Time for a new challenge! Forage or gather a local natural material and weave something with it or incorporate it in an existing basket. Share what you found and what you made. There is already a lot of inspiration in the "Show n' Tell' tab PS. Keep adding your scrappy baskets to the June Challenge post - it's never too late.

Still: The Art of Noticing by Mary Jo Hoffman Quote from page 50 "You are what you do. Put another way: If you think about becoming an artist all the time, then you are a thinker. If you dream about becoming an artist, then you are a dreamer. If you read about becoming an artist, then you are a reader. If you study art, then you are a student. If you do dishes or vacuum or declutter your house in order to avoid making art, then you are a cleaning crew. But if you show up every day and make a little bit of art, however incomplete or unsatisfying or misguided or not how Georgia O'Keeffe would have done it, you are an artist." From Cheri...there is so much to recommend this book. First, I'm sure it's an antidote to stress, high blood pressure, and worry! Just looking through it will improve your day. Second, it's a visual feast for anyone interested in art, photography, foraging, natural history, color...beauty. Third, highly recommend reading the words too, as she beautifully describes her process and the evolution of her body of work. I think anyone that spends time with this book will come away more grounded in their craft and inspired to take baby steps, leaving perfectionism in the dust. PS. Not to mention that in a world where so much AI garbage is hitting the bookshelves this book is a revelation in that it took decades of work to come to fruition. You can't fake this kind of dedication!

Brittany’s newsletter just arrived in my mailbox, wherein she outed herself as an introvert.. and I am here for it! LOLOL Seriously, it’s like you were talking directly to me! Yes, crafting is my “alone time”. (It’s about the only alone time I get!) So therapeutic. Believe it or not, I am an introvert. All my energy goes into running my house and homeschool, church activities and volunteer organization work. But once my “introvert battery” (as my husband calls it) runs down, I absolutely must recharge. That usually involves yard work, gardening, reading and reflection, or crafting. It’s the only way I’m going to survive! I have met some lovely people at pottery class in the past and you are correct — it’s so wonderful to be able to attune with other creatives, because pottery (or whatever class we are involved in) is almost never the only creative thing we pursue. It’s amazing to be able to talk to other people about their work and to get inspired by all their creativity. It’s a major lift. I would certainly count this forum as my main creative social place right now. I love all the wonderful sharing that we do, and I’m so appreciative you created this place to learn and discover!