Always fun when you walk into start teaching your Intermediate Wheel class… and two of your students are already busy working on their pots! Looks like I’ve taught them well… perhaps too well?… seems my work here is done! (mic drop)

A surprisingly warm start to the day for the middle of February… and I’m LOVING It!!! Not quite ready to peel off the layers, but we’re getting there!

With “4×4 : Four Makers” just a couple weeks away, it good to see some sneak peeks of what Sarah & Darlys are working on in their studios! I can’t wait to see their masterpieces in person at Space 900 in Evanston!

A very sweet pottery request from my friend Julie:
“I am looking for a new pot for my Mom’s African violet that Keith has kept alive & blooming since her passing. It has outgrown multiple pots and we have taken many cuttings from it and started new plants that we shared with family in YOUR pots! Mom’s plant is not currently in one of your pots and it just doesn’t look good!”

Looks like it’s time to make more flower pots… more FUN!!!

So I’m celebrating with a “super bowl”!

Stamped, soda-fired & ready for our “4×4 : Four Makers” gallery show on March 3rd, 4th & 5th at Space 900 in Evanston. Mark your calendars!!!

At the end of this week’s LILLSTREET THROWDOWN, we had a table full of beautifully stamped platters! My students killed it… using their own handmade stamps to create these platter masterpieces!

TINA’s platter… and WINNER of the stamped platter challenge!

LIBBY’s platter – and our second place platter!

BRITTANY’s platter – third place… and our only non-wheelthrower!

And now the rest… in no particular order…

TRACY’s platter

AUTUM’s platter

KATIE’s platter

AARON’s platter

CLAIRE’s platter

ALLISON’s platter

ASHLEY’s platter

I’m assuming you’ve figured it out… my THROWDOWN class made large platters… and then made their own stamps… any guesses???

Well, I was “hoping” that they might not have put it together, but I think they all had a pretty good clue! Anyway, this week’s LILLSTREET THROWDOWN challenge was to take the stamps they made last week and decorate their platters using primarily their stamps as their surface decoration technique! And many of them have never stamped before!… wait, what?!!!

Looks like Kristy is starting off her Saturday with some yummy homemade granola on a bit of vanilla yogurt… in one of my handmade stamped bowls! Looks amazing AND healthy!!! And yet everyone knows that your food will taste even better when served in handmade pottery!

Something “blooming” in my studio today… hoping it stays fresh as we’re just three weeks away from “4×4 : Four Makers” Show. I still need to fire, glaze & fire again. I haven’t quite figured out if this is Plan A, B or C?! I’m working on three different versions… hoping at least one of them works out!

Mark your calendar for this fun pop-up gallery show in Evanston the first weekend of March! March 3rd, 4th & 5th… more details to come…

Just a handmade stamp & a pointy piece of wood. Soon enough I had this fully stamped platter ready to start drying more. Still needs to be trimmed… but one step closer to done!