Block Party: Thank You Edition

A gathering to carve gratitude and connection

This isn’t just another craft workshop. It’s a pause — an invitation to slow down and express gratitude with your own two hands.

In Block Party: Thank You Edition, we’ll gather around the table to explore the ancient, tactile art of block printing. As you carve, ink, and press your design, you’ll create not just a thank-you card, but a moment of reflection — a gesture that says, I made this for you.

In a world of instant messages and digital gestures, receiving something handmade feels extraordinary. It carries warmth, imperfection, and care — a quiet reminder that someone took time to create, to think of you, to connect.

You’ll leave not only with a set of hand-printed thank-you cards and your own reusable printing block, but also with something less tangible — the satisfaction of having crafted meaning and gratitude into form.

Come as you are. Bring your stories of thanks, your desire to make, and your willingness to connect. Together, we’ll create small prints that hold big emotion.

You’ll leave with:

• A mini set of your own block-printed thank-you cards
• A carved printing block you can reuse again and again
• A cozy, heart-filled sense of gratitude

What to expect:

• A cozy, social evening of making (perfect with friends, family, or a date!).
• Beginner-friendly instruction—no art degree required.
• A stack of striking, fall-themed prints to keep or gift.
• An end-of-class print swap so you take home a mini collection.
• A cozy cup of tea while you create magic

Spend an evening making something memorable. You’ll leave with art, new skills, and maybe some inky fingerprints—but way better stories than scrolling through Netflix.

What to bring:

Nothing required but enthusiasm!

(Though - feel free to bring ideas, designs, or even drawings - we’ll go over how to transfer these onto a linoleum block. Simpler is better for these, as all lines and details will need to be carved into your block! Or, if freestyle drawing is more your speed, you can draw directly on your block and turn your sketches into relief prints. The linoleum blocks will be 4"x5”, so think slightly smaller than that for ideal sizes.)

About the Instructor:

Matt Ruehle is a local artist with a passion for printing. He loves the process of putting together a design in negative and chiseling it out, plus the fact that this art form leaves plenty of extra copies for sharing and gifting.

Outside of art, he lives in the SF Sunset, along with his partner, two cats, two rabbits, one dog, and thirty-five board games. He enjoys walking through Golden Gate Park and birding throughout the greater Bay Area, and gets most of his art ideas from these nature forays.

About Sunset Commons:

Carmen and Steven started Sunset Commons to provide a space to connect and build community through arts and craft activities led by talented local artists. Inspired by a love for creativity and a desire to foster connection in the Sunset District, we envisioned a “third space” where neighbors can gather, unwind, and form meaningful relationships. Our mission is to empower self-expression, boost confidence, and offer an inclusive haven for everyone, from introverts seeking a calm environment to those enjoying health-focused traditional teas. Sunset Commons is not just a business - it’s our way of enriching the community we love and to the city we both grew up in.

*Our events are often photographed and filmed so we can share the fun with our community. If you don’t want to be on camera, no worries—let us know before the event.

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Host or Publisher Sunset Commons