With storms all around, still trying to set up the booth, and trying not to pay
too much attention to the wind blowing the tent around… it was great to have a customer
stop by early to make a great purchase. She saw some photos of my newest pieces and she
knew she had to have them! She called me prior to the show to make sure they were going
to be there… and where I was going to be. I suggested she get there early as I only had a
limited number of creamer & sugar sets coming to Schaumburg… as well as an equally
limited number of the new Double Spice Pots!… name still pending…

Well, the show started at 10:00am…
and yet it was so great to kick-off the show at around 9:15am with a great sale.
It’s a great feeling to have “covered” you entry booth fee even before the show starts!!!

Special thanks to Karen for making it happen…
and for getting my first art fair of the Summer season of to a great start!!!

After last year’s literal “wash-out” flash flood at the Schaumburg Prairie Arts
Festival, I was concerned this morning when I got up to head out to the ‘burbs
and saw cloudy skies. As I got closer to Schaumburg, there were dark storm clouds
all over the place – and huge lighting flashes north of the expressway! Great…
another bad weather art fair weekend?! Not a great way to start the season, huh?

Well, as it turned out, the weather wasn’t as bad as it looked.
Apparently, the real storm passed north of Schaumburg. My parents drove though
blinding rain to get there. My sister in Palatine said they had huge hail storms.
Luckily, we just had dark clouds and wind… the clouds came close, but never quite
made it to the show. Thankfully.

Now I’m okay with dark clouds… I’m even okay with a little rain…
but I’m not so excited about wind. I just hate when the winds blow and the tent shakes.
I understand that my tent is pretty well staked down. It’s not going anywhere…
and if it does, we’ve much got bigger problems going on than just my booth!

As the day went on, the clouds blew out and the storms never materialized.
The sun came out and we ended up having a beautiful day in Schaumburg…
and a lot of great customers made it out to see us at the fair!

Tonight I loaded more pots into a cone 10 glaze kiln.
Marian, one of my studio neighbors, is firing a kiln of her work for the
upcoming 57th Street Art Fair. Lucky for me, she didn’t have enough work
to fill the kiln… so I was once again “Kiln Filler.” I glazed up some more bisqued
work to load in, as well as some of my normal kiln filler tiles & rattles.

Unfortunately, the kiln won’t be unloaded in time for the Schaumburg Art Fair
this weekend… but they will be ready & on their way to Hinsdale!

It’s just a few days before the Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival…
and surprisingly, I’m already packed up and ready to go… almost!
I still have a lot of “busy-work” to do before then… but the tough part is done!

We cleaned, organized, priced and packed up a lot of new pots fresh out of the kiln.
And with the Hinsdale Fine Arts Fair just two weeks after Schaumburg, there’s not
enough time in between to make a new batch of work, fire & glaze… so we packed
for both shows at the same time. Luckily, I made enough pots over the past few months
to give us a full inventory for both shows! So there will be a different assortment of pots
in Schaumburg than there will be in Hinsdale! Come to both shows to see everything!

Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival – May 26th & 27th, 2012
Hinsdale Fine Arts Fair – June 9th & 10th, 2012

But here’s the funny part… while we were packing the pots, my Mom got “caught”
by a piece of pottery! She was wearing a shirt that had a lace-up neckline and the laces
had a metal aglet at the end. Apparently, the piece of metal somehow got “wedged”
on between the flower pot and the connected water dish. She walked around for a
couple minutes trying to get un-hooked! Of course I had to laugh & take a picture
BEFORE I could help her get it undone!

I’m ready to kick-off the Summer Art Fair season starting this weekend!
It’s been a busy Spring in the studio over the past few months…
making lots of new pieces, glazing & firing to replenish the inventory with new pots!
Including some new pieces I’ve never made before! Click on Preview.

Schaumburg Prairie Fine Arts Festival
Saturday, May 26th, 2012 – 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday, May 27th, 2012 – 10:0am-5:00pm
Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center, 201 Schaumburg Court in Schaumburg, Illinois.

All of my pieces are already priced, packed and ready to go…
and with the Hinsdale Art Fair just two weeks later, I’ve already split the inventory
for the two shows. So each show will have a completely different assortment of work.
Come to both and see two different assortments! Now that’s a LOT of pots!!!

I hope to see you this weekend in Schaumburg… and bring a friend!
Or better yet, bring five friends! We’re all hoping the weather is better
han last year when we got flooded out of the park!

Remember, you can always follow what’s going on with quick updates on Facebook.
Click the link below to get to my Facebook pottery page – and then click the LIKE button.
www.facebook.com/firewhenreadypottery

With the summer art fair season closing in quickly, it’s always important to try
to introduce something new to the assortment. My “groupies” always ask the question…
“So what’s new this year?!”

Luckily, this year, I have a couple new things “fresh” out of the kiln… and ready to go!
With a limited quantity coming to my first two shows… Schaumburg & Hinsdale.
Okay, fresh out of my last soda kiln anyway… finally got around to posting the photos.

Creamer & Sugar Sets… slightly squared, fully stamped, completely functional.

And these… still looking for a clever name… any suggestions?!
They’re lidded jars with two separate sections in one pot.
Salt & Pepper pots?! Ketchup & Mustard? Who knows?… two of something?!

I must admit, they’re inspired by Julia Galloway and the workshop that I took with her
a few months ago. She makes a smaller version that she’s made (and I’ve loved) for years.
I thought it was worth a try… to use her inspiration, and give it a little twist of my own!

So we’ll see how these go over at the first two shows. Like I said, there’s limited quantities!
Especially as these were pretty much the “prototype” batch for each of them.

I’m a little over half way through stamping & labeling my show postcards…
and still have hundreds to go!  sheesh…

On an “up” note, ya’ gotta love the Hawaiian shirt postage stamps, huh???

I had a wonderful time up in Minnesota this weekend surrounded by thousands
of incredible pots… and the talented artists who made them! So much fun touring
the St. Croix River Valley area with old friends & making new ones…
and buying a few beautiful pots along the way!!!

Always excited to start my day off with waffles & peanut butter… again!
Plus a nice discussion with potter George Lowe, his wife, and then some potter
friends from Lillstreet. After a lot of “pottery-talk”, it was time to get going.
First up… back to Bob Briscoe’s studio.

Sundays are always slower, quieter and more relaxed on the Tour. Most of the
“real” shoppers & collectors come early on Friday. By the time Sunday rolls around,
there are a LOT fewer pots, and the artists are slowing down. It’s been a long weekend
for them too. Lucky for us, we had plenty of time to talk with Matt Metz, Suze Lindsay,
Kent McLaughlin and Bob Briscoe. After a couple hours, it was time to say our goodbyes
and move on to our last stop.

Back at Guillermo’s location, we stopped by to chat with Delores Fortuna & Roberta
Polfus. It was a lot quieter there too… so they had some time to sit and talk with us.
While we were sitting chatting, Clary Illian stopped by to join our conversation.
Nice to talk to a ceramic “legend”… but all too soon it was time to get back on the road
for the long drive home.

All in all, another successful Pottery Tour. So much fun to be surrounded by so much
fine ceramic work. And have access to so many talented potters so you can chat and
get to know them. It’s also encouraging to see so many people coming out for the Tour
to encourage & support the arts. And to buy some pots!!!

So, mark your calendars for next year’s St. Croix RIver Valley Pottery Tour.
It’s always the Friday, Saturday & Sunday of Mother’s Day Weekend.
Luckily, my Mom understands and we celebrate a week early so I can go to the Tour!

Today we got up early for breakfast in the hotel…
Belgian waffles with peanut butter & syrup!!!

Our first stop was down in Minneapolis. Amy needed to buy her
“year’s supply” of clay… and I needed some new clues that I really don’t “need.”
After packing up the car, we went over to the Northern Clay Center. We looked
through the gallery which is full of beautiful pots. Some of them actually from the
potters who are on the Tour. While looking in the gallery, Emily Murphy stopped by
for a visit and lunch. So great to get caught up with her… and some great Thai food!

While wandering through the studio spaces at Northern Clay, we ran across pots
by Kip O’Krongly. Remember back to “the tumbler that got away” blog post?!
Click HERE for a reminder recap. Anyway… she makes these really great terra cotta
pieces with imagery of farm equipment, wind turbines and bicycles!!! Yes, bikes!!!
Without question, I needed them. Last year I was hoping to get bike tumblers…
but this year she had bike plates!!! So I go two. Plus, she’s adorable to boot!!!

Then it was back to the Tour. We stopped by a few of the Tour Studios, as well as
a side trip to see The Rogue Potters. They’re not “officially” part of the Tour, but they
have set up their signs on the road and filled a house with pots. They’ve been there
for a couple years, right off Route 95. It’s a collective of ceramic artists all making
beautiful pots that are quite affordable! Including my new plate…

Then it was back to Richard Vincent’s place for more… more pots, more chatting
with the potters. Then back to Will Swanson’s place for more. It’s always amazing
to see how the quantity of pots has decreased so drastically by the end of Day Two.
Many of the shelves were empty, or even taken down in some cases. Shop early!!!

Then it was almost 6:00pm… so our Tour Day Two had come to an end!