Not every mug has to be used for coffee! Sometimes a hybrid mug looks even better with a splash of brightly colored flowers!!! Perfect for another Mugshot Monday!

Well, here we go!!! Let the summer art fair season begin!!! Yes, this weekend will be the kick-off to my schedule. And several people have asked… so “YES the Schaumburg Prairie Arts Festival is still ON” even with all of the construction around the Municipal Center location. There is apparently a LOT of construction and the booth locations have been all re-arranged. I will be located on the far other side of the pond for the first time…. Booth #98. I’m sure there will be detours & signs… but I also know the artists will truly appreciate those who make the added effort to stop by & support the local artists this weekend.

As the clouds moved in… it was a rather windy & cold morning. Enough so that I even pulled out my heated gloves… thankfully!!! A beautiful sunrise before the clouds seemingly took over. My guess is cloudy gray for the rest of the day!

One of the special exhibits at Minnesota’s Weisman Art Museum last weekend was this great display of Korean woodworking. Such craftsmanship on these vintage chests. And fun to see them with my talented metalsmith friend Sarah Chapman who had an extra appreciation for the work & effort that went into making these amazing pieces!!!

Last weekend after the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour, I made a quick visit to the Weisman Art Museum with my friends Sarah & Jules. A very cool building designed by architect Frank Gehry… along with one of his glass fish sculptures inside! Also good to see a large ceramic piece by Jun Kaneko up-close. A fun museum stop before heading home… even if it was tough to get a photo of the building from the bridge! HA!!!

Spent the morning working in my front yard garden… tending to the weeds, taking out more of last year’s leaves, planting, transplanting & trying my best to make it beautiful. Also enjoying the white crabapple tree blooming at the condo just to the east of me. Simply beautiful… I might need to add one to my yard next year???

Just stamping another large dinner plate… all with one handmade clay stamp!

Some beautiful redbud flowers still hanging on after the storms, the wind & the hail over the past few days… plus yesterday’s crazy “dust storm”?!!! Excited as these are my favorite trees in the Spring… including the three in my front yard!

I couldn’t stop…
Becky Lloyd is like my “pottery kryptonite”!

I mean… look at the sgraffito detail on the crazy tiny pot!!! I just couldn’t resist!!! And that’s the last of my haul from the ST. CROIX VALLEY POTTERY TOUR. A wonderful weekend up north in Minnesota… and some amazing new pieces to add to my pottery collection!!!

Amazing craftsmanship!!! The smallest & most detailed sgraffito carvings I have ever seen! And another addition to my pottery collection… from sgraffito genius Becky Lloyd. White porcelain pottery covered with a black terra sigilatta… and then carved through to reveal some miniature masterpieces! Quite possibly my favorite “treasure” from the ST. CROIX VALLEY POTTERY TOUR.