So I had a glazed ikebana disc that had a crack through it… so I “donated” it to some kids to use as target practice with their BB guns! We put a piece of paper in the center hole so we could see if they every got a bullseye. They may not be very accurate, but the are definitely persistent. They’ve apparently hit ALL around the bullseye… but have never hit the center yet. Keep shooting guys… Sullivan, Maxwell & Franklin… and maybe aim a little better?!!! HA!!!

This past week of Summer Camp I was upstairs on the third floor in one of the Painting Classrooms for sculpture camp. In the room there’s a large bookshelf full of props & pieces for them to build still-lifes for painting & drawing classes. It was fun to see one of Emily Murphy’s old soda-fired pots in the mix. Sure, it may have a small chip on the rim, but it still looks pretty darn good considering Emily left Lillstreet and moved to Minneapolis several years ago!!!

Well, it’s been a few weeks since we finished our SURFACE DECORATIONS class at Lillstreet. And things have been glazed & coming out of the kiln. Here’s an assortment of Helen’s pieces she made during class… including crackled slip, water etching, sanggam, colored slips, carving, sgraffito, piercing & more! Well done Helen… thanks for sharing your pieces with us!

After Summer Camp, I made it to the post office in time to send out my first pile of boxes from this weekend’s NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR. There were some pretty nice purchase from my new ETSY store… and I’m trying to get them packed up & shipped out as soon as possible! Thank You to everyone who participated in this year’s tour… we’re already looking forward to next year!!!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped make the inaugural NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR a huge success this weekend! We all had a great time… and looking forward to doing it again next year in-person! Just in case you missed the fun… my brand new ETSY SHOP is still open if you need to add some pottery to your collection! – www.etsy.com/shop/firewhenreadypottery

Well, it’s Day Three of the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR… the final day… and there’s still plenty of time to curb your pottery addiction! Twenty-one ceramic artists with a wide range of styles, techniques & aesthetics. You can find them all through the Pottery Tour website… www.northernilpotterytour.com

And if you want to add some of my stamped & textured pottery to your collection, you can always go directly to my new ETSY SHOP… www.etsy.com/shop/firewhenreadypottery

It’s Day Two of the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR… plenty of time to check-out all of the potters & today’s free demos on ZOOM. And don’t forget that my brand new ETSY SHOP is now open with lots of stamped pottery for everyone. Pottery make perfect gifts for friends, family & especially yourself!!! – www.etsy.com/shop/firewhenreadypottery

Some of my favorite surfaces are the “plain” stamped pieces! Not a ton of bright colors… maybe just a few little pops here & there. It’s more about the soda-firing process creating the surface. But for me it all starts with the STAMPING!!!

And don’t forget… these “teasers” are NOW AVAILABLE in my brand new ETSY Shop! – www.etsy.com/shop/FireWhenReadyPottery

Don’t forget that I will be doing a ZOOM demo this evening at 8:00pm CST live from my studio! You just need to pre-register for the free demos on the Pottery Tour website to get the ZOOM link! – www.northernilpotterytour.com

Grab ‘em if you want ‘em! My brand new ETSY SHOP is now open for business! And if you’re in Chicago, you can use the coupon code CHGOPICKUP for a 10% discount if you would prefer local pick-up from my home or studio! Check it all out at www.etsy.com/shop/FireWhenReadyPottery

We’ve all waited a LONG time for this to happen… years… even a pandemic… but finally it’s done… my brand new ETSY SHOP is finally here! With over a hundred pieces listed for online shopping as part of the kick-of of the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR! Click on over to start the fun – www.etsy.com/shop/firewhenreadypottery