I doubt that this style will work for you but you asked for it.

Ellen--have you checked out the backsplash slideshow on the Finished Kitchen Blog? It should give you lots of good ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: FKB backsplash slideshow

Our kitchen is very modest compared to others here, but I'll post my pic anyway. I did an accent stripe w/ 1" wide black tile, up and over the range, and made a 'keystone tile above it. I couldn't seem to find the black tile I wanted, so I bought black subway tiles and cut them down. It's not finished in this pic, but it's the only one I've got. The white outlet cover didn't work at all, but I found some pewter-looking ones that look nice and match the brushed nickel hardware on the cabs.

Here are a few images.
Hope they help.
~boxerpups

Here's mine, but I used glass subways.

Here is a link that might be useful: backsplash

@Boxerpups: Where did you find the fourth picture??? I love it! Very close to my new kitchen!

this is all we did in the end, originally I wanted a ton more liners/decos/etc. However I found them were insanely expensive, so we ended up with just the liner around the range and put in some monochromatic mosaic inset. Some of them are iridescent so they shimmer IRL in certain light.

Here is ours.

Oh Boxerpups! That sage-y green in the period kitchen makes me tingly! Do you have any other pix of that kitchen? Or a higher quality image of that one?

Our granite has movement over the whole surface...no big veins just lots of tiny details. We were originally going to use some accent tiles but they tile people recommended to keep the focus on the granite and not to compete with it. You don;t need your eye to be draw to two different things right next to each other.

We went with a beige 3x6, to go with the toasted almond cabs and greyish counter.

For something different...

Thanks so much to everyone for your posts-there's some awesome ideas I would not have thought of! I still have a few weeks to decide, so please keep 'em coming! :)

Our kitchen, and our house, are quite simple, and so is the backsplash. Plain bisque colored subway, with black marble mosaic.

I think the green tile retro kitchen is from This Old
HOuse. I do not have any more pics.
Sorry
boxer