My Newest Mosaic

Some time ago I bought this ceramic plaque (lower right hand corner of mosaic) knowing
that I would use it in a mosaic one day.

It has sat on my shelf now for nearly a year and I finally found a lovely rustic metal cross to go with it.

I kept the theme more organic and used earthy colors for a more subtle appeal.

Until Next Time :)

Chris



Customer's Photos of Custom Mosaic

Doing a custom mosaic is always a challenge because you have so many variables going on, such as colors, patterns and overall design that you just hope what you have in the end is what your customer wants.

Thankfully this mosaic was a take-off from one I had in my shop.  The size changed as did the dish tiles and some of the coordinating pieces,  but the overall design was the same.

My customer wanted a large mirror for her bathroom.  This one finished out at 28" x 32" with a 22" mirror in the center.  Fortunately I was able to purchase such a large mirror at an IKEA store.

I just got the photos in my email today from this custom  mosaicI did several months ago.  The woman was pregnant and her baby was due the following month so she was rather busy.

Here are the photos she sent to me.

Custom Mosaic -Adding the Shelf

My husband embedded the little half salad plate into the base of the mosaic  and glued all around it.  We had to let that dry before applying another coat of glue which has taken several days to complete.  He finished it off using some wood filler so once I finish with filling in the rest of the design I can grout around it and it should be good to go.

I also painted the back black not only because I like a finished piece, but to camouflage the Spackle on the back from the plate.

This is a photo of the plate just laying on top.

Here is the plate embedded into the wood.

Back view showing the wood filler.

Tonight I hope to complete the mosaic and have a photo of it emailed for approval.  Once I get that I will grout it, which will take at least two days to cure, then clean it up and ship it out.  I take a toothpick around each tile, gem and doodad in each of my mosaics.  It takes time but I believe the finished product is worth it.

My next post will be on grouting.  I hope to be doing that as soon as I hear back from my customer on the design.

Until Next Time. :)

Custom Mosaic Continued

I have started piecing the tiles to fill in around the main design.  This takes time and patience as you want to get them as close together as possible and there are lots of curves to go around.

I found some fun bright yellow dishes with a royal blue pattern and I thought it would be the perfect thing to go with this mosaic.  I used them in the fan design at the lower left side.  They are rather thick dishes and would be too much of a variance in height for many of the tiles, but it works when you have the gems butted up against them.

The photo above is upside down so I could work on filling in the top.  I decided to glue what I have down and let my husband get the half plate embedded on the bottom (for a shelf).  He will need to cut out the area I have sketched in and set the rough edge of the plate down inside the wood.  He will then fill in any areas with wood glue and let dry overnight.

Next my husband will sand down the glue so that it's flush with the mosaic front and back.
After that I can finish it up and see what my customer thinks before I grout.  At this point I can still change things around a bit.  Hopefully this will be good to go.

The dish tiles on the bottom of this photo are very similar in color but have a completely different design.  One has light blue polka dots against a darker blue and one has light blue swirlys against a darker blue background.  It keeps the continuity and flow but creates more interest.

I'll show you the little "shelf"  once it's dry and sanded.

Until Next Time. :)

Custom Mosaic Part 2

Just getting the feel of the design.

I changed the tiles a bit and have added my flowers.

I have been working pretty steadily on this mosaic and have it partly laid out.  I have changed a few things from the original drawing, but it will still have the same look when I have finished it.

My customer wants lots of bright and light colors so I am doing my best to keep to that.  I cut the flowers out of the checkered pattern dishes to keep the country feel to this.

The pencil markings toward the bottom are where the shelf made from the salad plate will go.  I just want to be sure I don't tile over that area.

Just a few more to lay out and I will run this by my customer to make sure we are on the same track.  If she is good to go I will probably glue down what I have to keep it from shifting while I design the rest.

I should have my progress here on my blog in the next day or so.

Until Next Time. :)

Help Me Decide

I could use some input on the color of grout to use in a new mosaic I am working on.

Originally I planned on grouting the entire thing in white but now am thinking of using the white at the corners and a lavender in the body of the piece. The lavender would make the lavender triangle tiles fade into the color rather than stand out.

Let me know what you think. I appreciate any input.

3 DAY SALE in My Mosaic Shop

I am having my bi-annual sale through the 4th of July in my mosaic shop.  Most of my inventory is marked down 10-20%.

Here are a just a few of the pieces that I have placed on Sale.

Only for 3 DAYS so if you want anything be sure to get it before the sale ends.

Happy 4th of July to all of you.  May each of you have a safe weekend.

God Bless,

Chris

"Arizona Sunset" Mosaic Mirror

This is my newest mosaic. I call it Arizona Sunset because the colors along with the designs at the corners remind me of watching those spectacular sunsets when I lived there years ago.




The floral tiles were the focal point of this piece as I just love the colors and pattern.

This is the best picture of the 10 different ones I took. It's getting harder and harder to find a place to get a decent picture without using the pool as background. Sometimes the foliage around the pool is overpowering and takes away from the design.

Does This Look Like a Bird to You?

I haven't been on the computer much lately so I thought I would at least post my newest piece.

My husband thinks this looks like a bird with white tail feathers.
I guess it can be anything you want it to be.

Hope everyone is well.

Ocean Deep-My Newest Mosaic

A few weeks back I showed you my WIPs on this newest ocean-themed mosaic.

I ended up changing a few things around as the rectangular mirror I had in there to begin with was making the piece entirely too heavy. I opted for a 12" round, beveled mirror which actually gave me more room to put the design.

This is my interpretation of things found deep in the ocean from the little crab to the sand dollar. I also added a broken pottery vase and some "sea leaves".

The brown and blue with white beach pottery came from Australia and is just perfect for this theme.

It took me a long time to complete this one but I really enjoyed making it.

I'm Having a Spring Sale

I have decided to have a "Spring Sale" in my mosaic shop, Memories in Mosaics, and have featured some of the pieces that will be discounted until the end of the month beginning tomorrow, March 26th.

Here are a few that will be marked down anywhere from 15%-20%, so if you know someone who might like to get in on a good deal, be sure to let them know.

Hafteam Featured Artist

Handmade Artist Forum has some amazingly talented people who are very devoted to their work and to the handmade movement. One such artist is CJ Grand of The Grand Design.

With her background in sci-fi costuming and her love of jewelry she has managed to combine both worlds and make some wonderful steampunk designs. Truthfully, I have seen a lot of this style of jewelry but never understood it's beginnings until now so I am pleased to be doing a spot on CJ's shop.

So, for those of you who may not know the origins of "steampunk" this is what I found:

"Steampunk comes from the science fiction-fantasy literature world, originating in the 1980's. The term steampunk denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, with elements of science fiction or fantasy added."The meaning of the term has been broadening into a cultural and artistic movement. Steampunk now includes items that have a neo-Victorian steampunk style--clothing, art, jewelry--all using 19th century accents such as time pieces and clockwork parts.


You can definitely feel those two worlds coming together in these first two photos, which are the same piece-front and back. This lovely little lady is surrounded by Swarovski crystal jewels then mounted on an ornate vintage pocketwatch. I think CJ's ideas are truly amazing and I love how she works her designs throughout the piece in stages, right to the very back, as in this one.

To me, this design is the epitome of steampunk jewelry with it's detailed inner workings of a watch mounted on a lovely silver filigree then mounted again onto a warm copper. I really like the two metals working together on this piece.

You can also find CJGrand on her blog and maybe get a little more background on this amazing artist.

My Newest Mosaics

Here is one of my newest mosaics. This is a rustic metal tray that has a distressed expresso brown finish.

I love to combine the patterns of dish tiles with the various glass and ceramic tiles so that is what I did with this one.

My signature jewelry is embedded in here as well. It is the muted sage green earring with a little silver criss-cross over it toward the bottom.

My husband thinks this looks southwestern because of the rustic metal and the turquoise and copper colors used. What do you think?

As promised, I have taken a picture of the blue floral mosaic mirror and am posting it for you to see in the white grout.
Personally, I think it could have gone either way, black or white. Black grout would have given it an entirely different look and I wish I had two of them so that I could do one in black just for fun.
It would have defined the mirror more but I like the airy feeling of the suttle blue floral tiles. I also like that the black mini mosaics on the corners show up by using the white.

I changed out the glass tiles around the focal piece at the top for the 3rd time.LOL

I thought the black would be much better with the white grout.

It was tough to get a good picture, not only because this is a very large mirror, but the skies are overcast and dark and didn't lend any light to the situation.
So here it is:

I place a cute little cobalt blue lady bug on top of one of the tiles for whimsey.

The black circles with gold around them are parts of a bracelet. The round knob was handpainted and can be used.

Grout Picked for New Mosaic

Experimenting can be fun but also very time consuming. After I so carefully grouted the edges in white I still had to let it dry and pick out the overflow with a toothpick as you can see in this picture all along the border tiles.

Another time I will plan this in advance and make a more definite border to hold the grout.


I didn't want to do a huge area with the black grout powder so here is what my experiment looked like. It's hard to tell in this small shot, but it was looking too busy for me along with the edges done in white.

In this photo I tried the white powder and feel the overall affect is better. It keeps the body of the mirror more solid and the edges more "lacey". The dishes have enough colors to carry off the white in my opinion.

I will be finishing it today and will have pictures for you.

I also just finished a cute metal tray that I will put up on my next post. I would love any comments as to the tags I might use.

New Ideas for the New Year

Now that we have entered the New Year I am thinking of making some changes. Not in the "New Year's" resolution kind of way, but with what direction I want to go in regards to my mosaics as well as other interests I have boiling on the back burner.

One change I have made recently is I have opened 2 more shops on Etsy; Memories Mosaic Supply, which carries a variety of personally selected hand cut dish tiles, focal pieces, half cups and vases and Memories of Yesterday, a vintage shop that will have a variety of memorabilia, keepsakes and collectibles that Ralph and I have accumulated over the years.

When my mother-in-law passed away several years ago we brought home approximately 30 boxes of memorabilia from her life as well as her boys. There was nearly every toy my husband and his brother ever owned up in her attic along with costume jewelry from the 40's, 50's, and 60's. She also stored everything that was left to her by her sisters so you can just imagine what all we found.

Of course we use many of the gorgeous serving dishes she accumulated and we certainly are keeping anything that is of sentimental value, but there was just so much of it that we decided to go ahead and sell it. We both believe she would rather we took a fun vacation or something of that nature rather than to continue to house all these pieces up in our attic.

Another idea I am tossing around is adding a jewelry line to my mosaic shop as well as specialty pieces for the various holidays throughout the year.

I would love to hear what your plans are for any changes to your shops.

Your Trash, My Treasure

I have decided to add a segment to my blog called "Your Trash, My Treasure" because I am always finding things in the thrift stores that just need a little bit of help to be a treasure to keep.

I found this darling little Noah's Ark Picture frame that was dusty and somewhat faded in the colors for 1.99. This is a sturdy ceramic frame so I think it will last a while.

It's a perfect gift to give my little grandsons for their room as it has 4 different slots for pictures. One for each of the 3 boys and one for their mom.

So, I took it apart and cleaned the frame and spruced up the animals with a bit of paint and changed the colors of the ark, the little bird on top and the cat to give it a little more contrast. I also used a different blue for the water and the waves.

Here is the result. It is suttle, but it is much brighter and the colors are richer. Now I just have to find some pictures to put in it and give it to my grandsons.

Talking Mosaics at the Mosaic Cafe

When you are an artist and seller on Etsy you have the opportunity to join teams and groups where you share a common interest. In this case it is a love of all things mosaic.

"Talking Mosaics at the Mosaic Cafe" is a group of very talented artists who come together to share their techniques, advise, support and sometimes failures. It's a place where you can express your opinions, show off your newest piece, or just talk about your everyday life.

I have been with this group a very short time, yet they all have made me feel welcome and connected as though I had know them for years so I wanted to take the time to showcase the talents of these wonderful women. I have mentioned before how it truly amazes me that our creations are so very different yet we all have the same resources at hand.

These photos are just a hint of the wonderful mosaics you will find in their shops. Many of them have more than one shop, so please stop by and take a look. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Just click on the photo.

RedCrowArts


JoyfulArtStudio

Domosaics

Julen

Artsyphartsy

MosaicSmith

Memories and Inspiration

We all have memorable times in our lives and I would bet most of you have little items throughout your home that you cherish because it recalls a memory of a time that has passed. It could be a photo of your parents or maybe a dish you received from your grandmother. It might even be a drawing one of your kids made that's hung up on the fridge. We all have personal keepsakes of some kind to remind us of the good times in our life.

Many of my personal keepsakes are in the room where I do all my creating. I love to be surrounded by them and it gives me a smile each time I look at one of these very special pieces so I thought it might be fun to share some of them with you.

This is a purchase I made at the "Williraye Studio" when my husband and I went on vacation with our friends in 1992. We did a 10 day trip to see New York and Pennsylvania.

This is a caricature of my son, Justin, when we stayed at the Excalibur Hotel in Las Vegas when he was about 9 years old. He still has the hat he wore. I remember how excited they were on that day because Michael Jackson was there and they got to see him up close as he played one of the games in the arcade area of the hotel.

These are cutouts of my sisters and I (I am on the left) that an artist did for us when we went to a fancy Mexican restaurant in California, where I grew up. Even as young as I was I still remember thinking "this guy is fast", because he whipped all three of these out in about 20 minutes. Amazing!

This is my hand print taken in 1963. This was a popular trend when I was young.

My older son, Travis drew this tree with the birds in it when he was just 6 years old. I saved it because I was so amazed that he could draw so well at his age. To this day he still loves to draw and has a wonderful imagination.

Travis bought this doll for me about 8 years ago to go in my "Titanic" room. I am an avid collector of the original Titanic memorabilia and he thought this doll's costume represented what they might have worn in that era.

I have many more wonderful pieces around my home and in my studio room but I just wanted to share a few of them with you.

Next time you walk through your home take a moment and really look at some of the keepsakes you have and see if you can recall a memory of the past.