Stamped & handled… one step closer!
Coming along nicely with a deadline drawing near!!!

Looks like my Thanksgiving Cactus has finally decided to bloom. It’s always been so full of blooms for my Holiday Home Show in late November. But this year?… no blooms, no buds, nothing!!! But now, in the middle of February it decides o pop-out a flower or two?!!! Go figure…. better luck next year!

Looks like Allyn is enjoying her new Valentine’s Day gift! A texured & soda-fired hybrid mug purchased by her loving husband in time for the big day! And in time for today’s Mugshot Monday!

Tomorrow is class registration at Lillstreet Art Center for the Spring session of pottery classes. I will be teaching my usual Intermediate Wheel on Monday nights, Beginning Wheel on Tuesday nights & a once-a-year special Surface Decoration class on Thursday nights. Registration begins at 10:00am… in-person & online. But I will say… that ever since Covid, it seems like registering for a pottery class is pretty tough! My classes will typically fill-up & close in about five minutes! Everyone jokes… but sadly, it’s not very funny… that registration at Lillstreet has become kinda like “The Hunger Games.”

Here’s the online link…. and good luck… www.lillstreet.com

SAVE THE DATE : Hard to believe it’s already time to be planning my Summer Art Fair schedule. You can check my website-blog for my art fair “plan” so far. Even harder to believe that the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR is just sixteen weeks away!

Click here for more schedule details : http://firewhenreadypottery.com/show-schedule-2013/

This week in class I did a wheelthrowing demo on plates & platters. The platter was a bit too plain… so of course I thought a little stamping could make it a bit more special. All done with just one handmade clay stamp. More is more, right???

Just unloaded two bisque kilns for my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN students. So much fun seeing their “Main Make” pieces coming together. Lots of soup tureens, bowls, ladles & spoons comin’ out of the kilns this morning. Now they’ve got a lot of glazing to do!!!

Hope you’ve all had a wonderful day. Here’s a little vintage Valentine fun from my friends in Peoria. Celebrating with one of my early pieces… one of the largest vases I was so excited to finally make on the wheel. And a single row of fairly tentative stamping round the edge… kinda hidden by the glaze. But nonetheless… a nice “vintage” vase for special a Valentine’s Day!!!

Sunrise serenity with calm reflections & floating ice masses. It’s going to be another “warm” day, so I’m hoping for some more ice melting. I know there will be more Winter to come… but I’d love a fresh clean start. I’d even be okay with some rain to wash everything down before the next round of snow? Living on the wild side… I even got my car washed yesterday!!! Dare to dream…

After last night’s THROWDOWN challenge, we had only four people who made the weight restriction! Beautiful designs & careful craftsmanship. We were all so impressed by these Top Four… but even more enamored by the great shadows they were casting upon the table! Well done Taylor, Katie, Ruth & Jack!