In The Studio

I've been in and out this month having very productive times and not so productive times. That is what recouping is about for me. Energy comes in waves, stays only a short while, and heads on out again so I can rest a little before the next wave.

I'm excited to share the news that I'm working on selling my mosaics directly through this blog. Each day I add a few to it's own dedicated page and once I am happy with how it looks, I'll share and promote/market and post often about what's new on them. I've started with new pendants I've been working on. Some are shown below.

I realized at the end of last year that I've been searching for new venues to share my work and I've missed a great opportunity to set up shop right here on my blog. When I write daily during the week, I share my blog with all my favorite social media sites. The chances are just as great to make a sale this way because someone sees the shop tabs as it is when I share new listings on Etsy.

I made my first sale in my 2nd shop yesterday. I am so excited about it!! My first customer ordered two mugs which go to a lab for printing very soon. I opened the 2nd shop in November 2013 and am so glad it didn't take a year, like the 1st shop, to make a sale!

When I've worked, I've been painting, putting mosaics on switch plate covers and pendants too. Small projects are okay to do; the muse is happy, I don't get overly exhausted and I'm creating which is the most important thing for me to do when I'm tired and/or in pain.

Here's the paintings, done on 2.5 x 3.5 inch MDF in acrylics. You can purchase them directly from me if you are interested. They aren't listed anywhere yet but are available. Each one is $25 a piece. If you're interested, want more info or have questions, shoot me an email at earthmothermosaics@yahoo.com any time! I always respond within the first 24 hours of receiving email. If you don't hear from me within 2 days, let me know through here or on Facebook. You can also send me an email at cindywhitephotos@gmail.com which is dedicated to the 2nd shop.

"Poppy"
3.5 x 2.5 inches
Acrylics

"Pansy"
3.5 x 2.5 inches
Acrylics

"Iris"
3.5 x 2.5 inches
Acrylics

Double Switch Plate Cover - Blue

Single Switch Plate Cover - Scrap Glass

These are waiting for grout
Top Row: Single Switch Plate Cover - Blue
Bottom Row: Double Switch Plate Covers (L) Scrap Glass, (R) Green

Lots of pendants are being made for people who want handmade Valentine's Day gifts.

All pendants are $21.50 now through the end of February.

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

Stay peaceful,

Cindy of Earth Mother Mosaics and
Cindy White Photo Art

Mosaic Fun

I've been having fun this morning gathering up everything I want to do today.

It is grout day, hooray! If I don't get too tired, I plan to grout quite a few things, including the Buddha. I've changed my mind again about what color to use. Once he's grouted I'll share photos. He's staying with me, by the way. I like him too much to sell or give away. He's my gift to myself.

It's a grouting day!

I'm also finishing up the 6th cross along the sides with tiles. I've changed my mind about this too, thinking I'd paint the sides instead of adding glass tiles. Letting things sit for a few days is always a good thing for me. It makes my final decision a good one, almost always.

Green glass tiles getting glued to the sides of cross #6

I used some resin on the unglazed ceramic tiles I painted. I'm still not sure if I'm a resin fan, but I know many who are. It is extremely messy to work with. It does, however, give a nice shine to jewelry and protects it as well which is why it is so widely used, I believe. I do think I'll use it again. I have a tendency to change the color of grout on pendants after a few years, so using resin on everything I make probably won't happen. However, using it instead of grout, for instance, is something I'll do again.

Messy work - resin will need to be scrapped off the backs - yuck

Random question answered: Every so often someone asks a question on one of my favorite social media spots about how to do something relating to a crafty project. Quite often, I have the answer mostly because I've experimented with it myself to figure out how to do it.

The latest question was how to get a hanger on a small styrofoam ball being covered with a mosaic if a wire won't work. Well, I have the answer to that one!

If you are interested in making small mosaic ornaments to give or keep during the holiday season and want them to hang securely, glue ribbon or jute on the ball, making a loop for hanging, BEFORE you add any tess to it. Once the ribbon, jute, string, what have you, is dried onto the ball securely, start filling it up with whatever you'd prefer to use as your tess for the mosaic. Once grouted, the string is definitely secure on the ball and can hang quite nicely.

The other alternative if string or ribbon isn't available is to skip the string altogether and make 3-5 small balls placing them in a nice wooden or glass bowl on a table as a display. Someone offered up placing them on a mirrored tray when they made them. Nice! I gifted many of these through the years but unfortunately don't have a photo to share.

If you are going to try something new when it comes to a mosaic craft and you need a question answered, send me an email. I may be able to answer your question and if I can't, I am positive I'll know someone who can! I'd like to share questions/answers from others here on my blog because once in a while having a reference to something you want to try in the future is a great thing.

Stay peaceful,
Cindy, Earth Mother Mosaics

Burning Midnight Oil

Technically it was midnight electricity but I did have a small burst of activity late in the day that didn't exhaust itself until close to 4:30 AM this morning (Wednesday). My grandson woke me close to 8:30 AM, so I am slightly blurry-eyed this morning as I write this post.

I do have a few photos to share, although taking them before coffee, with no sunlight and very little sleep makes them slightly boring, the good news is I have something to show.

I thought I would go into full blown creative mode. I was surprised to find that although the spirit was willing to try to get some work accomplished instead of sleeping, my brain was not quite as cooperative.

Way before the sleepless frenzy began, late in the afternoon, I worked on the 6th cross. This one has some pretty colors in glass and mirror on it and will have that heart piece of jewelry shown in the photo (it had a clip on the back before I removed it) placed on top once grouted.

The plan was to work on at least 2 more in the wee hours and I had the mdf shapes sitting next to me, ready to go but the muse was not willing, so instead, I grabbed some paints and decided to continue with some dot painting.

Before I share the dot painting work, I should explain a little about the substrate I used to paint on. A few years ago, I had been given 3 boxes of unglazed ceramic tiles by a dear friend. Her husband had redone their kitchen and had many leftover tiles. With his blessing, she sent me what she could find, knowing I'd use them for mosaics. I did use them but they are solid and require a wet saw to cut. I don't have that kind of tool and found it too difficult to come up with new ideas on how to use them in my mosaics. I pushed the boxes into a corner and left them alone.

Unfortunately after the last move, I seemed to have misplaced all 3 boxes (hoping they are in our storage unit) but found a small amount recently in a baggy and decided to keep them visible. I thought perhaps I could use them in a different way then I had been using them now that I had discovered dot painting.

Not knowing the gift of jewelry supplies was headed my way, I thought I could use them as pendants, putting maybe a piece of glass on them, dot painting a few, add bails to them and there ya have it! A pendant!

After I put glass on the cross above, I grabbed a few tiles and tried dot painting on them. I only made a few but I found I liked the idea.

2 inch by 1 inch unglazed ceramic tile and acrylics

Within 24 hours of that thought about what to do with these tiles, I had more jewelry making supplies than I ever imagined I'd have sitting very near me, I still had these tiles and the thought to do dot painting stayed with me.

Out of 10 tiles I made in total between the afternoon and in the wee hours, I like 5 enough to share. The 3rd photo below was actually started in the afternoon but I finished it when I worked on the rest shown here.

I'll have to add the glue/water combo to protect them and I can sign the backs after I add the bails. And now I have a lot of neck chains to use for these, so that's a wonderful thing!

I do think I'll have to try to convince my daughter to go with me to the storage unit soon to look for the boxes of tiles I know I still have somewhere in there because I think I have stumbled upon a pretty cool idea and want to experiment a lot more. And of course, if I like them enough to sell them, they'll get listed soon.

I'm really not sure how productive I will be today or if I'll rest all day and work again tonight to have another late night jam session with my muse but I am pleased to see that I'm still thinking of ways to use what I have in a new and creative way. No matter the time of day.

My motto will always be: recycle, re-purpose, reuse, restore.

Stay peaceful,
Cindy, Earth Mother Mosaics

Theme Tuesday: Sales!!

The theme this week is all about sales at Etsy!

My jewelry sale is still going on. Use the coupon code: IHEARTYOU at checkout when purchasing any jewelry and you'll get 14% off your order.

The frames shown here have been reduced in price. They are leaving the online shop(s) at the end of the month.

Take advantage of these sales while you can! The next sale won't be until July!!

Ocean Blue Frame

Orange and Copper Frame

3 Cheers Pendant

Belt Buckle - Cross

Stained Glass Daisies Pendant

Copper Mirror - Ring

Stained Glass Pendant - Yellow

Stay peaceful.

Cindy, Earth Mother Mosaics

Theme Tuesday: Beach Cottage

Here's some fun beachy items from my Etsy shop. Some of these items may not be traditional but all would look great in a beach themed room. On days when you want to bring the beach with you, the pendant would help you to do just that!

Happy Tuesday!

Beachy Blue Aquamarine Pendant

Abstract Wall Art

Mosaic Ocean Blue and Sand Frame

Mosaic Seafoam Green and Shells Frame

Small Mosaic Art - Ocean Waves

Small Scalloped Dish

Stay peaceful.

Cindy, Earth Mother Mosaics

Happy Tuesday!

I'm excited to share some new jewelry I just listed last night. In truth, it's "new/old" --- nothing I've listed in wearable art is "new/new". I promised myself I'd make more pendants soon, however, because they are so much fun to make!

Mosaic Copper Pendant - Blue, Star Burst, Orange - 1.5 x 1 inches, Price: $30.00

https://www.etsy.com/listing/117037366/mosaic-copper-pendant-blue-star-burst

Mosaic Copper Pendant - Orange, Red, Yellow - 1.5 x 1 inches, Price: $30.00

https://www.etsy.com/listing/117037785/mosaic-copper-pendant-orange-red-yellow 

 Mosaic Pewter Pendant - Beachy Blue Aquamarine - 1.5 x 1 inches, Price: $30.00

https://www.etsy.com/listing/117038435/mosaic-pewter-pendant-beachy-blue

These make great gift ideas, don't you think? Hint, hint, wink, wink. :)

 

Be at peace.

☼-EarthMotherMosaics
©2012 Cindy White, EarthMotherMosaics