So what was in the boxes?… you may be wondering???
Although I’m pretty sure you have figured it out by now…

Well, I met Steven Hill a few years ago and began doing some freelance graphic design for him. We worked together on several projects while he was here in Illinois starting up Center Street Clay. Our plan was always that we would “trade” services… my graphic design for some of his incredible pottery. A couple years have passed… Steven has moved back to Missouri. He’s still making beautiful pots and very busy with his workshop schedule. And I had pretty much written off any chance of getting my pottery “payment.” What I did get was a good friend to chat with… to mock, mimic & give a hard time to about his missing “dinnerware fulfillment” every time I see him. Okay, I must admit that it’s been fun to continually drop “hints” about my dinnerware over the past few years in person and on Facebook!!!

Well… much to my surprise…
the two large boxes contained my Steven Hill Pottery “payment.”
A wonderful surprise. Incredible pottery. Thoughtful & very generous of Steven Hill.
I had pretty much written it off… he is apparently good on his word. Slow, but good.

Thank you Steven!!!

Ta-da!!!… another beautiful Steven Hill pitcher. Fresh on the wheel during a workshop.
You can almost see the onlookers gasping…

Enough about Steven and his workshops…
Sure, he’s a great potter. Sure, he does groovy slip decorations.
Sure, he has beautiful glazes. Sure, he puts on a fantastic workshop.
Sure, his work is coveted by so many all over the place. Sure, he’s “famous.”
Sure, he’s the face or Skutt Wheels in all of the ceramics magazines. Sure… I get it.

But back to me…
Here’s a little glimpse of my new Steven Hill dinnerware set… it’s wonderful!!!

A huge Thank You to Steven.
His work is beautiful… and my Care Packages were filled with his incredible pottery!!!
Such a wonderful gift to unexpectedly receive in the mail.

Steven, I can’t wait to see you at the St. Croix River Valley Pottery Tour
in May to thank you in person!!! You rocked it!!!

Here’s a few examples of the wonderful glaze effects that Steven Hill is creating on his pottery. His glazes are sprayed onto the piece in layers. Several layers of different colored glazes that blend, run, crystallize and do other magical things to create these incredible results!!! Sure, the forms are great too, not to mention the textural slip decoration.

Not wanting the excitement to pass too quickly… I slowly started to open the boxes.
You’ve got to love surprise Care Packages… and the great friends who send them!!!

And it started with LOTS of styrofoam peanuts… which tumbled out everywhere!!!

And then there were more boxes “floated” inside the bigger box…

Lots of bubble wrap… lots of peanuts… lots of shrinkwrap… all incredibly well-packed…

Soon enough, some of the pottery began to reveal itself…

Last night I received two large cardboard boxes at the studio. I knew I hadn’t ordered anything lately so I was pretty intrigued. A close look at the return address, and I had a pretty good idea that a LOT of beautiful things were waiting inside…

Okay, so I found it too tough to limit myself to 3 photos a day like was supposed to for the Facebook Portfolio Challenge. So I bumped it up to five. Still struggling… so it’s two posts a day?! And this one stretches it even further with TEN images of freshly stamped, leatherhard clay. My favorite stage of the whole process!!!

It’s Day Three of my Facebook Portfolio Challenge.
So far we’ve had Mugshot Monday, Texture Tuesday…
and now I’m calling it “Working Wednesday.” Photos of work in progress.

And today I nominate Marjorie Woodruff, my first wheelthrowing teacher at Lillstreet, to take part in the Facebook 3×5 Challenge!!!

Need some visual inspiration?
Need a quick fix of pottery, textures, patterns, tiles and more?!
Or a few more stunning sunrise?!

Click here to find my Pinterest Boards.

Look what showed up in my mail today?!!! Whoo-hoo!!!

Marked my calendar already. You know where I’ll be playing & shopping come Mother’s Day Weekend. I’d love to see some of you up their filling in your own pottery collections too… as long as I get first dibs!!!

For more information, be sure to click here for their website : www.minnesotapotters.com

As a functional potter, it warms my heart to know that my pottery is being enjoyed.
To see that my work is actually being used on a daily basis or for special occasions.
I love hearing how my work has made someone’s day brighter or in some way happier.
Thank you to everyone who shares their photos & stories…
like this one which made MY day today a little brighter!

“Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I had bought a platter from you earlier this year in Schaumburg and we finally inaugurated it over Christmas dinner. So I just wanted you to know that there was a lot of praise for you that night! I’ve attached a few photos of your work… we really love the piece!”    – Ria

…now if she could just share some of that cheesecake too!!!

So if you want to make this humble potter a little happier, please take a second to e-mail me a photo or two. gary@firewhenreadypottery.com. I’d love to see how you’re using my pottery in your everyday world. Thank you!

Tomorrow is my last holiday home show of the season!
Mud & Metal : A Collaborative Holiday Home Show.
After Saturday, the shelves can start coming down… finally…

And I thought I might just taunt you a bit with a few shots of some of my work that will be available tomorrow! Lots of stamping. Lots of textures. Lots of soda-fired flashing. Be sure to stop by for some great holiday shopping… and warm apple cider too!

We’re open from 10:0am-6:00pm on Saturday, December 13th.
Me, my pottery, my tiles and Amy Taylor with her beautiful jewelry.
The perfect chance to knock some names of your holiday shopping list!!!

And as always, we still have “The Tired of Shlepping Sale” going on my back porch. The shelves have been replenished with even more clearance & discounted pricing! First come, first served… they’re priced to move!