From The Studio - Wednesday

Zen time at the work table is a necessity for me. There are times when I zone out and forget to write blog posts or forget to share the ones I've written. Such is the case this past week. I didn't write a post on Friday nor did I share Monday's post with the usual social media gang. Still and all, I'd like to say I enjoyed the time at the table as much as I always do. And therefore, the Universe is smiling.

Here is the large candle holder almost completed and ready for resting and allowing the glue to dry before I grout.

A few days ago I was moving around the small 3 inch ornaments that I haven't yet put any mosaic magic on and decided to use it on a small project.

During one of our gatherings here in our home, one of the rambunctious children knocked over a wine glass that had "Happy Birthday" on it. Knowing I might be able to do something with it, later after the party, I was asked if I could maybe make a mosaic out of it or use it in some way? Indeed I could!

I started cutting up the pieces, some mirror and stained glass in bright colors matching the lettering in the broken glass. I cut off the stem of the wine glass and used it as a base, put the small sphere on top and started in on my quest to take something broken and make it into something magical and new.

I was able to get most of "Happy Birthday" and some candles on it and then used the rest of what I had to decorate the sphere in an abstract way.

This was a fun thing to do and fairly easy! Grouting color will be decided soon. I want to use a color that will compliment, not fracture the pieces or make it too dramatic. While it rests, I have time to figure that out!

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

 

Stay Peaceful and Let The Sun Shine In.

 

Mosaic Monday

Mosaic Stained Glass Vase, Lotus Flower, Bohemian, Flower Vase, Hippie, Mosaic Candle Holder, For The Home, Wedding Gift - 8 x 3 Inches

 

Lotus Flower Mosaic Stained Glass Vase. Petals are in all different hues of blue in stained glass; all hand cut. The center is a piece of depression glass from a broken plate. Around the flower are green/blue and purple stained glass.

This is such a gorgeous mosaic vase. From top to bottom this mosaic is filled with small square and flower petal shaped hand cut pieces. I'm very proud of this vase and it's beauty. The mosaic muse really came through for us this time! Rich concentrated colors inhabit this beauty.

Use this vase with natural light when you meditate. It's a great mandala to study and creates a wonderful Zen feeling. Especially when a candle or lights are inside. Flowers look beautiful in this vase or it can sit on a shelf or windowsill and shine on it's own. Add some LED lights inside for a nice table setting or as added interest for a corner in any room. Pull this out for special occasions or use it every single day. We love useful and decorative art.

This vase is handmade with love and one of my favorite mosaic decor items to create and give.

DO NOT SUBMERGE IN WATER.

Measures 8 x 3 inches

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

 

Stay Peaceful and Let The Sun Shine In.

From The Studio - Wednesday

It's been a busy week at the work table. Gotta love these days!

I'm working on a glass-on-glass large candle holder as a gift for a sweet family friend. She provided the vessel and I am providing the rest.

Red, gold, black and green are being used.

Adding what I call "confetti" in glass.

She sent me some helpful color swatches in photos to use as I make the mosaic.

Got the purple heart for the donation to Florida finished. The original one I was working on came out pretty badly due to thinset getting all over the top of the glass. I wasn't able to get it cleaned off properly. So, starting over was the only option.

This 5 inch heart will be sent to Orlando very soon for the mural in honor of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016.

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

 

Stay Peaceful and Let The Sun Shine In.

 

Mosaic Monday

A good example of my favorite mosaics to create is included here in my blog post today. I love using discarded items and creating something new with them. Giving new life to them is one of the best feelings in the world. This glass mosaic plate was once a useful microwave plate used every day to cook and/or heat up food being fed to a family with love. The love continues in a new way here with this mosaic.

Mosaic Stained Glass Plate, Mosaic Plate, Trivet, Fall Colors, Earth Tones, Abstract Mosaic Art, For The Home, Autumn Decor - 15 inches - $100.00

This is an abstract stained glass mosaic made using photographs I took of leaves throughout the fall season from my favorite tree in the apartment complex I once lived in. I taped them all together and placed it on the bottom of the plate and added stained glass colors representing the colors of the leaves; following the color scheme more than the actual shapes of leaves and trees.

No matter how you turn this piece of art, it completely changes perspective. Honestly, no matter how it's placed, it is quite beautiful. Stained glass colors used are all the colors you find in nature during the fall season. I hand cut every piece of glass in this mosaic.

The photos show the process of creating this mosaic using photos I had taken of my favorite tree's colorful leaves. You can see the work-in-progress before the mosaic was completely finished as well as the final results.

 

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 were placed on a discarded 15 inch microwave plate and grouted, creating a work of art.

This plate is meant to be shown in sunlight. I have been known to call these plates suncatchers, but traditionally suncatchers are hung in the window. My plates are heavy and hanging is not recommended nor do I craft them for that purpose at the moment. 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 and Let The Sun Shine In.

Business News - Friday

I just ordered a bunch of nifty postcards to include with sales before shipping them out. I used Visaprint and a even niftier coupon making these most affordable. I love them.

50 glossy postcards for less than $15 (shipping included).

I'm sharing the old business cards I still use. I'm considering changing the logo photo since I've changed the name. However, I really do love this photo of the gazing ball and it's reflections here.

On the table, after the hearts are completed, will be a large glass vase I'm putting mosaic magic on for a dear friend. I'm using some awesome glass for this one. I'm exciting to work on it when the time comes.

Here's the glass (including a broken red vase from my stash) that I purchased for this vase.

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

 

Stay Peaceful and Let The Sun Shine In.

From The Studio - Wednesday

Happy Valentine's Day! Appropriately, I started working on the first heart I'll be donating to Florida. I'm very messy with thinset and get frustrated because of that, so it's taking me a little time to get through it. However, I'm positive once it's entirely filled in, I'll be very happy with it.

Here's the progress photos from the beginning to where I left off yesterday afternoon.

Because I have trouble cutting a straight line freehand, I use a white tealight candle to draw the lines before cutting.

The wax is easy to clean up and off of the glass and the scored lines are much straighter.

Hearts and flowers.

Mesh is cut to fit and taped down over a piece of plastic and the drawing.

Placement of the glass gems was done first.

The flowers start to form.

Messy thinset but once completely filled in, I'm hoping I can clean it up a bit.

Next Wednesday I'll share the progress and hopefully it will be finished!

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

 

Stay Peaceful and Let The Sun Shine In.

Mosaic Monday

It's Mosaic Monday, the new weekly post from my blog. Yay!

I'm starting off with one of my favorite mosaics that I've made. "Finding The Joy". I created this in 2009.

This is a 10 x 10 inch mirror filled with colorful stained glass, glass tile, glass gems and mirror. A single stone with the word "joy" has been included.

This has done a little traveling over the years. I used to bring it with me when I taught basic mosaic classes and recall one person signing up for the class saying: "I want to do THAT!" pointing to the mosaic mirror.

This was listed in my Etsy shop the first time around, also in 2009. Today, 9 years later, it's headed toward the Etsy shop once more!

I'm really excited to include this once more in the shop.

 

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

 

Stay Peaceful and Let The Sun Shine In.