Sarah Chapman’s Home Show was a HUGE success.
Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate their impending move to Minnesota…
and found a few lovely trinkets along the way! I myself found these two beauties
that are now part of my own “ever-growing” Chapman Collection!

Inventory replenished & ready for Day Two of Sarah Chapman’s
“Open-House-Moving-to-Minneapolis-Home-Show-and-Sale.”
Stop by to chat, admire and pick up some beauties all at 25% off!!!

Plus, incredibly dramatic black & white photography by Julie Wight…
also with the 25% “moving sale” discount. Beautiful shots from a keen perspective.

This morning the totem pole sections came out of the kiln. So now the project turns to
stacking & installing them. The plan was to install them on the roof of Lillstreet Art Center
amongst the garden planters. Everything was going as planned until a huge storm decided
to roll through. So as we kept working in our classroom, we could see the rain coming down
on the skylights. So we had to start developing Plan B.

But then, just before lunch, the clouds started to clear and the rain began to slow.
So I posed the question to the kids and they were more than excited to put it on the roof,
despite the chance of getting rained on! So we proceeded with Plan A!

I started with a large plastic flower pot. We inserted a metal pipe in the center & surrounded
it with quick drying concrete. Then we covered the concrete layer with pebbles to the top of
the flower pot. Once the concrete dries, the pole will be fairly secure. Then we started stacking
the segments. Each section is filled to keep it from shifting on the pole. The bottom few sections
are also filled with pebbles. The middle & top sections are filled with styrofoam peanuts.
Idea being that the bottom is heavier and the top lighter so it’s not top-heavy. However, as we
were staking sections and filling them with peanuts, the wind kept picking up and blowing
some of them around… and Isabel was having a little trouble keeping them in place!

Getting closer to the top, Ryan & Ruby add a few more layers to the totem…

And here it is… the completed totem pole installed on the roof of Lillstreet Art Center.

Pleased with their own handiwork, my campers strike a pose next to their completed
totem pole. It’s a motley crew… but hysterical and fun to play with all week long!!!

Some of my “happy campers” enjoying the Lillstreet Roof garden after installing their
totem pole! Pleased with their work, and happy that the weekend is here!

So it’s Friday at Summer Camp and kids’ clay projects are coming out of the kiln.
We made them & glazed them on Tuesday, they dried overnight and into an electric
kiln on Wednesday. They’re still a bit warm… but the gnomes are done and
ready to go home to some beautiful city gardens!

Just passed one thousand-five hundred blog posts!
Thanks to all of you for sticking with me and reading all of my ramblings.
For suffering through my endless sunrises… and kids camps… and clay stuff.
Hopefully you’ll stick with me for another thousand posts or more!!!

The kids have finally finished their painted terra cotta pedestal pots.
Remember, each of them received a theme that they had to brainstorm and develop.
It’s always so much fun to see how the kids approach a conceptual challenge and
turn it into a personal work of art. Here are just a few of their masterpieces…

“The Jungle” – created by Ava…

“Outer Space” – created by Lucy…

“Walt Disney” – created by Kayla…

“Underwater World” – created by Elizabeth…

“The Four Seasons” – created by Dahlia…

While the totem pieces & gnomes are in the kiln, the kids have continued with the
painting of their terra cotta pedestal pots. Their themes are established, and the
painting has begun… and the “focus” by some of the campers is pretty amazing!

The morning sky started out a little “cloudy”…
and I was wondering if the hazy sky would ever clear up?  Luckily… it did.

My favorite metalsmith, and fellow ART DETOUR artist, Sarah Chapman
is moving to Minneapolis! And this weekend she’s celebrating with an
Open House Home Show & Sale. If you’re looking for some beautiful jewelry
for men & women, c’mon by… I’ll be there helping both days!

Did I mention that she’s offering everything at 25% off?? Beautiful AND a bargain!

SARAH CHAPMAN : OPEN HOUSE & MOVING SALE
5141 West Drummond Place, Chicago 60659
FRIDAY 6/29 – 5:00pm-10:00pm – and – SATURDAY 6/30 -10:00am-5:00pm