Along with 9 like minded women, I was invited to attend a book making weekend with tutor Ann Bell. The venue was a historic 100 year old bach at Tokaanu, at the southern end of Lake Taupo. It had been been lovingly restored from a Post Office, and some of the pigeon holes for mailing sorting had been retained and put to use as crockery storage and the bedrooms were decorated in themes such as skiing, flyfishing, music etc. It is nestled into the bush clad hills where drifts of steam can be seen emitted from the thermal springs in the area.
I enjoyed the spring green rolling hill countryside vistas on the drive north, noticing many lambs frolicking about, and then a change in scenery as the altitude gets a higher and the soils more volcanic as I drove "the Desert Road". It was rather cloudy round the top of Mount Ruapehu - the same mountain I had flown over the month before, more photos from a landscape perspective were required, and as I was on my own, they were many stops!
Ann had prepared packs of precut boards and papers to make "Star" books with a sewn binding, and she showed us how to make cords from her personal array of dyed linen thread, and insert beads during the binding process. We then made a folder with concertina pages, and and had fun in between times making little books with windows and hinges. The sharing of ideas, the tutors supplies, the food that we all arrived with, and the venue, made this a memorable retreat.
I was in no hurry to drive home, so took some more photos for later inspiration and exploration.
I enjoyed the spring green rolling hill countryside vistas on the drive north, noticing many lambs frolicking about, and then a change in scenery as the altitude gets a higher and the soils more volcanic as I drove "the Desert Road". It was rather cloudy round the top of Mount Ruapehu - the same mountain I had flown over the month before, more photos from a landscape perspective were required, and as I was on my own, they were many stops!
Ann had prepared packs of precut boards and papers to make "Star" books with a sewn binding, and she showed us how to make cords from her personal array of dyed linen thread, and insert beads during the binding process. We then made a folder with concertina pages, and and had fun in between times making little books with windows and hinges. The sharing of ideas, the tutors supplies, the food that we all arrived with, and the venue, made this a memorable retreat.
I was in no hurry to drive home, so took some more photos for later inspiration and exploration.
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