So here I am still showing off some of my pottery collection! Here’s another kitchen cabinet with my Steven Hill dinnerware set. Long story… it’s all here on my blog if you just do a quick search for Steven Hill… I never thought I was going to get it… it was a long time coming… but Steven pulled through, and “surprised” me with these beauties!

Great glazes. Great pottery. Great guy!!!
Thanks Steven!

And let’s not get crazy… while THOSE mugs might be “for show” as part of my collection… I do have PLENTY of pottery to use everyday!!! Some of my own, and a lot of other friends, former teachers & potters I admire!

Back from my ride, showered & changed…
time for a little breakfast. Starting with some fresh Vitamin C!!!

We’ve gone LIVE!!!
Check-out the “official” Photo Album on Fire When Ready Pottery Facebook page to start shopping for that one-of-a-kind, handmade gift for Mom… or yourself… or that special someone!

Colorful flashing slips on vases & pitchers!
Sale starts in fifteen minutes only on my Fire When Ready Pottery Facebook page… you can start shopping as soon as the “official” Facebook Photo Album is published at 10:00am CST.

With Mother’s Day just over two weeks away, I’m pretty sure people are starting to think about what they should buy for Mom! And what could be better than some handmade pottery… how about a vase or pitcher that could hold that bouquet of flowers you SHOULD be giving Mom on her special day!

So this blog post is just a SNEAK PREVIEW of what’s going to go up on sale tomorrow on my Fire When Ready Pottery Facebook Page at 10:00am CST.

Plan ahead… pick & choose… I’m showing most of them from both sides as the soda-firing process is often very random and has different glaze & flashing effects on all sides! Once the “official” Photo Album of all these pieces is posted on my Facebook page, it will be a “first-come, first-served, grab-it-while-you-can” free for all!!!

Pitcher #1 – soda-fired – 5.5″x 6.5″x 6.5″
$85 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Pitcher #2 – soda-fired – 5.5″x 6.5″x 6.5″
$85 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Pitcher #3 – soda-fired – 5.5″x 6.5″x 6.5″
$85 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Pitcher #4 – soda-fired – 5.5″x 6.5″x 6.5″
$85 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Pitcher #5 – soda-fired – 5.5″x 6.5″x 6.5″
$85 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Pitcher #6 – soda-fired – 5.5″x 6.5″x 6.5″
$85 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Pitcher #7 – soda-fired – 5.5″x 6.5″x 6.5″
$85 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

And oh, but wait there’s more…
Traditional vases… without spouts or handles!
Nothing too grand or huge, just a nice medium-sized vase for a bouquet of flowers!… or even a crock for kitchen tools?!

Vase #1 – soda-fired – 4.5″x 4.5″x 5″
$50 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #2 – soda-fired – 4.5″x 4.5″x 5″
$50 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #3 – soda-fired – 4.5″x 4.5″x 5″
$50 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #4 – soda-fired – 4.5″x 4.5″x 5″
$50 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #5 – soda-fired – 4.5″x 4.5″x 5.5″
$55 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #6 – soda-fired – 4.5″x 4.5″x 5.5″
$55 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #7 – soda-fired – 4.5″x 4.5″x 5.5″
$55 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #8 – soda-fired – 4.5″x 4.5″x 5.5″
$55 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #9 – soda-fired – 4.5″x 4.5″x 5.5″
$55 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #10 – soda-fired – 4.5″x 4.5″x 5.5″
$55 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #11 – soda-fired – 4.5″x 4.5″x 6.25″
$65 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #12 – soda-fired – 4.5″x 4.5″x 6.25″
$65 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #13 – soda-fired – a little bit larger… 6″x 6″x 7.5″
$75 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Vase #14 – soda-fired – a little bit smaller… 3.5″x 3.5″x 4.5″
$45 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

And then there’s these cuties… from my “Quite White Collection.”
After doing a bunch of soda-firing and colorful cone six firings, I decided to switch it up a bit and try doing the anti-thesis of all that… with pure & plain white! Still thrown & stamped in the same manner… just totally WHITE!!!

Quite White Vase #1 – high-fired porcelain – 3.5″x 3.5″x 4.75″
$45 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

Quite White Vase #2 – high-fired porcelain – 4″x 4″x 5″
$50 includes packing & shipping within contiguous US.

So there we have it… a lot of options…
vases & pitchers that could be the perfect gift for Mom!!!… `

I will be posting the “official” Facebook Photo Album on my pottery page tomorrow at 10:00am CST. The first person to place a comment of “MINE” on any of the photos within that “official” Photo Album will get that piece of pottery. We can work out several different easy-peezy payment methods and I’ll ship it out to you right away. So you’ll have plenty of time to buy a bouquet of flowers for Mom to go with her new pottery.

Okay… who am I kidding…
You can do it for yourself too… or even surprise someone else!
I know times are tough… days are difficult… and any little bit of brightness & joy can make all the difference as we all struggle through these trying times!

Thank You.

My friend Donna Sauers posted a very thoughtful post on her Facebook page yesterday about how important art friends are during these trying times. And I have to agree. Being sheltered-in-place alone at home can be very quiet & lonely… but it’s great to be surrounded by a lot of artwork made by your Talented Friends! And we’re all looking forward to the day art fairs may start again, so we can get out to show-off our wares, and finally play with our Talented Friends again face-to-face!

I’ve collected a lot of art… and well as “collected” a lot of Talented Friends over the past few years. It is so great to have talented friends to play with, chat with, collaborate with and to help support & promote each other! So here’s Donna’s original post sharing some of her “collection”… including art by me & my Talented Friend Cory McCrory! Cory makes amazingly whimsical paper clay pieces, and Donna makes beautiful glass beads, jewelry and some new welded-metal-mixed media pieces!!! Check them both out on Facebook… while you’re still sitting on the sofa waiting for that commercial to end!

You know I love a good spiral…
and I’m kinda fond of stamped patterns…
so here’s another soda-fired & stamped bowl to celebrate TEXTURE TUESDAY!

So it has come to this… yesterday I did my first no-contact pottery delivery! I rode my bike up into Evanston to drop off two mugs for a customer who bought them online. I took all the precautions, wore gloves & my “mask”… we chatted from about 20-feet away… and then I pedaled away! All good, but… I MISS ART FAIRS!!! I miss seeing & interacting with my customers! Some day soon, I hope!

Things are bubbling over again today… with a fresh roll of bubble wrap, I’m packing up more pottery headed out to new homes! Hoping my pottery will help brighten someone’s dreary quarantined days at home!