Sure, it’s freezing cold outside today… but the summer memories are still warm!
So here’s another summer flashback!!!

We started our day (back in August) at Six Flags Great America… and of course we had to start on a roller coaster! Taylor may have been a little cautious at first, but that didn’t last long…

Then we were off to my favorite… The Raging Bull.

After our first couple roller coasters, we played Whack-A-Mole… and I WON!!!
But the best part was that we ALL won colorful character baseball hats!!!
We looked gangsta’s in the hood of Nickelodeon!

More spinning… more squealing… more giggling…

Of course we had to take a cotton candy break… it is Great America after all.
And who doesn’t like a little more sugar to keep everyone amp’d up?!!!

More roller coasters… more fun… this time back on The Viper!!!

Seems like it was all coasters all the time… including the X-Flight!!!

Taylor was great at most of the roller coasters… although she drew the line at Vertical Velocity. I had to do that one with my cousin Kim while Jen & Taylor did the flying swings a couple times. In hind sight, the swings may have been better for Kim too… she was a bit queasy after this one! Magnetic jet-propulsion, twisting and flying straight up might not be her thing?!

All too soon, the sun started to set and our day was drawing to an end. The park takes on a whole new look as the sun goes down and the park lights begin to turn on.

It may have been sunset, but we still had time for a few more rides. Including another ride on Taylor’s favorite The Viper. Which looks so much cooler with the silhouettes of sunset.

Darkness was falling quick and we had time for one last ride… Spinning & swinging on The Revolution. So much fun… especially in the dark when all the lights are blurring, spinning and sparkling. A fitting end to our wonderful day at Great America… oh wait, that might have been the funnel cakes ala mode with hot fudge that we had just before leaving the park?!!!

With freezing temperatures all around, I figured it was a good day to stay in
and reminisce about warmer days and fun with friends. A little summer flashback!

A full day of fun in the sun with “my very first art fair friends” friends Gerry & Rosene… shopping all of the “treasures” at the Third Sunday Flea Market in Bloomington back in October. And a quick glimpse into the back of their car at the end of the day!!!

So you know I’m obsessed with all things RUSTY!!!
So imagine my surprise when we drove out into the middle of Central Illinois and found an entire menagerie of rusty animals!!! Including a life-sized llama with a full pelt of chains! WHOO-HOO!!!

Heart palpitations… Visual overload… Sweaty palms… this might be too much!

Life-sized animals made from assorted truck & farm equipment parts & pieces. And then left to rust. All with loving care & creativity of sculpture artist Robert Cumpston. Apparently he’s pretty well known in those parts. We ran into his daughter in a thrift store in Peoria the day before. So Rosene called him and asked if we could stop by and he said ‘of course.’ And by “those parts” I mean somewhere far out in the middle of NOWHERE!!! We drove miles & miles into the perfectly flat cornfields of rural Illinois.

Love the bird that has taken up residence in his favorite deer head…

So we got the FULL tour from Robert Cumpston himself. A wonderfully kind & sharing man. And very chatty. He walked us all over his property and showed us his creations. Each one more adorable than the next.

The tour continued… and he kept chatting and telling his stories. I took a few chances to split off to go searching on my own. Good thing Gerry & Rosene were so attentive. .. or at least played along better than I did.

As we continued the tour, there are piles and piles of scrap metal. All waiting to become something cool. Partial animals here & there. Most likely never to be completed… like the giraffe body below… top left of the pile.

And then he took us inside the barn into his studio. So many tools. So many things to see.

Tools everywhere. Pieces & parts. And an occasional llama head…

Sad thing is that he has since retired from making his rusty creatures. He says he “tinkers” a bit, but I fear that many of these animals will never be completed. And that his skills and talents will soon be lost. I asked if he had ever thought of getting an apprentice or intern to teach and help carry on his rusty legacy. Unfortunately, there was no plan and no real understanding of how sad it would be to let all of this talent & expertise end here.

And now back to the rust… it was everywhere!!! Bins packed full. Skids piled over. Pallets with rusty metal being overgrown with grasses. Heaven for those with a healthy appreciation for all things rust.

By the end of the day, my friend’s car was packed full. It was a great day at the Bloomington Flea Market followed by a surprising “haul” from Robert Cumpston’s place.

Click HERE for a video tour of Robert Cumpston’s place on YouTube. Unfortunately, you can see how much of his “inventory” has found a new home since the video was published in 2004.

And click HERE to see another clip of a Cumpston piece at the Antique’s Roadshow!
Apparently he made more than just animals?!!!

And here’s one of the cuties that come home with me…
and is now living under the park bench in my kitchen!

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Started a revolution, ended up a King.
Happy Birthday to the one and only Elvis Presley!
Just imagine what he could have done if he was taken from us so soon.

… also my late Grandma Kitty’s birthday, but I digress.

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I don’t know… I feel pretty darn GREAT in the morning!!!
No chance of a hangover. And always the potential of an amazing sunrise!!!

Looks like my friend Nancy has been enjoying some sweet sips in one of my stamped porcelain cups. Quite similar to my earlier post when I was enjoying some pre-Christmas eggnog. Different tastes for different people. Like I’ve said before… I have the palate of a four year old!

Kicking off the New Year with a new batch of stamps! Just some rolled clay coils with carved patterns on both ends.. A quick bisque firing and then they’ll be good to go! Can’t wait to see what kinds of patterns these will make?! I hope they’re good ones!!!

Look, I’ve got another new tray to fill with new stamps!!!
Guess I’ve got to start making MORE.

Because the six full trays I have already just are not enough apparently?!

Spent some time in the studio tonight still cleaning, organizing and wedging up a bunch of reclaim clay. Gotta love FREE clay! Close to seventy pounds of it.

And while I was there cleaning, I also found my three DVD’s from NETFLIX. Yep, I’m still going old-school with actual DVD’s. Long story… but our studios have somewhat unreliable Wi-Fi, so I stick with DVD’s. Anyways… I’ve been looking EVERYWHERE for these DVD’s. You know how you put things in “that special place” when you’re cleaning to make sure you don’t lose them, and then months later you can’t remember where you put them?! Well, I apparently put them in “that place” back in October!!! And haven’t been able to find them… until tonight!!! Sheesh!!!

We’re a week away from starting the new Winter Session of classes at Lillstreet.
I checked in tonight about my Beginning & Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing class starting next Tuesday… and we are officially FULL. All eighteen spaces taken… with three on the Waiting List. Can’t wait to get started up again!

One of my favorite cone 10 reduction glaze combos
to kick-off the first Mugshot Monday of the New Year!

#mugshotmonday