Equinox the balancing point

Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord sent this beautiful photgraph of her Peace Leaf out into the world to celebrate the Autumn Equinox in the north countries as spring has sprung here in the Land Down Under

Laurie Anderson’s second Norton Lecture – The Forest was available for 24 hours, I watched it three times… will post a link to part 3 of her Norton lectures next week
over and over “I find myself lost”….

just picked up my new eye glasses yesterday! Waited a year after the cataract surgery to let my eyes settle before seeing the optometrist, he said my distance vision is 110% better and wow these new transition lenses for reading and the computer are brilliant, so comfortable & stitching is a dream!
PS a bit shocked by the latest wrinkles but at least they’re honest…

only 4 days to go!

Old Man Crow is so ready for his partial knee replacement surgery on Monday,
all the pre-admission interviews and x-rays are done, just one more phone call tomorrow afternoon to confirm the time for the surgery at St Vincent’s Public Hospital

Marti sent these encouraging words and photos:

“I was going to wait until May 10th, the day of the knee surgery to send this note but then I thought well Rod will be kind of out of it from the anesthesia and I wanted him to hold these images as he heads into his knee surgery…you see, this wondrous event occurred right over my home this weekend. I was out weeding when I heard a swoosh, almost like a huge sigh, looked up and well, you’ll see at the end of this email:
Put all of your concerns and cares into these uplifting images. Let worry go up,  up, and away… May your surgery go well, may you both be well, may you achieve your heart’s desire to move to your beloved Blue Mountains and become wild and crazy Bushwackers.  Rich and I send you healing wishes and our love. With your strength Rod and your love and determination Mo,  your dream will arrive sooner than you know.  Now close your eyes, imagine that you are along for the ride with what is below:  Carry yourselves to the land of health, healing and joy- and in time, the land of the Blue Mountains.”  

Love, Marti and Rich
Now behold these wonders:

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on the same day Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s beautiful card full of hope arrived in the letterbox

May beginner’s mind
be with you
as we move forward
with new hope.

Quote From Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s dream pennant joins The Gathering

Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s pennant for the dream has joined The Gathering
the energy going on between the pennants by Liz Ackert, Dee Mallon and Jane Stapleford is magic
Susan’s fine calligraphy, stitching and sparkling beads bring the dream alive
with deep heart and love for our beautiful broken world
I love how the beads speak with the quiet of winter light on snow
namaste
have a look at Susan’s website & ongoing major work The Spirit Books
photo courtesy of Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord

Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s dream pennant is on its way!

Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord has stitched and beaded her beautiful pennant for the dream and it’s on its way here!
Susan is a calligrapher with deep heart & respect for the power of words
I love how the beads speak with the quiet of winter light on snow
Susan’s ongoing major work The Spirit Books hold such profound love and respect for our planet, she has been making these books since 1992
back in 2013 with Susan’s permission I made
The Spirit Book of the Spirit Books of Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord
I am so honoured & look forward to meeting the magic of her pennant soon!
namaste

Photos courtesy of Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord

The Spirit Books by Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord

Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord is offering a pre publication signed limited edition bookmark if you order her new book about the making & history of  “The Spirit Books” before August 15th!
I’ve put my order in here and you can see a preview of the book here
Last year I made a Spirit Book of Susan’s Spirit Books portfolio CD with her permission you can see my book here

Hope from Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord

this beautiful little book just arrived in the mail from Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord
Susan’s work is so full of grace, heart and soul

The Spirit Book of the Spirit Books is finished!

The Spirit Book of the Spirit Books of Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord is finished!
the front cover with grape vine tendrils growing out of the edge
front cover endpaper and frontispiece
title page
This  Spirit Book of the Spirit Books was printed and bound with the permission & blessing of Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord here
& here’s the links to the last 3 months of  making this book
Week 11, Week 10,  Week 9, Week 8,  Week 7, Week 6, Week 5, Week 4,  Week 3, Week 2 & Week 1
(NB to see the details just click on the photos for a bigger view)
Thank you Susan for your generosity and support on this journey.

Spirit of the Process

Here’s my bench early this morning working on the last page of the Spirit Book of the Spirit Books of Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord. The myrrh and Mali clay beads from The Bead Chest arrived yesterday (they are quick, reliable and the beads are beautiful) . Susan uses myrrh beads on the edges of quite a few of her books so I tried getting a similar effect with sandalwood and sandblasted glass beads but the myrrh beads are wonderfully organic with the most exotic scent, working with them is a transporting experience and they have finished the foredge off perfectly!
now that all the content is finished I will integrate the covers with this wonderful edge that has grown through the process & what a process it has been! I have learned so much about Susan’s books, her use of natural colours & the spirit of the materials. This one is a keeper, it has become a reference book to the process. I made The Bones Book back in 2004 which exposed the inner workings of a traditional binding which I have also kept & refer back to regulalrly.
So here’s the last 6 pages of my spirit book of The Spirit Books going widdershins
Spirit Book no 56 (the last one for this book but Susan is making more!)
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, kozo paper with leaf and bark inclusions, raw cotton, vintage Silkworm thread, myrrh and Mali clay beads, emu feather, grape vine tendril,  Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 55
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, found hessian that was no longer holding up a street tree, bookbinders mull, grey linen thread,, Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 54
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, vintage Silkworm thread, Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
(NB this is my favourite page, it is so simple, almost elegant and the crow foot has become a personal symbol )
Spirit Book no 52
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, kozo paper with leaf and bark inclusions, bookbinders mull, vintage Silkworm thread, 23K gold leaf , Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 51
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, skeletonized Hydrangea petals , vintage Silkworm thread 23K gold leaf,  Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 50
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, bookbinders mull,  Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
This is the 11th week of making the spirit book of Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s portfolio of Spirit Books
here’s the links to Week 10,  Week 9, Week 8,  Week 7, Week 6, Week 5, Week 4,  Week 3, Week 2 & Week 1
(NB to see the details just click on the photos for a bigger view)

Spirit Book of the Spirit Books – Week 10

Spirit Book no 40
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, grass, vintage Silkworm thread, Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 41
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, bookbinders mull, white linen thread, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 43
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, found hessian that was no longer holding up a street tree, skeletonized Hydrangea leaf, vintage Silkworm thread, Eucalyptus seed pods, glass beads, Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 44
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, bookbinders mull, pin pricked edge with assorted size needles, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 46
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, vintage Silkworm thread, Bangalow Palm inflorescence, Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 48
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, bookbinders mull, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 49
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, vintage Silkworm thread, white glass beads, sepia ink, Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
The 10th week of making the spirit book of Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s portfolio of Spirit Books
here’s the links to Week 9, Week 8,  Week 7, Week 6, Week 5, Week 4,  Week 3, Week 2 & Week 1
(NB just click on the pics to see more details)

Spirit Book of the Spirit Books – Week 9

It’s Week 9 of making a spirit book of Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s portfolio of Spirit Books
Spirit Book no 31
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, bookbinders mull, vintage Silkworm thread, dried Cecil Brunner rose stems, buds & petals, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 33
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, grey linen thread, Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 35
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, bookbinders mull, white linen thread, vintage Silkworm thread, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 37
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, vintage Silkworm thread, Bangalow Palm inflorescence stems, Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
Spirit Book no 39
digital print on Moulin de Larroque handmade watercolour paper, bookbinders mull, white linen thread, vintage Silkworm thread, Golden Titanium white fluid acrylic, graphite pencil
this is an ongoing journey through Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord’s portfolio of her Spirit Books
here’s the links to Week 8,  Week 7, Week 6, Week 5, Week 4,  Week 3, Week 2 & Week 1
(NB just click on the pics to see more details)