Among the most notable of Claudia Leo's baskets are the Nantucket Lightship Baskets, long recognized as a distinctive art form whose history dates back to the mid 1800s. Claudia's Nantuckets are unique in that they feature bases of cherry burl, which she and her husband harvest from the mountains of Pennsylvania.For continuity she also hand crafts the handle from black cherry. She cuts the basket staves from ash, and steam bends them prior to weaving . Each basket is tightly woven with the finest imported cane. Some of her Nantuckets are embellished with an original braid design placed just below the rim. Occasionally she weaves a twill or diamond pattern into the walls of the basket.

To balance the demands of the Nantucket baskets, Leo enjoys the creativity found in weaving a broad range of hand-dyed rattan baskets. She has a preference for Native American and Shaker designs, frequently featuring intricate twill patterns. She teaches these hand-dyed rattan baskets through her Guild and has been the Fairfax County Adult Education basketry teacher since 1990.

Over the years her creations have received numerous Best in Show and Best Craftsmanship awards. She has had work commissioned by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History,included in the White House permanent collection, and her Nantuckets were offered through the American Folk Art Museum in New York City. Photographs of her work are featured in Billie Ruth's Sudduth's Baskets, a Book for Makers and Collectors and Janice Eaton Kilby's By Hand and in 500 Baskets, a collection of original work by artists from around the world published by Lark Books in 2006. She has been recognized as one of America's Best Traditional Craftsmen by Early American Life/Early American Homes since 1996.

Claudia W. Leo have been selected for the following Directories: