The final “surprise” challenge for my LILLSTREET THROWDOWN class was to interpret five different words onto five different tiles. They each received the same words & a blank tile, and then had fifteen minutes to “represent” the word on each tile. The words were PAISLEY, NOSTALGIA, CHAOS, FESTIVE and JUXTAPOSITION. Always fun for me as the observer to watch each of them approach a challenge in different ways – both in interpreting the word and their handbuilding approach & techniques!

CHAOS –

NOSTALGIA –

FESTIVE –

JUXTAPOSITION –

PAISLEY –

On the final night of the LILLSTREET THROWDOWN, my students came in thinking they were pretty much done except for some critiques, judging & points… but they were WRONG!!! I surprised them with one last challenge… decorating tiles with only 15 minutes per tile.

And oh, but wait there’s more...
each of their five tiles had to each represent a different given word…
chosen by me!

For this week’s LILLSTREET THROWDOWN, my students brought in their homework from last week. Which was trimming & decorating with slip trailing on the four “matching” vases they threw during class last week. It was fun to see how each of them approached the challenge differently… many of them slip trailing for the very first time!!!

Okay, so “somebody’s” calendar seems a little bit outta whack!!! Which I’m totally okay with… as my Christmas Cactus is blooming for a second time this year… even though Christmas was literally months ago!!!

After a bit of stamping, these discs are getting so much closer… closer to becoming my latest batch of ikebana flower vases! Spring flowers will be here soon… and they’re going to need a home!

Just a few disks freshly thrown… a quick & productive morning!

THE GOOD…
I have the most fantastic students!

Last night, Davis brought me this package of the brand NEW Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches as a “Thank You” for another great pottery session! Since we’re still under a “no-potluck-zone” at Lillstreet, I put them in the freezer and said “Thank You so much Davis… can’t wait to try them later!”

THE BAD…
When I went just now to get them out of the Lillstreet freezer clearly marked “LILLSTREET STAFF ONLY”… not even 24 hours later… the box had been ripped open and half of them are already gone!!! Keep in mind, I was there until 11:00pm last night and no one else was there. Lillstreet opens at 10:00am in the morning… so that’s NOT EVEN NINE HOURS in the freezer when people were around… and they’ve already been plundered!!!

HOW RUDE!!!

So just when your AMAZING students continue to redeem your faith in Humanity… “someone” else has to bring you back down to Reality!!!

RUDE.

A very thoughtful gift from one of my pottery students this week… a handmade soy candle… and a second one as part of our “not-so-basic-bowls” exchange game!!! Extra special as Kelsey made the bowl and the candle… and it won’t be stolen from the freezer!!!

Thank you Kelsey… see you when the next session starts up again!

Huge thanks to Kristen for making brownies!!!
Too bad they didn’t last very long… but I’m still totally diggin’ the powdered sugar “shadows” on the plate after the brownies were gone!!! burp…

Last night in my Intermediate Wheelthrowing class, we celebrated the end of another class session with a fun “trading-exchanging-stealing” game with matching soup crocks. One of them even came with an onion & the recipe for French Onion Soup!!!