You know how my students “love” a good challenge… so my Intermediate Wheel class once again asked for a “fun” challenge project to work on throughout last session. I decided to challenge them with “Stacking Mugs.” A set of four or more matching mugs that stack well… and have some sort of design that ties them all together when stacked, but still look cool individually. I think they all stacked up quite nicely!

All signs point to YES.

One of my Beginning Wheel students had a glaze run & some kiln wash on the bottom of her bowl. She was trying her best to get it off… and then I offered up my DiamondCore Grinding Bat for Carly to borrow. We put it on her wheel, wet the pot & the bat… and then spun really fast & pressed the bowl down!!! Voila’… smooth & clean! One of the best tools ever… thank you DiamondCore!!!

Excited to see that several of my orchids at home have been sending up new flower spikes… and this is the first one to start blooming! I’m looking forward to a colorful Spring as they all begin to splash their colors high on graceful stems!

Another beautiful morning… more clouds & more colors! Sure, there was a bit more wind too, but well worth it when you get to pedal along the lakefront and watch THIS happen the whole time! Still the best way to start my day!

I’m celebrating the FIRST DAY OF SPRING with a beautiful sunrise bike ride. Finally, some blue skies & colorful clouds to brighten my morning. I’m tired of gray… I’m tired of Winter… and I am fully embracing Spring!!!

Sure, the Winter class session may have ended… but this face will stick with me for awhile!!! Shannon made her first clay doughnut in class… almost real enough to eat!!!

Celebrating a little MUGSHOT MONDAY with this great mug collection… resting on their new display shelves. My friends Keith & Julie recently moved to Ohio and took plenty of my mugs with them! Too bad their new kitchen wasn’t quite “prepared”… so they added some shelves in all the right places!

Another large platter wheelthrowing demo… got a little makeover once I got it up to my studio. Just a couple stamps here & there. All made with one handmade stamp pressed in one-by-one-by-one…

Did a little fidgety-handbuilding today while I was subbing for two classes. It’s the last week of classes so there wasn’t a lot for me to “teach” them at this point. More chatting, facilitating & answering questions! I prefer hectic active classes… so I had to keep myself busy. Sure, they still need a bit of smoothing & refining… but these spoons are pretty cute so far!