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a page from...

 

my book I started making in the workshop in France.

Any excuse to draw a skull really....

hair do menu...

...all good salons should have one of these.

( picture courtesy of Rose, Artistic Style Director)

suddenly 10...

 One day 6 months old...

and the next thing you know she's ten years old, with an amazing imagination and the courage of a giant.

Happy birthday to my girl who is brave, strong and full of joy.

Never give up on the magic.

xxx mama

 

a to z...book making

Perfect weather,a converted walnut mill in the south of France and five whole days devoted to making and filling books...that was how I spent a week of my holidays. It was as idyllic as it sounds- a well balanced and mixed group of characters, picture perfect countryside and an inspiring tutor.

 the studio- L'Espace

Les Soeurs Anglaises in the Dordogne region played host to the book art workshop run by Rachel Hazell. It was a beautiful place to stay;generous,charming hosts who created an idyllic space in which to relax and work, exceptional food ( a cook book is in the making ) and an inspiring studio workspace.To top it all off,I had a room with its very own bath that looked out over the terraced gardens across fields to the nearby village- bliss!

 
the view from my bath

 

A few mornings, I managed to get myself out of bed for an early run along quiet roads and back again, in time for a long soak in the bath before breakfast.

 A' warm up book' -day one

Between, running, swimming and eating, I managed to squeeze in a little book making...

The theme of the workshop was Dictionaries and Definitions: A Personal A-Z.. The workshop outline promised that we would learn 'unusual and beautiful bookbinding techniques, with humour and the luxury of time to experiment".

That last bit about the 'luxury of time' sealed it for me - for me the week was about spending as much time as I wanted on each stage of the book. Nothing done quickly or just for the sake of filling the pages: the focus was on the process rather the the finished product.

  Final book in the making