Here’s a shot of my latest orchid to be re-blooming. People always ask what the secret is to get them to re-bloom… and my answer is almost always “neglect.” But then again… I also think it needs to be happy in a handmade stamped & soda-fired flower pot. Just sayin’… I mean, they asked.

… but worth it.

Here’s my latest batch of hybrid mugs… with groovy cool patterns & textures made with some of my newest MKM Pottery Tools handrollers. Now they just need some flashing slip while they’re still leatherhard. Then it’s off to drying, bisque firing, glazing, wadding & soda-firing. Still a long ways to go before these are ready to go!!! Lots of steps… not just in the making, but also in the finishing.

Always a bright spot in Spring gardens all over the City.

Time to mark your calendars for the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR. I will once again be one of the Guest Artists at the Sandwich location… home of My Talented Friend Cory McCrory. Last week was the Sandwich stop’s “Feature Week” on Instagram… and here are my feature photos! It’s going to be a great weekend with pottery at several stops along The Tour. Check the dates Saturday, June 7th & Sunday, June 8th… not that far away!!!

For more information… www.northernilpotterytour.com

With a string of cooler days, it’s so nice that some of the magnolia flowers in my neighborhood have been hanging around a little longer than normal. Such delicate flowers… all it takes is a strong breeze & these could all start falling down!!!

A sweet Sunday sunrise. A little chilly, but a promising sunrise to start the day.
Looking forward to another beautiful Spring day.

Yesterday I had a great visit with a pottery hobbyist from Lawrence, Kansas who follows me on Facebook… and my blog! Marsi and her partner David were in Chicago for the first time… and I was towards the top of their “must see” list. We had a great visit & tour of Lillsteet. We shared stories, anecdotes & pottery encouragement… and then she shared these sweet little pots with me! Inspired by my stamping techniques she has seen online. Always fun to meet some of your social media “friends” in person! Thanks for making the trip Marsi… hope you had fun too!

With the recent passing of The Pope, there has been a lot of news about the pomp & circumstance of what follows. On a pre-scheduled flight to Rome, my friend Trish had an opportunity to travel to The Vatican for the official viewing ceremonies. Surprisingly enough, Trish & her fellow flight attendant friend got caught-up with the News Crew to share their thoughts & impressions of it all!!!

FYI… Trish is on the left!

This week in my SURFACE DECORATION class, we tackled underglaze transfers. I’m not a huge fan of the pre-made & purchased versions… so we “doodled” & made our own! Black underglaze outlines on paper… then filled in with colorful underglazes. Once they dried, we applied them to our leatherhard pieces just like a temporary tattoo! Wet with a sponge & press gently with a soft rib. Peel way the paper gently & the image had transferred to our pots. We had a lot of fun… and saw that there’s a bit of a learning-curve here. Kudos to those potters on Instagram that do this technique so flawlessly… we all have new-found respect!!!