Leslie will be teaching one class at Books in the Woods. You can find her on her website, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Encaustic and the Handmade Book

In this two-day workshop, we will create sequenced visual narratives in book or flat form using the ancient medium of Encaustic, a melted beeswax-based paint. If you know the work of modern painting icon Jasper Johns, you have seen Encaustic in action.

Along with Encaustic, we will be using oil-based Pigment Sticks, drawing materials, Pan Pastels and Stencils. We will be painting, printmaking, stitching, perforating, and stamping. Leslie will also introduce the Japanese paper marbling technique, Suminagashi.

Heated palettes, sewing machines, bookmaking supplies, and other interesting tools will be available for your experimentation. Text can be added, or the images and textures can just flow. The goal is to construct artworks that reflect their makers and surprise both artist and viewer, creating a rewarding experience for all.

Tony(a) will be teaching two different classes at Books in the Woods. Find Tony(a) on Instagram and her website.

Experimental Narrative Cyanotype

Cyanotype is an accessible and versatile photographic process. In this one-day workshop, participants, after learning basic techniques for dry and wet cyanotypes, will be encouraged to embark on a creative journey to practice and then begin to develop a 3-part cyanotype narrative. 

Cyanotype is an accessible and versatile photographic process, easy to learn, but the possibilities are endless. It is fabulous for all bookmaking enthusiasts as it can elevate covers, papers, and artist books. The cyanotype method was discovered by Sir John Herschel in 1842 and used for reproducing notes, diagrams, and documents. Around the same time, his niece was popularizing the technique of botanical cyanotypes with botanicals and seaweeds. We will also touch upon lumens and cyanolumen.

Charlotte will be teaching one class at Books in the Woods. You can find her on her website and Etsy store.

Creating a Book of Textile Collages

In this one-day workshop, we will explore textiles as sources of tactile charm and visual storytelling. Each student will produce a soft book that incorporates both existing textiles and those created with simple materials. In the same way that bookmakers add interest to handmade books with altered papers, we'll layer textiles and build pages from fabric.

We will carve stamps, cut up thrifted linens, play with needles and thread, and generally have fun mixing it up into something special and sentimental. All of these techniques will translate to your traditional bookmaking as well. All levels welcome.

Ali will be teaching one class at Books in the Woods. 

Crafting Connections: The Journey from Audience to Customer

Now for something different - Ali is teaching a business class.

Are you a creative business owner with an Etsy shop, teaching local classes, or sharing your work in local stores? If you’re looking for ways to connect with your audience and grow your business in an authentic, approachable way, this one-day workshop is for you.

We’ll explore the Customer Journey—a series of small steps that help people discover your work, get to know you, and feel confident in becoming your customers. Think of it as building relationships, not just making sales.

This workshop is designed to help you create meaningful connections with your customers while growing your business in a way that feels natural and enjoyable. You’ll leave with actionable ideas and a clearer path forward, whether you’re just starting out or looking to take the next step.

Melanie will be teaching two different classes at Books in the Woods. You can find Melanie on her website and Instagram.

Find Your Voice: Text, Image, Books

Practice takes practice. Inspired by Melanie’s book Collage Your Life, this one-day workshop dives deeply into the why’s and what’s of what you WANT to make. Begin with guided reflective writing in your sketchbook or journal designed to help you discover themes, choose colors, ponder motifs, and more. Explore word games, timed exercises, ways to harvest ideas, and other tools to help generate images and text.

Leave with a stack of ideas (including the option to make your own deck of 100 idea cards with an accompanying little box) and a vision for how and what YOU want to weave into your artist books and other creations.

Making Meaning in the Random: The Incredible Flexibility of the Storage Book

Discover the freedom and the meaning of randomness in this two-day workshop! Paint paper with gesso resists and inks. Then add stencils, and more. Make silhouette stencils of found figures or self-generated figures and shapes. Use these stencils to harvest the same shape from patterned papers or for tracing and painting with gesso, paint, or other mediums into the randomness.

The painted papers will become our book pages as we discover the many ways of using the Storage Book structure. What is a Storage Book? A sim accordion spine, singular foilos, and lots of possibility for, you guessed it, storage. Pockets, windows, slits, volvelles. Discover this structure’s possibilities. Maybe you’ll add stenciled images or create pockets or windows for drawings and collages or other small relief things. Let the random guide you.

Kimberly will be teaching one class at Books in the Woods. You can find her on her website and Instagram.

Gelli Plate Printing: A Playful Exploration of Color, Texture, and Possibilities

This one-day workshop invites you to explore monoprinting with a Gelli plate, perfect for both beginners and experienced artists. Through demonstrations and guided practice, you’ll learn techniques such as layering paints, working with stencils and masks, and using mark-making tools and found objects to create visually dynamic patterned papers.

This class fosters curiosity and experimentation, offering space to explore ideas and techniques to create vibrant, one-of-a-kind compositions that can be incorporated into projects such as bookbinding and collage. You’ll leave with finished pieces and the confidence to continue your printmaking journey.