And then THIS happened… TIMBER!!!

As my collection of trees were sitting on the table, one of them started to slump down… one crack… then two… three… more!!! All of a sudden it started to tip over… and then it all slumped down!!! I’m pretty sure it was just way too wet. Freshly thrown clay, kinda thin walls, and far too much slip slathered on the surface… all adding up to wet, goopey & slumping down!!! I think this would definitely work better if I did it on a slightly firmer “pre-thrown tree” and not an instant demo piece!

Last week in my Advanced Wheelthrowing class, they decided that we should tackle Christmas Trees!!!… a little fun with Christmas in July!!! So we threw the trees on the wheel and then tried a few different surface decoration ideas on them… including a few with some thick white slip, and one with rhythmic chattering through white-over-green slip!

It was fun trying different techniques…
including these last four made by Darcy in class!

For some reason, a couple of the folks in my Advanced Wheelthrowng class are all about making holiday pieces in class?!… and you know I’m always up for a challenge. They want to get a head-start on them so that they’re ready for the holidays to come… instead of rushing last-minute & waiting for kiln firings at the end. So last week in class we tackled wheelthrown pumpkins… next up?… CHRISTMAS TREES!!!

After more than a year of pandemic shutdowns, face masks, hand sanitizers & eventually vaccines… it feels extra special this year to be celebrating the FOURTH OF JULY with friends again. To have a celebration of something good… and not the doom & gloom of the pandemic over-shadowing everything. It feels like this Independence Day might be offering a new sort of “freedom” this year… and I’m thankful that the vaccinations have been making a difference… and making it possible for us to see friends again… including their mouths & noses!!!

Since I don’t drink coffee or tea, I need to find other uses for my mugs! Like celebrating another Mugshot Monday at the same time as today’s national holiday… it’s NATIONAL CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM DAY!!!

And if I’m going to go for it… I’m going all the way with my favorite “Phish Food” from Ben & Jerry’s with caramel sauce, marshmallow goo & chocolate fish swirled inside!!! Gotta celebrate the holiday in style… burp!

Celebrated MEMORIAL DAY with a bike ride up to Fort Sheridan National Cemetery. Such a striking reminder of those who gave everything for their country so we could live free. The rows & rows of matching headstones are always so somber at a national cemetery for the fallen military members.

You know how I love to celebrate a good holiday… especially when it’s NATIONAL APPLE PIE DAY! I mean, it would be “rude” to not participate, right? Even if it’s just with a mini-pie?… although I kinda wish I had three of these?!

Looks like Pam’s mom is having a great Mother’s Day… complete with her new ikebana flower vase that Pam picked up this weekend at the PLANT & POTTERY SALE! It was great to see my pal Pammy down in Peoria… but c’mon, how cute is her Mom???

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all the great Moms in the world…
to those still with us, and to those who are not.
Take time. Share stories. Make memories. Life is short.

Celebrating EARTH DAY with these little troopers surviving the recent blast of cold weather and popping up in my garden today to greet the sunshine! Fun fern fiddleheads unfurling in the sun… say THAT ten times fast!!!