Oh yea! Cookin with gas now!

Flag, again you all being many steps ahead is helping me from doing so much experimenting.

Glad to help! LOL I am learning as I go too. Thanks Y'all

No rain predicted today - I know you're outside working already and here I still sit. Pictures of your progress, please.

Ditto, even the sitting here part!

7/31/09 Here is my progress so far this am. I quit for lunch and a rest and will do more this afternoon. I am working the mirror on around and will put green in the space between the mirror and terracotta. I am still questioning what I am going to do on the back top. More later

Here is a link that might be useful: Today's progress so far

LOVIN' this. Looks great. You'll have that sucker ready to grout next week. Whatcha gonna put on top of the topper saucer? Re your pvc pipe, I'm thinking all you need to do is take your electric sander and rough it up in order to use thinset instead of GE II.

I'ts looking fantastic, what a statement . I love it.

I'll post the pix of my first try at making a post for my gazing ball later,. but i think i might have screwed up. I didn't take my pvc pipe out yet. Flag it looks like you took yours out right away. I've got one layer of concrete between the mesh...

Mer- Mine wasn't mad3e around pvc pipe. Check the beginning pictures and see that Slow formed this one round and then added a second layer. If you used a pvc pipe, why did you not just mosaic on the pvc? I wonder if you can get it out now? Better try before you cement the lath to it if you want to save it.

Looks like I am rained out another day. Blowing and raining hard...when it lets up I am going for my glass cutter and breaking pliers and get in the garage and cut up some more mirrors. I better get a bucket too as I have a lot to cut up.

Flag, yep even thought it is raining you should be able to cut lots of glass, can't wait to see the next step.

Can't wait to se what you do with all of those black rocks Slow brought you

Gosh I wish you you would send that rain hereto cent tex

You seem very creative. Great job!

Oh Flag it's looking good girl!!! Love the mirror!!! I'm using mirror in my current project and sure like it there too!!!! Keep those pics coming!!!!

Not a lot of progress today but I'll give it he** tomorrow. I am excited about finishing this baby.

Here is a link that might be useful: 8/2/09 Progress

Flag: More BEAUTIFUL everyday !!!!

Oh, my! Girlie, had I known you were going to use the rock so sparingly, I wouldn't have gotten you so many. I love how you used them here. You can finish today. Sure makes a difference when you have your tess all ready, huh? Betcha can hardly wait to grout this. Where's CALAM?

Not today Slow..perhaps finish tomorrow and the rocks are not used sparingly as of today. I even put some rocks at the top altho not the black ones.

Here is a link that might be useful: 8/3/09

Oh, I like it, I like it. Love the rocks. Betcha you'll finish this today and start grouting the top. Don't envy you there. No, wait - I'll bet you start the next one. Got designs drawn on it??? Sure is a wonderful piece for your garden, and I can just imagine the three of them together. See what time I'm up this morn? Been awake since 2:00, gave up at 3:00. Gonna be at Lowes when their doors open for mortar.

You aren't the only one up. I had to get up at 4:30 to take Janice and Jim to the truck. So, here I am drinking coffee and putering. I hope to finish this today. I guess I will use charcoal grout on all of it. I was going to try to use terracotta on the terracotta but doubt if I have that much patience.

Moving slow and working low today...trying to figure out what to do next to finish this monstrosity. I am thinking black/white checkerboard lower left. 2" squares. ???? I will try a little of it in am and see. Too hot out there right now. I like the inside cool.

Here is a link that might be useful: 08-04-09

GORGEOUS!!!! Lovin' the red. This puppy w/be finished tomorrow. As I said in my email - nail Juan's feet to the ground, teach him to grout so you can move on to the next fun column.

Good idea, I will do that..he needs to learn and I hate it.

OMG!!!! LOVIN IT Flag!!! Love the rocks!!!!! But U know mw I'm a rock hound so of course I would. And the solid red & w/the red & white @ top=== yasa!!!! Oh yeah blk grout for sure!!!!!!

Wow! It is looking so good.
My cousin has two 10ft colums made from PVC I think.
She glued a bunch of those fish that go in the pool to one and wants me to take the others.
I don't know if I have enough tessy!

Texasfern, Grab that column and run!!! The tessy will find you!!!heh heh! This is looking great Flag!!! I have a smaller version on the go, all I've poured is the globe so far, but have a tube to do to, it'll only be about 4ft high,...I'll be a mini you!!!!hee hee!!!

Fern- go to the builder's surplus store and ask for their broken and trashed tiles. That's where most of mine came from. The red were a bunch of sq and round plates Slow and I found on a trip to Dallas. The mirror I got out of the glass mans dumpster, and a bunch of tile from a contractor that were left over. It took me a week to break all of them but I still have some left for the next two columns. If you don't grab that, grab it for me. Maybe Slow and I can take a field trip and come that way.

I QUIT for the day. I have been rained out twice this am and just came in for a shower as the sauna out there is too much for me. I may go back out late this evening, but it will probably be in the am. Just a little bit more..

Here is a link that might be useful: 08-05-09 Progress

WOW!!! Looks fantastic!!! If only I could be the magic grout fairy!!!lol!I'd come to everyones place and grout for them!hahaha!

Yeah the mosaicing is done. Tomorrow or Saturday for grout and top. Don't like the saucer I have for the top but my sweet and wonderful friend Betty (Slow) has a larger one she will give me. That will be the topping on the cake, the grout according to Janeybo is the frosting. Sure wish she were here to ice this thing. Starting the next one tomorrow.

Here is a link that might be useful: 08-06-09 Finished with the mosaic

Congrats! I love your column. Have been wondering what your topper was going to be. Are you doing one or 2 more? A friend made 2 using field tile different heights and diameters with a third piece made from a table, more of a drum shape. Maybe I can get a pic.

Thanks Artglass, I would love to see a pic. I am going to use the saucer upside down and then a finial on top of it.The finial is metal and I am considering mosaicing most of it in mirror. I will post a pic of it later. Your friends columns sound neat. Want to see them.

FLAG: It's beautiful!!!! Love the rocks!!!! Looking forward to the other 2...!!

i love that column. you did an outstanding job,, and so fast..i dont know where you and slow get the energy. she must have slipped you some of her energizerbunnyjuice when you visited her

Thanks you all. Slow and I have the same metabolism as we both get up before daylight and have our coffee and then get outside before the sun gets too hot. By noon I am back inside or working in the studio. So I figure we give a project a good 5-6 hrs a day. I know a lot of you still work but when I did, I still got out early and spent a couple hours b4 work. I visited Slow today and got the bigger saucer for the top of this and will go out and place it on top and do a picture. I think this will be the perfect topper. I have a finial for it but am afraid it is too small proportion wise. I will set it up there and let you guys see and help me decide. My other choice is to crete a beachball and add a finial to it. I am thinking a lot of mirror on whatever finial.

Well Done!!! That beachball and finial sound good!!!

Here is a pic of the saucer Slow gave me and a metal finial I had. I am thinking of using this finial on top of the column but am concerned it is not chunky enough. I am also in a quandry as to mosaicing it and what colors to use. I have a couple of other options but would like your feedback on this one. Thanks

Here is a link that might be useful: Column topper

I love the topper, and tho I haven't been here too long I have been watching this amazing tower rise up. The saucer looks in proportion as does the finial. If I squint my eyes and look at it....to me it seems as tho the "neck" of the finial makes it look too "delicate" for the whole rest of things. Would it be possible to eliminate some of the "neck" and see if that might change what you are seeing?? Just a thought. Each artist has their own way of seeing it. Love the project and what you have done with it.Keep us posted.

Maybe I could beef up the neck with some thinset prior to mosaicing it. Thanks, I keep thinking it is out of proportion but couldn't put my finger on what it was. I think you may be right. Too delicate.

I think I have to agree it might need to be a little bigger. Maybe U could use this one on one of the smaller columns. But I sure love your column it's beautiful!!!

Thx Cathy- I am waiting for Slow to chime in here. I have been out scouting my studio and my stash places in the garage and I may have come up with a combination that will be larger. I will have to combine a larger ceramic ball, a different finial and I still need to find something for a neck. I have even considered a large vase I have as a base for the ball. If I go the component way I will have to cement it all together and then cover it all in crete prior to mosaicing. Tomorrow I will dig further. I know I have a tupperware stand around here that went with a large relish tray that will work, now to find it...ugh. I will take some more pics tomorrow of the various choices. Thanks

That thing is awesome! What beautiful work.

Gosh, wonder what you'll name it.

I have to agree with enlarging the topper.
As is it looks good, but we all know what we want.
You will find just the perfect "icing" for this beauty.

Here's some options, now I don't know. I would coat whatever with thinset and then mosaic. Of course put together w gorilla glue first.

Here is a link that might be useful: Topper Options

Oh YES! That is great, where did you find the beautiful finial? I just bought two huge tubs of stuff and still don't have enough. I think I have the "bug"...lol. I now have the "mantra".....if some is good, MORE is better!! This new combination seems to marry the pieces together with balance and weight. My eye only. :)

FLAG: I like it!!! It looks much more size appropriate. It's gonna be great!!!! Just hurry we're all anxious to see it topped!!!! LOL!!! Just kidding your rolling along like a freight train as it is!!!

Here is the topper all glued together and one coat of thinset slurry. Mosaicing will begin tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Here is a link that might be useful: Topper beginnings

HOly cow Flag.... you don't waste any time!!! I was just gonna suggest a penny ball or mosaic bowling ball and you've already got it together....you are amazing...

emtnest maybe on the smaller column #2 that I am working on. On top of it I think only a ball..then the third one of pvc will have an urn on it.

Love it, FLAG - Didja use a paint brush to apply the slurry?