Doing some trimming tonight… which I love!!! Especially with great trimming tools from DiamondCore Tools… and my favorite production-centering tool The Giffin Grip!!! The perfect trimming combo!!!

My first official purchase from the NORTHERN ILLINOIS POTTERY TOUR… a little “insider-preview” purchase tonight! An incredibly beautiful wooden rib for shaping pieces while throwing on the wheel. Too pretty to use?… maybe?! But I did also have a great chat with Troy Bungart… potter & toolmaker who will be at the Leland location this weekend! Be sure to stop by… I left a few cool ones there for ya’!

The folks at MKM Pottery Tools just did a really great post about my hybrid mugs
on their Instagram feed. I love their textured handrollers…
and it seems they love my mugs!!! A perfect collaboration!

In case you’re wondering…
this hybrid mug was made with a #BHR-142 Basket Weave handroller.
They have tons of cool patterns… so check ‘em out!!!

Drilling holes making berry bowls this morning. Using drill bits for assorted sizes of holes…
and a decorating disk from MKM Pottery Tools for even segments & spacing!

Gotta love my DiamondCore Tools …
always willing to share them with my students so they can play with them too!!!

Our second demo this week with my SURFACE DECORATION class, was done by “My Talented Friend” Kristen Holub of Kayho Ceramics. She did an AMAZING sgraffito-carving demo on one of my platters. Remember the one where I shaved-off the bad colored slip, and then added a new layer of ombre’ blended colored slip? Well here it is again!

Kristen started with my colored platter – but then turned it onto a work of art showing off her own carving style. Going step-by-step teaching my students how to go every step of the way. I brought down my collection of DiamondCore Tools for her to use… along with my students who eventually had their chance to play along. It was an amazing night… so much fun & such a great demo!!!

And we can’t forget how great the Decorating Disks are from MKM Pottery Tools for dividing your pots into perfectly spaced segments for “evenly spaced” carved designs!

Kristen started out as a metalsmith when we first become friends many years ago. Then she took time off to become a Mom, and is now embracing her creative side in CLAY!!! She started as pottery student of mine, but quickly developed her skills & her personal style. She has now branched off and has her own studio space & brand-identity online. Be sure to follow her on Instagram – @kayhoceramics.

My how I love having talented friends!!!

While so many potters are at NCECA… hopefully buying their own MKM Pottery Tools… some of us had to stay home to make more pots! I’m working on more hybrid mugs & using some of my favorite texture handrollers from MKM.

With warrantied replacement parts & pieces… I’m back up & running with my favorite Giffin Grip! So much fun & so much quicker… especially when trimming these little cutie-patooties mini vases!!!

Okay… so I may have “over-used” my Giffin Grip… if that’s even a thing?

I LOVE my Giffin Grip… but I take it on & off my wheel so many times each week for trimming. After “investigating” the un-centered wobbliness… it appears as though one of the three “connectors” has a small fracture. Three connectors underneath… vertical, vertical, not-so-vertical?! Luckily, Giffin Grip has replacement parts & pieces… so I hope to be able to ”centered” again pretty soon! Of course, this happens on a day when I have a lot of bowls to trim… ugh, centering the old-fashioned way!!! Ha!!!

Sure, the ombre’ blend of colored slips was nice… but I thought it could use something more! So I did a little carving with my favorite P1 carving tool from DiamondCore Tools this morning… and I’m glad I did!!!