Tesserae Tuesday

I wanted to show the glass that I recently purchased through a shop at Etsy. I love this color combo for the larkspur or delphinium I'm going to attempt to mosaic.

Originally, I had glued the printout to the board I'm using but I didn't like the way the design came through under the glass. It still will do that, but with the drawing, it won't be as obvious. It seems a bit daunting to me at the moment but once I get going on it, it should be fun.

I've learned to go with the flow, so whatever happens as I am creating this flower, it will all be a learning experience. Every mosaic I make has something to teach me.

It was difficult to get a good shot of it for some reason. It looks more blue than purple here but it is periwinkle and will look more like that when I use it. The other glass is a beautiful iridescent glass in light blue violet. These two combined in this mosaic will be pretty cool.

My kitty, Baby, decided she wanted to see what I was doing as I had all these things where she could get to them on the blanket chest.

Little Miss Nosy had to sniff everything. Including the lamp. But this photo above shows the glass colors a little better and the green glass I'll use for the stems.

Final inspection. Kitty approved. On with the creating!!

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

Tesserae Tuesday

Last week, I shared some of my favorite tesserae. I use so many different things, I decided to break it up into two posts.

I left off with: My favorite tesserae is whatever I'm using at the moment. I love dish tiles when I'm using them as much as I love stained glass when I'm using it. Mirror is a favorite as well.


Dish Tiles:

"Cactus Joe" - a birthday gift for a good friend

Spring-themed decorative birdhouse using dishes, an old flower brooch and some Mardi Gras beads

Recycled:

An old jug found at a thrift store using hand cut mirror and stained glass

Broken Mirror:

Stained glass, dish tiles and mirror were used for this wedding gift

Tempered/Crash Glass:

Tempered glass or crash glass as some call it was used on top of colorful foils. I added glitter. This was the start of a beautiful friendship using tempered glass, paint and glitter. The love continues to grow to this day.

As you can see by these examples, there are so many ways to create mosaics. I've had some fail horribly but most of the time, when I experiment, I am usually pleased with the results. This particular piece of art isn't a mosaic but was an experiment. It's called "A Dreamer's Fleeting Moments" and is done with tempered glass, beads, found objects, mixed media, paper, pens, paint and glitter.

The best part about this: it's done on a piece of Styrofoam that came out of a packing box. I covered it in many layers of thinset (cement).

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

WIP Wednesday

Do you remember where the Magical Mosaic Unicorn began?

From a coloring page drawing, I transferred the design onto a board and began to build.

 Using stained glass, broken juice glass pieces, mirror, ball chain, the mosaic started to come together.

After grouting in white, I thought she needed something but I wasn't sure what.

Although I loved how she looked, she blended in too much with the background.

The final decision was to paint the unicorn in purple and sprinkle her in glitter.

The Magical Unicorn was gifted a few days ago to the little girl I made it for (who happens to be in the house at the moment) and she loves it. I neglected to get a photo of her with it, but maybe I will in the future.

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

Tesserae Tuesday

Over the years, I've used many different things to create with.

Buttons:

Some of the buttons on this one were vintage

Martini Glasses:

I called her "Olive" :)

Wine bottles:

Made for a group challenge online and gifted to extended family in NM

My favorite tesserae is whatever I'm using at the moment. I love dish tiles when I'm using them as much as I love stained glass when I'm using it. Mirror is a favorite as well.

Next week, on Tesserae Tuesday, I'll continue sharing favorite things to use in my mosaics.

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

Tesserae Tuesday

This is a glass-on-glass project that will head to Etsy once grouted. Here, I'm sharing some work-in-progress photos and the final mosaic in the pre-grout stage. Because it's glass-on-glass or GOG as we like to call it, the glue will dry slowly.

I always used a PVA glue which goes on white but dries clear. I prefer this glue, mostly because it's economical but also because it lets me know when it's time to grout. Once the areas are free of white spots, it's time.

Using a pattern I drew and taping it to the back of this 13 inch glass plate, I was ready to start gluing down the stained glass. I picked jewel tones in light blue, many shades in green, dark blue in two shades and three shades of yellow.

Filling in around the design was a lot of fun. This glass was gifted; it's 3 or 4 layers of Youghiogheny Stipple (I believe). Beautiful colors swirl throughout the sheets and cutting it up into small pieces for my use made it really interesting. You will see, even before grout, the way the light plays throughout this mosaic.

Mosaic plate ready for grout and kitty approved!

This plate is so rich in color. Earth tones around the outside, jewel tones within. I truly love the combination of colors. It gives me that bohemian style feeling that I love so much.

The highlighted area shows spots of white glue which means it's not yet ready for grout.

Look for the finished mosaic on my website in a week or so.


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

From The Studio - Wednesday

It's been kind of difficult to share what I've been working on recently as it is a gift for a long-time friend who likes to read my blog posts. Special friends like that are hard to find, but I want her to be surprised when she receives her belated birthday gift, so until she does, I won't share it here.

However, other work on the table has been going along at a nice clip. I've done a lot of grouting over the past few weeks and have 2 more flower plates to grout before I can get them photographed and listed.

These plates are looking really pretty. Very happy with the results.

Finally managed to grout the red ornament and it's now happily in the window.

I also finished up the wall art I was working on. It should be listed as soon as the Camera Goddess wakes up. Right now the Mosaic Muse is taking center stage. But it sure is pretty!

I really hope to get this listed before the end of the week.

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

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.

 

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.

 

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.

In The Studio - Friday

It's been so long since I've worked on a glass-on-glass project! I like to do a few to "warm up" the old muse's muscles a bit before making the few I really want to make. I have learned over the years that the first time I go back to something I haven't done in a while, I hardly ever like the result. Now instead of ripping off all the glass and starting again, a bit more frustrated than when I started, I make sure to have extra of whatever I am working on when I can. In that way I can play a little bit, get my hands used to cutting glass again, and also allowing myself the chance to really just go without much thought.

Blue scrap stained glass.

This week I am working on candle holders. Two, I will be gifting. One is going to a silent auction charity. I will mention more about it and share what I've made as the time gets closer in a few months. The other is going to a family member and I'd like to surprise them with it but chances are they will see it before it's gifted because I share so often on social media.

The first candle holder I'm working on is just a warm up. It might get listed on Etsy if I deem it worthy, although it doesn't have to be perfect. I'm doing it just for me and will gladly display it with the other candle holders once it's completed. I am enjoying slapping down glue and glass and just going for it. Always the most fun for me.

Purples and blues are being used for this one.

Perfectly imperfect!

I am having fun!

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



Stay peaceful and Enjoy the Moments.
Cindy, Earth Mother Mosaics