The Rest of Squam 2010

There was plenty of time for daydreaming in my journal while looking out on Squam Lake. 

Time for photography and bonfires and singing and storytelling.

Time for taking classes and walking in single file through the woods.

I took a class with this wonderful teacher, Sarah Ahearn. You will love her work. She was so nice and brought with her her little 4 month old baby. This year she had a baby and wrote a book. Last year she taught a class at Squam too and one of her students was a book publishing person which led to the book (due out May 2011). I love that story.

The next day I taught my class on making a personal journal. This was a class the students asked me to teach last year. Everyone made beautiful journals and sad to say I did not get photographs of all of them.

But here are a few that I did capture.

They all turned out beautifully.

The next day I started class by sending the people out to gather leaves and ferns.

Using natural materials as printmaking objects, stamps, stencils and elbow grease, we made yards and yards of beautiful paper.

My cabin mate was Mary Beth Shaw and she was generous enough to donate a package of her line of stencils for us to use. These stencils are incredible and can be used for textural effects as well as for paint and spray. Check out the link; I think you'll have a lot of fun using them.

This is an example of two of the stencil designs in the package. 

More beautiful paper.

Busy hands.

I guess you know by now I think these papers are gorgeous.

Bee Shay taught me how to make the nature prints. These students picked it right up.

More paper.

We used all our paints and inks.

Wouldn't these make splendid book covers?

This student travelled to Squam from London so she worked on her roll of sumi paper without tearing it. Now she can roll it back up to travel home. Clever!

This was one of her creations. I swooned.

Gold and iridescent paints put the finishing touches on the paper.

Well done, people. Now we have lots of paper for collage and gift wrap and greeting cards and lots of other uses.

After a long day of joyful making we sit on the porch with an adult beverage and enjoy each other. Ahhhh ...