Plastic bags are out, crafting is in.  It’s time to make your own re-usable canvas bag!  Here in California, the state is on a steady march to ban plastics, which is saving our ocean wildlife.  I’m on the coast, and the need is critical, which is why it was so meaningful to partner with Jackalope Art Fair in Burbank to block print canvas shopping bags.

We have a standard two-hour block-printing workshop where participants carve their own designs, but for this fair I carved six blocks with a Jackalope theme.  I used pre-mounted linoleum blocks, which are a bit more difficult than what we use for workshops, but they stand up to more heavy use. That is particularly important in this kid-friendly workshop - you want the kiddos to be able to batter the things a bit to get a good print.

Doing a block printing workshop down the street from the Disney headquarters was fascinating.  I got so many comments from people working in film or animation asking if I carved the designs myself, and yes, I did!  I copied the Jackalope logo (with their permission) and used tracing paper to transfer the design onto the block before carving it out.  You, too, can do this, and it will look equally amazing!

We had a large variety of makers pop by, from young kids to old kids to adults and people with mobility challenges.  Everyone created a unique piece they were proud of and excited to use. This is a great - if messy - workshop for kids to focus on process and making things with their hands.

Nicole Schroeder is our Southern California Distill Creative Chapter Leader and hosts monthly creative workshops in the LA area. Check out her artwork here and her upcoming workshops in SoCal here.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS