| THE EPISTOLARIAN |

Today, I’m writing from the airplane, flying back to the States, still carrying the height of the retreat in France.

The new giraffe seal releases today, and it feels tied to this exact vantage point.

With its long neck, the giraffe can see and reach what others cannot. Yet with four hooves firmly on the ground, it holds that vision steady. Like the mermaid, who bridges water and land, the giraffe moves between earth and air, between what is seen and what is possible.

Everyone who came to France arrived with a unique vision of their dream Loire retreat, and also the surrender required to live inside it. Retreat has its own rhythm. Add the time difference, the language, the unfamiliar setting, and you begin to loosen your grip. You let things be as they are.

Early in the week, I offered an optional activity, a hot air balloon flight over the Loire. I had seen it for years in my mind and felt certain it would happen.

The day came with heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. We waited together in a small shelter at a campground while the storm moved through.

Then the sky opened.

We were led into a field where the balloons were being filled. Within minutes, we were rising, drifting above the Loire among a scattering of color.

As we approached Château de Chenonceau, I looked around at the women beside me. Their faces full of joy and wonder, the fear of flight dissipating. In that moment, a saw a flash of the vision I had carried for many years alone to a group fully experiencing it and making it their own. What joy!

The giraffe holds the vision and brings it down to earth. The balloon asks what must be released in order to rise.

Travel asks both.

I will share more from the trip soon. For now, I wanted to pass this along, and introduce the newest seal.

A Loire Gift

During this retreat, I also gifted each attendee a seal I designed specifically for this retreat. It won't be remade, and there are 11 collector's editions.

The Second Generation Helix Edition

The Helix Étui follows the form of a spiral, a shape that circles back while ascending. Each rotation returns to something familiar, yet elevated. It suggests a movement not away from the past, but through it, into something more complete.

New York Salon 2027: Enrollment is on going

Enrollment is now open for the New York Retreat, May 13–15, 2027, centered on the theme of COLOR. This three-day immersion is a study in intuition, material, and refinement, moving through letter writing, wax seals, and ceremonial inks as a connected practice rather than separate disciplines.

Each day unfolds as a curated sequence of making and reflection, supported by shared meals and all materials provided. The experience is designed as a focused return to craft, where color becomes both language and structure, shaping how intention is written, sealed, and remembered.

Pre-registration is limited. Once filled, remaining places will move to standard enrollment.

Montecito Chinoiserie Seal: Back in Stock

It is back! This piece is inspired by one of my favorite places in the world: the dining room in my aunt and uncle’s home in Montecito, where I’ve enjoyed so many delightful family meals over the years. With its graceful florals and imaginary pagodas, it’s the kind of design that invites you to pause and take in every detail.

In Case You Missed It: The Antonette Bouquet

Inspired by the repeated hand and bouquet motif in portraits of Marie Antoinette by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun.

Here the gesture is isolated and translated into wax. Removed from its original setting it becomes contemplative and enduring. Through repetition the motif takes on new meaning and echoes the rhythms of memory and return.

With love,

Kathryn