsbury Look' is a great starting point.

The Bloomsbury Look

The Bloomsbury Group and Charleston Farmhouse About the Bloomsbury Group The Bloomsbury Group were a collective of artists and writers. In 1905, they started meeting at Vanessa Bell's London home, which she shared with her siblings Thoby Stephen and Virginia Woolf. Other prominent members of the group were John Maynard Keynes, Duncan Grant, Lytton Strachey, E.M. Forster, Roger Fry and Saxon Sydney-Turner.

They were forward-thinking, and in their art, writing, and philosophy, they articulated a passion for social progress and a departure from the oppressive environment of the Victorian period.

Charleston The Bloomsbury circle's social life revolved around the different houses that members and their friends possessed. Vanessa Bell lived in the Sussex countryside at Charleston Farmhouse. During the First World War, she moved there with her children as well as Duncan Grant and David 'Bunny' Garnett.

The house not only served as a source of inspiration for many literary works, but it also served as a centre for art and decoration. The Bloomsbury group decorated the walls, stencilled the wallpaper, and made curtains, furniture, and rugs.

Grant, Bell, and Fry ended up painting nearly the entire house over the years they lived there. The house was viewed as a blank canvas. Almost every surface of the house was decorated.

Sources; Tate Archive Journal, Charleston.org and Sites of British Modernism

A potato printed table runner & napkins Molly demonstrates how to make a Charleston-inspired runner and matching napkins using simple potato printing techniques.

Equipment A large baking potato A linen-cotton blend table runner Linen-cotton blend napkins Knife Two fabric paint colours Stippler Linen content blend napkins

Lesson Summary Before using the fabric, it should be washed and ironed.

When printing, a trolley with a tray comes in handy.

Practise your print on paper before printing onto your fabric.

Molly uses a linen-cotton blend that is frequently milled and woven in Belgium.

Plain linen tablecloths and napkins can be purchased from Zara Home, La Redoute, and Etsy.

Leaving the creases in the napkin can be a helpful guide.

Some linens are coloured and bleached, while others are natural.

Molly's table runner is made from a roll of printed fabric that has been hemmed.

Molly uses Permaset Aqua Fabric & Textile Screen Printing Ink in Light Blue and Blue B you can buy them here.

Your Assignment Play about with a few baking potatoes and design different shapes that could be used for potato printing. Using the knowledge gained from this lesson print a tablecloth and some napkins.

A potato printed table runner & napkins continued...

Your Notes

The wooden block printing process Molly outlines her design process and how she works from a drawing through to a final block printed fabric.

Lesson Summary Molly draws small illustrations in her sketchbook, which are later printed in India.

Molly's sketches are cut onto wooden blocks before being block printed on fabric.

Each colour is represented by a different block.

Wooden Block Carving The blocks are hand-carved. It can take years to master the art of block carving.

Block carving is a skill handed down from generation to generation.

The tartan print 'Trellis' can be purchased here.

The 'Strawberry' print can be purchased here.

Your Assignment Get researching! Find out where you can buy antique blocks in your area and start printing. The Arty Crafty Place is a great website for buying Indian wooden blocks in a variety of designs from lines and stripes to flowers. Explore the various blocks here.

Etsy is another website where you can buy a range of Indian printing blocks, you can purchase here.

Your Notes

Molly's inspiration: India Molly's work is inextricably linked to India. Molly discusses the significance of Jaipur in her block printing practice, as well as the history of this ancient practice.

Lesson Summary Jaipur is awash with pattern and colour.

Molly strongly recommends visiting as part of your block printing journey. Jaipur is dubbed the "pink city', and floral motifs are found all over the city.

Molly collaborates with RASA Jaipur, a husband and wife team based in Jaipur that block-print a large portion of Molly's homeware and fabrics.

Different areas of India have different designs that are specific to them.

Molly's designs are carved into a wooden block, with each colour laid into the design using a different wooden block.

Molly recommends visiting; City Palace Jaipur RASA Jaipur Bar Palladio Jaipur Phool Mandi flower markets.

Further Reading If you are interested in the history of block printing in Jaipur, as well as Indian use of colour and textiles, the books mentioned below are excellent. Christine Chitnis' 'Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colors, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan'. 'Block Prints From India For Textiles' by Lewis, A. B. (Albert Buell) which you can view online here.

All about Jaipur The city which changed Molly's life Jaipur, Rajasthan's largest city and capital, is also known as the Pink City. One of India's first planned cities, Jaipur was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in 1727 AD. For the grand welcome of Edward, Prince of Wales, Jaipur was painted pink, historically a The most reliable is a lawn-like species called Leucobryum colour synonymous with hospitality, during the reign of Sawai Ram Singh. Even now, the pink colour is still glaucum and is there. sold under the name “bun moss” or

“cushion moss”. It will grow well in sealed terrariums,

Block printing is also known as woodblock printing, woodcut printing, or hand block printing India.yellow Beautiful or works of art are produced by following the method of going inpale white when it needs a spritz of water. carving patterns onto wooden blocks and printing using natural dyes.

Polytrichum mosses are like miniature pine trees, and can be found very commonly in damp areas.

Sources; Jaipur.org and The New York Times

A large marigold printed piece of fabric Molly teaches you how to lino print a beautiful large piece of fabric that can be a showstopper for any room, drawing inspiration from beautiful Indian marigolds.

Equipment Worn-in French linen fabric.

Sketchbook or notebook Lino cutting toolset with a safety handguard Pre-mounted lino block White drum lampshade Stippler Eco fabric paint Stippler Printing pad Grade 150 sandpaper Felt or old wool blankets as padding

Lesson Summary Molly begins by drawing a pattern in her sketchbook.

Molly traces over her design with tracing paper and a pencil once she is satisfied with it.

Molly uses a black marker pen to go over her pencil outline because pencil can sometimes rub off while carving.

Allow the lino to warm up by placing it near a radiator for a few minutes to make it easier to carve.

Carving the lino The V-shaped tool is used to work on the fine details.

The U-shaped tool is used to carve out the larger areas.

A large marigold printed piece of fabric continued...

Molly begins by carving out the more intricate areas.

Print onto paper first Molly constructed her printing pad from scraps of plywood and two pieces of felt.

Molly suggests sanding the lino block before printing.

Instead of squeezing the lino block onto the printing pad, gently lift the paint off the pad.

Wash the fabric with a light detergent like Ecover and give it a very good iron.

Molly's fabric is 138cm wide.

Make sure your pad is damp with paint.

Your Assignment Experiment with drawing different marigolds or other flower designs and create your own large printed piece of fabric.

Your Notes

Molly's inspiration: nature Molly, a lover of nature, emphasises the connection between block printing and nature, taking you to a shepherd’s hut she’s decorated and then into the woods, leading you through a nature-inspired project, from collecting leaves to the finished print.

Equipment Stippler Lino carving tools with a safety guard Lino Block Leaves Pencil Sketchbook

Lesson Summary Molly's first nature-inspired print, Birds and Bees, is available for purchase here.

The initial print was produced with Farrow & Ball's Arsenic, which can be purchased here.

Molly encourages you to go outside and observe nature.

Molly advises using Swiss Made Lino cutting equipment.

The V-shaped carving tool is used for fine detail work.

The wider areas are carved out using the U-shaped tool.

Molly begins by printing on scrap paper.

Your Notes

Printing a roll of wallpaper Molly shows how to create beautiful bespoke and totally unique wallpaper by drawing inspiration from nature.

Equipment Leaves 30x30cm Lino Sheet Stippler Lino cutting toolset with a safety hand guard Emulsion or chalk paints Lining paper Masking tape Padded table Tea towel

Lesson Summary Molly gathered fallen oak leaves and used them as a template to make her pattern.

Molly suggests purchasing your lining paper before beginning your design.

Molly's lining paper is 52 cm wide and her lino block is 26 cm wide.

Sketch on paper first, then transfer the design to the lino with tracing paper.

You have the option of doing a brick repeat or a half drop repeat.

Your Assignment Try your hand at creating your own nature-inspired wallpaper. Take a walk in nature and find your own source of inspiration; be daring!

Lampshades Lampshades are an excellent way to introduce colour and pattern into your home. Molly covers everything from gathered lampshades to skirt lampshades and guides you through how to make a lampshade with your very own print.

Equipment Molly's lampshade kit in Wave Pink or Wiggle Blue. Alternatively, you can buy individual pieces.

25cm Circular Lampshade Ringset Self-adhesive lampshade panel size 801mm x 238mm Lampshade Sticky tape Pot of bespoke eco fabric ink Lino block mounted on plywood Stippler Lino cutting toolset with a Safety Hand Guard

Lesson Summary A lampshade is a brilliant way of bringing colour and pattern into your home.

Molly uses Permaset Aqua Fabric & Textile Screen Printing Ink in Scarlet. You can buy it here.

For a skirt lampshade hem, the top and bottom of a block printed piece of fabric.

Printing paper can be used to make lovely lampshades.

Molly's lampshade kit is available for purchase here.

Molly suggests taping the panel to the table with masking tape.

Consider the size of your work and how it will fit on the panel.

Your Assignment Make your own lampshade, experimenting with various colours and repeat patterns.

Lampshades continued ...

Your Notes

Bringing prints into your home Molly shows how to make a cosy and colourful home.

Using her own home as a backdrop, she demonstrates how she has curated a colourful and pattern-filled home.

Lesson Summary Molly enjoys combining bold and bright colours, and she sees a home as a work in progress.

Molly is a big fan of colours and enjoys bringing them all in. Colour is a gut reaction for her.

Molly's mugs are displayed on a vintage dresser in the kitchen.

Molly likes to mix dark mahogany with brighter colours.

The dining room fireplace is a nod to Charleston.

You can create a palette with paint tester pots; it's a great way to discover your creative side.

The roller blinds are in the 'Rose' fabric from Molly's Jaipur collection. You can purchase it here.

Your Assignment Molly's main question is 'Is it bringing me joy?' Take a look around your house at the items you already own and do a clear-out. Donate or sell items that no longer make you happy. This is the first step toward creating a home that you adore. Fill your home with patterns and colours that you like, do some research, and create something unique to you.

Your Notes

Walkthrough- Living Room Molly walks you through her living room, which she transformed from a heavy, dull space into one that seamlessly interweaves colour and pattern.

Lesson Summary Molly's fireplace has been decorated with patterns and colours inspired by Charleston.

The vintage sofa is upholstered in Molly's Luna fabric in Blue/Pink, which is available for purchase here.

The ottoman has been reupholstered in Trellis in the Rose/Midnight colourway, available here.

The lampshades on the wall lights are made of Molly's Luna fabric, available here.

The armchair is reupholstered in Pink Stripe, available here.

Walkthrough - Master Bedroom Molly talks you through how she has built up pattern and colour in her bedroom to bring her joy everyday.

Lesson Summary Molly's bedroom has been wallpapered in her Marigold print in pink and blue, which can be purchased here.

The wallpaper combines a very important Indian flower, marigold, with a traditional British colour palette.

Molly suggests using a large wallpaper print to help open up space in a small room.

Molly's Bagru fabric in pink is used for the curtains. You can find it here.

The headboard is upholstered in 'Stripe' in blue.

The cushions are a mix and match of different sizes and shapes and have been covered in 'Garden Path' in rose, blue and copper colourways.

The red fabric on the side tables is 'Garden Path' in rose.

Molly grounds the space by combining dark wood with more contemporary wallpaper.

Molly's 'Dash' pattern was hand block printed on the green lampshade, which was later tied around an existing John Lewis shade.

The blue lampshade was Dabu printed in Bagru, India. This is mud resist block print and can be bought here.

Your Notes

Walkthrough - Second Bedroom Using her son's room as a backdrop, Molly demonstrates how she incorporates pattern and print into any space, tailoring rooms to her family.

Lesson Summary The headboard has been upholstered in Luna which can be purchased here.

The quilt and wallpaper have been hand block printed in India. The style is Leaf' and you can purchase the print here.

Molly uses a piece of block printed fabric called 'Stars' as a curtain door. You can purchase it here.

Walkthrough - Bathroom Molly explains how she layers pattern and colour to make her bathroom cosy and welcoming.

Lesson Summary The bathroom feeling comfortable was very important for Molly.

Molly's 'Coral' wallpaper is used, the chair is upholstered in 'Berry' in the grass/sky colourway.

The woven rug on the floor is 'Chunky Cotton' in pink.

Adding rugs and linen has helped to reopen the space and feel mellow and gentle.

Molly uses Bagru in pink behind the door, you can purchase it here.

Suggested reading The following list is a selection of books that are excellent for those interested in learning more about block printing.

House of Print A Modern Printer's Take on Design, Colour and Pattern by Molly Mahon Living with Colour by Rebecca Atwood Colour Mixing Bible by Ian Sidaway The Bloomsbury Look by Wendy Hitchmough Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colors, Textiles, and the Vibrancy of Rajasthan

by Christine Chitnis Block Prints From India For Textiles' by Lewis, A. B. (Albert Buell) Learning Linocut: A Comprehensive Guide to the Art of Relief Printing Through Linocut by Susan Yeates

Art and craft shops Let us know in the course comments if there are any art shops that we've missed off this list. Cass Art, Hobbycraft, Cowling & Wilcox, The Works and Tindalls Art & Graphics are UK wide art supply shops.

SOUT SO TH H EA AST ST ZIELER | Art Supplies Lawrence Art Supplies Craft f Stationers ft The Godalming Art Shop p

SOUTH WEST

L O ND LO NDO ON N The London Art Shop Jackson's Art London Graphic Centre Turnham Arts & Crafts The Art Stationers and Green’s Village Toyshop

EAST OF ENGLAND

Pegasus Art Shop South West Art Truro Arts Company Lunn's Art Shop

Tindalls Art & Graphics Denny Bros Supplies Ltd Norwich Art Supplies Artscape

EAST MIDLANDS

WEST MIDLANDS

Artworks (Midlands) Ltd Local Art Shop W. Frank Gadsby Ltd Thimbles Fabrics & Crafts Ltd

The Ink well Intricut Crafts Hotshot Crafts The Crafts Collective

Art and craft shops Let us know in the course comments if there are any art shops that we've missed off this list.

N O R TH NOR T H E AST AST Nicolas Craft f Shop ft The Kemble Gallery & Art Shop The Art Shop Ltd Blackwell's Art Shop Newcastle

YORKSHIRE The Art Shop Skipton The Art Shop Calder Art Supplies Dinsdales Art Supplies & Stationery

SCOTLAND The Art Shop Skipton The Art Shop Calder Art Supplies Dinsdales Art Supplies & Stationery

N O R TH NOR T H W E ST ST Ken Bromley Art Supplies Northwich Art Shop Studio Arts Crafts Craft f s Graphics ft and Models Fred Aldous Ltd

WALES The Emporium West of Wales Art Supplies Valley Craft f ft Aberystwyth A Ab erystw ttw wyth Art Centre wy Craft f Shop ft

IRELAND The Art Materials Company Cork Art Supplies The Art & Hobby Shop Nutgrove Cregal Art Ltd.

Block Printing at Christmas Molly shows you how to use block printing to make stunning festive designs.

Lesson Summary Equipment A baking potato A sharp knife A paint stippler Water-based paint A tray Padded table Recycled kraft paper Potato Biscuit cutter

Christmas Cards You can purchase Molly's Christmas card printing kit here.

Load your stippler with paint and apply a nice thin layer.

Decide where you want to print and check it over.

Making your own Christmas card is incredibly special and Molly really recommends it.

Wrapping Paper Molly uses recycled craft paper to make her wrapping paper.

You just need a potato and a biscuit cutter.

Start by cutting your potato in half, cutting straight down the length.

Molly recommends water-based paints when printing wrapping paper.

Block printing at Christmas continued ...

Kraft paper works well with any type of paint, from poster to emulsion paint.

Molly personally prefers water-based paint as they dry a lot faster.

With potato prints, you don't need to use a lot of padding, because potatoes have a lot of give. You just need paint and a stippler or paintbrush.

Paper chains can also be made easily by printing across a sheet of paper and cutting strips to seal them in.

Your Assignment Play around and experiment with some Christmas wrapping paper, holiday cards, and paper chains.