Looks like my pal Allison is starting her day of right…
with a bit of morning steam from her “wake-up call” in one of my mugs! Thanks for sharing your morning with us on Instagram @apmolloy !

It’s always nice to get back to work in the New Year. To get back to a bit of a routine again after “sliding though the holidays.” Always fun to get back to teaching… to meet your new students, plan out the syllabus and getting them all fired up again! We’ve all been off for awhile now. Everyone is so happy to be back!!!

To get us started, we made a few simple mug cylinders. But one of my New Years plans is to “play” a bit and try out a few new shapes & profiles. Sometimes the work, sometime they don’t!!!

For my Monday night intermediate class, we discussed how to “alter” some of the shapes, so we worked on indenting, squaring-off, faceting (which we didn’t keep)… and a few more ideas! And then my Tuesday night Beginners started off with some more basic cylinders… which they will trim and add handles to next week!

I, of course, just added a few more stamped details to the mix in my studio tonight… MORE IS MORE… and still, some of them work, some of them don’t… and some of them might need a little re-visiting later?!!!

Mug #1 –

Mug #2 –

Mug #3 –

Mug #4 –

Mug #5 –

Mug #6 –

Mug #7 –

Mug #8 –

So for now these mug cylinders are all under plastic wrap for the night. I will continue to work on most of them in my studio. The last three I’ll save for next Tuesday’s Beginner’s class when we’ll discuss trimming & adding handles. They’re going to be “surprised” when they finish their first batch of mugs at their second class!!!

Starting the New Year with an annual new year tradition for me…
MAKING SOME NEW STAMPS!!!

I mean, it’s not like I don’t already have THOUSANDS of handmade stamps in my studio ready to be used. And yet I feel somehow compelled to make a new batch of stamps every year. Kicking off a new season of pottery production with some new stamps… hoping to find a few “favorites” in the bunch. They need to dry and get bisqued… but then I can’t wait to give them a try!!!

I also make sure to put a different texture design on each end of the stamp. Two stamps in the space of one! Takes up a lot less space in my studio… when you literally have a thousand of these!!! And yes, I do put my name on each one! It’s not a vanity thing… but I do allow my students to use some of them in class and we know how some things “travel” a bit in a classroom situation!

Looks like someone’s new plates are making the perfect backdrop for another Breakfast of Champions! Thanks Rosene for sharing your yummy morning feast!

Looks like Tatiana is getting ready for a relaxing night at home! Celebrating another MUGSHOT MONDAY with two of the mugs she snagged during my studio mug sale before Christmas! Vino, snacks & more – have a great night Tatiana!!!

First with the good… THE GREAT POTTERY THROWDOWN is starting up again with season four this evening. Looks like Keith Brymer Jones is back for more crying, and the kiln loading guy has been promoted to Judge!!!

The bad news?… not sure how we’re going to get to see it here in the US yet. My cable doesn’t go all the way to the UK for Channel 4.

And more BAD NEWS…
I found out yesterday that my own GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class (also season four) has been cancelled for this Winter session due to lack of enrollment. I’m not surprised, as we’re still so “covid-limited” with very little open studio time… and this class has a “history” of big projects, lots of studio time and a “smidge” of homework. Or maybe they’re all just scared that the projects keep getting more creative & intense?!!! Either way, I’m sure we’ll re-visit this class at Lillstreet in the future when things clear up a bit and we have more access to Open Studio time!

Looks like Kristy is settling in for a warm Winter’s night! Good things happen when two different Christmas gifts come together at the same time. A time she may or may not “remember” in the morning!!!

We finally got some sunshine today!

So I had to GET OUT!!!

Out of my condo.
Out of my studio.
Outside for some fresh air!!!

I decided to go back to Illinois Beach State Park to hike along the lakefront… and oh, while I was there, I could check on the fortune cookie “inventory” that might still be hidden out there!

Beautiful blue skies, show-covered beaches, plenty of icicles…
and yes, a handful of fortune cookies still waiting to be found!!!

So here they are… a couple of my new ice-dyed shirts. Some of the colors have blended more, the white areas “stained” a bit. But they’re still pretty groovy… and ready for a new session of pottery classes at Lillstreet starting on Monday.

So the ice has melted, and the shirts have sat in place for awhile to let the dye seep in. Now it’s time to start opening them up to rinse out the “extra” dye. Always fun when the Big Reveal happens… after the rubber bands are snipped… as you pull open the folds & twists to see the patterns & colors!

Unfortunately, these still need to be rinsed out… and then washed.
This is where I have the most trouble with tie-dying. The colors are so clear & vibrant now. But it always seems when I rinse them out, that the colors seem to blend even more… and too frequently, the white areas all get “stained” a different color… and don’t stay white?!!!! I think I need to do a little research on this!