Scrapbooking

**Join us for an evening of crafting at Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library!** ✂️🎨 Bring a project you’re currently working on (or start a new one) and enjoy a relaxed, creative space to craft alongside others from 6:30–8:30 PM. All forms of art and craft are welcome—knitting, crocheting, embroidery, drawing, jewelry making, paper crafts, and more. This is a casual, bring-your-own-project meetup with no formal instruction—just a chance to unwind, get inspired, and connect with fellow creatives. All skill levels are welcome. Come as you are and craft with us! *If the event is waitlisted, feel free to still join us.*

he Virginia/Maryland/DC wildflowers are essentially at their peak NOW! We will hike the Windy Run Trail in north Arlington down to the Potomac Heritage Trail along the Potomac River. Upstream for a bit and downstream for a bit will show us many of the currently blooming wildflowers. This is timed for later in day so that you can take care of your other responsibilities and still get outside. There will be plenty of light for good pictures. Also, the birds get more active and noisier towards dusk. Bluebells, spring beauty, wild phlox, snowbells (even though it is done snowing) , May apples (even though it is April). These are a few of the flowers blooming now that you will see. The Spring ephmeral wildflowers take advantage of the light and bloom quickly before the trees leaf out and put them in shade. When the trees leaf out, the spring wildflowers begin to go to bed until the next year. Wear shoes with tread that will grip. There are a handful of stream crossings and a set of steep stairs (with a handrail part of the way down). If you have treking poles, consider bringing them. No dogs. I will also show you I-Naturalist. Load the App before you come if you wish. The Appalachian Mountain Club uses this as a citizen science project that can track blooming dates and locations. Meet at 2433 N Kenmore St, Arlington, VA

This month's selection is "The Beast in the Clouds: The Roosevelt Brothers' Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda," by Nathalia Holt! If you're new, welcome! Don't worry if you can't finish or don't like the book, we're here for good casual conversation...

**NEW UPDATE:** Additional members of the cubing community have reached out to me and we all agree, the more cubing the better! I have removed the 12 person limit and we are adding an overflow cube for those also interested in non vintage type cubes! These guest cubes may consist of the following: \- Alex's Enchantment Cube: [Enchanted to Meet You](https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/enchantedCube)! \- Matthew's Avatar cube: [Avatar: The Last Airbender Power(ful) Cube](https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/avatarTLA) Priority will still fall to firing the vintage cube but what this means is if we reach 12 members we can offer the option to fire both cubes at 6 and 6 or just the vintage cube at 2 pods each. If we reach over 12 we will divide up the players between the two cubes with earlier RSVPs getting priority on their choice. If you have a cube that you are interested in having as a spill over cube please reach out to me and we can coordinate. Thank you! Come join and casually draft a vintage cube that is open to everyone. No cost to enter! The store provides promo booster packs and I usually throw in a pack of the most recent standard set to award to the people with the best records at the end of the night. [What is Cube?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNDBTRG6keM) What: Vintage Cube Draft When: 6:00pm Where: Your Hobby Place in Old Town Alexandria (Your Hobby Place, 700 N Washington St, Alexandria, VA 22314) We aim to start drafting shortly after 6:00pm as the store's register closes at 9:00pm. The store owner is kind enough to keep the space open for us to finish rounds. In previous events we've usually wrapped up around 9:45. All skill levels are welcome and all cards, lands, tokens needed are provided so you only need to bring yourself and potentially some dice and playmat if you prefer. The list can be seen here: [https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/proxybacon](https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/proxybacon) Join Your Hobby Place's Discord and grab the Cube Role in the mtg-chat channel for the most up to date information on cube at their location: [https://discord.gg/9je3G8vzXh](https://discord.gg/9je3G8vzXh) **Important Notice:** I have seen an increased number of signups and no shows amongst brand new accounts. In an effort to make sure we have room for everyone if this is your first time joining and you have just created a meetup account please reach out to me via Meetup or discord. **Late Policy:** RSVPing will hold your spot for up to 10 minutes after 6. If you expect you may be running late please reach out to me via the store's discord. My username is iluvbacon610.

Hit the pause button for an hour and reduce your stress. You will be compassionately guided through an exploration of intentionally linking your breath with the movement of both dynamic and static stretching and its impact on your (P)hysical, (I)ntellectual, (E)motional, and (S)piritual layers. Then experience the calming practice of restorative yoga which was designed specifically to move you from the fight, flight, or freeze state of the nervous system into the rest and digest state. Leave this all levels, accessible class feeling restored, renewed, and ready for what life has in store for you next. **Please reserve your spot at www.piesfitnessyoga.com.** The session is offered InStudio only. **Sign up for sessions must be made at least 2 hours prior to class.** The address is 1322 Prince St Alexandria, VA 22314. Our entrance is located on the side of the building, parallel to West St. **Street parking is available and additional parking is located at Shiloh Baptist church, spaces 3,5,7,9.** The church is located across the street from the studio, on the corner of Duke St. and West St.

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“What Digital Detectives Find,”** on the afterlife of your digital data and the methods of those who investigate it, with Jim Jones, associate professor at George Mason University and cyber security and digital forensics expert. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-digital-detectives](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-digital-detectives) .] What happens when you delete digital data such as a picture, video, or email message? The truth is that “deleted” doesn't mean “gone,” and digital forensic investigators can extract and make sense of the residual fragments left over from data often assumed to be gone forever. Learn about the field of digital forensics—and the lessons it offers those who worry about sensitive data being exposed—with Jim Jones, who has been a cyber security and digital forensics practitioner, researcher, and educator for more than 30 years. You’ll learn how all investigations today, criminal and otherwise, to some degree involve digital forensics, an interdisciplinary field that draws from computer engineering, computer science, information technology, law, and ethics. Digital forensics doesn’t just respond to specific incidents, but also seeks out threats within organizations, analyzes malware, and buttresses cyber security. Much of the work of Dr. Jones, his colleagues, and students involves examining digital systems of all types to understand how data persists and decays and how it can be found and recovered. Dr. Jones will discuss how what happens to the digital data that you deleted depends on the type of device you are using, along with a host of other factors. You'll learn how digital data is stored on different devices and what does and doesn’t happen when you delete that data. You'll see examples of data extracted from different devices, demonstrations of what can be inferred from these remnants, and how investigators can tell if such remnants are genuine or not. Finally, you'll learn about strategies to mitigate the risk of exposing sensitive data. Dr. Jones will sort those that work from those that don’t. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: A digital forensics examiner works with evidence in the FBI’s New Jersey Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (FBI photo).

This class is designed to target those places in the body that might need a little extra space breathed into them after a night's sleep. This morning, get your blood pumping and work out all the stiffness, cramping, and tightness that are often left in the body after hours of laying still. Now seize the day! **Please reserve your spot at www.piesfitnessyoga.com**. The session is offered both InStudio and OnLine. The Zoom link for the OnLine session will be emailed 15 minutes before class starts to those who are registered at www.piesfitnessyoga.com. **Sign up for sessions must be made at least 2 hours prior to class.** The address is 1322 Prince St Alexandria, VA 22314. Our entrance is located on the side of the building, parallel to West St. **Street parking is available and additional parking is located at Shiloh Baptist church, spaces 3,5,7,9.** The church is located across the street from the studio, on the corner of Duke St. and West St.

Our April book is "The Highly Sensitive Person" by Elaine Aron. Join us for exploring the fascinating trait of high sensitivity, in Dr. Aron's pioneering book! Researchers believe approximately 20% of the human population has this trait that affects every dimension of a person's life, including mental and physical health, relationships, and more. Curious if you are highly sensitive? Dr. Aron's Self-Test Questionnaire is available on her website. [Are You Highly Sensitive?](https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/) Also, there's recently been a documentary on the topic of high sensitivity, where Dr. Aron discusses the trait. Here is a trailer. The full movie is available for free on YouTube. [Sensitive: The Untold Story](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXlOyGuvfVE) We'll start the meeting with each person sharing their name and one thing they found interesting or helpful about the book, then have open discussion. Here is the Amazon description of the book: "ARE YOU A HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON? Do you have a keen imagination and vivid dreams? Is time alone each day as essential to you as food and water? Are you noted for your empathy? Your conscientiousness? Do noise and confusion quickly overwhelm you? If your answers are yes, you may be a highly sensitive person (HSP) and Dr. Elaine Aron’s The Highly Sensitive Person is the life-changing guide you’ll want in your toolbox. Over twenty percent of people have this amazing, innate trait. Maybe you are one of them. A similar percentage is found in over 100 species, because high sensitivity is a survival strategy. It is also a way of life for HSPs. In this 25th anniversary edition of the groundbreaking classic, Dr. Elaine Aron, a research and clinical psychologist as well as an HSP herself, helps you grasp the reality of your wonderful trait, understand your past in the light of it, and make the most of it in your future. Drawing on her many years of study and face-to-face time spent with thousands of HSPs, she explains the changes you will need to make in order to lead a fuller, richer life. Along with a new Author’s Note, the latest scientific research, and a fresh discussion of anti-depressants, this edition of The Highly Sensitive Person is more essential than ever for creating the sense of self-worth and empowerment every HSP deserves and our planet needs."

Welcoming back Kecia Deveney for our annual Creative Minds Summit! This mixed media journal is a place for fragments. For what was saved without knowing why. For scraps, thoughts, images, and moments that did not ask to be finished. Nothing here needs to make sense. Nothing here needs to be useful. These pages are allowed to change, to be returned to, or left behind. This book belongs to the act of keeping. In **A Place for Fragments**, you’ll learn how to create a soft, fabric-covered journal using scraps and remnants using cardboard as our substrate; simple, forgiving binding and stitching methods; ways to layer paper and fabric without planning or pressure; how to let materials guide decisions instead of rules; how to work intuitively and trust when something feels complete enough; simple ways to work on inside pages and making an image focal point using resin. Learn more about this class, your student supply kit fee & list via Artistic Artifacts’ secure online website: [https://artisticartifacts.com/products/cms-place-for-fragments-with-kecia-deveney](https://artisticartifacts.com/products/cms-place-for-fragments-with-kecia-deveney) \*\*\* Due to the size or other requirements of the class or concurrent scheduling, some classes are in our second-floor space: access is via stairs only. Registrations for all Artistic Artifacts classes MUST be paid for [through our website](https://artisticartifacts.com/collections/wk), or via a visit to our shop at 4750 Eisenhower Avenue. We encourage you to RSVP here, but to ensure your seat you MUST follow through via our website. [View our complete class policies »](https://artisticartifacts.com/pages/class-policies)

We are honored to host Jaime Echt from The Crafter's Workshop for our annual Creative Minds Summit. Whether you’re new to Stencil Butters® or a longtime fan, this class is going to bring your Mixed-Media/Art Journaling game up a notch. You’re going to start by making a color swatch ring of all your favorite colors (and there are over 40 colors to choose from.) This’ll give you a chance to see how colors interact with water and other modifiers. Plus it’ll be a great reference tool to take home with you. From there you’ll create one or more frameable pieces of art. Jaime will walk you through technique after technique, from mark-making to stenciling, from dry brush to wet palette knife, and everything in between. You’ll leave with the swatch ring and at least one finished piece. Feel free to bring your art journal to work in. Learn more about this class, your student supply kit fee & list via Artistic Artifacts’ secure online website: [https://artisticartifacts.com/products/cms-color-mapping-abstract-art-with-jaime-echt](https://artisticartifacts.com/products/cms-color-mapping-abstract-art-with-jaime-echt) \*\*\* Due to the size or other requirements of the class or concurrent scheduling, some classes are in our second-floor space: access is via stairs only. Registrations for all Artistic Artifacts classes MUST be paid for [through our website](https://artisticartifacts.com/collections/wk), or via a visit to our shop at 4750 Eisenhower Avenue. We encourage you to RSVP here, but to ensure your seat you MUST follow through via our website. [View our complete class policies »](https://artisticartifacts.com/pages/class-policies)

Join us on the Spirit of Washington for their Signature Bottomless Mimosa Brunch Cruise! Let's set sail and relax! **About the Cruise:** "Set sail for a memorable experience on the Potomac River with a Washington, DC Signature Bottomless Mimosa Brunch Cruise that is as scenic as it is delicious! You'll savor a chef-prepared buffet and bottomless mimosas while staying cozy and warm in our comfortable indoor areas. Marvel at unparalleled views of Washington, DC's iconic landmarks, such as the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial from inside or enjoy fresh breezes on the open-air decks. This fun-filled dining experience for all ages is complete with lively DJ entertainment, dancing, games, and a fully stocked cash bar. Elevate your weekend plans with a one-of-a-kind brunch cruise on the water!" **What to Expect:** * 2 Hour Cruise * Brunch Buffet * Unlimited mimosas * Live DJ entertainment * Scenic Potomac River views * Lively Book Discussions and Activities * Dress code: Casual Attire **How to Attend:** **Cost: $107 per person** ***Payment is due at the time of registration in full, NON-REFUNDABLE.*** Space available for 20 members. Must have at least 10 members for event to occur. **Meeting Location:** Pier 4 580 Water Street SW Boarding Time: 10:30am Cruising Time: 11:30am-1:30pm Parking is located at The Wharf Parking Garage This is an excellent opportunity to dance, relax, and eat with good company! Great views of the monuments, free-flowing champagne, mimosas and sparkling cider, freshly prepared entrees, salads, and desserts, Unlimited coffee, hot tea, iced tea and water- all with your book girlfriends! Join us for a fun-filled time!

Jaime Echt, from The Crafter's Workshop, is joining our annual Creative Minds Summit this year! If you love the thought of playing with every color of the rainbow in one mixed media project, then this booklet is for you! Jaime will teach you various stenciling techniques while you explore the why’s and why not’s of color theory. Dimensional Stencil Butters combined with modeling pastes, paint pens, permanent pens and more will be the media of the day. Suitable to all, from beginner to crazy eclectic enthusiast, this class offers you instruction in color theory, stenciling techniques, mixed media painting, and simple bookmaking (zig-zag book ties with ribbon) as you use Stencil Butters in many different ways. Learn more about this class, your student supply kit fee & list via Artistic Artifacts’ secure online website: [https://artisticartifacts.com/products/cms-color-wheel-fold-out-booklet-with-jaime-echt](https://artisticartifacts.com/products/cms-color-wheel-fold-out-booklet-with-jaime-echt) \*\*\* Due to the size or other requirements of the class or concurrent scheduling, some classes are in our second-floor space: access is via stairs only. Registrations for all Artistic Artifacts classes MUST be paid for [through our website](https://artisticartifacts.com/collections/wk), or via a visit to our shop at 4750 Eisenhower Avenue. We encourage you to RSVP here, but to ensure your seat you MUST follow through via our website. [View our complete class policies »](https://artisticartifacts.com/pages/class-policies)

We are going to talk about the books we read—any books, from any genre. Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, classic literature or something modern, everyone is welcome to share their thoughts, impressions, and favorite passages. It’s a relaxed and friendly conversation where we can discover new ideas and enjoy each other’s perspectives.

**Let’s catch up and take an afternoon break.** **Grab a coffee or snack and let’s chit chat! Gayle and I will bring adult coloring books and/or a simple craft if you’d like to unwind and relax.😊**

* Second ever book club! April meet up. All are welcome. * The book will be Play Nice by Rachel Harrison (determined by votes from March Book Club. Let me know if you’d like a free digital copy of the book) * This event will be at the main library, meeting room 1B, the location will not be changed for this event due to the number of people attending, we will just add more chairs if needed! * Feel free to come whether or not you’ve started or finished the book ◡̈ * Small snacks will be provided. You’re welcome to bring your own snacks & drinks too! Starting in June I will try to keep future book clubs at the Dublin Library. Now that I understand their reservation system, I will be on top of it with booking that location as soon as the date is released for the month. Thanks for your understanding with the varying locations in the meantime.

AI is changing how art is made. But when does it stop being your work and start being the machine’s? This month we're going to be doing a panel with with digital image, music, and written word artists, talking about at what point, while using AI in the creation process, does the work become not the artist creation? We encourage audience participation during this event that will be moderated by Chris Slee. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/55umjqta)

**Our April novel is: *The Hong Kong Widow* by Kristen Loesch** **This month’s novel blends gothic atmosphere with historical fiction and chilling horror, set against the haunting backdrop of China. The book is 368 pages in print and 10 hours and 42 minutes on audiobook.** In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei is a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation—to take part in a competition in one of the city's most notorious haunted houses, pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a single winner emerges—she has every reason to refuse. Except that the hostess, a former Shanghainese silent film star, is none other than the wife of the man who once destroyed Mei’s entire life. It is promised the winner will receive a fortune, but there is only one prize Mei wants: revenge. Decades later, the final night of that competition has become an infamous urban legend: The police were called to the scene of a brutal massacre but found no evidence, dismissing it as a collective hallucination. Mei knows what she saw, but now someone else is convinced they know what she did. She must uncover the truth about the last night she ever spent in that house—even if the ghosts of her past are waiting for her there. . . .

Let's Crop!

Welcome, readers! Our April read is **_Martyr!_ by Kaveh Akbar.** The story follows a young Iranian American poet grappling with grief, addiction, and the aching question of what makes a life meaningful. Drawn into an unexpected friendship with a terminally ill artist, he begins to confront faith, love, and the seduction of self-destruction. Lyrical, darkly funny, and emotionally piercing, the novel wrestles with beauty and despair in equal measure. It’s a story about longing—to be seen, to be forgiven, and to matter. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

Join us for lunch at Cooper’s Hawk in Easton. If the weather is nice, we’ll enjoy lunch on their gorgeous patio!