You know how my students “love” a good challenge… so my Intermediate Wheel class once again asked for a “fun” challenge project to work on throughout last session. I decided to challenge them with “Stacking Mugs.” A set of four or more matching mugs that stack well… and have some sort of design that ties them all together when stacked, but still look cool individually. I think they all stacked up quite nicely!

One of my Beginning Wheel students had a glaze run & some kiln wash on the bottom of her bowl. She was trying her best to get it off… and then I offered up my DiamondCore Grinding Bat for Carly to borrow. We put it on her wheel, wet the pot & the bat… and then spun really fast & pressed the bowl down!!! Voila’… smooth & clean! One of the best tools ever… thank you DiamondCore!!!

Sure, the Winter class session may have ended… but this face will stick with me for awhile!!! Shannon made her first clay doughnut in class… almost real enough to eat!!!

I’ve always said that I have the BEST pottery students ever! So glad that my Throwdown Challengers had a great time playing my silly games & crazy contests! I know I had a blast “playing” with this great group. Thank You all for making my job so much fun… and for the “sweetest” THANK YOU ever!!!

At the end of our GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class, my students had “suffered” through so many challenges, competitions & games… and they finally threw it back at ME!!! Yes, there was one final challenge all for ME!!! Complete with my own “white envelope” with instructions inside…

Of course I said YES!!! You know how much I love a good challenge!!!

So I had to quickly set-up my wheel, get some tools, put some water in my bucket & wedge up a ball of clay. Then is was time to put the blindfold on… and tackle the “hump” of clay! Ten mini pots… that somehow had to be decorated & match… and along the way somehow they also had to get handles?!!!

Giddy-up!!!

Okay, so mini pots thrown… time to switch over to handles!
Decided the quickest route would be rolled coils stuck on!

Okay, so maybe not my finest work, but…
Once the cups were done, I got another white envelope… with another challenge & more instructions!

Finding it tough to assemble my teapot parts & pieces as everything is completely squishy… no need for slip apparently!!!

And there is was… the FINAL challenge of Season Five of our GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN!!! So much fun for me… and I think my students had a great time too. We had a great group this season! Thanks to everyone for playing along with my crazy games!!!

Never one to back down from a challenge… I kinda felt obligated to make a clock for my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN as well. Sure, I coulda’ done a cartoon… but I felt this was more my style! The twist was that I used my student’s stamps that they made during a previous THROWDOWN challenge!!! They had no idea that I snuck them out of the bisque kiln & used them on my clock before I distributed them during the next class!!! So much fun to show it off during our final class! Fun clay clocks for everyone!!!

Huge congrats to Claire for her big win last night during the conclusion of our GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class! We all had an amazing time… made some fantastic pieces… and played some crazy games!!! A huge Thank You to all my students who made Season Five a huge success!!!

Last night was the final night of the GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN! After ten weeks of clay projects, challenges, contests & games… we finally had a WINNER!!! And there “might” have been a golden trophy to celebrate the big victory!!! Allegedly….

As part of the GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN, my students we encouraged to finish their projects from Week Two for judging at Week 9… this past Thursday. Remember back when they had to throw a large serving bowl, pass it to another to match, and then pass it back to finish it up… and make coordinating serving utensils to go with it. Well here are the Top Three… congratulations Ashley, Katie & Aaron!

Okay, so this may have been my favorite pot from the entire LILLSTREET SODA-FIRING WORKSHOP… because it comes with a great story!

So back in 2017, Carmina was in my beginning wheelthrowing class. But for one of our classes we focused on handbuilding. San Francisco potter Kate Chenok had contacted me as one of my Facebook Fans saying that she was coming to Chicago and asked if she could stop by for a visit… and I said yes, of course… but then I encouraged her to do a class demo while she was here. She was so gracious and did an AMAZING demo for my class. She brought her templates and showed my class how to make these cute textured-slab-darted cups. So the story is… that Carmina made this cup back in 2017… and has been wondering how to glaze it ever since?! Until this workshop…so SIX YEARS LATER it is finally done!!!

Good save Carmina… I’m glad you waited.

To see more about Kate’s visit and the demos she did for my class… click here… http://firewhenreadypottery.com/2017/06/class-demo-by-a-visiting-artist-kate-chenok/

And then be sure to click here to see more of Kate Chenok’s work… https://www.glazedoverceramicsorinda.com/