This past weekend I attended an inspiring workshop in Coptic Bookbinding with Annie Fain Liden. Even though I’ve never made books before (I’m a weaver), I completed three books in this day and a half class. Annie Fain is a great teacher, and I’d like to share some of my experiences with you. Please go to my blog www.weaverly.typepad.com to see my full report.

Annie Fain Liden Teaching a Coptic Bookbinding Class

Thanks to the silk papermakers, Folk School campers were treated to colorful bits of paper eye-candy drying in the breeze as they traveled the path to the dining hall each day this week.  Bold oranges, natural yellows, purple and blue bits of silk all brightened the woods and offered inspiration to our fellow arts and crafters.

Allison's mask

We started the week making pieces of paper, getting the methods perfected and learning the light touch needed to lay out tussah silk on netting.  By Wednesday, everyone was creating colorful, artful items. Alison Stovall – a collage, quilt and watercolor artist from Texas – felt “the mask project brought out my inner child,” and had lots of “oh, wow” moments this week.

“It feels more like play…playing with color,” according to Sandy Vinson, a teacher from Fort Walton Beach, Florida who was attending the Folk School for her second visit this summer. She’s one of the self-proclaimed Glitter Girls and found lots of new inspiration for her book-making craft.

Sandy's glitter girl paper

“The classroom environment was very personal, but very collaborative,” said Nancy Coghill from Lafayette, Louisiana.  Her triptych (below, left) tells a story of her upcoming journey in 2011 to her new retirement home at Lake Junaluska in North Carolina.

Nancy's triptych

Jenna Catsos was another classmate and also one of the Hosts at the Folk School this week. Hosts are the ones who solve all of our middle-of-the-night problems, lead us in grace at meals, and keep our weeks running effortlessly…you can read about it on her blog.  A recent art graduate  from Green Mountain College, Jenna inspired us with her use of color and composition skills as she made silk paper cards for her friends, family, and fellow classmates.

Jenna's cards

It was a real treat for Kathy Hays and me, Judi Jetson, to teach this class of enthusiastic students – the Book Arts program here at the Folk School is one of the few places in the world you can learn silk papermaking, which is just one more reason we love this place!