Last night I received two large cardboard boxes at the studio. I knew I hadn’t ordered anything lately so I was pretty intrigued. A close look at the return address, and I had a pretty good idea that a LOT of beautiful things were waiting inside…

So I got an e-mail yesterday from the folks over at Pinterest…

Hi there,
Pat yourself on the back: You got 13,356 clicks
to www.firewhenreadypottery.com from Pinterest in the past 30 days!

That sounds pretty overwhelming to me?!
And I don’t quite know what to do with that news, that number.
How do I process that information? What does it really mean?!
I’m not well-versed in the world of Pinterest, but it sounds pretty cool to me!!!

Click here for finished Fire When Ready Pottery pieces on Pinterest.
Click here for Fire When Ready Pottery TEXTURES on Pinterest.
Click here for Fire When Ready Pottery STAMPING on Pinterest.
Click here for Fire When Ready Pottery MUGS on Pinterest.
Click here for Fire When Ready Pottery TILES on Pinterest.
Click here for some of my BIKING SUNRISES on Pinterest.

And then start pinning to your heart’s content!!!

We’re nearing the end of my Facebook Challenge, so it’s back to basics. With a couple stamped vases, pitchers and a teapot. Plus, another thank you to ceramic artist Cory McCrory & metalsmith Sarah Chapman for nominating me to take the Challenge!

Continuing with my Facebook Challenge, today’s collection features a bunch of bowls. Including the last ones which were inspired by a Gail Nichols Soda-Firing Workshop… coincidentally, this photo has become the “poster-child” for Lillstreet’s annual Empty Bowls fundraiser!!!

Today I nominate Steven Hill to take on the Facebook 3 x 5 Portfolio Challenge.
I’m sure he’s been nominated several times, but as of yet I have NOT seen his posts.
C’mon Steven, step it up!!!

Like I said, I had trouble narrowing it down to “three” images a day.
And since today is Mugshot Monday, I thought I’d share some stamped mugs
as part of my Facebook Portfolio Challenge!!! Yep, slight over-achiever here…

I’ve been tapped a couple times for the ongoing Facebook Portfolio Challenge,
including my two besties… ceramic artist Cory McCrory & metalsmith Sarah Chapman.

I had trouble narrowing it down to three images as “instructed”, so I’ve bumped it up to five!
Today we’re focusing on stamped & soda-fired vases.

And as part of the game, today I’d like to nominate my studio neighbor Karen Patinkin
to take on the Facebook 3 x 5 Portfolio Challenge! Show us your stuff Karen!!!

WARNING : I will be “infecting” all of my students tomorrow night during the first night of our new pottery session. My Beginning Wheel students better be ready… I hope their immunizations are up-to-date?!

For those who can’t quite ready the small type…
WARNING!   CERAMIC FEVER.  VERY CONTAGIOUS!
Symptoms: Continual complaint as to household duties. Paints day and night instead.
Sleepless nights dreaming up ideas. Anxiety waiting for final firing.
Swell head when you receive your first ribbon.

NO KNOWN CURE

TREATMENT: medication is useless. disease is not fatal.
Victim should attend as many classes as possible.

Thanks for sharing Emily Murphy… and for spreading your own contagion “Blog-itis Maximus” to me several years ago. YOU are very contagious as well!!!

Need some visual inspiration?
Need a quick fix of pottery, textures, patterns, tiles and more?!
Or a few more stunning sunrise?!

Click here to find my Pinterest Boards.

Look what showed up in my mail today?!!! Whoo-hoo!!!

Marked my calendar already. You know where I’ll be playing & shopping come Mother’s Day Weekend. I’d love to see some of you up their filling in your own pottery collections too… as long as I get first dibs!!!

For more information, be sure to click here for their website : www.minnesotapotters.com

Today was a fun day at the studio. After a hectic holiday, it was great to get back in the mud again. And today, my parents brought my niece Taylor into the City for a day at the studio. She’s been there a few times before, but this was her first day working on the wheel. I gave her the choice… hand-building or wheel-throwing?! Never afraid to get dirty… she chose to spin fast with wet sloppy clay.

We started out with the basics. A demo of wedging, followed by a step-by-step tutorial on the wheel. With quite a few mentions of how “frustrating” this is going to be. And that my adults take a 10-week class to learn, and she’s got just a few hours. My Mom bowed out of the fun, but Taylor and my Dad stepped up & hopped onto their wheels.

As always, centering is the hardest part to learn. Both were struggling. See?… not so easy.
I was just happy that they were both keeping at it… and Taylor was still smiling!
Already wearing clay in all the cutest places!!!

More centering. More throwing. More goofing up. More splattering.
More wedging. More centering. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Whoops…

A few hours later, Taylor was still focused. Eyes on the prize.
She wouldn’t give up… as my Dad was quickly reaching the end of his adventure.

Still smiling… and still making some sweet pots.

At the end of the day, they both had the “fun” of cleaning up their workspace. They cleaned their wheels, tools, buckets, splash pans AND the wedging tables too!!! It’s all part of the process, right???

And I was left with a couple ware boards of pieces to finish up for them…
and a sheet of instructions as to how she wants her pieces glazed!!!

Another great day at the studio… and hopefully another great memory for Taylor!!!