The sun is streaming into the studio and hitting these cute little star ornaments. Sure, they really need a bit of glaze and wadding… but the sun is shining in?! Which “kinda means” that I might just NEED to go outside to play on my bike again this afternoon? I mean… we don’t get these glorious 70-degree days very often in November in Chicago!!! I gotta take advantage of them… and quick!!! So my loading might be a smidge later than planned this evening… shucks.

So I’m still glazing & wadding for my soda kiln… which I will be loading later tonight. I think I’m getting down to the end. Like these ornaments that now have some tenmoku inlaid glaze accents. Some of them will still get a blush of colored glaze before going into the kiln too. Things are coming along nicely… no need to panic yet!

For those who really know me… you know that I am NOT at all political. Sorry everyone… no need to comment on my “civic duty” and all that jazz. Yet even I know that this election with the endless polls & repeating commentaries are getting a bit ridiculous!…. and yes, I do like to color outside of the lines!

Warm & cloud… with just a slight glimmer of color on the horizon. Only lasted but a few seconds… and then back to clouds… and a few blue skies peeking through!

Not a cloud in the sky. Just a stiff breeze from the west and clear sailing down the lakefront bike trail. Again, the best way to start my day… especially on these warmer days when I don’t need all kinds of crazy layers of clothing!!!

Nothing but blue skies heading home from my afternoon “hooky” bike ride along the Lake! Always fun to see the City from the “other” side!

A quick ride down to the South Shore Cultural Center this afternoon… for a quick turnaround to head back home. No time to linger as I had to get back to teach my pottery class tonight!!!

After yesterday’s “frozen icicle morning”… it was quite a treat to get out this afternoon in my bike shorts & sleeveless jersey for a beautiful Fall bike ride along the lake. The colors are hanging in there, the weather was amazing… and I was playing hooky from all of the glazing I “should” have been doing!!!

I got an early start in the studio this morning… trying to get a lot of glazing done today! I started by adding some inlaid glaze to the stamped textures… next to wipe them off. Another collection of pieces in the works!

With the stamps all cleaned off, I just added a liner glaze to the mugs. Since these are going into the soda kiln this weekend, they don’t really need any more glaze on the outside. The mixture of soda ash & soda bicarbonate that I add into the soda kiln towards the end of the firing will “magically” create a kind of glazed finish on all of the mugs! I still need to clean up the edges on the rims… but we’re getting there! Might be done for the night though… as it’s time to head downstairs to teach class!!!