So a customer contacted me just to ask if I would have ornaments again this year… the “top-shaped ones”! Of course I said “Yes”… but then realized I probably should make more before I commit?! So I did… another 10×10 Challenge! More than ten by 10:00am! Another productive morning!

This hasn’t happened for a LONG time… like when I started stamping.

But tonight I stamped some of the cylinders from Tuesday night’s class demo.
I could tell they were still far too wet… and I should wait another day or so.
But I didn’t listen to myself… and I ended up stamping right through the side of the cylinder!!!
Maybe good for a dribble glass???… or portion control… or most likely the reclaim bin!
It’s just clay!!! Listen to the clay next time… and wait…

A beautiful afternoon to be down by the lakefront. Enjoying the blue skies, the even bluer water & the historic landmark Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. Just off the end of Navy Pier, this lighthouse was built in 1893… but then somehow moved & “relocated” in 1919. Just wondering… how does one “move” a lighthouse?!!!

What a difference a day makes! My very first dahlia flower this summer is starting to bloom. I can’t wait to watch it open, grow & evolve over the next few days… ‘cuz I will say that first day it kinda looked like a creepy dragon’s eye staring back at me!!!

A few days later, and my booth flowers from ART IN THE GARDEN are still holding up nicely. It’s kinda nice to have fresh flowers on the back porch… and a handmade stamped & soda-fired vase to put them in!!!

Another quiet morning along the lake. With beautiful pastel skies & streaky contrails. Apparently, the “milky haze” we’ve been having the past couple days is the residual smoke from the Canadian wildfires blowing over the City?! Who knew?! And yes, “milky haze” was the weatherman’s term, not mine!

Tonight in pottery class…
does this mean summer is officially over?! I kinda think so…

Last night in my Intermediate Wheel pottery class, we started a new session and I had no planned demo for the first night. So I left it open for a fun “demo-on-demand” night… and they asked for PUMPKINS!!! Easy for me… I’ve made “a few”!! But we did have to speed it along a bit to “pumpkintize” them in class when the thrown spheres were wetter than I usually do. It worked… but they’re a bit frumpier, glumpier & I’m kinda diggin’ it!!! We might be onto something here?!

Yep, a nice pile of reclaimed porcelain clay setting up in the studio. All from a bunch of dried scraps from a potter-friend up in Minnesota who doesn’t reclaim… but does save the scraps for ME!!! Can’t wait to start playing with nice some white clay!!!

They had a birthday party yesterday for him… while I was selling pots at ART IN THE GARDEN. Many of you have known him for years as one of my art fair assistants & pottery-loaded van driver!

So here’s his birthday update… he’s still enjoying his time at Friendship Village in Schaumburg. His eyesight is not great, but he’s still very active around the place, loves excursions, karaoke & dance classes. Sure it help that he also has the cutest gal-pal in Bonnie. They’ve been together for quite some time now… ADORABLE! It’s great see them both so happy together. So here’s to many more years to come!

And it looks like my cousin Kim had all of the frosting to herself as I wasn’t there to eat it first!!!