One of the best parts of a pottery studio tour is seeing all of the tools, kilns, supplies… and maybe just a couple little “mascots” hidden in amongst the rest. Like these little cuties that were hidden in Cory’s studio this weekend during the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR.

What a fun trading game we had last week in my Tuesday night class… category theme of flowerpots with a plant in it! My students rocked it out… and brought their A-game to the trade. I was lucky enough to come home with a cute yellow orchid in a beautiful rutile blue pot!

Last week in my Beginning & Advanced Beginner Wheel class, we celebrated the end of the session with a fun “white elephant trading-stealing-exchanging game”… with a category of handmade flowerpot with a plant inside! I prepped mine the day before… so my variegated ivy would be happy to head-off to its new home!!!

A beautiful bi-colored iris bloom from my garden enjoying some time in a handmade ikebana vase! Homegrown & handmade… the perfect combo!

In Cory’s front yard, she has a little garden “graveyard” of broken pottery… and it’s an “honor” to be included in her graveyard collection! Even if my stamped & soda-fired bowl is only there to prop-up Steven Hill’s cracked platter?! ha…

I thought I would get up & get out on the bike trail before the heatwave hit… but I was wrong. Kind of. It was already “warm” when I got up but it felt great while riding. Except that there were these weird patches of cold foggy areas, followed by warm steamy areas… it kinda felt like I was having hot flashes?! Pretty cool though… and I always like a clouded sunrise where you can see the rain falling down from the clouds well out over the lake.

I “behaved” the whole weekend… until I saw Kenyon’s cups and I just had to have one!!! I think I must have touched them all at least twelve times… narrowing it down slowly… until I finally decided that THIS ONE was the one that “had to” come home with me! Crazy cool design, patterns, glazes & soda-fired effects. Well done Kenyon… and THANK YOU!!! It was great hanging with you guys all weekend in Sandwich!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to Sandwich this weekend for the first in-person NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR! It was so much fun seeing everyone celebrating pottery & appreciating handmade wares! Great fun hanging out with some talented potters all weekend as well… Cory, Kenyon, Lindsey, Linda & Nancy (errr… Burt)!

Another huge THANK YOU to my talented friend Cory McCrory for hosting us at her studio location in Sandwich! She made it such a wonderful event for all of her guest artists. So thoughtful, so welcoming, so appreciated! You’re the best Cory!!!

After a fun “weekend of pottery” out in “the country”… it felt great to get back to the City & back on my bike for another kick-off to another week. So nice to have a beautiful sunrise over the lake to start my day again!

Headed home as the sun sets on the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR.

So much fun playing at the Sandwich location with such great potters & now-friends! Thanks to Cory for hosting… as well as Kenyon, Lindsey, Linda & Nancy (Burt) for making it such a fun weekend!