"Books transform and shape us," says Winnipeg-based book artist Debra Frances. What makes a book a book? And how are we shaped by what we experience through books?

Inspired after making a book to showcase her daughter's artwork, Debra now creates stunning pieces from natural materials like milkweed seedpods and driftwood, as well as her own handmade papers and dyes.

She teaches bookbinding classes and also leads a one-week retreat every summer on Malcolm Island, British Columbia (for which I'm on the list in August 2027 :-) And the project where she collaborated with a climate scientist to create a book to represent key aspects of the work, centering on storytelling, was fascinating to me.

Learn more about Debra and her work on instagram @debra_frances and online at debrafrances.com