Lino Printing

I have been meaning to blog about this and have just been forgetting to! I am one terrible blogger! A couple of weeks ago I went to the same place, (Drink Shop, Do) were I did my pom pom rug making and thought I would give it a go at trying lino printing. Lino Printing is very simple and easy to do all you need is a creative mind. I decided to opt for something in relation to Peter Pan, I think this might have been because I was watching series 3 of Once Upon a Time were Peter is evil, plus I was in a fairytale kind of mood. I chose to draw him in his Indian head wear. I won't lie it was tricky to write backwards but I have had plenty of experience from drawing on windows for work.

The method was easy and very simple. All that was needed to be done was draw out the design and trace onto your lino block using tracing paper. You then took the lino cutting tool and cut away the sections you did not want to be printed which again was very easy. There was a selection of papers to choose from in which to print your design. I printed on a variety of papers such as oriental, book pages, sugar paper but decided that black seemed to work brilliantly for my design.

I loved doing the lino printing, that I have even brought some blocks myself to do more at home. I just need to buy the paints. I have enjoyed going to these classes as not only am I being creative again in different ways but I can have a chance to socialize with others.  

London Coffee Festival 2015

Thursday I was working at the London Coffee Festival for Starbucks. And all I can say is wow! It was such an amazing day and it was great to be apart of it. I worked on the Thursday during the trade event, in which I arrived early to view the rest of the show and get a few freebie samples. 

Even though I saw plans for the Starbucks stand I never expected it to be how it turned out. It was brilliant and really stood out from a lot of the other stands in the show. The stand was inspired by the new Starbucks Roastery that just opened in Seattle last year. 

There was different 'stations' on the Starbucks stand were guests could try samples of new Starbucks coffee innervation, having a chance at creating latte art and even getting a free 50g bag of our specialty reserve coffee particularly the No 11 reserve blend that can only be brought in the states. I will try and do a blog post on this blend soon. But I wish I could buy a bag myself as it was lovely and very sweet. 

I began working on the Cold Brew station, which is a simple iced cold coffee but brewed in a different way. We used the Colombia Montebonito which is a medium roast coffee from Latin America. Grown on the steep mountainsides of the Andean mountain this particular coffee has a unique complexity, floral undertones and a distinctive character. The brewing of this coffee via Cold Brew method brings out the distinctive flavours of the bittersweet chocolate with the herbal undertones of the coffee bean.You can compliment the cold brew with milk or a demura sugar syrup but I think it was perfect on its own. 

I was mostly on the cold brew station but I got a chance to try everything including the new coffee machine we brought in for the event. I had so much fun at this event and met a lot of new people, I would definitely consider doing it again next year. 

Pom Pom Rug Making

Since moving to London, I have yet had a chance to go out and socialise with others outside of work. When my mum visited over the Easter period she took me to a little store near kings cross station called Drink, Shop, Do. It has a quirky little shop with a vintagesque tea room up the stairs. A perfect little place to meet new people.

They also do crafty sessions, poetry, Lego robot making and lots of other little things. I decided to book myself in for the pom pom rug making! We got to choose 4 colours along with the size of pom pom we was looking to make. I decided on the small size because I could use it for wrapping gifts and many other things (we got to keep the maker). I decided on the theme of blue as that is the main feature colours of my room.

After the first one I made they was so quick and easy after that. They was easy to attach as well. I didn't managed to attach all the POM's or even make enough to fill a rug!

Since leaving the class I have attached and made a few more. I decided to add another colour though just to break up all the blues and make it pop a little

Before forget this beer is amazing. So sweet of honey with the slight taste of obviously alcohol!

Next class I have decided to sign up for is Linocutting tomorrow. Let's see how that works out.