What is your craft?   Basketry.  I began serious pursuit of my “vocation” in 1989. After 18 years, I still find this craft a constant source of pleasure

Who/What inspired you to learn this craft?   I have my Great Aunt Mary Schoppert and her infinite patience to thank for my love of handwork and all things hand made. At the tender age of four, Aunt Mary taught me to sew and embroider.  I immediately fell in love with the feeling of fulfillment that “making something” gave.  Since then I’ve tried my hand at many, many things, but nothing has intrigued me quite like basket weaving.

 What is the name of your business/studio?  How can people contact you about your work?   My business name is “Bee is for Basket”.   A hand-stenciled bumblebee on the front of all my cards and tags is my trademark.   At this time, I have no studio location open to the public, but expect to have one in 2007.  I have my work in the HCCEP shop and can be reached at my home phone number. 

What are some of the things you make?    I am currently exploring the amazing world of Cherokee twills.  No matter what shape my work takes, great care goes into to making each piece sturdy and functional as well as beautiful. 

What is your most unique thing to make?    I love all baskets but I’m “in love” with cat-head shaped baskets.  It never ceases to amaze me how “pointy” you can get the corners of a basket’s base if you practice, practice, and practice!  I suppose my signature would be the cat-head base I use on so much of my work. 

What awards have you won?    My first award was for a National State Garden Club show in 1995.  The theme of the show was “Pride in our West Virginia Heritage.”  I won first place in the educational category.  I have also received an Award of Distinction at HCCEP’s First Biennial Juried Craft Exhibition in 2000 and an Award of Merit in the second Biennial Juried Craft Exhibition. 

What is the most challenging aspect of your craft?    There are three things, actually.  One is educating the public about how labor intensive each basket really is.  The dreaded question invariably arises, “How long does it take you to make that basket?”  You can ask any artist, artisan, or craft person; we all hate that question.  It’s like the buying public is trying to judge whether the piece is worth the asking price by how many hours you have in it.  I usually answer, “18 years now.”  This may seem flip, but a person’s skill level should be worth something.

The second is staying enthused and finding educational opportunities that challenge me to work harder.   At once simple and complex, weaving combines artistry and pure skill that challenges me to a lifetime of study.  Many of the weaving guilds I belong to have weekend instructional conferences.  I attend at least one of these a year.  It’s a terrific way to share experiences and information with fellow weavers as well as learn new techniques. 

The third is finding new ways to market my work and gain exposure for the craft of basket weaving.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your craft?    Learning new techniques.  It’s very gratifying to sell your work and have the public praise, but the true joy for me is the process, not the product.

 What other activities are you involved with?     I am an avid amateur naturalist and enjoy the outdoors.  I’m a member of the Potomac Valley Audubon Society and a devoted bird watcher.  As a family, we contribute to several associations that support the consciencous and sustained use of our natural resources.  I enjoy gardening and have a weakness for hybrid daylilies. 

My greatest pleasure is introducing my 6-year-old niece, Mia, to the wonders of nature and the beauty around us.  Just the other day she asked me how I knew so much about nature.  I told her I was older than she was, so I had more time to learn, but most of what I know, I learned from books.  Then I unloaded on her about how important school was and learning to read, etc.  I never miss an opportunity to brag up education!

 Do you have any goals or aspirations for the future related to your craft?  
The Eastern Panhandle has an amazing number of gifted artists, artisans, and crafts-people -- an untapped resource.  I hope Berkeley County can some day create more opportunities for local work to be showcased to the public thereby creating greater awareness.  Perhaps the Eastern Panhandle could become an artist’s Mecca where classes are given in all disciplines and mediums, much like the Campbell Folk School or Davis and Elkins.  

 Why are you interested in preserving the heritage crafts?   The following quote from The Craft of Pottery by Woodard Howell says it all:  “In the age of the mass consumption of mass-produced and depersonalized goods, there is a special attraction in owning and using wares that bear witness to the maker.”    

 It is my heart-felt belief that heritage crafts bear witness to their makers.