Still setting up my Holiday Home Show. Trying to check off my long list
of things to do! And I thought I’d share another photo as things are coming together.
This time it’s some textured slab vases – with a different pattern on each side!

With last night’s rain, the morning was chilly…
and not just cold, but a very damp, bone-chilling cold. At least the sunrise
was beautiful.… from what I could see through my own breath!

Even as the sun continued to rise, it was still beautiful… and still cold!

It is now only six days until my annual Holiday Home Show.
I’ve been doing a lot of finishing, pricing, packing, shlepping, setting up shelves
and carrying everything up three flights of stairs! Things are coming together nicely,
although I still have a LOT of projects to finish before next weekend!

Kiln Favorite #1 – Large Stamped Bowls
I’m pretty excited about the new bowls that just came out of the kiln!
Probably the largest and most stunning bowls I’ve ever made?!… if I do say so myself.
With dramatic stamping, deep finger impressions, beautiful glaze reactions and more.
I love ’em!!! I’m so excited… Here’s a little teaser…

Kiln Favorite #2 – Holiday Ornaments
And I’m more than a little enamored with my new holiday ornaments!
I’m trying really hard to not keep them all for myself. I was a little concerned that they
may “jump off” their firing tripods during the volatile soda firing. I am happy to report
that there was only one jumper! So now I need to finish them off and get them ready
for the upcoming Holiday Home Show! And “convince myself” that I can’t keep them all!

So after two days of waiting… my latest soda kiln was finally cool enough to unload
late this afternoon. So I cracked it open, then unbricked the door – layer by layer.
It’s always so much fun to open a kiln and slowly reveal the contents one layer at a time!
To see the final results of all your hard work – throwing, decorating, trimming, glazing, etc.
So I was thrilled when I opened up my kiln and saw nothing but beautiful pots!
Just in time for my Holiday Home Show – only one week away!

The mornings continue to impress. And this morning was warmer than usual.
And there’s me with FAR too many layers of clothing on… poor planning on my part.
But as the sun crested the horizon, the sky became peachy in color. Impressive again!

Today I fired my soda kiln.
Packed full. Top to bottom. Jam packed. More jam packed than usual.

So I started early, made some adjustments early on – and kicked it into high gear
as soon as I could. It fired quite easily all day… and I even got to teach another class today
in the middle of my firing. The usual teacher had a bad migraine and she asked if I could fill-in.
And since I was “trapped” there firing the kiln all day, I had to say yes… and it turned out to be
a nice diversion from the firing. Towards the end of the day, it was firing quickly. And I
completed the firing in record time. Turning it off earlier than expected – especially for being
packed so tight. And the kicker… my temperature difference between top & bottom was just
9.7 degrees according to the computer pyrometer!! Pretty impressive if I do say so myself.

So now it’s done… and cooling. My goal is to cool it off quickly and unload Friday afternoon
if possible?! That way, the Home Show set-up process can continue on Saturday…
I have a LOT of pots to carry up the three flights of stairs! And a week to get it done…

The weather has been incredible for the past few weeks here in Chicago.
Unseasonable warm. And with the recent time change, the morning bike rides have
had a rejuvenated sense of seasonal fun! So this morning I got up a little earlier
and pedaled a little further. All the way down to Northerly Island. Which is beautiful
this time of the year with all of the spent wildflowers & native grasses… and three incredible
metal sculptures out there gracing the island. Looking like they’re dancing in the wind…
and the fact that they look like rusty metal… even better!!!

I was originally planning on loading my soda kiln on Tuesday night after class.
And I wasn’t looking forward to starting after 10:00pm for the long process. With all the
pieces and hundreds of tiles… it takes quite awhile!

But then I found out that the classroom kiln before me fired a day early, and was therefore
being unloaded a day early. So lucky me! So I glazed a little faster. Wadded a little quicker.
And then went down to load my kiln… err, maybe I should say “pack” my kiln! It’s a little
tighter than usual. Let’s hope that the soda vapors can find their way around the kiln?!

I’m a little apprehensive though about my new ornaments and their support tripods.
In theory I think they’re pretty cool… I just hope the “volatile” soda atmosphere doesn’t
knock them over during the firing. I don’t want to find wayward ornaments glaze-fused
to the insides of bowls and stuck to the sides of other pieces?!

Okay, so this afternoon I was still in the process of setting up for the Holiday Home Show.
And in the big scheme of things, and the sequence I need to go through putting up
shelves & decorations… I had to tackle the Christmas tree today. It needs to be up in place
in my living room BEFORE I can put up my display shelves. So… I put up my holiday
decorations today – in shorts, with windows open as it was almost 70-degrees today!
Something’s wrong with this… too soon for Christmas?! My vote is YES.

And from the slightly annoyed & inquisitive looks I was getting from my cat…
he thought it was too early too!