Yorkshire Made: 'Meet the Maker' #8 - A Crafty Conversation with...

...Miriam Trent from Mintprint!

Would you like some cake?

Yes please!

Sit down, make yourself comfortable! Time for introductions... What's your name, where do you come from and what do you do?

My name is Miriam Trent, my business is Mintprint. I live in lovely Meanwood in Leeds. I'm a Printmaker and Surface Pattern Designer. I like bold blocky colours and good solid shapes. I print using old fashioned techniques, mainly lino print, monoprint and screenprint. A lot of my work has a domestic theme and is kitcheny based. Probably because I love food and cooking! I print original prints for hanging on walls. Also teatowels, aprons and greetings cards. I've just started a range of bone china mugs. I teach children's and adults printmaking classes. Finally, I'm a Surface pattern designer. Some patterns derive from my prints, but some are made from drawings or cut paper.

Other than that, I eat, sleep and watch telly

(especially Strictly Come Dancing - starts again soon yeah!!)

So... Are you Yorkshire born and bred?

No. I was brought up in the dullest of towns called Welwyn Garden City (nice, but boring!), in Hertfordshire, down south, but my boyfriend is a proper Yorkshire lad from Halifax. If that makes it any better.

What's the earliest thing you can ever remember making, was it any good and have you still got it?

When I was little I used to go to sewing and knitting classes with all my friends at Mrs Oughton's house. I was a bit naughty really, I used to just muck around all the time and get sent to sit on the stairs. She had a REALLY good toilet roll holder with a barbie sitting on it. Barbie's crocheted dress covered the bog roll. I was a bit distracted and used to take many months to achieve very little. However, the short answer to this ramble is, I made a hessian embroidered bag, with a mouse on it, with a number one on it's t-shirt. I think it was pretty cool. But I don't have it any more. I also knitted a jumper, but by the time I had finished it, it was too small. Ooh, also, I made a jacket, with poppers on it, which was red with blue and white deckchairs. That won a competition in the library. But I wonder thinking about it now, whether really, my mum made most of it.

What have you made most recently? (and do you like it!?)

Most recently I have linoprinted some teatowels with a whisk design. I do like them, yes.

What are your 5 craft cupboard essentials?

Oil based Hawthorn Inks

My super sharp Japanese steel lino cutting tools

My chubby Lyra graphite pencils

Scissors

Black paper

Really I couldn't do anything with just those 5. But they are my faves.

What music do you like to listen to while you make? Do you prefer to 'Get on Down' or 'Boogie on Up?

I spend all day listening to Radio 4. More or less. Sometimes I turn off when it's a programme about maths. Or I've already heard that episode of the Archers. I know this sounds dorkish. But I like the sound of voices and I do like listening to stories. Our kitchen radio is broken, you can only listen to it at full blast. So that can be really embarrassing, especially when the Archers theme tune comes on. But I spose the neighbours are used to that by now. Either that or Radio 6.

If I gave you £250 to spend on craft supplies and equipment what would you buy?

A metal edge for tearing paper. A plan chest for storing papers and prints. That's probably already more than £250.

Other than your own, name a shop, website or blog that you really love:

I love Marimekko. I love Liberties. I love Twitter. I love lamp. Only joking. I love Jezze Prints blog, a wonderful blog about block printing fabric http://jezzeblog.blogspot.com/.

Ooh and I love Spoonflower.com