After spending an entire “Mud & Metal” day with Sarah yesterday at my place…
selling, chatting, schmoozing, replenishing, drinking grape soda and just plain hanging out…
we also celebrated Christmas with a little gift exchange. Merry Christmas to me!!!

I was excited when I opened my present from Sarah to find a new addition to my
“Chapman-wear Collection”! Another beautiful necklace made just for me! With a beautiful
orange stone that she had picked out just for me. And in typical Sarah Chapman style,
this one is also double-sided so I can wear it either way – silver or bronze!

I hope she liked her gift as much as I like mine?! A pair of stamped & soda-fired mugs
plus a special ornament I purchased during the One-Of-A-Kind Show. The ornament was
made by Brad & Sundie Ruppert of “Vintage Sculpture”. They make these really great
sculptures out of recycled materials – especially bottle caps! And after a little searching,
I found the perfect ornament to celebrate Christmas and our mutual “love & admiration”
for grape soda! And now we have matching ornaments too! Follow the connection?

A couple years ago, I purchased another wonderful piece of art from Brad & Sundie Ruppert.
It’s a wonderful piece made of wood, letter blocks, wire and bottle caps! And a wonderful
motto to live by. I love it… and it makes me smile every day! I was so excited to find them
again this year at One-Of-A-Kind… and to add a little more art to my Christmas tree…
and Sarah’s tree too! Merry Christmas to the both of us!

Well, I’ve been working all day trying to get everything back together for tomorrow’s
Holiday Home Show. It always surprises me how much time it takes to pull it all together.
The last home show was just weeks ago, and who knew that I would need to do so much work
getting ready to do it again? I guess that happens when you “live” in a pottery store!
Which is what my condo has felt like for the past month!

So everything is back together… and ready to go for tomorrow’s big sale!
Pottery in every room, bargains on the porch, snacks in the kitchen – great gifts for everyone!

Mud & Metal : A Holiday Collaboration
Saturday, December 11th from 10:00am-6:00pm
With metalsmith Sarah C. Chapman and knitter-crocheter Nancy Jana Kent.

If you need my home address to make it to the sale tomorrow, shoot me a quick e-mail
or call my cell phone for directions & details – (773) 307-8664.

So my place is all set, decked out and replenished for tomorrow’s show! I’ve made room
for Sarah & Nancy to display their pieces as well – including their own “shlepping” discounts!
I’ve even re-purposed some calla lilies & kangaroo paw for fresh floral color in the kitchen!

Okay… so I did “take a break” from setting up today to run up to Stirling Hall in Lake Forest
to see my friend Katie Biderbost who runs the art center up there. Tonight was the kick-off
night for their weekend holiday sale. Lots of fine pottery, paintings & jewelry! Sadly…
no discounted “Tired Of Shlepping Sale.” So here’s my suggestion… come to my place FIRST
and then go up to Stirling Hall, say hello to Katie when you get there and buy more art!

This coming Saturday is my second Holiday Home Show – this time it’s “Mud & Metal.”
A holiday collaboration with a couple of my talented friends. Metalsmith Sarah C. Chapman
and knitting & crocheting Nancy Jana-Kent. Both of them will be joining me at my place
this Saturday from 10:00-6:00pm. Luckily, I have tomorrow to finish replenishing the
shelves, gathering up some more “Tired of Shlepping” pieces to markdown, and make some
room for the guest artists to show their stuff too! Beautiful stuff like this…

Another Holiday Home Show this Saturday with just two weeks left to shop for the
holidays! The shelves are stocked full, replenished since the last holiday home show…
plus, this time there are two guest artists!

Stop by for a wonderful day of holiday shopping with handmade objects of both mud & metal.
With pottery in every room of my condo, there’s sure to be a lot of great gifts for everyone
on your holiday shopping list… including yourself! Mugs, vases, bowls, oil lamps, berry bowls,
soap dispensers, garlic keepers, salt & pepper shakers and more – all food-safe,
dishwasher-safe & microwave-safe! Plus decorative items like tiled ClayQuilts,
ceramic masks & holiday ornaments!

Saturday, December 11th : 10:00am-6:00pm
Stop by early for the best selection, or come later to do a little shopping or simply hang out
on my couch. Either way, we’d love to see you this Saturday! As always, hot apple cider and
yummy snacks in the kitchen! Back by popular demand, my Mom will be bringing
her special “cereal cookies”!!! Reason enough to come over this Saturday!

Special Guest Artist : Sarah C. Chapman … she’s the “Metal” part… get it?!
Sarah will be joining me for the day with her incredible jewelry. Architecturally inspired metal
work with great design, textures & patterns. From smaller pieces to wear everyday to larger
“showy” pieces sure to impress your friends, all of Sarah’s work is handmade and easy
to wear. I have quite a collection! Check out Sarah’s work – www.chapmanmetals.com

Special Guest Artist : Nancy Jana-Kent
Many of you have met Nancy over the years as “my biking friend” or the “home show cashier,”
but Nancy is also a talented knitter-crocheter – and she’ll be bringing some of her fiber work
on Saturday! Hats, scarves, lavender sachets and more! Perfect holiday gifts as the
temperatures continue to drop!

Special Offer : The Tired Of Shlepping Sale
All three artists will be offering up a selection of great pieces at incredibly low discount prices!
The back porch has been replenished with new pottery pieces marked down to move. I’ve just
scoured the storage room to collect even more pieces that I’m “tired of shlepping” from art fair
to art fair! Some class demos, some older “vintage” work, some the last of a production line…
a few seconds, a few novelties, a few summer camp projects… all good to go!

Plus : New this weekend… I will be selling off some of my own personal collection
of pottery in the Tired of Shlepping Sale! Perfectly good pieces by some different artists
that have just been “squeezed out” as my personal pottery collection continues to grow
and my tastes continues to evolve. Some names you may recognize, some you may not…
but they’re all great pieces! And will make a great addition to someone else’s collection!

Hope to see you this Saturday at the Holiday Home Show!
If you would like more details or my home address, please send me a quick e-mail.
Remember : Saturday from 10:00am-6:00pm

Or, if you can’t make it on Saturday, become s Fan on Facebook – and get quick
updates on the fly! Nothing too fancy, just some photos & anecdotes about what’s
going on in my creative world. Just find me and then click the “Like” button…
www.facebook.com/firewhenreadypottery

After traveling the show, and taking in the over 600 artist booths, glazed over & dazed,
but still in the holiday shopping mood… I decided to go back to visit my new “favorite”
ceramic artist in the show. None of the pottery really took my breath away… except for
the crystalline glazes of Anne Gary. But I’ve seen her work before at Art In The Barn.

But there was one new ceramic artist there who was doing great things with clay!
Combining more traditional woodcut print block techniques with clay to create some
wonderful imagery & sculptural works. Indiana artist Zach Medler takes his own whimsical
views & drawing styles to create individual pieces, as well as larger installation pieces.
He has a great story, passion for his work and obviously enjoys what he does! And so do I.
I especially loved his textures, patterns, colors, surface and whimsical quality!

I love meeting new artists and supporting them if I can. So there I was, chatting it up
with Zach and trying to figure out what I was going to buy. And I was enamored by his series
of buildings that were along the top of his display. I was torn between the holiday decorated
houses… or go for the year-round, non-decorated buildings. Then he started telling me the
story of his grandmother, how she collected holiday houses, how he now lives in his
Grandmothers house… and look here, THIS house is his Grandmother’s house!!! Sold.

So the decision to go holiday houses was done. And I knew I had to get the one that
represented his Grandmother’s decorated holiday home. But one wasn’t enough.
You know groups of three always look better. You can’t have a collection of just one piece.
So I was going to get three. But which ones? Looking. Comparing. Lining up. Rearranging.
Analyzing. But somehow I couldn’t make three work out. Something always looked off.
But if I bumped it up to five… somehow it all fell into place. So there it was.
My new collection of FIVE HOLIDAY HOUSES!!!

Like I said, the first one coming home with me was Zach’s Grandmother’s house…

After a long weekend at the “One-Of-A-Kind Show”… it was refreshing to have made a new
clay friend named Zach Medler. And great to have added a new “collection” to my already
overflowing home. Some of you have seen my home and my many collections.
I really didn’t need to start another one. But I do have a great fireplace mantle…
and it needed some great ceramic holiday houses by a great ceramic artist, right?!

So today I went to the “One Of A Kind Show” down at the Merchandise Mart
to shop with my friend Nancy… and to help my friend Sarah Chapman who is
exhibiting her incredible jewelry!!! So after checking out Sarah’s latest pieces and
catching up on the latest stories… Nancy & I head off to do a little shopping. With over
600 artists exhibiting, there is a LOT to see. So much of it is incredible!!! However…
there is always a handful of things that aren’t. We like to employ the secret code-word
“lovely” for those things we need to talk about “politely” while the artist is within
ear-shot. But all of my friends know what the secret code-word really means!

So, as we were shopping we saw many beautiful works of art. Many things I would like
to take home with me. But as a self-employed artist – I must show restraint. Until…

You know when you walk past an artist’s booth and it kind of takes your breath away?
When you see something that really connects with you on several levels? When you meet
the artist and they are the nicest, most sincere, bubbly & creative person which somehow
makes the artwork all that much better?! Well… there it was in Booth #7084.

So…
You know how I love rusty metal.
You know how I love “conglomerations” of things that create other things.
You know how I love recycling objects into new works of art.
Well… so does Tammy Roy of Stratford, Wisconsin at 180-Degrees Design!!!
And look what I got…

It’s a large bowl made out of metal tools and other fun stuff! Okay, so it’s not rusty… yet.
But it will be. Tammy told me a couple different options to speed along the rusting process!
I’m not quite sure where it’s going to go yet – but that doesn’t matter. I firmly believe that
if you see a piece of art you love, you should always buy it and find a place for it later.
And I’m still trying to convince my parents of that too…

Tonight is the Lillstreet Holiday Open House Party from 6:00-10:00pm
to kick-off the holiday shopping season. The studios are all decked out and
stocked up for the eager shoppers! Including mine…

The group of artists who share the spaces in Studio 205 West at Lillstreet Art Center
will be open for holiday shopping every weekend through Christmas! So stop by for our
scheduled hours, or throughout the week if one of the artists happens to be around working.
Saturdays 10:00am-6:00pm and Sundays 10:00am-5:00pm.
Even if I’m not in the studio, any of the other studio artists can help you with your transaction.

You know, I’ve often said…  “I love having talented friends.”

And this weekend is a HUGE art weekend all over Chicago.
Lillstreet Holiday Opening, Cornelia Arts Holiday Show, local bazaars and more!
With the biggest one being the “One Of A Kind Show” at the Merchandise Mart.
I won’t be exhibiting at “One Of A Kind”… but I will be going to help & support my friends!!!

Sarah Chapman – my favorite metalsmith…
I’ve known Sarah for several years and have quite the collection of her pieces!
I love her designs, her textures, her patterns, her mixed metals… I love it all.
Many of you may have met Sarah over the years as we are neighbors every summer
at the Evanston Lakeshore Art Fair. And she’s frequently my guest artist at my second
Holiday Home Show… which coincidentally is Saturday, December 11th with Sarah!
I’ll be helping Sarah throughout the weekend as it is a really long show with long hours!

Rebecca Zemans – fine silver jewelry
Rebecca is a studio member at Lillstreet as well – and she always makes me smile.
Her energy is contagious. Her smile infectious. Her metal work incredible. I even got to
“play with her” two summers ago when we were booth neighbors at the Hinsdale Art Fair.

Brad Pogatetz – fine art photography
Again – incredible photography of rust, organics, contrasts, forgotten industrial spaces…
and did I mention rust?! I met Brad a couple years ago at the Barrington Art Fair and have
been coveting his photography ever since! Especially this picture…

Melissa Banks – Rapt In Maille – chain maille jewelry
Okay… I have quite the wide collection of Melissa’s work as well. Nothing better than
geometric repetition and metal linked together than feels incredible?! Like fabric!
Many times she has been more than willing to “custom fit” a bracelet for me right there
on the spot! My Mom even has a pair of Melissa’s earrings that she wears ALL the time!

Karla Wheeler – jeweler
New kid on the block… so to speak, but making quite a name for herself on Etsy!
In fact, Karla will be part of the Etsy group of artists at “One Of A Kind.” Apparently,
one of her most popular pieces is this “binary code” bracelet cuff. For the techno geeks
out there I guess?! Her other pieces are great too… like the same cuff with pi written
out to the gazillionth digit, or something like that?! She makes “regular” jewelry too!!!
And her Mom share the same birthday with me too! Go figure…

Rebeca Mojica – Blue Buddha Boutique – chain maille
Another chain maille artist – but this one I’ve actually taken chain maille classes from!
Geomtric repetition, turning a lot of something into one really cool new thing! Love it.

So with this many incredible artists at the “One Of A Kind Show” you really should
stop by and do some holiday shopping for yourself!!!… and others too?!
If you do stop by… make sure you say hi for me too!

“One Of A Kind” Chicago… this weekend at the Merchandise Mart
Thursday, December 2nd – 12:00pm-9:00pm
Friday, December 3rd – 11:00am-9:00pm
Saturday, December 4th -10:00am-7:00pm
Sunday, December 5th – 10:00am-5:00pm

Such a simple thought. But such an important message.
My friend & potter Amy Higgason of Pigeon Road Pottery made this quick poster
as a subtle reminder which is so important this holiday season. And I found it somewhat ironic
that it came out just as I was completing another successful Holiday Home Show.

Thanks to Amy – and her talented friends top to bottom & left to right…
Roberta Polfus, Emily Murphy, Gary “me” Jackson, Kathy Furda, Katlyn Koestler,
Amy Higgason, Wendy Powalisz and Debra Ketchum Jircik.

And special thanks to Amy for including my handmade holiday ornaments!
They were big sellers this weekend… only a few left!

Technical difficulties resolved… and now retroactively catching up!

My friend & fellow Lillstreet Summer Camp teacher Karen Mansfield is currently hiking
the entire Appalachian Trail all by herself.  It’s the adventure of a lifetime and I’m sure
she must be having a blast! And I’m quite envious of her adventure… some day…

Today I received a postcard from Karen and thought I’d share. She started hiking the AT
way back in June when she set off from Maine headed south. At the time of this postcard
she was close to the border of Connecticut & New York. Karen is a big naturalist, bird watcher
and artist – all of which are coming together in this journey. I can’t wait for her to get back
and hear her stories, see her journal and share her experiences when she gets back.
Especially if this postcard is a hint of what she’s been up to…

Karen is still hiking and moving her way further south. She is occasionally posting to a blog
with the help of her daughter Madeline. If you want to read any of her stories, check out:
http://birdyat.livejournal.com/