Another Christmas gift… and another Christmas smile! Looks like Madeline is enjoying her new stamped & soda-fired goblet. Perfect for a sip of wine… or juice… or eggnog… so many options!!!

So fun to have my potter-friend Mike Stumbras stop by my little Mug Sale today with some of his family! They got a quick tour of Lillstreet… and a couple new mugs… and I got a beautiful porcelain cup from Mikey! Lots of twists, slip trailing & gold lustre! If you’re not following Mike on Instagram… you definitely should be!!!

Beautiful pottery, incredible craftsmanship, historical references & plenty of videos & tutorials. Be sure to check him out. … @mikestumbras

As we’re quickly slipping towards Christmas, I figure there are plenty of last-minute shoppers out there… and everyone on your gift list can use a new handmade mug, right?! So I’ve been pulling together a LOT of my mugs for a quick PROCRASTINATOR’S POP-UP SALE this Thursday in my studio! Shop small. Shop handmade.

Thursday, December 23 from 10:00am-7:00pm.
Lillstreet Art Center, 4401 North Ravenswood, Chicago
Studio 205W on the second floor.

So I’ve been trying to grow some of my own bittersweet over the past few years. First on a trellis in my back yard…. err, cement courtyard in a large pot. A few years later I moved it to my front yard garden to grow up a street lamp. I’ve always gotten pretty good leaves… but this year was the first time I’ve ever found the flowers & berries on my plant! Very exciting… as it’s completely growing up & taking over the lamp post!!!

You know MUGS are my favorite thing to make.
And I’ve made more than “a few”!!!

So I’m restocking the shelves and will again have more than a HUNDRED handmade stamped mugs ready for this weekend’s MUD & METAL Holiday Home Show!

Not the best photo… but FUNNY nonetheless!

My friend Carla was walking through her neighborhood and saw one of my pots “out in the wild.” And she thought she needed to “capture” it and send it my way! So of course, I had to share… scratches, glares, reflections and all.

Hard to believe it’s the last day of November… and therefore time for another handmade chain for the “Chain Of The Month Challenge.” So here’s November’s entry… fresh out of the soda kiln. Fired in a “medium” soda area so that the links wouldn’t fuse together… and yet still get enough soda exposure for some fun flashing effects! Number eleven… can’t believe we just have one more to finish off the year?!

#2021chainchallenge
#handmadechain
#chainlinks2021

All clean and ready to go for Day Two of my HOLIDAY HOME SHOW. The apple cider is already in the crockpot… aroma wafting through my condo! Getting ready to kick-off Day Two in about an hour or so!

Funny story… I went through years of Holiday Home Shows while serving warm apple cider in styrofoam cups. Suddenly, a few years back, the light bulb went off and I “realized” that I should make mugs for the apple cider. Save the planet & promote my product. I’m kind of embarrassed that it took me so long to figure that out. Sometimes it’s hard to see the obvious!

After a long day of holiday sales & a LOT of warm apple cider served at the `… my cider mugs are in the dishwasher for the night. Getting ready for more warm apple cider for the customers stopping by tomorrow!

Just a few wheelthrown ornaments looking for their forever home…
err, forever Christmas Tree!!!