The final “Big Build” for this year’s GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN was a functioning tabletop water fountain. My students received this challenge early on in the session so they had several weeks to get them all put together. They each also received a mechanical pump… and a single “word” to inform & inspire the designs for their fountain. All in all, they did an AMAZING job… some with a bit of a sputtering trickle, or an overflowing splatter of water… but I think that’s more the pumps fault than their fountains! It was an AMAZING finale for our Throwdown’ers!!!

RUTH : “labyrinth”

KATIE : “art deco”

ELLEN: “groovy”

EMILY : “zen”

TAYLOR : “floral”

SHANNON : “puzzle”

And since I had tasked my THROWDOWN’ers to make a trio of candlesticks… and knowing that we would see them all again during our final potluck… I knew I wanted to make a set for myself!!! So I did… and then I soda-fired them too!!!

Okay, so “maybe” I made four… just as a back-up in case the soda kiln gods didn’t look favorable upon all of them?! Luckily, all four came out quite nice!!! If I do say so myself…

As we were racing towards the “big finale” of our LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class, we celebrated with quite possibly the “classiest candlelit” potluck ever seen at Lillstreet! Earlier in the session,k my students were tasked with making a trio of candlesticks in class. So it was great fun & very dramatic to have them all return for our final class!!! All lit up & providing a wonderful ambiance for our class potluck.

Plenty of clouds this morning for a beautiful sunrise pedaling along the lake. A bit on the chilly side with a brisk breeze blowing the clouds through the City. A nice way to kick-off a little St. Patrick’s Day morning!

Another great holiday… March 14th… 3/14… 3.14… it’s NATIONAL PI DAY!!!
And you know how I love to celebrate the holidays… even though I’ve never been good at math!!!

After binge-streaming season one of THE TRAITORS… all three versions American, British & Australian in one weekend …it was great fun watching THE TRAITORS Season Two of the US version with a great twisted ending!

So imagine my surprise & excitement last night when I found out the Season Two of the UK version is now available here for streaming!!! I’m in… and already a couple episodes in!!! I just can’t get enough… my newest TV addiction!!!

I mean… who doesn’t want chocolate cookies with colorful FROSTING?!!!
Especially from our pals at OREO who have pulled out all the stops & all the food coloring!!!
Although I will say… we all kinda missed the special Space Dunk Pop-Rocks in pottery class!!!

While sharing my textured hand rollers from MKM Pottery Tools in class, one of my Intermediate students tried to make her own version of my “hybrid mugs.” Darcy has been getting some great results by wheelthrowing a cylinder, then rolling a textured pattern on the sides & then cleaning up the rim again on the wheel. Always good to a student take your “inspiration” and then find a way to twist it & make it their own!

While we seem to be having an “early” Spring in Chicago with bulbs popping up & trees starting to bud… I have some fun Spring hyacinths already blooming in my kitchen. Such a wonderful scent from these bulbs that I “forced” about a month ago on my kitchen windowsill.

Quiet skies with wispy clouds flying low. Nothing to dramatic this morning…
until the sun finally made it’s appearance drifting up through the layered clouds!