LILLSTREET THROWDOWN : Challenge #4…
Handbuild a perfect egg… hollow while using 1.75 pounds of clay in 10 minutes!!! Ellen versus Ruth… pinch pots but with two different approaches. One went equal half & half, while the other went fat end, skinny end!!!

LILLSTREET THROWDOWN : Challenge #3…
Pull the longest handle without breaking… for 10 minutes! Shannon versus Joanna…
and who woulda’ thought it would be such a shoulder workout...well, me…
but obviously not Shannon who figured it out soon enough!!!

LILLSTREET THROWDOWN : Challenge #2…
Handbuild a 5″tall free-standing pyramid in just 10 minutes… it was Claire versus Taylor… and GO!!!

After everyone paired up, we started the THROWDOWN challenges… which is also when they found out their “pairs” were actually going to be competitors!!! One winner, one loser for each challenge on the wheel. Spin the “Wheel Of Challenges” and find out what’s in store for you & your competitor!

LILLSTREET THROWDOWN : Challenge #1…
Wheelthrow a dinner plate with the wheel going in the”wrong” direction!

Last week in THE GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class, I challenged my students
to spin the “Wheel Of Challenges.” And then hilarity ensued… as we let the games begin!!!

After about ninety minutes, my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN‘ers had accomplished their task. The challenge was to make a trio of candlesticks… and they did! Some were more traditional in style, while others were a bit more creative. So much fun to se them ALL tackle the challenge & win!!! Can’t wait to see them all again after they’re glazed, fired & hosting some flickering candles!!!

The challenge this week for my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN‘ers… to make a trio of candlesticks! And just to challenge them a bit more… at least one of their candlesticks had to be 8-inches or taller! With just about 90 minutes to accomplish their task, it was a bit frantic!!! But so great to watch how they all had different approaches & techniques. Some went with wheelthrowing, some went with handbuilding, some combined techniques, and some went with assembled parts & pieces!

Sadly, not every attempt was successful… thus the final photo!

This week in our GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class, the “homework” challenge was to make their matching dinner plates from last week’s class more decorative with only SLIP TRAILING as their chosen surface decoration technique. They had the option of going all matchy-matchy… or a design theme that works well together for a tight cohesive set! As some of them had never really done slip trailing before, I think they totally knocked it out of the park!!!

Last night was the kick-off of “season six” of the GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class! So exciting, as this is my favorite class to teach every year during the Winter session of classes. We started with each student throwing their own version of their “perfect” dinner plate… with some of them making their first plate EVER!!!

Once they finished the first plate, they were then challenged to make a second plate to MATCH!!! They had a great time followed by some good discussions & critiques.

And oh, but wait there’s more... their “homework” is to now decorate two plates to make their “matching” set solely with SLIP TRAILING!!! Again, a technique several of them have never tried before… more to come next week!

The snow yesterday may have made it a bit tougher, but there are still people searching for my 2024 fortune cookies! Remember, I’ve hidden 24 clay fortune cookies all over Illinois Beach State Park on New Years Day 2024. Since then, people have been searching them out & making some great collections! Like Allison who is one of the most enthusiastic fortune seekers!

But don’t panic, I do know that some people prefer the “catch & release” version… searching & finding the cookies, photographing, but then leaving them behind for someone else to find! So some of these posts may make it look like they’ve all been found… but I’m pretty sure there are still several out there waiting!