Looks like the Spring flowers weren’t too happy about the snow either. We’ve got some droopy daffodils this morning. At least the clear blue skies & bright sunshine make it all a bit more bearable… and beautiful.

Welcome to Spring in Chicago!!!

I must admit I was a little surprised and taken aback this morning by the surprise snowstorm overnight. My mind has already shifted to Spring mode… and not snow! And not just snow, but a fun crusty layer of ice underneath. Guess I need to pull the ice scraper back out?!

Tonight I loaded another bisque kiln. I’ve been making a lot of work lately. Lots of pieces to squeeze in, snuggle together and pack a tight kiln. You know how I LOVE loading a kiln…
I only hate to admit that I didn’t quite fit it all in.         Shoot!!!

Layer #1 : Lots of mugs… each with a wheelthrown ornament nestled inside.

Layer #2 : Wall pocket vases, spoon rests, cups & tiles.

Layer #3 : More mugs, oval vases, salt & pepper shakers, ornaments & tiles.

Layer #4 : Some bowls & birds… surrounded by more bowls, shakers & tiles!

Layer #5 : A few platters, ikebana vase tops and a lot more tiles!!!

You know how much I love a well-packed kiln… well-packed ALL the way to the top!!!

The results are still coming in… and I received another photo in my e-mail from a fellow potter who made his own version of my textured wall pillows. Thanks Patrick!!! After my article in the March/April issue of POTTERY MAKING ILLUSTRATED, I love getting photos of people’s results and how they have made them their own! Keep ’em coming!!!

Hi Gary, I really like this idea of yours; putting clay on the wall.
Great article and it was a blast to do!         Regards,   Patrick

Thanks Patrick for sharing your beautiful results. So much fun to see that people are actually making my textured wall pillows.. and that my instructions in the published tutorial were actually understandable?!!! Ha!!!

Keep moving forward… colored slip accents have been painted onto my ornaments. Hopefully these colors will come-to-life when they are fired in the soda kiln. But first… they need to go through a bisque kiln firing.

What a fun technique… pressing colors through patterns? Who’da thunk? I will definitely need to try this one. Might be a fun project to try with my students? Thank you Ceramic Arts Daily for sharing Meredith Host’s video excerpt from her DVD : “Form, Pattern and Underglaze: Wheel Throwing and Decoration.”

Click here to see the excerpt from Meredith Host’s video.

This latest batch of wheelthrown holiday ornaments is one step closer. They now have handbuilt “caps” attached for hanging on your tree next Christmas! Too soon?… never!

The bottoms have all been trimmed off the batch of ornaments… thanks to the “magic” of my Giffin Grip. So now what was the thrown-bottom, is now the trimmed-off-top to the ornament. Some of them are stoneware with iron, while others are soda clay. Next up in the process?… some handbuilt “caps” and colored slip accents.

Good to know. We’ve all said it for years…
but finally it’s on the Internet so it MUST be true!!! Ha!!!

Sure, their beginner mugs were a little too smooth & undecorated for my liking. Sweet, but plain. They could surely use some texture… if only they had some stamps to decorate with??? Oh wait… we made those too! It was a very busy night!!!