In my Intermediate Wheelthrowing class we had a CRAZY NIGHT OF OREO’s!!! It started with a collection of Chinese OREO’s…. brought in by Catherine! As with most non-American OREOs, they were a bit drier, chalkier(?) & not quite as sweet. So we had some kind of plain yogurt OREOs, mango cream OREOs, cherry blossom OREOs & peach with oolong tea OREO’s.

Let’s not get crazy… we also had American Mint OREO’s to wash them all down!!!

Same dahlia in my garden… the first bloom finally opening!
Can’t wait to see it in full bloom in a couple days!!!

This may look like a pile of garbage to some… but for my Summer Campers this week it is a pile of POTENTIAL!!! Another week of my “large sculptures camp” and the kids started today to work their “sculptural magic” with these empty boxes! More to come…

Another quiet morning along the lake… quiet ripples. quiet reflections!
Another beautiful start to another beautiful summer day.

After they knocked out the lidded jar project, I knew they would be up for an even bigger & better challenge! So I pulled out the blindfolds (and towels?) and I challenged Summer Campers last week to wheelthrowing while blindfolded. I think they were a little anxious at first, but quickly realized it’s not as hard as it sounded. As long as you take it step-by-step, you realize that you can throw just my touch & muscle-memory. And they all did a GREAT job… and had so much fun that they asked if they could do it AGAIN!!!

Of course I said YES!!!

Last week at Summer Camp I had a group of teenagers. All of them had wheelthrown at last once before… so I knew it was going to be a fun week. They re-learned & practiced throwing on Monday & Tuesday, trimmed & decorated on Wednesday. But it was Thursday when I challenged them to making lidded jars! Yep, full-on lidded jars… complete with caliper-measured lids AND throwing off-the-hump. And they totally rocked it out!!!

Happy High School Graduation Taylor!!! And best of luck as you head off to college! So excited to see where you go from here. Have a great time at the University of Missouri… Go Tigers!!!… and best of luck to our very own Little Miss Mizzou!!!

Yesterday afternoon was a party to celebrate my niece Taylor before she heads-off to the University of Missouri for a degree in Special Education!!! It’s hard to believe that she’s all grown-up & ready for college… in my head she’s still about six or seven?! Many of you have watched her grow-up at some of my art fairs. But in case you missed that… scroll through the photos to see her over the years. The cutest!!!

Her Dad printed all of these photos as large posters that lined the driveway as people entered the party! One for each year… so adorable!!!

Yesterday took my out to Elk Grove Village for a bike ride through Busse Woods. It was overcast, but clear, when I left the city. But by the time I drove out there it was already drizzling. I pondered it for awhile… but eventually decided to go for it. I mean, it’s just rain, right? And it turned out to be a beautiful ride through the woods. Fewer people & more wildlife…. elk, deer, great blue herons, egrets & more. So glad I decided to go for it. Pedal on…

Coming soon… the big opening “debut” of the first dahlia flower in my garden! Can’t wait to see what’s inside this beauty.