Penland is like a magical fairytale land for any artist. Beautiful enchanted surroundings and resources to create. The best part is yoga twice a day and delicious food at every meal so you don't have to think about what you'll eat. People are great there, I made such lovely friends and had such a great time.

I found myself not sleeping a whole lot, and not missing my sleep. There is an energy there. Everything seems to sparkle, maybe its because of the mica. Everything is so lush and beautiful and it doesn't get hot and muggy in the mountains or at least it didn't while I was there.

It was amazing that there was nothing to do but focus on creating for two whole weeks. No distractions, no tvs! It was a much needed break for me. As much as I missed my family and little one I appreciated the time I had to do my own thing. I must thank the United Arts Council that gave me the grant to make this trip possible.

Here are some of the books I made while there. They have "signature covers" or colorful papers that cover and protect each section of white paper. I used super nice paper and loved the effect of putting a book together with the torn edges and having the variation of edges of paper.

You have to do a lot of measurements to make a book. Measuring and right angles are usually not my thing, but I found with the right tools and a large workspace anything is possible. So I learned to care about numbers a little. These are all sketchbooks that I'll fill with drawings and watercolors and glue things in. Homes for ideas to live in.