Wonderful dinner at my favorite restaurant with two of my favorite besties Sarah & Pam.
And when there’s not quite enough hot caramel sauce on your dessert…
an additional bowl of caramel makes everything sweeter!

Huh?… who knew that we would have torrential thunderstorms this morning?
Well, not me and my bike.
The first 12 miles were nice… the last 10, not so much.
Wish there was some way to see if it was going to rain BEFORE I head out.
Oh wait, I guess that’s what a weather forecast is for… if you take time to check it?!

So my latest batch of stamped cylinders are ready to become mugs!
We need some handles first… so I start with some wedged and shaped “carrots” of clay.

I pull my handles separate from the cup. Starting with the wide end of the “carrot” in your fingers tips, I gently slide down the clay with wat hands a bit of fiction. A little more friction and the clay begins to stretch into a handle. I like mine to be more of a strap than a tube. They need to set-up a bit before they can be attached to the mugs. So I carefully prop mine up with a nice “mug handle curve” already established. When they are no longer wet & squishy, I start attaching them.

Score, slip, attach, refine… REPEAT.
Score, slip, attach, refine… REPEAT.
Score, slip, attach, refine… REPEAT… REPEAT… REPEAT…         did I say REPEAT???

Soon enough I’ve got a LOT of mugs!!! My favorite thing to make.

Next up?… some color accents with flashing slips painted on the top portions and in some of the stamps.

After a big race weekend, it felt good to get up this morning for a more leisurely ride. Great for working out the kinks & lactic acid stiffness. A beautifully quiet sunrise.

After a big race day, it was fun to relax in the studio tonight stamping some mugs and making some more textured tiles.

Races run. Finish Lines crossed. The Chicago Triathlon Triple Challenge complete.

Now I’ve got a lot of sweaty clothes & smelly shoes!
Double the stink from two races today back-to-back!

Bringing home the hardware! Three triathlon race distances in two days!
Three races. Three medals.

A beautiful day in Chicago… just wanted to check that the medal was real.
Just like a real Olympian!

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Two dozen cylinders in need of some stamping. Luckily, I have several tool boxes full of stamps… and some time this afternoon to do some texturing. So here we have some cylinders before & after… each destined to become a mug after trimming & handles!

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Hanging out with my friend & brilliant metalsmith Sarah Chapman at the Bucktown Arts Fest. Diggin’ her new bracelets… which I lovingly dubbed “a bangle with a dangle.” Stop by today until 7:00pm… or again tomorrow from 11:00am-7:00pm!!! Booth 178 on Lyndale.

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Thankfully the huge rains passed before the race started.
Although there were a LOT of puddles & mud in the aftermath.
More fun tomorrow… and hopefully better weather?!

Starting to wonder if it was smart to throw tonight, or if I should be home relaxing, carbo-loading and preparing for tomorrow’s race?!