So this week I added another mug to my already overflowing “Mug Collection.” This handcarved & soda-fired beauty by my friend & pottery student Kristen. She may have started as a metalsmith years ago when we first met, but now we’ve won her over to the clay world!!! Such amazing design, details & craftsmanship.

If you think you might “need” to add some of Kristen’s pottery to your collection as well… she’s doing a Pop-Up Sale tomorrow at OMC : Our Mutual Coffee Co. in Chicago at 3600 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60618 from 7:00am-3:00pm. Be sure to stop by & say “Hi”… your coffee will definitely taste better in one of Kristen’s mugs!!!

Doin’ a little ZOOM’n with a couple of My Talented Friends… Sarah Chapman & Darlys Ewoldt… as we are already planning our “4×4 : FOUR MAKERS” show for next Spring! We’ll introduce a new “fourth” maker to the show soon… but until then, you can mark your calendar now!!! February 28th-March 2nd in Evanston!

My longtime pottery pal & “co-collaborator” at ART IN THE GARDEN every year since the beginning… the amazing Cory McCrory!!! Her work is always colorful with lots of textures, plus a sense of whimsy that is undeniable! Always fun to play with Cory… and I can’t wait to see our finished collaboration pieces when they come out of her kiln… just in time for this weekend!!!

Introducing the talented metalsmith Amy Taylor… and our host for this annual art fair in her backyard!!! As well as one my “co-collaborators” this year. Amazing craftsmanship & designs… and I especially love that she uses some unconventional “stones” in her work like reflectors, pieces of bowling balls & my favorite “fordite”!!! Let’s just say… I have quite a collection of her pieces!!!

I had thrown a large platter for a class demo… and then it “lived under plastic” for a bit too long, getting too dry to stamp. So I gave it to my friend & former student to work her magic on. Kristen has been doing wonderful carving techniques on her pots, but mostly smaller mugs & bowls. I thought it might be fun to challenge her with a larger surface to decorate. And she did NOT disappoint!!! The platter looks AMAZING with her beautiful carvings all around the rim. It’s now back in my studio and I need to figure out where to go from here. To glaze or soda-fire, that is the question…

Check-out more of Kristen’s amazing work on Instagram… @kayhoceramics

My good friend & former pottery student Kristen is doing a great pop-up this weekend! And who doesn’t love handmade pottery AND chocolate?!!! Stop by the Irving Park location of KATHERINE ANNE CONFECTIONS this weekend to see some of Kristen’s pottery & grab some yummy chocolate too!!!

And if you stop by Saturday between 1:00-2:00pm, Kristen will be in the store doing live demos of her carving techniques!

Plus, if you follow, tag & share them both on Instagram, you’ll be entered in a raffle for pottery & chocolate!!! Two of my favorite things!!!

Last Friday night, My Talented Friend Cheryl Holz had an Opening Reception in Aurora… right around the corner from the Opening Reception for the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR at the Aurora location. Coincidentally on the same night, but a great chance to see her wonderful work hanging on the gallery walls. I love her work… the colors, the textures, the multi-media collages, and now… oh, but wait there’s more... hand-sculpted, three-dimensional birds perched inside her paintings!

For more about Cheryl’s paintings… https://cherylholz.com/

Even more coincidental… Cheryl took a workshop with Deana Bada Maloney to learn how to sculpt & paint the birds… and Deana was showing her ceramic masterpieces at the Sandwich location of the Pottery Tour too!!! Small world, huh?!

And not only was Cory a great host for the pottery tour weekend… but I also came home with two of her plates that I bought to add to my Cory McCrory Collection!!! And, the artists all got a loaf of homemade sourdough bread as a lovely parting gift… and I “might” have come home with three… allegedly…

A fun day to celebrate one of our potter friends at the Sandwich location of the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR. Sure, his birthday may have been yesterday… but feel free to stop by tomorrow & sing “Happy Birthday” to him!!!

One last reminder…. this weekend is the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR… just in case you’ve somehow “missed” my previous posts??? I will be at the Sandwich location at the home-studio of my talented friend Cory McCrory! We may be the furthest away location, but we have a lot of great artists with full-on art fair tents full of pottery!!! Come on by!!!