Another clear day… not a cloud in the sky! Just starting the day with some heat & humidity… already feels like it’s going to be another hot one today. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!!

A little early-morning stamping… working on my class demo placesetting challenge project. Dinner plate… salad plate… side bowl… serving bowl… tumbler… and the single handmade stamp that did all of the work!!! Coordinating in design… but not too matchy-matchy!

Sunrise serenity along the lake this morning.
Very little wind & very few clouds on the horizon.
A quiet start to another beautiful summer day.

A dozen ducklings… Mom looked calm but those little ones
were paddling their little feet as fast as they can!!!
A fun sight during my afternoon bike ride along the lake.

And that water?… STUNNING!!!

Starting today in the studio… painting accents & details of colored flashing slips onto my latest set of stamped mugs. This set will be waiting for my next soda kiln firing in early September!

In my Intermediate Wheelthrowing class, we’ve been talking a lot about developing a personal style, throwing with intention & design continuity for making sets. So last night I “challenged “ my students to make one full placesetting during class. Dinner plate. Salad plate. Side bowl. Serving bowl. And a tumbler, cup or mug. Once thrown, they now have a few weeks to decorate, trim, fire & glaze before bringing them back to class in Week 9 to show-off their placesetting. And of course I “had to” participate with my own challenge!!!

Celebrating another Mugshot Monday with another batch of stamped mugs.
Handles attached… next they need some accents of colored flashing slips!!!

Pulling handles… making more mugs… again!

It’s catalpa tree flowering season!!! Crazy-cool flowers that look like orchid clusters perched amongst large green leaves. Beautiful now… but soon enough they start “raining” down onto the ground. Fun to watch them fall… but not so fun a couple days later when they start to decompose into a gooey brown mess!!! So… enjoy them now while you still can!!!

And sometimes… a bigger sky show needs a bigger photo!