bigboxcar | words&pics

Me: Karl Pearson-Cater Live: Minneapolis, MN From: Milwaukee, WI Bio: I probably need more coffee. [_]D Married w/ 3 sons and one dog. Former athlete. Packers Fan. Content Strategist -- Marketing, Journalism, and Web Dev background. Check my Linkedin profile for work-stuff. Quote I endorse: "I've got a million ideas that i ain't even rocked yet." - Michael Diamond As seen at Ignite Minneapolis!

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Bamboo Glaze Yunomi" by Boulanger Pottery with 2019 Marques de Caceres Rioja Crianza

I’m having a glass of wine tonight on my front porch in my new yunomi cup I bought this weekend at the Pots on the Bluff pottery sale in St. Paul.

I drove from Minneapolis over to Mounds Park on the eastern bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River and downtown St. Paul. The sale was hosted at a house just off the parkway in a delightful little neighborhood I'd never been to.

The driveway and backyard was packed full of pottery, with each table showcasing works from every artist. I love this style showcasing all the work from every artist together.

You never know when you're going to stumble upon the perfect piece. For me, I couldn't put this awesome little yunomi down.

I love the Bamboo glaze--it has a matte finish that reacted to the textures carved into the surface giving is a rough but cozy feel when I hold it.

I wanted to know who made it, so I went to the table with all 14 potter bios listed in hopes of identifying the maker.

A very helpful person told me the cup was made by Grant Boulanger and started telling me about the maker's pots. I eventually caught on that HE was Grant! 😂

Grant told me he's a part-time professional potter in addition to his day-job as a heritage language specialist. He said he "helps teachers of less commonly taught languages navigate the pathway to licensure in MN." Very cool.

He makes all kinds of functional pottery including plates, bowls, coffee mugs, platters, and more. When I asked which piece for the sale was his favorite, he said he was really excited about how his tea pots turned out. He was was right--they're amazing.

I enjoyed getting to know Grant and I'm stoked to have one of his cups.

I hope they have the Pots on the Bluff sale again next year because I met some really great local potters and got to check out some amazing pottery. Such a good vibe.

Cheer’s, y'all! 🤩

(Thanks to Tom for recommending this Rioja! It's delicious.)

All Artists from the 2024 Pots on the Bluff event: Grant Boulanger, Angela Heida Hammer, Sarah Hjelmberg, Chad Jerzak, Anna King, Ivy Mattson, Adam Miller, Kent Miller, Paul Moeller, Heather Moreno, Marni Oberpriller, Marjorie Pitz, Tricia Schmidt, & Randy Schutt

See also my 750+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Peaceful Tree" yunomi by Minsoo Yuh with Organic Lavender Earl Grey Tea by The Northern Lights Tea Company

I'm realizing I haven't posted any of the cups my wife Cindy and I bought at the 2024 St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour this year back in May. Time to correct that.

We love the work by Athens, GA potter Minsoo Yuh who is an annual guest potter at Guillermo Cuellar's studio. Cindy owns a couple of her mugs and hadn't intended to buy another cup, but she could not put down this lovely yunomi cup.

The glaze is a beautiful dark blue which is very different than most of Yuh's work. I can't decide if it reminds me of dawn on a frost induced winter morning, or maybe a dark summer evening just as a heavy rain let up.

I'm borrowing Cindy's yunomi this morning to enjoy some Lavender Earl Grey from Northern Lights Tea Company. This tea is delicious and the lavender has an incredible aroma. It makes me smile.

We have learned over the years at these pottery events, when you physically cannot part ways with a piece of pottery then it's a good sign that you will be happy with your purchase for a long time.

That's proving to be very true with this yunomi. Cheer's, y'all. 🤩

See also my 750+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com – Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Faceted Crackle Mug" by David Menk Pottery with Ethiopia Light Roast by Peace Coffee

I haven't had a cup of coffee in a mug like this since 2016! I'm stoked.

8 years ago, my friend Melanie lent me her incredible David Menk coffee mug for my Mugshot Monday project and I had hoped to some day buy one for my collection.

And now I have one!

I love the facets on this cup and there are small horizontal "shelves" that look like decoration, but my fingers fit perfectly around them and help hold the cup.

David was a Minneapolis based studio artist back then at Northern Clay Center and eventually got a home studio going after the pandemic hit. But I seemed to miss every single one of his sale events.

Then he took a break from pottery. 😲

Then last month I saw a post from David's Facebook saying he was selling all of his pottery equipment. 😱

It's a super bummer hearing that a maker hit the pause button with their work, but I know navigating a ceramics hobby is tough. I've been working on my own home ceramics studio for the last 9 months lol.

The only good part of this story is that David was also selling his leftover inventory, and it included the coffee mug I wanted to buy all these years!

I picked it up last week and really enjoyed talking with David about ceramics, about Northern Clay Center, about home studios, and more.

He couldn't guarantee he'd get back into making pottery again, but he also didn't say he was hanging it up for good!

Right now, David has enjoyed getting back into photography and doing some traveling.

Thank you David for hanging on to my fabulous new mug for the last 8 years! I'm so glad I have it.

Cheers! 🤩 ☕️

See also my 740+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Vote Harris/Walz" coffee mug by Justin Rothshank with Morning Glory Signature Blend by Peace Coffee

I cannot believe how the 2024 Democratic ticket has played out the last 6 weeks.

It was only July 21st when Joe Biden released an official statement saying he was leaving the 2024 race and was endorsing current VP Kamala Harris.

By August 21, Harris had picked Tim Walz as her running mate. Fast forward through a very well-done Democratic National Convention (minus a disappointing non-stance on the Gaza crisis) and it's already Labor Day.

This ticket feels like it's picking up a lot of momentum heading to November.

I am so stoked for our MN governor.

How amazing has Walz handled the media since he was being vetted as the VP candidate? The clips have been incredible.

From Walz amplifying "they're just weird" in an interview while criticizing Republicans, to his family reacting to Walz's speech at the convention and his son Gus proclaiming, "That's my dad!"

He's just being the same Walz we've gotten to know over the years, but I love how the rest of the nation has embraced who he is.

I love this political coffee mug series that Goshen, Indiana potter Justin Rothshank has been doing over the years.

I bought my Biden/Harris mug 4 years ago (Biden on one side, Harris on the other), so I thought it was fitting to build my Rothshank collection by buying this year's Harris/Walz mug.

For the record--I posted the Harris side of my Biden/Harris mug the day after Biden's announcement to show my support for her nomination. Technically, I try to not post the same coffee mug for my project, but in this case it felt right.

I felt strongly that Kamala was the right choice for 2024 if Joe wasn't going to run. I'm really excited to see her at the top of the ticket.

You can buy your own Kamala and Tim mug on Rothshank's etsy site.

It's gonna be a crazypants election this year, so make sure you're registered to vote and get your voting plan set if you haven't already.

Harris/Walz 2024! 🗳 ☕️

See also my 740+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Teal Laurie Gates" coffee mug with Morning Glory Cold Brew by Peace Coffee

We're back in Minneapolis after our annual family migration to northern Wisconsin. Being on a lake with family is such an awesome rest and reset--just before school starts.

I took this Mugshot Monday last Monday while we bopped round the lake in the pontoon and the kids did some swimming.

It was a fun time!

We've been renting this cabin since 2020 when we opted to isolate-in-place somewhere other than our own house during the Covid pandemic lock-down.

Whoa. That feels like it was 10+ years ago for some reason.

We've been back each year and I've posted my Mugshot Monday using one of the cabin's 5 colorful Laurie Gates coffee mugs.

This is the last one in the set!

We'll be back again next year because the kids love this place.

But I won't have another Laurie Gates cabin mug to use for a Mugshot Monday. I wonder what it will be in 2025?

Cheer's y'all! Hope you had an awesome summer.

Here are links to the other Laurie Gates mugshots:

2020 "Orange Laurie Gates" coffee mug

2021 "Blue Laurie Gates" coffee mug

2022 "Green Laurie Gates" coffee mug

2023 "Yellow Laurie Gates" coffee mug

2024 "Teal Laurie Gates" coffee mug (This post)

See also my 740+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Kamala Harris" coffee mug by Justin Rothshank with Morning Glory Blend by Peace Coffee

Kamala Harris 2024! 💯 She's got my vote.

I've posted this mug before, but it felt good drinking a cup of coffee in it this morning. You can buy an official Kamala Harris mug by Rothshank on his Etsy store.

See also my 740+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Cobalt Blue" coffee mug by Milo with Lavender Earl Grey by The Northern Lights Tea Company 

Yesterday was Father's Day! And although I received a lovely coffee mug as a gift from my family, this isn't that mug.

My youngest took a pottery class at South High School in Minneapolis and crafted this fantastic mug. I'm super impressed!

He experimented putting some white glaze just on the top part of the mug and then dipped the whole mug in cobalt blue. There's a subtle line transitioning between the two blues. So nice.

It caught my eye in the cupboard and I ended up using it all day on Sunday, so it kind of felt like a Father's Day gift. 😂 I asked Milo if I could use it for my Mugshot Monday today.

For Father's Day, we went out for burgers, came home for ice cream, and had a great time catching up as a family.

All three boys aren't around the house at the same time like when they were younger, of course. So I really enjoy when we get together.

It was an awesome day.

BTW: I'm loving my new favorite Lavender Earl Grey tea from Northern Lights Tea Company. It's delicious. You can buy some online or they're in the skyway in downtown Minneapolis. Check them out.

See also my 730+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Best Dad In The Galaxy" mug by Tag with Ethiopia Light Roast Cold Brew by Peace Coffee

For those who celebrate, Father's Day is this weekend! It kind of caught me by surprise because I can barely comprehend that it's already JUNE. This year is flying by.

It made me think of this Father's Day mug I received from my oldest son a loooong time ago.

It's awesome because it takes the "Best Dad in the World" claim one step further by including the entire Milky Way galaxy.

Also, the font treatment on this mug has a subtle Star Wars vibe, and I love watching Star Wars with my kids.

I hope the weather on Sunday is nice so we can all go on a family bike ride to Sea Salt Eatery and get some fish tacos and hang out. That'd be an awesome Father's Day for me.

Cheers in advance to all you awesome dads! 🕺 ☕️

See also my 730+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Presidential Slogans Mug" by The Unemployed Philosophers Guild with Ethiopia Light Roast by Peace Coffee

No other US presidential candidate has ever run a campaign with the slogan, "CONVICTED FELON".

It's feeling like former president and current GOP front-runner Donald Trump may be unable to shake this new political slogan as it appears to be sticking. He was found guilty of 34 felony counts on May 31.

This Political Slogans mug was made in 2013, so it doesn't include Trump's MAGA "Make America Great Again" slogan.

I bought it after the the 2016 election, I had not realized that Reagan's slogan "Let's Make America Great Again" was co-opted by Trump's campaign.

So I thought it'd be cool to familiarize myself with these historical slogans.

I remember many of them from school like: "Who? Who? Hoover", "For a New Deal" and "I Like Ike".

But there were some others that I didn't know, like: "Keep Cool-idge", "Give 'Em Hell Harry!", and "Turn the Rascals Out". 😂

It doesn't look like mug maker is going to refresh the design to include modern slogans, but I'd make a case to go with the felon one rather than the MAGA one for 45.

Has someone created a red MAGA hat yet that says "CONVICTED FELON"? Guessing we'll see it soon enough. I think it's quite fitting.

Btw, for all you political nerds, here's a list of all the slogans on my mug matched to presidential campaigns. Enjoy!

Back to Normalcy - Warren G. Harding 1920

The Rail Splitter of 1830, the President of U.S. 1861 - Abraham Lincoln 1860

Who is James K. Polk? - Henry Clay 1844

Nixon's the One! - Richard Nixon 1968

I Like Ike - Dwight D. Eisenhower 1952

Grant Us Another Term Ulysses S. - Grant 1872

Keep Cool-idge - Calvin Coolidge 1924

LBJ for the USA - Lyndon B. Johnson 1964

Not Just Peanuts - Jimmy Carter 1976

My Hat's in the Ring - Teddy Roosevelt 1912

Tippecanoe and Tyler Too - Wiliam Henry Harrison 1840

Turn the Rascals Out - Horace Grealey 1872

For a New Deal - Franklin D. Roosevelt 1932

I Ask No Favors and Shun No Responsibilities - Zachary Taylor 1848

Win With Wilson - Woodrow Wilson 1916

54-40 or Fight - Anti-James K. Polk 1844

Yes We Can - Barack Obama 2008

A Cure for the Blues - Bill Clinton 1992

Let's Make America Great Again - Ronald Reagan 1980

No Crown of Thorns No Cross of Gold - William Jennings Bryan 1896

Give 'Em Hell Harry! - Harry Truman 1948

All the Way with Adlai - Adlai Stevenson 1952

Peace - Eugene McCarthy 1968

Who? Who? Hoover - Herbert Hoover 1928

AuH20-64 In Your Heart You Know He's Right - Barry Goldwater 1964

Free Soil Free Speech Free Press Fremont - John Fremont 1856

A Time For Greatness - John F. Kennedy 1960

No Third Term! - Wendell L. Wilkie 1940

Let Well Enough Alone - Willam McKinley 1900

See also my 730+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Olive Green Vego Garden Coffee Mug" with Ethiopia Light Roast by Peace Coffee

It's been drizzling off and on all morning on this Memorial Day in Minneapolis, but that's not preventing us from getting some gardening done!

We're aerating the yard, putting down new grass seed, and weeding.

And weeding. And weeding. 😭 Sooo many weeds.

We're also putting the finishing touches on our NEW Vego Garden 17" tall Metal Raised Garden Bed.

Our 16YO Milo and I put it together on Saturday when it wasn't raining. I actually put him in charge of figuring out how to build the thing. He did awesome.

The garden bed comes in modular pieces which means you can make just the right size for your yard. We built ours to be 2.5' x 9.5'.

When we bought this garden bed, I couldn't help myself from also adding a Vego Garden coffee mug (of course!) And it's looks just like the garden bed we bought. 😂

Milo had a little bit of the rubberized lining left over that you install on the top of the steel sides. He decided he'd make my mug even more authentic by installing it on the mug, too! I love it.

We moved the new bed to where we wanted the garden to be and then filled it up with lots of sticks and leaves and grass clippings, and then finally installed some top soil.

We like it so much, we just bought another one to sit right next to it! Can't wait to plant tomatoes, carrots, herbs, onions, and more.

Btw, you can get up to 40% off right now during their Memorial Day sale.

BIG thanks to master gardener Jennifer Rensenbrink who recommended this Vego Garden bed solution for us. It's PERFECT.

I love my new garden bed mug, too.

Cheers! 🤩☕️🪴

See also my 730+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "ELVIS - Lonesome Tonight" coffee mug by Nostalgia Collectibles with Ethiopia Light Roast by Peace Coffee

Here's the final ELVIS Mugshot Monday from my 4-coffee-mug Nostalgia Collectibles set given to me by my friend!

These Elvis mugs were one of many nostalgic marketing items sold during the Elvis 50th Anniversary back in 1985.

I'm not a huge Elvis fan, so the historical context I've explored with each mug has been fun to discover.

On the back of this mug:

Elvis recorded "Are You Lonesome Tonight" in April 1960, following his discharge from the Army. Its emotional talk-sing passage melted the hearts of millions and pushed it to the top of the charts. It won Gold Records as a single and as an LP.

This track didn't melt my heart when I listened to it this morning whilst drinking my coffee, but I can't deny it's a really good Elvis song.

Here's all 4 mugs from my collection: (Clockwise from top left)

"ELVIS - Don’t Be Cruel"

"ELVIS - Hound Dog"

"ELVIS - Teddy Bear"

"ELVIS - Lonesome Tonight" (this post)

Cheers! 🤩🕺 And thank you, Burl, for this awesome set of Elvis mugs!

See also my 730+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Woodfire Mug" by Lindsay Oesterritter Ceramics with Morning Glory Blend by Peace Coffee

You need to come over to my house when it's sunny outside and have coffee in this amazing woodfire mug made by Lindsay Oesterritter.

Only then would you be able to witness with your own eyes this amazing little layered universe within the glaze as you rotate the mug in the sunshine.

At the crack of dawn this morning, whilst enjoying my cup of Peace Coffee, I tried to capture how amazing this mug looks.

But the photos just don't do it justice.

I bought this mug at the annual St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour this weekend and got to meet the maker in person.

Lindsay Oesterritter lives and works out of her home studio in Manassas, Virginia, and was showing her work at Peter Jadoonath's studio during the tour.

My question for her was simple, "Why is this mug so amazing??" The answer was complicated and mysterious of course.

It's woodfired and the ash that hits these pots sometimes will create uncontrolled and incredible reactions. Lindsay said there must have been a smaller piece in front of the mug which caused the ash to miss the mug entirely in some spots and then cluster on other spots.

That's what creates the layers of awesome. "So it's unpredictable?"

Yep. None of her other woodfired mugs had the intensity that this one has, yet all of them had really amazing and individualized effects from the firing. It's like every one of them is a "one of a kind".

This one made me smile the most, so I bought it.

Thanks for chatting with me at the tour, Lindsay! It was excellent to meet you. And thanks so much for making this amazing coffee mug. 🤩 ☕️ 🙌🏻

See also my 730+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - “Dragon Mug” by Kristin Hill of Tin Hill Sculptured Pottery with Traditional Roast Arabica Coffee by Gëvalia

Since I can remember, my Uncle Jim has had an affinity for dragons.

Over the years, I’ve admired his incredible dragon mug and I finally get to post it for my Mugshot Monday.

We were in Milwaukee this weekend helping our 19YO move out of his Marquette University dorm and stayed a few nights at my Aunt Flo and Uncle Jim’s house.

Before heading back to Minneapolis on Monday, we got to hang out in their back yard this sunny morning eating pastries and sipping coffee. I used Uncle Jim’s dragon mug.

The maker is Kristin Hill, although I couldn’t find much info about her on the interwebs or social media. I did find a Google Map listing for her Tin Hill Sculptured Pottery business in Davenport, Iowa.

The mug is signed “K. Hill 2007”, which may be the year my uncle bought it. He thinks he found it at the Lakefront Festival of Art in Milwaukee back around that time.

This dragon on this mug is so awesome—I love how she’s casually laying across the lip of the mug and then her slender body and wings form the handle.

The more I look at this cup the more I love it.

Let me know if you have any current information on Kristen Hill and if she’s still making dragon mugs. I’d love to add one to my collection.

Cheers! 🐉☕️

See also my 730+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "CAFFEINATED" 24 oz coffee mug by "New Place New Space" with Morning Glory Cold Brew by Peace Coffee

I've never been a fan of these GIGANTIC coffee mugs that usually say "I've Cut Back to One Cup of Coffee a Day" or "I Like Big Mugs And I Cannot Lie".

I mean, they're super funny, but they're impractical and difficult to drink from. Not to mention your coffee gets cold before you're even half done!

This mug I'm holding is different. It's actually more or less a normal sized mug that has 4 extra inches in height added at the base.

I can even fit this one in my car's travel mug holder. Nice.

What's funny is it'd look like just a regular cup if I cropped the mug in half for my mugshot.

Don't get me wrong, this mug is still ridiculous! It holds 24 ounces of coffee and it did totally get cold before I was done drinking it.

But now I'm confirmed CAFFEINATED! 😂

I took a photo of the mug next to a 12oz bag of Peace Coffee beans for size. Yah, it's a big mug.

Maybe it's perfect for a huge cup of cold brew on ice during those 2 weeks in the summer when Minnesota gets miserably hot and humid? I'm going to test that.

How big is your favorite mug?

See also my 730+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Improving Minneapolis" coffee mug with Morning Glory Cold Brew by Peace Coffee

Last Friday, I attended my first Social Media Breakfast in probably 10 years! It was excellent.

The talk was at the Improving Minneapolis building in Northeast where Tony Tellijohn of Aktion Interactive spoke about social media marketing.

Social Media Breakfast (SMBMSP) is a monthly event where like-minded folks across the Twin Cities get together to share and learn about social media.

As their name suggests, breakfast is provided before each event: there are bagels, cheesecake, coffee and bacon. Sooooo much delicious bacon.

I've been out of the social media marketing world for about 10 years, but recently my wife launched Ying Spring Acupuncture, her new clinic in South Minneapolis, so I'm helping her with marketing.

Of course, a ton has changed in social from 10 years ago! SMBMSP moderator Jen Roventine asked great questions and Tony had great insights on the subject.

I'll be attending more of these breakfasts in the future.

This event was was kind of a reunion of sorts for me--I got to reconnect with some awesome humans IRL, like Greg Swan, Missy Voronyak, and Lindsay Valenty to name a few. I also met a lot of new folks as well.

I've known SMBMSP Director Mykl Roventine for a loooooong time, and it was so great to catch up with him a little before the event.

He found some Improving coffee mugs for a reunion selfie! 📸 ☕️

SMBMSP has been at many venues over the years, but I LOVE this current space at Improving Minneapolis near Northeast Athletic Field Park. It's nice and big, yet cozy and has plenty of parking. It's perfect.

I already picked up tickets to SMBMSP's next event on May 17 featuring Greg Swan & Jenny Swan: "Putting Humans Back in Social Media". See you there?

Thanks for my new coffee mug, Improving Minneapolis! Love it. ☕️ ✌🏻

Btw, check out this Mugshot Monday from 10 years ago on April 14, 2014 of me and Mykl! So awesome: Social Media Breakfast – Minneapolis / Saint Paul” coffee mug with special guest SMBMSP Director Mykl Roventine

See also my 720+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Mugshot Monday - "Little Toothpick Guy" coffee cup with Morning Glory Cold Brew by Peace Coffee

I'm in the process of learning how to make decals and put them on my ceramics. This was a recent test.

I made this little 4 ounce stoneware cup way back in 2019 when Jeff Oestreich was teaching me how to make handles in class I took at Northern Clay Center.

I tried making a one-finger handle and it turned out ridiculously HUGE. 😂

But it's a cute little cup and I love how the decal worked out.

I got a lot of help figuring these decals out because I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm testing a black-only decal with the help of Kip O'Krongly, and I'm testing out some full color decals with the help of Isaac Shue.

Each side of this mug has as decal from each artist's decal printer as a test to see if one printer was better for just black artwork. Both turned out awesome.

Kip and Isaac are AMAZING potters and you need to check out their work. They are also amazing people who have been SO helpful as I stumble along and learn how these decals work. Thank you!

I'd also like to give a shout-out to Adam at PX10 Pottery--he showed me how to apply the decals and he fired 'em up. Thanks, Adam! (You need to check out Adam's chicken plates if you have not already.)

If you're curious about the decal artwork for this test, I doodled that "Toothpick guy" stick figure on a syllabus back in the '90s during a Media Ethics lecture at UW Eau Claire.

The little stick figure later became the mascot for a 'zine I did in Eau Claire from 1992 to 1994 called TOOTHPICK. He was on every cover.

I made T-shirts, socks and stickers with Toothpick guy back then. Might as well make a TOOTHPICK coffee mug as well, right?

I hope to do more of these decal tests as I learn what I'm doing, so stay tuned!

See also my 720+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[bigboxcar]

Prototype Version 2: "Commemorative April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse Minnesota" coffee mug

I had a few ideas for this prototype right after I posted my Mugshot Monday last week:

Created a version for the "Back" of the mug to highlight our unfortunate overcast weather statewide on 4/8

Spelled out 'Minnesota" with a li'l 70% eclipse treatment on the 'O'

Thoughts? I'll get the decals made and fire up some mugs soon.

I can’t imagine anyone else would want one of these, but let me know if you're weird like me and want one. $10-$15 price range, dishwasher and microwave safe! (PM here, or email: [email protected])

👉🏻 Check out the First Version for this prototype published April 8, 2024: