Kicking off MUGSHOT MONDAY by finishing off a new batch of mugs. The cylinders are stamped & trimmed. Now they just need handles. So here we go… cutting clay & starting with carrot-shaped nuggets.

I had hoped for a beautifully sunny day like yesterday… apparently not so much. Instead we got a lot of gray… and maybe just a small splash of red (which I brought with myself).

After nearly a week of rain, gray clouds & wind… it was finally AMAZING outside today!!! Making it the perfect day to play hooky along the lakefront! I got to ride my bike all afternoon, stopped to play several times, kicked my shoes off and RELAXED in the summer sun!!!

This morning after the overnight rain, I was greeted by this beautiful plumeria that has started to bloom just down the street. It smells incredible!!!… and it belongs to the same house that had the amazing collection of lilies this summer too! Some neighbor sure has a green thumb!!!

MUG UPDATE: Trimmed, but not handled.
TEST TILES: I got a little side-tracked tonight by starting a new batch of test tiles. A friend gave me a new clay body to try out… and I’ve been wanting to make new test tiles for some of my studio glazes. Apparently tonight was the night to get the project started. Not like I’ve had a couple “free” months to work on this…

My cousin Kim likes to grow them, but doesn’t like to eat them!
So this is where I come in… enjoying the fruits of her labors!
Loving how much homegrown vegetables taste so much better than store-bought… and EVEN BETTER when stored in a beautiful bowl?!!! Just sayin’…

Looks like Martin is starting his morning off right… with some tea & crumpets before he starts painting! And I’m sure his tea is extra tasty this morning… in one of my mugs that he got from our pottery class mug “exchange-stealing-trading” game!!!

You can check out some of Martin’s amazing paintings & other artwork by clicking here for his website!

Well, it’s been so gray & rainy for the past three days. So when it was gray & NOT rainy this morning I had to hop on the bike and give it a go! Sure, it was dark, gloomy & WINDY with waves crashing all around… I just kept thinking how much cooler they would have looked with a nice sunrise illuminating them from behind. Well, not today. But it still felt amazing to be back on my bike this morning… even with the strong headwinds!!!

Like we even need to say this???…

And now back home, waiting for the rain to begin again for the day…

And I always love those days when I can throw the cylinders AND stamp them the same day! I did a bit of trimming & cleaning in between… but I felt very productive today. Hopefully tomorrow I can trim these mugs and add their handles too!!! Wouldn’t that be great… especially if it’s gray & rainy outside again.

Thanks to those of you who have purchased mugs online or at my two art fairs this summer, I need to make MORE MUGS!!! Oh shucks… it’s a shame that they’re my FAVORITE thing to make!!!