I just love the colors you had on hand and the design you chose to use. It's really a nice piece! I think that the coppery grout would really bring out the colors, and will look forward to seeing your post when it's finished!

I've mentioned also (in a post) about the fuel costs recently and how it affects what we have to work with. I'm finding I'm really going through what I already have on hand (which pleases my DH, in hopes it may end up clearing a corner of the garage. Smile). It's working pretty well for me to pull out pieces I might not have used otherwise. It gets to me though sometimes when I want something inspirational and can't just drive out to find it. We're about 40 miles from shopping here. I'll probably do more looking on line, but it's the special unique little pieces that I find when I'm ratting around that I'm not finding there. Are you experiencing the same thing?

I really like this! You can get acrylic craft paint in the color you have in mind for your grout, and use it to color white grout. Works great!

very nice, I would suggest you might want a light tone grout or you risk dulling the luminescent quality of your gems. maybe do a test board with the same gems and try a couple different colors around them to see what you like. You have to remember that the sides of the gems get buried and if the grout goes too dark, it will darken the gems too

Oh, very pretty!!

daisyme, ladyronnie, shrty411 - thank you so much for your kind comments.

daisyme, dh is going to the grocery store tomorrow after work instead of me because he is already down in town for his work - it puts a burden on him though cause he is really tired after work so I have to pick up the slack in other areas for him. We are now trying to think of ways to conserve in other areas to make up for this rediculously high fuel crises. For instance, trying to save on food, clothing, not travelling on short day trips, etc. It really puts a crimp in your lifestyle. We are ven thinking of getting some chickens and rabbits to raise for food to save money. We already have a vegetable garden. The list could go on and on. I wonder if there is a forum for folks thinking along the same lines of how to conserve and save money?

ladyronnie, thanks for the tip on tinting grout with acrylic, I would never have thought of that.

nicethyme, thanks for the tip, I have enough glass gems left to do a test run with a couple of colors of grout - so I will try that beforehand - I knew someone with experience would advise me about something I didn't realize and covering the side of the gems didn't occur to me, thanks so much.

Linda

Bowl looks good so far! There is a forum on this web site called frugal ...something...

Thanks calamity j, I'll check out the frugal gardening forum.

Oh, how nice that is, and w/be better when grouted. How do you plan to use the bowl?

There is also frugalliving.com, if I remember right.

Check out my thread on sample grout colors where you can build a tile in your colors and try out different grouts. It's in the top 10-15 threads still (meaning it hasn't scrolled to the second page, not meaning that it's so popular! :)

slowmedown, thanks, I was just going to use the bowl as decorative on a coffee table, but I was also thinking it could be a bird bath, but it is kind of deep for that - I usually place a rock or something in deeper birdbaths so any critters can crawl out if they get waterlogged - the sides would be pretty steep.

I am going to a art fair the middle of June to sell some of my ceramics and I might take the bowl there to see if I can sell it - wonder what price I should put on it? Do you think someone would buy it?

Anybody have any ideas for the other bowl I have - its the same size - wish I had some broken china pieces. I may have to go to the thrift stores this week to see what I can find.

Thanks again.

ladyronnie, I finally figured out how to work the grout sampler, thanks for the link. I tried dark, medium and lighter grout and a lighter beige grout looks the best with those colors.

So nicethyme is correct, the darker color seemed to dull the overall look. The grout sampler has thinnner grout lines than the mosaic would have, but I still think the same principal applies. Glad I tried it.

I will check out frugalliving.com to see what it is all about.

Thx again.

if you put a rock or something in the bowl, will you paint it, or mosaic it, to match the inside of the bowl?
it'd be kinda cute to paint a gecko or something on the rock..I don't think the birds would catch on..

it's a very nice bowl for a bird bath. the grout I use is the sanded, premixed "antique white" one. it's a creamy beige color. so far, my favorite.

Your first mosaic? WOW! Ya did good! I really like those swirly globs and your design! Looking forward to seeing it grouted.

seaglassic, thanks - I am not sure I want to put a rock inside cause it would cover up the design, but maybe I will. I think I would paint the rock a turquoise color and paint the gecko the same color as the copper gems.

If I use the sanded grout - do you know how it will hold up with water sitting in it constantly? Also my birdbaths that are concrete sometimes build up scum and algea that I have to clean up once a week or so - if I use this bowl as a birdbath will it stain the grout and then I'll have a hard time getting and keeping it clean?

cindiloo, thank you, I think it was beginners luck - how could I go wrong, because the gems are all the same size. DH looked in the bowl and said "Some of them are crooked" - and I said "It's a mosaic they are supposed to be crooked". Next he's calling me an artist and in the same breath he said I have way too much "stuff" around here and that I need to get rid of some of it. So I am taking some of my creations to an art and craft fair to see how I do.

After seeing so many beautiful china plate mosaics here on this forum, I would like to make the other bowl with some of those (more stuff I need to get), so this next bowl should be a real challenge for me and not so easy to put together.

Any advice as to what I should do with the outside of the bowl? Paint it turquoise?

Here's what the bowl will look like with the copper tubing on top - I like it. I just have it laying there for now. DH said not to use wire cutters to cut the tubing or it will pinch it. So I have to wait for him to cut it with a hack saw or something. I am grouting it today.

How do you think I should adhere the tubing to the top edge. Use the grout? Or use clear two part epoxy or something like that. I want to get a good bond since the tubing is round and only a small portion will be against the bowl? Do you think this is do-able? I really like how the copper tubing coordinates with the colors.

{{!gwi}}

What a clever idea with the tubing.
I'm waiting for an answer to your question myself.
I would think that epoxy then grout would be good. Maybe thinset then grout?

grout doesn't have any adhesive qualities. I'd go with the mighty putty/ 2 part epoxy stuff.

Well I did it - I grouted it. Here it is with wet grout fresh from my little workshop (out on the covered patio - te,he). I used antique white sanded grout. It sure is gritty washing it off. I hope it isn't too tan when it dries. I thought pure white would have been too chaulky looking.

I'm so excited seeing what it looks like - this is all new to me - it look different than I thought it would. Please let me know what you think - did I do it right? I might have to touch up the edges a little - some of it pulled away when I pulled off the painters tape - perhaps I should have waited a bit longer. I'll post another one when it dries. Thanks for all of you for all the support and help.

{{!gwi}}