Recently my contact at Chronicle Books in San Francisco was nice enough to send me a copy of Lotta’s Printing Studio, which is more like a kit, and it arrived this morning which was a nice way to begin a new week. Lotta’s Printing Studio was my morning read that I enjoyed as I had breakfast, and bonus! Because it’s very light reading and compact I finished it in about an hour. Yippee! I love a book that is simple and quick when it comes to crafting. If it gets too wordy, I’m likely to not make it beyond chapter 3. This booklet was great and I hope that more craft books go down this path of booklets because they’re so easy to toss in a bag and show your best friend over lunch and they just feel accessible – quite the opposite of some of those crafting bibles out there that often leave me overwhelmed and feeling a bit like I signed up for something I cannot commit to. Or worse, I go out and buy the long list of supplies that the craft project calls for, then I fizzle out halfway through and never go back to the project again. Sure, some things I’ll take my time on like quilting, my last quilt took me a year but it was worth every cut and stitch. However when it comes to an afternoon craft project, I want it quick and dirty. :) Here are a few views of this great new booklet with other goodies on my work table…

In this newly released kit you receive a 48-page booklet, stenciling sponges (2), a set of carving tools with two different blades in case you want to try lino-block printing at home, and custom stencils drawn by the talented Lotta Jansdotter who lives and works in Brooklyn. I’d like to note also that the booklet was photographed by freelance photographer, Jenny Hallengren, who is based in Stockholm. I’ve included a glimpse of her work below too.

This DIY decorating kit will certainly give you many creative ideas and a ton of inspiration, you’ll be stamping your aprons, curtains, walls, clothing and handbags in no time. And at $19.95, it’s a terrific value. Carving tools alone can run you half of that price, but also consider the stencils included and the sponges. This is a great budget option and would be a perfect gift for a friend who needs a little creative push because it suits beginner and intermediate crafters (though I wouldn’t suggest it for advanced stencil pros and printers, it’s basic and not really meant for those who have years of experience). Enjoy!

And by the way, Chronicle gives me nothing for posting this – they send me books from time to time and if I like them I review them, if not, I don’t. Of course, I get to keep the book but that’s it!

(images: top four: holly becker for decor8, bottom grouping: jenny hallengren)

31 Responses to “Lotta’s Printing Studio”

1 michelle commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 9:10 am

I’m a big fan of Lotta’s and this book/kit looks like a lot of (or Lotta :) fun. I agree, it would make an excellent gift.
.-= michelle´s last blog ..Daydreaming a Room Design =-.
2 Juana @ SweetVisualAids commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 9:21 am

Wow those crafts look super. I do relate also with the too complex and time demanding crafts that end up being forgotten for a while.
But this ones seems simple and right to the action kind of crafts. Ideal for a raining Sunday! :)
.-= Juana @ SweetVisualAids´s last blog ..Amsterdam, a simply unique city =-.
3 Dana commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 9:35 am

Your blog is such an inspiration to me! I wish you could visit mine someday :)

Have a great week,

Dana
.-= Dana´s last blog ..Today I Love… =-.
4 Sharalee commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 9:38 am

What a lovely little book – how how sweet that they even included stencils! This would make a great house warming gift for a craft friend of mine.
Thanks for sharing Holly, hope your weeks off to a great start!
.-= Sharalee´s last blog ..Leave your shoes at the door… =-.
5 laura trevey commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 9:48 am

So creative!! Lovely post!
.-= laura trevey´s last blog ..Merengue, original watercolor painting by Laura L Trevey, beautiful home decor =-.
6 thedoodlegirl commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 9:49 am

Oh my goodness this looks fun! So many projects you can do! Sounds pretty affordable, too. :)
.-= thedoodlegirl´s last blog ..Illustration Friday: Fast =-.
7 leaca commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 10:02 am

I love the stamping on fabric. great book.
.-= leaca´s last blog ..ready. set. direct. =-.
8 visualingual commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 10:07 am

I love, love, love Lotta’s work and can’t wait to check out this new book in person! Thanks so much for the drool-worthy sneak peek!
.-= visualingual´s last blog ..Cincinnati Chili Print from the Cincinnati Food Portrait Series =-.
9 Sophia Mar commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 10:14 am

This book looks great! Lotta is amazing. I adore her work.
.-= Sophia Mar´s last blog ..Sleepy monday morning =-.
10 hazel and hunter commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 10:22 am

i love lotta’s work! i do a lot of hand-printing myself, and this book would be a great help and inspiration – thanks!
11 mjb commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 10:38 am

I love that everything’s included there and you don’t have to go buy a bunch of new materials.
.-= mjb´s last blog ..New (old) jewelry =-.
12 Ramune commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 10:43 am

I love Lotta! I am so sad she’s stopped making cute bags though. I have two that are seriously overused.
13 Kate (Birdcage Cards) commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 11:00 am

Ugh, I know exactly what you mean about those wordy craft books! And Lotta is the queen of getting to the point without leaving anything out. She never leaves you confused.

A year ago I picked up her Lotta Prints: How to Print With Anything From Potatoes to Linoleum. It’s a great book too – especially for novice print makers looking to expand their knowledge base. Actually, it was that book that taught me how to screenprint! And I haven’t stopped since! This one looks like another good book by Lotta. Thanks for sharing :)
.-= Kate (Birdcage Cards)´s last blog ..So…Tailgates Are About Food or Football? =-.
14 Carrie @ CarrieCan commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 11:43 am

I have her previous book and really love it (although I have to admit, I didn’t make anything from it yet) The kit is such a great idea!
.-= Carrie @ CarrieCan´s last blog ..I heart… =-.
15 Gina commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 12:49 pm

Oh! I love Lotta!! Her work is inspiring. Thanks so much for sharing!! :-)
.-= Gina´s last blog ..Etsy Picks =-.
16 TheBellaLife commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 1:15 pm

Love the book. Thanks for sharing.
17 gina commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 1:51 pm

I adore her beautiful simplicity.
.-= gina´s last blog ..Giveaway at Oh Hello Friend! =-.
18 Erin @ SYL: Slipcover Your Life commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 2:32 pm

Really want to check this out (the tea towel in the first image is so cute!)
.-= Erin @ SYL: Slipcover Your Life´s last blog ..‘I Die’ for Row Pinto’s snuggly home goods… =-.
19 Passementerie commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 4:11 pm

What a gorgeous book/kit! Given that I’m plotting repainting my house, I’m very interested in things like this just now. I would love to incorporate stenciling in a few key places…
.-= Passementerie´s last blog ..Weekend Report: Mission Rainy Days =-.
20 Diana commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 4:51 pm

Oooh, that does look like fun. Every now and then I just need a quick craft fix – this would fit that need nicely.
.-= Diana´s last blog ..All This Beauty =-.
21 Lisa @celebrate CREATIVITY commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 5:09 pm

I’ve heard of this book and it’s nice to get a bit of a sneak peek with extra info. Looks like it’s right up my alley.

Enjoy your day!
.-= Lisa @celebrate CREATIVITY´s last blog ..BOO TO YOU(fall fun, scary scrapbooking and sweet treats) =-.
22 Kristen commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 5:32 pm

Wow, thanks for the review. Looks like a lovely way to start the day.
23 Helena ROOM AND SERVE commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 6:57 pm

Great inspiration :)
.-= Helena ROOM AND SERVE´s last blog ..Har du Sveriegs bäst inredda hem? Tävla då med mig och Electrolux i en stor Europeisk tävling! =-.
24 Jacqueline commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 10:15 pm

This sounds like a fun and inspirational book/kit! I’ve recently hook in stamping and this would be so perfect! Wonder if my local bookstore carries this…will check it out. Thank you so much for sharing! Love to yoU!
.-= Jacqueline´s last blog ..Sunscreen? Check. Camera? Check. Parasol? Check. =-.
25 Desiree Fawn commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 10:38 pm

Oh wow! This looks like so much fun — I would love to try it out in my bathroom I think ^_^
.-= Desiree Fawn´s last blog ..For The Love Of Reading =-.
26 Amanda commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 11:08 pm

This is definitely going on my Christmas list!
.-= Amanda´s last blog ..10 Silver Dresden Foil Crowns from Germany =-.
27 April~Living The Sweet Life commented:
October 26th, 2009 at 11:22 pm

This book looks like a lot of fun. It has inspired me to do a little bit of stenciling on my walls.
.-= April~Living The Sweet Life´s last blog ..A Perfect Table =-.
28 a pretty trip commented:
October 27th, 2009 at 1:45 am

What a great idea!
.-= a pretty trip´s last blog ..5 things that make me happy! =-.
29 Nicole (Three By Sea) commented:
October 27th, 2009 at 7:32 am

I love, Love, LOVE Lotta’s work. She was featured in Blueprint magazine (*sigh*) a few years back and I clipped the article. This was before I even started work of my own. Her work and design aesthetic reflected the kind of work I wanted to do. I have her Lotta Prints and Simple Sewing, both of which I HIGHLY recommend for those who buy this kit you wrote about, fall in love with it, and decide they ‘gotta have more Lotta!’
30 Penny Patten commented:
October 28th, 2009 at 7:30 am

I would have to say, this is a diffinite item to purchase! Thaks for sharing.
.-= Penny Patten´s last blog ..New England Bloggers Mixer =-.
31 Sarah Shaw commented:
October 29th, 2009 at 4:24 pm

Great tips! Thanks so much!

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