Seems like so long ago… but “The Cup Song” was huge last summer!
All of my summer campers were tapping plastic cups & clapping all summer.
And now this version is floating around the Internet… a new Irish Gaelic version of
“You’re Gonna Miss You When I’m Gone” with 600 kids hand-popping their cups!
It’s a great video, and a beautiful version of the catchy little ditty!

Click here for the fun-loving Irish Gaelic, cup-popping, hand-clapping video.

And for those of you who live in a bubble and have never seen the original “Cup Song” video, or the movie “Pitch Perfect”, click here for the original movie video clip.

And if you would like to learn how to do it yourself… click here for a video tutorial.

So earlier this evening while I was at the studio, I was passed in the hallway by the Lillstreet Executive Director. He asked for my 2014 Summer Camp availability. Or at least to start planning & coming up with 2014 dates I can commit to soon. Does he have a calendar? Does he know it’s only September 9th? Really?! Already?!

Okay, so maybe after this summer’s scheduling fiasco where practically none of my thematic camps were even offered due to poor scheduling, I guess it’s reassuring that they’re starting early. I should take it as a good sign that they want to get my camps into next summer’s schedule. I get it. But… it’s September 9th!!! It seems like we just finished Summer Camp a couple weeks ago!!! Sheesh…

So this week I’m teaching a Wheelthrowing Summer Camp.
And for some reason, there’s still a sign on the wall in the wheelthrowing room
from a previous teacher that seems to “sum it all up.”

I know we all have different teach styles… but I have no idea what the other teachers are telling their kids?! I prefer the straight-forward approach… wedge, center, open, compress, throw, pull, compress, remove, repeat. I guess I don’t see the reason to make a nursery rhyme-ish, haiku-ish poetry slam that seems to have little to do with pottery?! Maybe it’s just me?!!!… but if anyone can explain it to me, please do!

This week, my afternoon Summer Camp is wheelthrowing.

They just started yesterday, and yet by the end of today they had already trimmed, decorated & painted some with colored slip! Not bad for a bunch of pre-teen kids. And we still have three more days for this camp!!!

It was a very long week.
My Summer Campers this week were a bit younger than I’m accustomed to. Typically I work with the older kids (8-12 yerar olds), but this week I had 5-7 year olds.. and a 4-year old to top it off. I had to alter my project plans a bit, and change my expectations, but in the end they made some great projects… including these terra cotta plates.

Well, it’s been a tough week at Summer Camp. Fifteen kids in an age group much younger than I’m accustomed to. One of them is four years old!!! What? FOUR… are you kidding me?!!! So they’ve been a little rambunctious. A little squirrely. And more than a little loud. But today we started a weaving project… and who knew, that “weaving calms the savage beast”??? One more day to go with this bunch of youngins’!!!

This week is traditionally one of my favorite weeks of Summer Camp every year. Pam & I have been teaching this theme camp for a few years now, and the kids continue to amaze me every time. The concept is that in one week (five days) the kids will create an entire thematic dinnerware set made out of clay & metal. So we kick-off the week with two days of terra cotta making plates, bowls, cups & handles on Monday & Tuesday. We then shift to metals for Wednesday & Thursday to cut out their forks, knives & spoons… as well as other serving pieces. On Friday, we put everything together and have a potluck lunch with the kids. Hence the theme… Fire, Forge & Feast. Clay projects that need to be fired, metal pieces that need to be forged and a potluck lunch than needs to be feasted on!

My co-teacher for the week was Pam Robinson. I do most of the clay teaching, she did most of the metal teaching. Luckily, we’re both able to do both, so it’s a great tag-team-combo-teaching experience! Not only is it fun to play with the kids all week, but Pam keeps me laughing as well. And she’s great with the kids… keeping them working hard, teaching them the basics and keeping it fun even though there are more safety concerns & rules than in clay.

When we get into the Metals Department, the kids draw out the shapes of their cutlery, glue it to the sheet metal, and then start cutting it out. Once cut out, they need to file the sharp edges, and then sandpaper them smooth.

Once they had cut out their metal pieces, done a bit of filing and sanding, it was time to add some textures & patterns… which means a LOT of hammering & banging!!! Pam did a quick demo on how to use the different tools correctly to get the desired effects. And then the kids set off to make a bunch of noise… and make some hammered textures!

Some pieces also require some metal-to-metal connections, so Pam taught them all how to do a simple metal rivet. Simple for Pam… a little tougher for the rest of us!

By the end of the “metal fabrication days”, the scoreboard for broken saw blades was getting a little scary. Some of the kids did really well… others, not so much. Remember, the object is to NOT break blades… and therefore have a LOW number on the board. The winner with the lowest number of broken blades was promised a handmade prize from Pam.

We also used the dry-erase board to make a list of who was bringing what for Friday’s potluck feast. The kids signed up for what they wanted to bring in, then Pam and I filled in the holes. Sometime later, unbeknownst to us, someone did a little “graffiti” on the board… I’d like to think this means they like ME better?!!! But I really think it has more to do with salad vs. drinks! One quick clue would be that I don’t have curly hair?!

On Friday, it’s always a frantic rush to get everything finished and put together. There’s lots of terra cotta pots coming out of the kiln, as well as metal pieces coming out of the tumbler… all needing some assembly & finishing touches!

Once separated and organized, the metal cutlery pieces were inserted and epoxyed into the clay handles. Thematic metal pieces fitting into their thematic clay handles. The perfect combo!

By the middle of Friday, the final dinnerware sets were coming together quite nicely. Some still had a few pieces to finish, and we still had a potluck lunch to share.

Dinnerware Set #1 –

Dinnerware Set #2 –

Dinnerware Set #3 –

Dinnerware Set #4 –

Dinnerware Set #5 –

Dinnerware Set #6 –

Dinnerware Set #7 –

Dinnerware Set #8 –

Dinnerware Set #9 –

Dinnerware Set #10 –

Well, that’s it for another week of Fire, Forge & Feast. So much fun for me & Pam… and a whole lot of work for the kids to accomplish on one week!

Imagine our surprise when we got to the park after lunch with all of our Summer Camp kids… only to find a small nest of four baby bunnies. Very small. Very cute. With their eyes not quite open. Irresistible… not good with tons of kids everywhere!!!

They’re located in a square bench unit that surrounds one of the large trees, nestled in a pile of wood chips. Kind of a safe, protected area for the babies. Not really sure how they’ll get out… but we’re hoping for the best. And explaining over & over & over again to the kids why they can’t pet them!!!

Every year during Fire, Forge & Feast Camp, we gently “encourage” the kids to come up with their own idea to have a Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake-Off. Just planting the seed. The thought. The idea. It’s amazing to Pam and I every summer how they come up with that plan “all on their own.” Ha.

Today was the day for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake-Off. Just what we need…
to get the kids all sugared up!!!

We had seven entries (six kids & one from Pam) in the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake-Off Contest. Some classic, some not. Some with special ingredients, and one even “deconstructed.” Everyone in class got a plate with all seven cookies on it. Everyone got to do some taste-testing, pick their favorite and place their votes. Each camper got one vote… and a glass of milk!!!

Congratulations to Jackie who won the contest…
and was the proud recipient of my handmade terra cotta Blue Ribbon “Trophy” Plate!

Another LONG day at the studio today!
Summer Camp this morning with 5-8 years olds.
Summer Camp this afternoon with 8-12 year olds.
And my Beginning Wheelthrowing Class this evening with adults.
Full spectrum of classes & ages.

Oh yeah, and I trimmed all forty mug cylinders too!!!