Fresh Prints by Christine Leech

Forget about specialist silk screens and bulky printing presses, for her latest book in the Simple Makes series, Christine Leech has devised 20 easy-to-make-at-home printing projects that use commonly found equipment, from the Lace Print Tote Bag that is created by wrapping a piece of broderie anglaise around a rolling pin to the Utensil Print Napkins and Table Runner decorated with the crazy shapes created by using a potato masher or whisk. The book contains all the techniques needed to create the projects, from paint rollering and lino block printing to natural sun printing and traditional marbling, as well as the trace-off motifs needed for particular designs. From the Kaleidoscope Marbled Mugs and Nordic Fir Lampshade for your home to the Feather Print Tee and Raindrops Umbrella, you'll soon be covering everything formerly plain in prints!

One of my favourite things to do in D&T lessons at school was lino printing and working in a children's centre I also love doing vegetable printing with the children. Working with 0-5 year olds it is easy to imagine the amount of printing that is done in sessions when toddlers see a dish of bright paint on a table! This book however is the grown up version of printing and is jam packed full of ideas to get the reader printing everything in sight.

The book starts with the Printmaker's kit, the tools needed to achieve results and there isn't that long a list to get started. There is also a fantastic section on mixing colours to give beautiful colours, not only your basic green, purple, orange etc but beautiful colours which can be used in interior design - lilac, wedgewood blue, olive green etc. There is also a section, a reminder of school day techniques, on how to make and use a lino template.

The ideas section is split into three sections: Printing with found objects, Lazy Lino Prints and Other Printing Techniques and also ten pages of fantastic templates to use in your own projects. I loved the circus letter wooden postcards - I love the circus theme font and the whole alphabet is included in the template section. There are ideas for notebooks, cushions and umbrellas to name but a few. Each project also has suggestions for alternative uses making this book a compendium for ideas to use for gifts, household improvements and maybe even ideas for a small cottage business.

This is a great introduction into printing - full of ideas, hints, tips and templates to take readers to a new level in interior design, upcycling and crafty techniques.

I received this book through the Amazon Vine Programme.