Colorful clouds drifting across the sky this morning.
A bit of a chill to start the day… looking forward to a little warm-up as the day goes on!

The final remains… the car was totaled, as was this chip & dip in the back seat!

Luckily, the plastic crate with three platters in the way-back survived. But now we’re moving on… it’s just clay! I can always make another one… and I finally have a car! Things are looking up & my insurance settlement is done!!! Movin’ on from this fallen tree fiasco!!!

So here’s my new ride… another Toyota RAV4.

Sadly, not the fun bright blue color as choices were very limited. But a nice “new-to-me” car… newer with less mileage than my smashed one! Not happy about having car payments again… but very happy about my “new” car! Now we just have to hope I can pack in all of my art fair stuff like I did in my old RAV4. My first art fair is just about two weeks away… fingers crossed everything fits!!

So THIS finally happened over the weekend!!! It’s been a long drawn out fiasco over a fallen tree!!! But we’re finally moving forward… on new wheels!!! Well, “new-to-me” anyways…

After all of the fun sgraffito my class did with Kristen last week in my SURFACE DECORATION class, I thought it might be my turn to do some carving over the weekend. So I did two bowls… kind of an “inverse” of each other. Thinking that these two bowls might need to “live together” forever!

Another serene morning along the lakefront.
A little bit warmer… with no wind from yesterday!
A much “quieter” day than yesterday… always enjoying my morning ride.

By the end of last week’s SURFACE DECORATION class, each of my students had completed their sgraffito plates. They all did such an AMAZING job… these turned out GREAT!!! And everyone had so much fun… which is always my main goal!

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

This past week in my SURFACE DECORATION class, we had a great demo by “My Talented Friend” Kristen Holub… and then my students got to try out her techniques. Remember the plates with colored slip rims?… this is WHY I made them… for my students to have something to play with!!!

And they did an AMAZING job.
Everyone learned so much, practiced the technique & had so much fun.
Such a great night in class!

Kristen did a great demo. Plus, I brought down my collection of carving & sgraffito tools from DiamondCore Tools for my students to try out. Better tools make better pots!!!

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!!!