Make & Decorate A Leather Purse with Oak Gall Ink

Come to Wendy Roby’s artist studio to use plant-based ink to decorate and stitch a leather purse.

Along the way, you’ll get a basic primer on leatherwork. You’ll also learn about natural inks, which Wendy makes herself from Stockport oak trees, copper, avocado, blackberry and indigo.

When a wasp lays an egg on an oak tree, oak ‘galls’ or ‘apples’ form. These tannin-rich buds are then ground down to make oak gall ink. This beautiful, witchy ink has been used for centuries for writing and drawing (Jane Austen used it!).

We’ll be settling in to our evening by doing some relaxed mark-making using found tools, brushes and sponges. There’ll be an opportunity to find out how the inks are made as you sketch on paper and discover for yourself how very simple marks can be used to make a striking design.

Then, using pre-cut pieces of vegetable tanned leather, you’ll apply ink to the purse, before adding a stud and then glueing and stitching the seams.

Book now to Make & Decorate A Leather Purse at Roby Workshop

BOOK NOW