Starting off today with a batch of mugs that need to be glazed & wadded. I’ve applied a layer of tenmoku glaze into all of the stamped impressions to help accentuate the textures & patterns. Now to wipe it off… leaving the glaze inlaid in the stamps!

You know it’s my least favorite part of the pottery process. But it’s got to be be done. So I’ve been working the past couple days trying to make some headway through my bisque… as I need to fill a soda kiln this weekend! At least this accidental “smiling sponge” made me happy this morning to kick-off another day of glazing!!!

This past Monday night in my Intermediate Wheelthrowing class, we discussed how to throw with a bit more “intention”… and how to approach throwing “matching sets.” I offered up a few options… as one of their class challenges is to bring two “matching” bowls to our final class as few weeks from now! One of my best suggestions is to throw a few extras that are “similar” and then decorate & trim them to make them match even more… and then pick the two that match the best!!! I went with four… hoping to get two that match!!!

After last night’s rain… always beautiful to see fresh flowers with fresh raindrops. Adds a little splash of color to an otherwise gray & gloomy morning!

After last night’s storms, I rolled out of bed this morning to cloudy skies… and considered crawling back into bed! Instead I hopped on my bike for a beautifully breezy & cloud-covered morning. There were moments of sunrise optimism where I thought “maybe” the sun would pop through and brighten the skies with color. But apparently not… just clouds. Very cool clouds… but clouds nonetheless!

Trimming some perfect spirals with my DiamondCore Tools! Always fun to see how the trimmed ribbons pile up, fly off or trickle down the sides! Even with a “thinned-over-time” trimming tool, this Diamond Core Trimming Tool stays sharp & still does a great job… but I think I might need to replace the blade soon!!!

A quiet start to the day. Simple clouds with a slight breeze. A beautiful day beginning, with rain predicted for later in the day… get out to enjoy the day while you can!

A little stamping… a little trimming… and a few accents of colored flashing slips! One step closer… so far, so good. Looking forward to the “Big Reveal” at ART IN THE GARDEN in mid-September! Mark your calendars for September 9th & 10th in Glenview, Illinois.

Okay, so there “might have been” a bit of streaming & binging this weekend! One of my beginning students recommended “THE TRAITORS” featuring some of my favorite reality TV celebrities! I mean, if you loved Kate Chastain before… you’re going to REALLY love her after her turn on “The Traitors”! Picture a reality game show… part Big Brother living together, part Amazing Race challenges, part Survivor voting people out and part the game CLUE with the whodunit twist. It’s a little “shmarmy” in the best way possible… and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. So much so… that I actually binged the US version… and then the Australian version… and then the UK version!!! So much fun… and I’m already looking forward to when the release Season Two!!!

“The Traitors Australia”…

“The Traitors UK”…

Bright & colorful asiatic lilies… a cheery addition to the garden blooming this morning!