In The Studio - Part Two

It might get a little quieter from In The Studio for the next week or so. I've got a nice big project I'm working on and it will probably take a little bit of time to complete. No complaints about that! I love to create and this is going to be so much fun!

But first, I'd like to share the glass-on-glass 6 inch plate I put some stained glass on this week. It's about ready to be grouted and will go into the online shop soon!

I love these colors! Iridescent light amber, yellows and orange glass.

I made a sphere a few years back and have had it sitting here waiting for inspiration to hit. It finally has, I'm happy to say and although it will still be taking up some room in my cramped space, it will be a beauty once completed!

This 15 inch ball will get covered in mirror, glass and china in the Flower Power design.

And here we gooooo!!!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

In The Studio - Part One

Over the weekend, I finished up all the grouting of items I wanted to list on Storenvy. I love the blue grout a lot! It's called "Starry Night" and has a grey/blue hue to it. I'm always happy when I decide something would look good with it.

Isn't this grout color awesome?!

I've gotten all the mosaics I wanted to list on Storenvy over the past week. You can find the newest items: small peace sign ornament, the scrap glass cross, the sun switch plate cover and these below.

Evening Moon

Blue Glitter Mosaic Star Wall Hanging

I also finished up the celestial design I was working on.

And to think ... this was once a discarded kitchen cabinet I found leaning up against the dumpster.

Isn't it gorgeous?! I'm thrilled with it and am happy to have it completed and hanging on my wall.

Now that the muse is resting, I'm looking at the things I have here ready for mosaic magic. I am honing in on an 15 inch gazing ball I made a few years ago that has been prepped and ready for something fun. I'm thinking maybe it needs some Flower Power! Kitty thinks it's boring as it is now ... boring enough to nap through my taking this photo.

It takes a lot of time and tess to do these guys but it's always worth it. We love gazing balls!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

Promo Blast!

There's some new items on Storenvy this week. This is one of my favorites, because it's done in scrap glass, which is a favorite way to mosaic.

Mosaic Cross Wall Hanging - Scrap Glass Mosaic - FREE SHIPPING Within US - $38.65

This cross has tons of tiny pieces of scrap stained glass on it, some glass rod pieces and decorative glass gems too. The big piece of beautiful blue stained glass in the center has foil wrapped around it. It was a piece gifted to me by a stained glass artist a few years ago as a failure to them. To me it looked like it would fit perfectly in a mosaic some day.

Sides and back are painted in black.

My scrap glass mosaics don't often last long in the shop. People love them! And so do we!!

I love making mosaics and crosses have always been something people ask for in mosaic form. Whether you want one or many for your wall, need a gift for your children's favorite Sunday School Teacher, want to give a special holiday gift to your favorite parishioner or your minister this mosaic gift will be appreciated gratefully.

Keyhole on back makes it ready to hang. Signed and numbered (#18).

Measures 9 x 6 inches

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

In The Studio - Part Two

Working feverishly on my celestial design has made me so very happy! I'll be collapsing in a heap very soon but it will be worth it. I've done a tremendous amount of work on it, in a very short amount of time (approximately 6 days, 15 hours so far).

I love this so far, really, truly I do!!

I have a small pile of mosaics now sitting here in the "to be grouted" pile. I decided to grout a few of the things I want to add to the online shop next week.

Sun 2 toggle switch plate cover

3 inch peace sign ornament

9 inch scrap glass cross

The scrap glass crosses often sell quickly. I imagine I'll make another one soon. I've got tons of scraps!

I've started my campaign to get subscribers for my new monthly newsletter. Those who receive my blog posts and/or have "liked" my Facebook Pages probably get all the info needed through those. However, if you'd like to join, please feel free to do so!

Subscribing is easy. There is a form on the right here on my blog for you to fill out. You will get an alert through your email letting you know the form was submitted. And you will get a newsletter monthly starting in February from ArtByEarthMotherMosaics@gmail.com so look for the announcement that it's being sent first here.

I've gotten a few replies from friendly netizens through Facebook and a few Etsy customers too. I'm thrilled that some folks want to go on this new adventure with me as I learn to navigate my way through a new online venue with my mosaics. But it will also be a chance to share the photography items as well. I'm excited to see what 2015 will bring!

Have a wonderful weekend. There's possibly more snow predicted here and the gkids are excited. They would love to see piles and piles of it to play in. I enjoy seeing life through their eyes.

SNOW!!!!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

In The Studio - Part One

It's been another busy week so far, filled with much mosaic making magic!

I finished putting tesserae on my little cardboard box house. I love it, truly, I do. It was fun to create and I will definitely be making another one.

Grouting will be a little challenging but it can be time-consuming no matter the shape of the mosaic. This one will take time to clean, I'm certain.

I finished the custom ordered scrap glass mosaic and it is just about ready to head out towards its new home.

photo taken from inside of vase --- this shows why I like to do the water/glue treatment before grouting - very little seepage of grout went beneath the many thicknesses of glass pieces I use for my scrap glass mosaics

sitting proudly in the morning sun ... isn't it gorgeous?!

I've been working on a new mosaic over the past few days. A new sun/moon mosaic! Yay!

This was once a discarded kitchen cabinet before I grabbed it at the dumpster near our apartment complex. Now it has a D-ring attached to the back and will be a beautiful piece of mosaic wall art once completed. Woo-hoo!

I have some new things going to the Storenvy shop once they are grouted and each piece gets their own photo session for the listings.

3 inch peace sign ornament and cross both done in scrap glass

glittery star has a D-ring attached and will hang on my wall with the other celestial designs until it is purchased

2 toggle switch plate cover - sun

2 toggle switch plate cover - moon

There's lots of grouting in my future but it's all worth it. I love how grout makes my mosaics come together. Grouting will probably happen over the upcoming weekend. Fun!!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

Promo Blast!

Mosaic Stained Glass Plate - "A New Horizon", Abstract - Mixed Media -

FREE SHIPPING Within US - SALE - Item Price has been reduced - $130.00

The title of this is "A New Horizon". I imagine standing towards the edge of a cliff where I see grass, hills, water, sand and rocks. It's a new beginning, a fresh start and an inspiration in one 12 inch mosaic stained glass plate.

When this is turned it completely changes perspective but no matter how it's placed, it is quite beautiful.

Stained glass colors used are green/yellow, amber, white/light blue and aquamarine.

I love making mosaics on discarded items; transforming them into something beautiful and unusual. Such is the case for this mosaic. Very small hand cut pieces of stained glass are placed on a discarded 12 inch microwave plate and grouted.

This plate is meant to be shown in sunlight. I used to call these plates suncatchers, but traditionally suncatchers are hung in the window to grab the light. My plates are heavy and hanging is not recommended nor do I craft them for that purpose. They look fantastic sitting in the window in a display dish holder (not included).

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

In The Studio - Part Two

The vase I put the water/glue treatment on before grouting is drying nicely. It should be dry completely by the end of the weekend.

As you can see, the milky spots of glue are just about gone

Using some of my earnings from the recent custom order, I purchased some glass tiles. A few were on sale, making this a fun visit to my favorite website: mosaicsbymaria which has a nice selection of tiles and sheets of glass at prices I can afford.

On December 31st, the end of the year sales were about finished up but I happened to find a 30% off coupon through Monster Mosaics and grabbed some really cool substrates!

The cat is a clock. Below the really cool square peace sign is a plaque that comes with a hook sturdy enough for a purse, tote bag or leash. And of course I had to get a new sun and moon! I like to have more than I could ever possibly mosaic around me. It's the beginning of a GREAT year!

Here's some progress pictures of the cardboard box mosaic. It's going to be so cool!

The sun hit the mirrored roof in the afternoon

Ceiling reflections from the mirrored roof on my house mosaic

one side is finished

It's pretty obvious that I had little to no planning with placement or design - but I am having fun!

I had no idea in which direction, design-wise, I was going with this and it shows. However, I knew it could possibly all collapse within itself when I started which is why I picked stained glass and mirror (not as heavy as some tesserae) to use for my first attempt. I have a second box I can use to do this treatment and I will try using a more thought out design. And maybe broken china.

The sky's the limit!!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

FACEBOOK ANNOUNCEMENT

ANNOUNCEMENT: This is the last day I'll be sharing links to my shop on Storenvy through my Facebook Page due to the new rules recently issued through Facebook. I can't afford to buy ads through this site, which means I can no longer show you links of where I sell my work on it.

Instead, on my FB page, I will share photos and share info on what I do and how I do it. Similar to what I am now doing, only no links will be included.

At this time, I'd like to ask those customers and folks who like seeing what I do once in a while on Facebook, to please private message me with an email address where I can stay in touch to show you links of new items, sale items or share a coupon code. I will be using my email address: earthmothermosaics@yahoo.com and send all who sign up, a monthly newsletter showing you all things relating to links of new items through Storenvy, Society6 and Zazzle.

I know this will take time and you might not want to share your email address with me. I understand this entirely and would never spam anyone intentionally. But it may be the only way you will see what I am selling on Storenvy, etc.

For those folks who have purchased items through Etsy you will be receiving an email from me soon asking you to consider signing up for the monthly newsletter. Keep an eye out for it and please respond before the end of January.

If I'm reading the info correctly, I will still be able to share my blog posts for free. In case that changes, I would suggest signing up for blog posts soon. You can sign up for posts to be delivered to your email address and never miss a thing!

Meanwhile, as always, I will continue to create art and enjoy myself while doing it. Nothing's changed except how I can share what I do. Those who are interested in continuing to see what I create, please send me a message and I'll put you on the list.

The newsletter begins in the second week of February.

Thanks so much for your attention and consideration! As always, enjoy the moments.

Cindy, EarthMotherMosaics

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy

In The Studio - Part One

It's been a busy week so far. I love busy weeks!!

I got all the scrap glass on the custom ordered mosaic vase.

The next step for this beauty is to give it a preventative measure of watered down glue brushed onto it. Although I used MAC Glue to put the pieces of glass on the vase, I used a PVA white glue and water to do this treatment. This watered down glue treatment is so worth the time it takes to wait for the white glue to dry to clear. When using MAC it doesn't take quite as long as it would had I used white glue for the entire vase because the MAC stays dry (dries after a few hours from application). I just added this mixture with a brush and can already see how much grout bleed would have happened had I not done this (see photo below). It's still possible some grout will get through. I use small pieces and all uneven for my scrap glass mosaics. In any case, this step will help the grout from seeping in here and there behind the pieces. Worth the long wait of a week+ for the mixture to dry! The art of making mosaics is patience.

If you look closely you can see milky spots behind some of the pieces. That should, hopefully, be what prevents grout from seeping through those spots. This is not 100% fool proof. There is always the chance that the water from the grout can still bleed through in spots. But this prevents much of it and worth the time and patience it takes to wait for it to dry before grouting.

The memorial plate, "Sammy", was gifted. The new owner held it to her heart when she saw it. It made me very happy to see that reaction. It was what I hoped for.

I've been experimenting with something a little bit unusual. I read recently that someone used a cardboard box and created a mosaic on it. Once treated with the proper things, it became sturdy enough to sit on.

That got me thinking about what I have around me and what I could experiment on to give this theory a try.

I am a big cookie fan. When I was able to handle wheat, it was not uncommon for this Nana to always have cookies. Once I switched over to gluten free products, through trial and error, we found the best cookies I've ever had. Aleia's Love of Artisan Food cookies are the best I've ever had. EVER. Their packaging is quite nice too. The box they package these delicious cookies in is very well made and just basically cool.

I found my substrate! Taking some mesh, I covered up a few spots. And then covered it in plaster cast strips.

Once they were completely cured the box was fairly solid but still slightly flimsy. I decided to cover it in cement, as I normally do when using plaster.

The result is a really cool shape (a house!) to mosaic on. It is sturdy! I'll be working on covering this cool house for the next few days.

And now I'm eyeing all the cool shapes around me both in box form and plastic containers. Oh my goodness ... the possibilities!!

Support Independent Artisans, Designers and Crafters for your gift-giving needs all throughout the year. Thank you!

Stay peaceful,

Cindy