This little graffiti guy made me smile this afternoon!

So I just got an email from Jacob… friend & former pottery student… who was published in the New York Times yesterday!!! Who knew that my little “pottery games” would inspire such wordplay in the Times?!!!

From Jacob…
“I’ve been writing crosswords as a hobby and just had one of my puzzles published
in the New York Times! Better yet, I was able to include a clue based one of your
challenge class challenges (see the highlighted clue in the snippet below.)
TULIPIERES just went mainstream! Just thought I’d share
as I thought you’d get a kick out of it.”

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SPOLIER ALERT !!!

Don’t go any further if you don’t want to see the answers!!!

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The final “Big Build Project” for the GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN was to build a clock! Yes, remember when they chose different classic cartoons to base their clocks on??? Well, it’s been several weeks and they’ve all been working hard. Some made to the finish line and showed up with a complete glazed piece. Others didn’t quite pace themselves well enough and only had a bisqued clock. Either way… they were BRILLIANT!!!

Now I will admit that I know absolutely NOTHING about Pokemon… but we were all blown away by Autum’s Pokemon Clock!!! It was amazingly crafted on the outside. And then I was BLOWN AWAY when she opened it up to reveal another character inside… and figured out away for the lid to stand up on its own base!!! Needless to say… Autum won “first place” in the big clock challenge!!! And now I know that Pokemon Balls can open up…. who knew?!

This week, during my GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class, my students started the class with some “sweet inspiration”… DOUGHNUTS!!!

Only after they had eaten their sweet treat did they find out it was also their inspiration for the night’s challenge! Yep… they were challenged to make the most realistic doughnuts possible…twice as large as normal! Always fun to see how they each tackle a project they’ve never done before!

Now that all of my students have their “assignment”… I can finally reveal what was in all those white envelopes last week… and the final “Big Build” project for my GREAT LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class! It’s about “time”!
So they each chose a white envelope which revealed a famous cartoon show. And then they found out what they had to do with it… “time” for the project info!

Turns out it’s “time” for them to build a working CLOCK!!!

And oh but wait there’s more… their clock has to be based on the cartoon that they chose. They can choose any elements from their cartoon… actual characters, logo, colors, vibe, style, environment, etc. … as long as it’s indicative of the cartoon!!! The goal is for them all to have this “Big Build” CLOCK done, glazed & working for their final critique in Week 10 of class! Not a “minute” to spare!

Just a little bling & sparkle for a Saturday afternoon! I told my friend Pam that I may have just found her sparkly new Christmas present… but I would need a few people to go in on it with me! HA!!! I mean, she does love her bling!!!

I’m not really a “fancy car guy”… but, this is a 1983 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur… covered with a MILLION Swarovski crystals! Each crystal set by hand by five full-time setters over a period of six months! To see this sparkly masterpiece in person, it is currently on display at Navy Pier’s LIGHT UP THE LAKE. A fun & sparkly holiday event inside Festival Hall complete with millions of lights, ice skating, food, drink & plenty of Instagram moments!

Okay, so maybe I was a young prodigy… just sayin’…

HAPPY FRIDAY…
this just made me smile when I saw this graffiti on the sidewalk!

This week in my Intermediate Wheelthrowing class, one of my students continued her “quest” for the perfect doughnut… oversized, wheelthrown & frosted with colored slip! Kelly made one last session and it turned into a vase with a bite out of it for the flower hole. Can’t wait to see where these go… although I keep telling her that I’ll take a full Baker’s Dozen please!!!

Today is the LAST official day of Summer!!!
The weather is AMAZING today… so get out there to enjoy it while you can. Sounds like Fall comes in tomorrow with the temperatures dropping about twenty degrees!!!