That is really, really nice!!! How much does it weigh? What did you use to put the tiles on?

Adorable!

It is pretty heavy. I'd formed it around 5/8" rebar which was not at all sturdy enough to support the weight once I tried to stake it in the ground. Ended up way too top heavy. I had to drive another garden stake well into the ground then secure the rebar to it (as you can see a little in the top picture). However, I just got back from Lowes and have a whole new way of doing it going forward. I have three different widths of PVC pipe from 1" down to 1/2". I plan to form future flowers around the PVC. Then I found rigid conduit and/or rebar in widths that will fit into the PVC pipe perfectly. So now, my pole and my flower can be separate. WAY easier to make, and will be easier to drive into the ground if the piece isn't connected to the stake, like this is.

To make the flower, though, I just made the flower from hardware cloth, then covered it with mortar. It's pretty much the same thing SLOW does with all her creations, just on a smaller scale.

I love, love, love it! I already have two people who want to buy it, LOL

Question for those of you who sell your pieces. How much do you think I could charge if I were to sell these at an art show? This one is rather large. It's a 16" diameter flower. The materials cost me about $10, but there's quite a few hours of labor in it.

I have only seen mosaics for sale at one art exhibit (I need to get out more). The woman wanted $150 for a stained glass stepping stone that wasn't even that great! (This is California, mind you). Really, anything under $75-100 isn't worth my time, but I don't know if that's excessive. Smaller flowers would be cheaper, of course. What do you think?

It turned out cute!!Love it!! I would not sell it for less than 75.thinking more 95.00.When I do my mushroom and other things I use old water hose to stake my rebar on.I put it in the cement or what ever i am making pour around it .Works great.

Ooh, thanks Nanatricia for the tips. And I appreciate the advice on the pricing. Around here, where the cost of living is so high, I'm inclined to think I could price these at least $150 and probably get it. I need to get out of my workshop and go scout some art fairs, though.

WOW - you SHOULD be proud of this piece. It's just BEAUTIFUL. Doncha love it when something turns out that well that pleases you. Makes you want to do more - not I - I hate repeating designs. These really would look great spread over your garden, though.

Thanks! I've already made 4 more and a butterfly, in various shapes and sizes. I've had SO many people say they want one or would buy one that I'm exploring how to simplify the production. The hard part is figuring out what to charge. Having a number of sizes from big to little helps a lot. These big ones are a pain because of their size, but I think I could charge a lot for one, given I'd also be offering plenty of cheaper options. Anyone who balks at the price can simply buy a smaller one, heh.

I've also figured out to put a piece of PVC in the flower, so the pole can be separately driven in the ground then the flower just slips on it. Makes everything sooo much easier.

AND if I never end up selling any of them, I'll just have a yard full of mosaic flowers, LOL.

That turned out beautifully Loribee!

Love it! Great work!

Lori, love your flower. Read that ur trying for a better way to attach to rebar. I had a thot that maybe as ur building ur flower, could you add a plumbing pvc elbow near the top back of the flower before adding mortar? That way it is part of the flower and more stable. Just a thot. Good luck

Thanks, Kati! Yes, I'm putting a piece of PVC in the flower so now it sets on either rebar or a steel pole (EMT tubing) depending on the size. It works GREAT! And a friend suggested I embed a piece of wire in the back so people can hang them from a wall or fence if they'd rather. So I'm doing that too. It makes the construction soo much easier, and if I sell them on Etsy I can ship them without the poles much more cheaply.

Have not posted here in a long time, but wanted to say I make cement crosses that I then embellish with stained glass and I put a piece of 1/2" PVC in the center when I pour my mold. I print a small instruction sheet to give to the recipient. I tell them to FIRST put the rebar, that I supply for them, in the ground and then slip the cross on the rebar. It's amazing how many people look at me when I hand them a piece of rebar, They don't know what to do with it!!!!! And I figure will surely forget what I told them by the time they get it home. Each cross has a different lenghth of PVC, depending on the figurine I have used in the center, so I put the rebar in the cross and mark the depth with a piece of tape. I then spray paint the area that is to be left above ground for the cross to fit over and instruct them to put unpainted end in the ground. Copy of my instructions:

When ready to display your cement
yard cross, first push unpainted end of
rod into the ground till it reaches
the painted area. Leave the painted
end above ground level.
Now simply place your cross
on the rod thru the opening in the bottom.

Do Not place the rod in the cross and then
push into the ground.
Hope you enjoy your cross!

Love it!!! Too cool!!

OLDCRAFTY, thanks for the tips! It has made the whole process soooo much easier putting PVC in the flower instead of having the stake as part of the form. I like your idea of printing instructions. I will definitely need to do that, because any flowers I ship will not have the stake included, so I'll have to tell them what to buy in addition to how to stake it. Good suggestions!