Huge thanks to Rus & the crew at VILLAGE CYCLE CENTER in Old Town for fixing up my bike again. I finally got to pick it up before teaching class last night. They replaced the broken crankset parts… and did a bit of tuning-up at the same time!!! So now I’m all pumped, lubed, tightened, cranked & ready to get back to putting some good miles on my trusty steed. Thanks again Village Cycle Team!!!

Also, thanks to the TREK Bikes Warranty Program that fixed my bike for FREE!!!
This is my third TREK bike… and I’m loyal to the end.

I’m back in the saddle again… and it was well worth the wait! My bike is back, and it felt great to get out this morning for a windy & cloudy ride along the lakefront. For awhile I thought there might just be too many clouds to allow for a colored sky-show… but I was wrong! A wonderful splash of color for just a few minutes before it faded behind the clouds once more. But I still got to pedal… with new & improved, non-broken, pedaling mechanisms!!!

It’s a BIG day for trimming in the studio today. Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE trimming?… especially with great trimming tools from DiamondCore Tools & my Giffin Grip! The perfect trimming combo!!!

Another batch of mugs assembled… handles attached & drying in my studio!

Another favorite task… pulling mug handles! A lot of potters shy away from pulling handles. But the more you make… the better they get. The better they get… the more fun they are to make. The more fun they are… the more mugs you’ll make!!!

Holiday mugs need holiday handles! So here we go…
getting ready to pull a bunch of handles the traditional old-school way.

You know how I love making my own stamps…
and this time I “might have” gone with a little bit of a theme?!
‘Tis the season…

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to work with some artsy kids at Vernon Hills High School. What I thought was going to be a workshop mostly about altering & decorating bowls, turned into a much more “interactive” wheelthrowing class as many of them had never really thrown before?! Of course I encouraged & prodded them “just a little” to get the to lighten up, loosen up & get muddy in the clay with me.

I taught them some beginning basics… and then coached them along the way as I continued to throw two dozen bowls. At the end of the workshop, we started altering rims, adding some creative flair & blowing kid’s minds!!! I loved seeing their looks of shock & awe as I altered some of the bowls. They loved it… and I had a great time molding clay & molding young minds!

Bringing out my favorite carving tools from DiamondCore Tools for some fun Christmas tree texturing! Nice crisp cuts with sharp tools… perfect for the glaze to pool & puddle in all the right places!!!

A striking Fall gradation of color & natural perseverance growing through a wooden pallet in the alley. Nature always finds a way!