Lino Print Memories Workshop

We welcomed a small group of five women to the session. It was led by myself, Manager of The Crafted Corner, alongside one of our experienced facilitators, who has over five years’ experience in lino-printing techniques and handmade stationery design.

We began with a gentle warm-up exercise, inviting participants to reflect on their memories of the old library. The women shared vivid stories from their childhood and teenage years—visiting after school, whispering with friends, being told to keep the noise down, and spending time discovering books they loved. Favourite titles mentioned included The Rainbow Fish, Dr. Seuss classics such as The Cat in the Hat, and the Biff & Chip series. Several participants also spoke about how the library had offered them a safe and peaceful space to learn, especially as they did not have access to such facilities growing up in their home countries in Eastern Europe and West Africa.

Inspired by these recollections, I encouraged the group to sketch simple shapes, symbols, or motifs that captured their memories.

Our facilitator, Hope, then led the technical part of the session. She introduced the origins of lino printing, explained how the technique works, and shared insights from her own practice as a local stationery maker. Participants selected their favourite sketches and transferred them onto A6 lino sheets using graphite paper. Hope demonstrated safe carving techniques, showing which blades create different types of cuts, and the group began carving their designs.

Once the carvings were ready, participants printed their blocks using blue, black, and red inks. Hope provided a beautiful selection of textured brown and white papers, as well as pages from old books, to echo the theme of library heritage. After rolling ink evenly onto glass sheets and applying it to the lino blocks, participants pressed their prints onto their chosen papers using a baren or the back of a spoon.

The results were truly special. One participant of West African heritage carved a traditional symbol meaning “Beauty,” printing it onto book pages. Another created an abstract design of a glowing stack of books. Each print reflected a personal memory or emotion connected to the library.

In the final discussion, participants shared that the workshop helped them reconnect with cherished childhood experiences and recall details they thought they had forgotten. They expressed how much they enjoyed learning a new creative skill and said they would love to attend more workshops in the future.

We would like to extend our warmest thanks to Newham Heritage for commissioning and supporting this workshop. Their commitment to celebrating local stories and preserving community memories made this session possible, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such meaningful work.

Written by Bianca Frimpong, The Crafted Corner Manager.