New Skills, Old Friends, plenty of Laughs

What started as a casual night out with girlfriends turned into one of those unexpected creative experiences you don’t realise you’ve been missing.

Our "book club" (loose term- we're not always great at finishing the books on time!) decided to try a block printing class - just for something different, at Made By Me. We brought along a bottle of wine and snacks to share, settled in, and let the evening unfold. No rushing. No expectations. Just carving, cutting, chatting - and learning how to turn simple designs into something tactile and real. Tote bags. Tea towels. Inky hands and plenty of laughter.

We enjoyed it so much we went back for a second session.

Around the same time, my husband was travelling a lot for work. Instead of defaulting to a Netflix binge each evening, I found myself leaning into that rekindled creative spark. It only took a little running around to gather all the tools I needed (see below for what I bought), along with some beautiful plain linen tea towels I sourced online - and suddenly my solo nights had a different rhythm. Calm. Absorbing. Satisfying in that slow, hands-busy way.

And yes… I’m sure you can guess what my Friday coffee group all received for Christmas 🎁

There was no grand creative plan here. Just showing up, making something imperfect, and enjoying the company - first with friends, then on my own. A small reminder that creativity can be deeply nourishing.

What I bought to get started:

• Speedball Block Print Starter Kit

• Renoir Easy Carve A5 Block

• Crafters Choice Acrylic Sheet (to use as the "ink pad")

• Speedball Fabric Block Ink

• Barren (for even pressure when printing)

• Craft Knife

• Blank Linen Tea Towels