Our second demo this week with my SURFACE DECORATION class, was done by “My Talented Friend” Kristen Holub of Kayho Ceramics. She did an AMAZING sgraffito-carving demo on one of my platters. Remember the one where I shaved-off the bad colored slip, and then added a new layer of ombre’ blended colored slip? Well here it is again!

Kristen started with my colored platter – but then turned it onto a work of art showing off her own carving style. Going step-by-step teaching my students how to go every step of the way. I brought down my collection of DiamondCore Tools for her to use… along with my students who eventually had their chance to play along. It was an amazing night… so much fun & such a great demo!!!

And we can’t forget how great the Decorating Disks are from MKM Pottery Tools for dividing your pots into perfectly spaced segments for “evenly spaced” carved designs!

Kristen started out as a metalsmith when we first become friends many years ago. Then she took time off to become a Mom, and is now embracing her creative side in CLAY!!! She started as pottery student of mine, but quickly developed her skills & her personal style. She has now branched off and has her own studio space & brand-identity online. Be sure to follow her on Instagram – @kayhoceramics.

My how I love having talented friends!!!

And while we’re enjoying some much needed sunshine today… I’m also enjoying another stained glass piece catching some sun today! It was my first piece from my friend Retta who makes cool stained glass pieces that include some unconventional parts & pieces. She had me at STOP… part of a vintage reflector!!!

Be sure to look her up on Facebook at “I Do Windows” by Retta Hentschel. Or plan on coming out to ART IN THE GARDEN in Glenview this September to see both of us there!!!

Dinner last night with some of My Talented Friends…
getting together for some “non-art fair” fun & frienship. We met at Melissa’s house where she treated us to a wonderful “hot pot” meal… my first time… served out of her own handmade “donabe” hot pots… and handmade dinnerware! Plenty of great food & great fun… especially for those struggling with chopsticks!!! Lots of yummy meats, seafood, veggies, dumplings & broths… including one she made out of corn? I’d never even heard of “corn broth” before?! Yummy!!!

Just a quick reminder that this weekend is BOWLS & BUTTONS… my Second Holiday Home Show. Perfect for all your holiday shopping with pottery in every room of my Christmas decorated condo!!! Plus food & drink in the kitchen & the back porch is my “Tired of Shlepping Sale”. Big discounts on lots of pots!!!

As an added bonus, my talented friend Rhonda Gurgone will be at my place too with beautiful jewelry she makes out of vintage buttons. So unique… and the perfect gift for that special someone… or yourself!!!

Stop on by Saturday & Sunday from 10:00am-6:00pm.
Come with your holiday gift list to crank it out… and bring a friend or five!!!

Don’t forget the happy little things! Like handmade pottery & jewelry for all of your holiday gifts! Here’s a quick preview of some beautiful jewelry made by my friend Rhonda Gurgone… who will be my Guest Artist this weekend at my condo. All made with antique buttons… and she knows the backstory of every vintage button! So come on by this weekend to do some holiday shopping… pottery & jewelry for everyone!!!

Spent the afternoon today at the ONE OF A KIND SHOW downtown at the Merchandise Mart… helping My Talented Friend Sarah Chapman in her booth. She makes the most incredible jewelry… each piece completely handmade & one of a kind. Well better again tomorrow until 5:00pm. Be sure to stop by Booth 2118 to say “Hi.”

And take a second to really look at the last necklace with the seashell. I asked Sarah how the real seashell in that pendant got all glittery? And then I hit a full lesson… and it got glittered during the fossilization process!!! Who knew?… and that’s a REAL fossilized seashell. Totally cool.

Can’t make it tomorrow?… you can always check her website at www.chapmanmetals.com

Coming soon… another HOLIDAY HOME SHOW for those who need to do a little last-minute holiday shopping! I’m restocking the pottery shelves & prepping for another go-round. And this time I will also have a jeweler friend of mine joining me. Rhonda Gurgone makes her jewelry out of antique buttons from around the world. And she knows the history of every button… most of them over a hundred years old!!! So mark your calendars… and start making your holiday gift shopping lists!

After my tour of MKM POTTERY TOOLS… Rick invited me over to his pottery studio… Fired Earth Pottery. It’s a very nice group studio space for resident artists, as well as classes & renters. Lucky for me, ceramic artist AL Holden was going to be doing a workshop at Fired Earth Pottery last night… and Rick invited me to stay… so I did! It was great to meet AL and see her work. I just love watching people throw on the wheel regardless of their skill level… so it was even more fun to see someone at the college professor level “showing-off” and making cool pots! The evening was great with AL doing the show, but all of the participants were great fun too!!! Glad I went to Appleton yesterday…. turns out there was a lot to do!!!

And of course… there were PLENTY of MKM Pottery Tools on hand for AL to use!!!

Check her out… www.alholenceramics.com

One of the best things about having talented friends… is the ever-popular art fair trades! They don’t always work out… but this time it sure did!! As I traded some pottery with my friend Cheryl Holz for this sweet little multi-media collage piece. That’s gonna look great on my celery-green dining room wall! Thanks Cheryl!!!

The sun was hitting it just right!!! Sun shining, glass glowing, colors popping!!! This beautiful stained glass piece with an Amberina Depression Glass butter dish lid is now a new resident in my condo! After a successful ART IN THE GARDEN … I splurged on this beauty made by friend Retta. You should get one too… so follow her on Facebook … I Do Windows by Rettaglass