On a road to nowhere. Someone visiting my booth during the Northern Illinois Pottery Tour mentioned how “important it is to get out of your zip code every once in awhile.” She was talking about her drive all the way out to Sandwich… but I took it to heart today. A beautiful day with some beautiful clouds. Perfect for exploring & playing out in nature… away from my own zip code!!!

Sure, it might just be a weed… but doesn’t it count more if it’s a “pretty” weed? I’m really digging these purple thistle flowers… and the pointed “crown” around the bottom of the flowers!

More “seasonal confusion” as another Easter Cactus just started blooming at home!
Fun little explosions of white petals in a stamped & soda-fired flowerpot.

A new pop of color in my garden this morning… and luckily, orange is my favorite color!!!

Looks like it’s Catalpa Tree blooming time! Maybe a little bit past their prime?… or just “beat-up” a little from the storms? Either way, it’s always fun to see these huge trees flowering… and then in a few days when the flowers fall off the trees and everything gets scattered with these orchid-like flowers.

But then those flowers start to decay… so enjoy the pretty now!!!

Last night in my Intermediate Wheelthrowing class, we celebrated our last class of session with a fun trading game. The category was a handmade orchid pot with a live orchid in it. Beautiful pots & beautiful flowers… thanks to those of you who participated… Christine, Darcy, Claire & Tessa!

My entry in the game was this last one… purple glazed with a purple orchid. It worked out well for me… as it was also a class demo on “carving” a few weeks earlier for my Surface Decoration class!

Day One of “Hinsdale” done… and fairly drippy! We had pretty steady rain all day… and just hoping to have a better & drier day tomorrow! If you stop by, everything should be freshly washed!!! Nice & clean for Day Two of the Hinsdale Fine Arts Show tomorrow from 10am-4pm.

Just enjoying a little FLORAL FRIDAY with a fun arrangement in a stamped & soda-fired oval vase. I do get a lot of questions at art fairs as to what you can use an “oval” vase for?! My answer is “pretty much anything!” But I do enjoy how an oval vase makes the flowers spread out a bit more from side-to-side so you can see them better… instead of all squished together as some taller round vases do!

A single yellow rose sitting beautifully on a stamped & soda-fired ikebana vase.

I’ve been nurturing this little peony bush for a couple years starting with a little sapling in my garden. So excited that this year it FINALLY bloomed!!! Okay, so it’s only two blooms… but I’ll take it. And hope for more next year!!!