LOL - SILVA. I just posted and then saw your post. YES - where IS everyone. I'm still recovering from the trip - it was harder this yr. than last getting there and back, but it was my most enjoyable. I'm working on a planter I made, and w/post a picture today, hopefully, of the mosaic progress I made b/f leaving for PV. I don't understand either why the forum seems to have laid down and died. Wake up, y'all, and get to work.

I knew you were in PV. Welcome back! I enjoyed reading about your visit and looking at your pics. Just figured everybody else was down in the dumps because of the weather? Thank goodness we are having some nice weather now. My tequila bottle is coming along great. I will post pics this week. I've got three guitars lined up to mosaic.

I seem to be at a stand still on the seahorse, but maybe will get into chopping/nipping all the glass(20"x34"metallic green)this afternoon. I did work on building the frame for my florescent flower panel(posted on the garden junk side) then today it is puoring rain so can't instal(I'm super sick)Yuk! DS is here taking good care of me! Cindy gave me some really cool starfish that I may add to the seahorse base(she has a kiln and used some molds) I just can't wait for spring!!! It's gettin' here tho, cuz the weeds are growing!!!lol! Also my buddy Cozycat bought me a cement turtle to mosaic(she's like my biggest fan!lol!) that I will start on(to go by my pond when finished)

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Jane I just love your studio!!!! and what a great panel! Sigh.
Slow, I was waiting on you to return and I looked over your pics! Im glad you had a great time.
I have been working on a couple little things for exchanges on a FB group, but I dont suppose there is any harm in sharing here before the exchange.

I have been down also hated the weather .I could Yardley move my studio is a little cooler than the rest of my house so I stayed huddle up .
I have been working on something I will post pic soon.

Oh oh oh. JANE: I forgot to mention that CINDY included a starfish made from scrap glass, made in the mold you gave her for Christmas. I put it on the front of the lady above her heart spot. Some of the dichroic tiles she made went into the hat. I'm gonna really enjoy using them in my work here. WACKY: I love your "little" things - hat off to you for being able to work so small. I hope to post the PV pictures on Flickr today. It's been a slow recovery for me this year, but I'm coming back to life. JANE: Since you have an inside studio - rain is no excuse!! LOL. I love what you're doing w/that plastic. Only YOU w/have thought of that. It's gonna be 70 here today, so I'll be working in the garage. NANA: I know the word huddle very well - looking for an early spring. Get better and show us what you're working on.

I'm still working on the outdoor shower. I've stopped posting pics because at this point, I'm just filling in the sky. Progress is slow... it's a lot of tiny cuts on tiny pieces of glass. So you wouldn't see much progress even after hours of work. But it has to be done before I can grout. I'll post a picture when it's finished, pre-grout, and then a final one when it's grouted.

Yours has been an interesting thread to follow, JENEL, and we all wait expectantly for installation day. I know you'll enjoy that project for many years.

Keep on Jenel! I too am ready to start filling in the body of my seahorse, and maybe that isn't as fun as the Creating part so I am slacking!ha! If I can just remind myself that the most fun part is coming up...the grouting!!!ha! I LOVE Grouting!

I have been too sick to post! The entire family except for one has had this awful allergy/cough/cold/flu that lasted about 10 days. Finally I'm back to normal; 7 pounds lighter. I posted a pic of my tequila bottle - see link below. I need to grout it.

Here is a link that might be useful: silva's blog - tequila bottle

It's beautiful, SILVA. Love that pendant too. How didja do that? Take mega doses of Vit C to avoid colds/flu.

Just did a wall hanging in a canvas that's ready to grout.

Here is a link that might be useful: Silva's blog

Ooooooooooh SILVA - you've created a grouting nightmare. I LOVE it, BTW - so full of interesting things. I've seen other artists mosaic on canvas. Do you do anything special to it b/f applying the mosaics - like a coat of thinset? Using the back is a great idea - shadow box effect. How do you plan to finish the frame? I'm REALLY liking this idea cuz I have several canvases, and hate to toss them - knowing I'll never paint again.

Thanks, slow, yep, I've created a grouting nightmare FOR SURE. Seems that's what I do best is create problems for myself and then figure out how to solve them; that's how I mosaic! I think I've talked about this before; when I did that huge butterfly for the school, I ran out of the right color tile for the background and then had to go back and mix another color in, etc. It turned out well, but as usual I first had to create myself a problem to solve, haha.

As for the canvas, I am actually mosaicing onto Wedi board, which is cut to fit and inserted into the back of the canvas. Below is an article I wrote and there are pictures of the beginning of the process. I love doing this and will continue to do it this way, reasons being 1) the Wedi is so light-weight, and 2) the back of the piece is so nice and finished-looking, and 3) it's so easy to hang. When I run out of my supply of Wedi, I plan to try making my own, courtesy of instructions from Bama and Nicethyme.

Here is a link that might be useful: Canvas - Wedi method

I really like that bottle! May I ask what type of glue did you use? I have a large wine bottle I would like to do.
I'm working on a couple of mailboxes right now and a gazing ball made from a bowling ball. What type of glue do ya'll use on your bowling balls? Seems like I always have trouble with my glues. grrr

I used MAC glue on the bottle. I haven't done a bowling ball yet. If I were to do one, I would probably use thinset for an adhesive.

Oh, good. So it wasn't just me! It's been too cold to do much work in my shop, and rainy. I'm really getting tired of the rain. I did manage to finish a mushroom and start another:

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Also, I do most of my GardenWeb browsing at work during my lunch, but for a while they started blocking Photobucket pictures. Grrrr. You definitely lose a lot not being able to view photos on this thread. But they have released the ban (maybe too many people complained). So I'm looking forward to catching up on everyone's projects!

BTW, I'm thinking about taking a class in darjit at my local JC. Anyone heard of darjit? From the description, it seems to be pretty much cement sculptures using armature (a technique I haven't tried yet), but with a mixture that isn't quite cement. I'm thinking it might be fun to try armature with an instructor around, instead of going it alone, like I usually do.

Here is a link that might be useful: my blog

Hey, LORI: Glad to see you again. Your mushrooms deserve a thread of their own. They're beautiful. You gardens are wonderful. Have heard of darjit, but haven't a clue about it. Be sure to show and tell when you learn the technique. I'm hooked on the diamond lath/mortar technique, but w/love to learn another method of armature making.

I have read about that method, it seems that there is a place in California that has courses, and I was thinking of a "Art Vacation" to go to it....

Here's a link to my latest project, a wall hanging called "Passion." What do you think about the black and brown tile border? Does it conflict with the piece or enhance it? I'm leaning toward using these tiles.

Here is a link that might be useful: silva's blog - latest project

I really like the dark border, it shows off the colors very well in my opinion! This will not be grouted?

Its beautiful. And I like the dark border very much.
Kathy

Thanks for your comments. I will go with the dark border! I wish there was a tiny bit more room so there would be a space between the tiles. But there's not, so I'm just going to bump them together. I still plan on grouting everything; there just won't be any space for the grout to show between the tiles. I'm also grouting the center; I know smalti is usually not grouted but I like it grouted. Will post again after I'm done.

Ah! So it is smalti!!! Gorgeous!

BEAUTIFUL project, SILVA. You're probably half finished by the time I get around to a response, but have you considered cutting one color in the border in half to give room for a break in the two together. Whether or not, it's still a very beautiful border. I love the whole thing. The red smalti is gorgeous, and I love the other tess you've added. REALLY a spectacular piece.