Mugshot Monday - Aunt Louisa’s “Heart Flowers Whale Mug” by Anchor Hocking with Morning Glory Signature Blend by Peace Coffee

Some mornings, you choose a mug that was owned by someone who is no longer with us.

I was thinking of my Aunt Louisa for no specific reason this past week. Her laugh popped into my head which made me think about her smile, her thoughtfulness, her kindness. Good memories. 🥰

Louisa had a whale mug collection and I was lucky to inherit some of her mugs so I can sit and drink coffee with her on days like today.

She died in November 2018.

See also my 700+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “Little Tall Mug” by Clarice Allgood of Mostly Good Pots with Ethiopia Single Origin Light Roast by Peace Coffee

My friend Adam (@px10_pottery) and I had a fabulous time at the annual Minnesota Pottery Festival in Hutchinson, MN.

We saw a ton of amazing pottery and had great conversations with so many incredible potters.

One of those amazing people was Clarice Allgood.

I first met Clarice when I was walking through the resident artist area at Northern Clay Center and saw a small cart in the hallway overflowing with some gorgeous pottery.

Clarice said, “Hi!” and I asked if the cart was hers. She had just unloaded the kiln and was heading back to her studio space. I told her the mugs with that white slip on the black clay-body were just incredible.

It’s been about 3 years since then and now I’m stoked that I finally have one of her mugs!

The texture is amazing on this cup. And I love how when the sun hits the mug’s lip just right, you can see some bright blue cobalt peeking through. 😍

It was great chatting with Clarice about her work. The whole day was awesome–there were Raku firing demos and a “Pottery Olympics” to watch. What a great event.

See also my 700+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “Weak Men Mug” by Em & Friends with Morning Glory Signature Blend by Peace Coffee

This coffee mug got censored! 😂

I was super stoked when I stumbled upon this Em & Friends mug while browsing the coffee mug section at Good Will.

It’s an awesome design by writer and illustrator Emily McDowell (@emilyonlife) sold by Em & Friends. I’ve admired her work for a number of years and have wanted to get one of her mugs.

I love the quote by Nora McInerny (because it’s true!) and I really like McDowell’s lettering work. I was surprised to find this mug was in MINT condition at a thrift store. And it was still in the box!

But then I noticed someone had deliberately used a sharpie magic marker to cover up the f-bomb in the quote. Uffda.

I took the mug out of the box and BOTH SIDES were censored! I couldn’t believe it. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Maybe the Goodwill folks don’t allow products with profanity? That’s understandable, but a sticker would have been a better alternative.

Or maybe it was censored by the person who donated the mug? That seems more likely. We’ll never know!

I wanted to restore this mug to its original greatness, so I found our old bottle of Goof Off. Back when our kids were young, this product miraculously removed Sharpie from our plaster walls.

I was worried the mug’s design would melt off as well, but it didn’t! For now, I left one side “censored” so the mug’s weird story is preserved.

You can try to get lucky and find a “Weak Men Mug” at a thrift store because it looks like Em & Friends is not selling it anymore! Check out all of their inspiring work, too. Really good stuff.

Cheers! ☕️ 🙌🏻

Here is the restored Uncensored Mugshot Monday:

See also my 700+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “Imposter Cup Prototype #3” by Adam Miller of Px10 Pottery impersonating Jesse Woodworth of Riverwood Pottery with Ethiopia Single Origin Light Roast by Peace Coffee

This cup is an IMPOSTER!

For the last 3 years, the Imposters Cup Show has tasked artists with secretly replicating another artist’s cup style while incorporating their own personal spin.

I love this show so much! This year, over 70 artists participated and my friend Adam Miller of Px10 Pottery was given the assignment to make 2 cups replicating the amazing and versatile Jesse Woodworth (@riverwoodpottery).

Jesse makes a lot of different kinds of super creative cups—some have hammer handles, some have image transfers, and some have crossword puzzles!

Imposter Cups participants must keep their entries on the down-low until they are revealed. After he found out he got into the show, Adam asked if he could bounce ideas off of me as long as I could keep it a secret. Of course! This was awesome.

Adam’s cups turned out so gooooood. He added image transfers of his signature chicken and cow illustrations with background explosions and submitted a set of two mugs each with hammer handles.

Before the big reveal, the Imposters Cup Show posts pictures of the entries and fans start guessing in the comments who the imposter could be. Adam got busted pretty quickly! 😂

This weekend, he surprised me when he gave me this alternate prototype for helping him out as his his imposter “confidant”. 🤩

This wrench handle is so cozy and I love that the thumb rest is Adam’s signature stamper.

Check out all of the imposter cups (@impostorscup) at the show’s Instagram page. Thanks to The Impostors Cup Show Team for making this such a fun event: Beth Harden, Bryan Wilkerson, Isaac Shue, Mike Regan, and juror Rene LoPresti.

And thanks to Adam for my new favorite mug for my Mugshot Monday collection. Cheers!

See also my 700+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “Garden Flowers” coffee mug by Bigboxcar Ceramics with Ethiopia Single Origin Light Roast by Peace Coffee

This is my 700th Mugshot Monday post! It’s kind of hard for me to believe. 14 years ago on July 13, 2009 I posted my very first mugshot.

I thought it was going to be a one year project where every Monday I would post a picture of my coffee mug–along with my “mug”– and call it “Mugshot Monday”.

Obviously, I can’t seem to quit. 😂

It’s become a personal journal for me that I post publicly. I reflect on a mug’s story or how a mug might pertain to the news of the day.

I’ve really enjoyed talking coffee mugs in person and in the comments on social media over the years. I’ve especially liked immersing myself in the ceramics community as I try to learn to be a mug maker instead of just a mug collector.

I made this Garden Flowers mug at my Northern Clay Center class that wrapped up last month.

I carved the little flowers into a nifty roller so the pattern repeats across the entire mug. I really like how it turned out.

For my project, I’ve missed a few Mondays over the years (28 to be exact), but that’s okay. Life can be unpredictable or schedules can get gnarly.

Like today! I took these photos after breakfast and I’m finally posting at 7pm. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Did you know there are only 4 duplicate mugs I’ve posted out of the 700? I’ll make you a coffee mug if you can find all 4!

That’s alotta mugs, right?

The project has always been about the photos I take and the stories I write, and not the mug collection itself. I actually don’t need all of these coffee mugs.

My plan is to get my online store set up and start selling them to people looking for that perfect unique mug to give to someone special.

I’ll let you know when it launches. Until then, I’m going to enjoy this Garden Flowers mug for a while because I love how it turned out. And I’m sure I’ll post another Mugshot Monday next week.

Thanks for reading this. And cheers! ☕️ 🤩 🙏🏻

See also my 699+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “Green Stamped Mug” by Bigboxcar Ceramics with Ethiopia Single Origin Light Roast by Peace Coffee

This mug feels like it’s become a milestone for me on my journey to learn how to make coffee mugs out of clay. So I thought I’d talk about it a little.

It’s by far my favorite piece from my Northern Clay Center class that finished up a few weeks ago.

The glaze is one of my favorites: VC Blue-Green. It’s an extremely light dip which turns a very cool blue-green in the crevices of the texture where the glaze pools. Then it turns a toasty red-brown where the thiner application burns off on the texture’s raised edges.

Other things I like about this hand-built mug are the handle and mug bottom. I’ve been trying to improve in those areas and this one feels really solid and cozy.

I’m really stoked with this mug!

However, although I’ve learned so much over the last 5 years about the process of making a mug out of clay, I have not fired one single mug I’ve made.

Northern Clay Center makes it really easy for students to focus on clay-making techniques by having all the bisque and glaze firing done by studio staff.

I actually want to give HUGE KUDOS to the folks at Northern Clay who run the kilns and mix the glazes because I feel like they are the ones responsible for how amazing my glaze choices have turned out.

Seriously. THANK YOU Audra Smith and all the other NCC studio techs who do that hard work! I’m so grateful. 🙏🏻 It’s such an important part of making good pottery.

That’s why it feels like the right time for me to learn what goes into running a kiln. It’s the next part of the ceramics process that I need to understand.

That’s what I’m going to figure out how to do next! 😀 Stay tuned.

See also my 690+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “Kasper’s Monogram Coffee” mug by Westwood Yesteryear with Ethiopia Single Origin Light Roast by Peace Coffee

This is the last mug to post from my 6-piece Westwood Yesteryear coffee mug set!

These coffee mugs are a really fun collection of made-up “vintage” coffee companies from yesteryear. Originally sold in the 1990s, they’ve now become “vintage” themselves. I love them.

Waaaaaay back in 2015, I found my first mug from the set at a thrift store in Hayward, WI and thought I’d be able to gradually fill out the set.

I kind of gave up in 2017 and decided to use my friend Brian’s “Everfresh” mug from the collection for a mugshot.

This year I finally broke down and found a complete set in fantastic condition on eBay and decided to get them all at once.

My Mugshot Monday tagline for the project has always been, “Every Mug Has a Story”.

My friend Brian’s story was that he bought a set of four mugs brand new in the 90s in Minneapolis. I don’t know the story behind my thrift store mug and I figured my eBay purchase would be the same.

As it turns out, this set from eBay came with a story, too.

When I thanked the seller for my purchase and safe delivery, I mentioned my Mugshot Monday project and how happy I was to have found this set.

I got this reply:

“Oh I m so glad to hear that. These belonged to my parents and I really wanted someone to enjoy them. Thank you for sharing your link, it is amazing. Our kids’ favorite is the santa with the mouth open for cookies. We have one very similar.”

How cool is that? 😊

Now for some shocking news: I discovered there are actually 18 Westwood Yesteryear coffee mugs in this collection!

I now have 12 more mugs to find. 😂😳😭😭

Well, I’m going to leave it to serendipity and let the rest of the Yesteryear collection “find me” if it is meant to happen. This set I have is perfect.

Cheers!

Btw, if anyone knows where I can purchase that Westwood Yesteryear “The Complete 12 Ounce Collection” poster, I would love to know.

See also my 690+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “Striped Lake Superior Mug” by Jonathan Warburg of Lake Superior Pottery  with Morning Glory Cold Brew by Peace Coffee

This is a really cool mug that my wife bought me when we were at the Stone Arch Bridge Festival on Sunday. It was a surprise Father’s Day gift. 🥰

I was stoked to meet Jonathan IRL (we follow each other on Instagram) and learn about how he makes and fires his work at his Washburn, WI studio.

The clay he used for this mug is really interesting. He starts with porcelain and mixes it with Lake Superior sand. Then he makes a black slip made of crushed dark rock and paints the stripes on.

He describes his work as, “Simple ingredients. A piece of the area.” That’s very cool.

I enjoy these are festivals because I get to chat with the potters and ask questions about their work. I learn so much from them and it’s always super inspiring.

I also get to pick up their cups and see how they feel. One thing I didn’t realize about Jonathan’s work is how incredibly thin his pots are. So thin, yet they’re strong and sturdy. It’s really impressive.

I didn’t plan on buying anything at the festival this year, but I was told there’s a certain way I hold a mug when am really torn about if I should buy it or not. 😂 I had no idea.

After I put this mug back down on the table, my wife Cindy picked it up and when Jonathan and I were done chatting, she told him she needed to buy it for me.

She was right. I love this mug.

Give Lake Superior Pottery a follow on Instagram (@jonathanwalburg) and check out more of his amazing work. I’m sure he’ll post about some more art festivals he’ll be at this summer.

I was going to have some afternoon earl grey tea today, but the 90º+ temps here in Minneapolis convinced me to have some Peace Coffee cold brew instead. REFRESHING.

Cheers! ☕️ 😀

Read about a few more potters I talked to at the Stone Arch Bridge Festival on Sunday.

See also my 690+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - "Porcelain Stoneware Dragonfly Whiskey Sipper" by Bigboxcar Ceramics with Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey by Woodford Reserve

This cup was doomed to succeed! 😀

I wanted to try making a stoneware cup with a porcelain dragonfly, thinking the white porcelain would really “pop” when placed on the darker stoneware clay body.

My instructor at Northern Clay Center told me it likely will just fall off in bisque firing or in glaze firing.

Science tells us that the two different clay bodies shrink at very different rates, so combining them likely will cause the attachments to separate.

But she was stoked and said I should give it a try!

And then it made it after bisque.

And then it made it through the glaze firing and I really like how it turned out!

However, this cup has got some issues.

The glaze flaked around the dragonfly, so I don’t think it will survive too long if I use it often.

I decided to use it today for my Mugshot Monday and tell its story before I retire it to the display shelf. I love that the experiment worked.

Cheers! 🥃 😀

PS: Thanks to my friend Kate for recommending in the comments of a previous Mugshot Monday that I try Woodford Reserve bourbon. It’s delicious!

See also my 690+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “Prairie Sunflower” mug by Matthew Metz with Morning Glory Signature Blend by Peace Coffee

Here’s another fine mug we picked up at this year’s St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. I’ve been a fan of Metz’s work for a while now and have lamented not buying one of his mugs before.

So I didn’t put this one down.

It’s a BIG potbelly mug holding 16oz of coffee. It will be perfect for iced cold brew on the porch this summer.

Metz’s handles are super comfortable and the soda-fired glaze is really smooth. But the sgraffito texture is still prominent and feels really good when I hold the mug. His artwork makes me smile.

Happy Monday, y'all. We’ve got a senior graduating from high school next week, so it’s a very busy and exciting time right now. I’m so proud of him.

Cheers! ☕️ 🤩

See also my 690+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “Parkview Drip Grind Coffee” mug by Westwood Yesteryear with Morning Glory Cold Brew by Peace Coffee

I don’t remember the pollen being this gnarly on a Memorial Day weekend in Minneapolis. I’m a mess. Watery eyes, snot-faucet, the whole experience.

We had literal clouds of pollen wafting through our alley all day!

I really shouldn’t complain at all because the weather was absolutely fantastic this weekend. It was just beautiful.

I took this mugshot around 10am *before* we started with the yardwork we’ve been intentionally putting off during no-mow-may. I knew my allergies were going to kick in, and I was right. (There is no *after* shot, sorry.)

This Parkview Coffee mug is another one of my Westwood Yesteryear faux coffee brand mugs sold in the 90s. I love the illustrations and I love that type treatment. Such a cool cup.

Today we remember the veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting for our country. Raise a mug if you have one.

See also my 690+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “Mill City Farmers Market mug” by Christy Wetzig with Vienna Roast by Cafe Palmira

The Mill City Farmers Market is back on the summer schedule occupying the space between the Guthrie Theater and the Mill City Museum in downtown Minneapolis.

It’s my favorite farmers market. We buy our honey from Ames Farms and had a meat share through Sunshine Harvest Farm and we’ve met many artists selling their work over the years.

I met Christy way back in December 2016 during the winter version of the farmers market when it moves indoors into the museum. I used one of her birdie tumblers for my Monday New Year’s Eve Mugshot back in 2019.

Last Saturday, I was stoked to see that Christy made some custom Mill City Farmers Market coffee mugs! I caught up with her and her daughter while they were selling pottery at their booth.

You can see the ‘rooster on the fire hydrant’ impression on my new mug when the sun hits it just right. Check out that excellent little divot under the handle for your thumb. Nice touch.

Christy wood fires her pots at her Frederic, Wisconsin home and teaches ceramics locally. Her work is delightful.

I was drinking some delicious light roast from Cafe Palmira’s booth, a frequent vendor at the farmers market. Their beans are direct from their family farm in Guatemala and they roast them locally here in Minnesota.

I lament not picking up a bag of beans! Next time.

Thanks to my son Milo for snapping a great Mugshot Monday of me and Christy (and a perfect photobomb by her daughter 😀). Cheers!

You can buy one of these custom Mill City Farmers Market mugs on Saturdays while supplies last at the market’s information table.

See also my 690+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “Blueish O|O Mug” by Alana Cuellar with Ethiopia Single Origin Light Roast by Peace Coffee

I’m so happy to use my new Alana Cuellar coffee mug this morning after picking it up at the 31st Annual St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour last weekend. 🤩 ☕️

The pottery tour is such a fun way to see a ton of great pottery. There are 8 studios in the tour hosting 5-7 potters each. It runs 3 days over Mother’s Day weekend every year.

I was really hoping Alana was still making mugs with this design so we made the Guillermo Cuellar and Alana Cuellar studio our first stop on Friday.

A few years ago, I met Alana at the Mill City Farmer’s Market where she had a booth displaying her work. I held in my hand a mug just like this one and I always lamented not buying it.

I love the feel of this mug. The pattern with the O’s and the |’s is so beautiful. I like how the the stain turns bright blue in some places.

I had a chance to chat a little with Alana about pottery and mugs and how beautiful a day it turned out to be. Smiles all around.

I love my new mug. Cheers! 😀 🙌🏻

Btw, if you’re curious about how Alana applies the stain to this kind of mug, she has a cool video on her Instagram. So satisfying to watch!

See also my 690+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “Amber Celadon Porcelain Mug” by Chris Singewald with Ethiopia Single Origin Light Roast by Peace Coffee

Back in January, Chris Singewald was my wheel throwing instructor at Northern Clay Center.

I took the class to finally learn how to make some mugs on the wheel using porcelain clay. I never had any luck with porcelain because it’s so difficult to work with.

Chris taught me some key techniques that got me over the hump and I was stoked with my results!

I’ve known Chris on Instagram for some time now (@christopherchrischris), so it was great to meet him IRL.

This past weekend, he was selling his pots at Rumriver Art Center where he is their new Ceramics Director teaching pottery classes.

I was totally enamored with his soda fired amber celadon porcelain mugs. I’ve tried using this tricky glaze and had very mixed results.

Those horizontal grooves are “glaze catchers” that allow the amber celadon to pool when fired. When it pools, the glaze gets really dark creating some lovely contrast.

Another nice touch on this mug is the drain hole on the foot so water doesn’t get trapped after running it through the dishwasher. Super clever.

Thanks for this delightful mug, Chris! And thanks for helping me progress with my wheel throwing. 🤩 ☕️ 🙌🏻

See also my 685+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

Mugshot Monday - “May-Day Brand Coffee” mug by Westwood Yesteryear with tangy Morning Glory Signature Blend by Peace Coffee

Happy May Day to those who celebrate!

I honestly wasn’t sure what the “May Day” holiday was in regards to a celebration. I’ve always know it was May 1st, but I’ve never really done something as an official holiday.

I think May Day is all about Spring and maypole dancing. I can get behind that.

But having some legit “spring” in Minneapolis weather would be nice, right?

I’ve got the perfect mug for today: “May Day Coffee”. It’s another one of my new Westwood Yesteryear faux coffee brand mugs.

I love the slogan…“Delightful old-time Arabian tang”!!!

Have a great Monday May Day all you awesome people! 🤩 🌸 🕺

See also my 685+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story