Gorgeous - stunning!

OHMYGOODNES, GOODGRIEFGOODGRIEF AND GOODGRIEF!!! That is awesome. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. This is so beautiful, you don't NEED a design. What size is yours? It looks taller than the one I'm working on, which is 23" and 13" across. Aren't those suckers HEAVY??!! Did you use the thinset for the grout also? I've always used an artist pallet knife, spreading just a few inches at a time, cuz it dries pretty quickly. The Mapei is sooooooo sticky, so when I grout w/it, I really have to hurry, cuz it dries fast and the cleanup requires water instead of the dry-grout method of regular grout. BAMA, this is beautiful. You did soooooooooo well on this. Anxious to see it in place. Have you considered those huge concrete pads instead of the plant saucers? That's what I use, and you can mosaic the sides so it looks like one piece.

WOW!! That is gorgeous! I love that soooo much. It looks like it probably took forever but so worth it! How tall is it? Is it hollow? And can I have it? :)

Susan
That is amazing looking! It must weigh a ton with all that glass, and grout?

I'm sure you must have said somewhere, but I don't recall. What are you doing with these? Table base perhaps?

Had to look at it again, and when I re-read your notes, I noticed you're making a bird bath so 'scuze my stupid remark about putting a concrete pad on top. This is sooooooo beautiful - love all the color mix, a true traditional mosaic.

Oh my.... LOVE the pedestal! Love your garden/pond!!!
It's really spectacular, Susan!!! Can't wait to see it in place!
Katie

whoa... oh my GAWD!!!!

Bama, that is FABULOUS!!!! WOW! really beautiful work

Thanks for the comments gals! Yall made my day!

The size is 24" tall and 9" across. Yes it is hollow, but the clay is approx 5/8 thick. Yep, this thing is heavy as a BIG dawg.
I started to use the thinset as the grout, but chickened out since it didn't say anything on the container about it.
Slow, I used Mapei thinset, but its not the same as what you use. My Lowes doesn't carry that type, and they won't order it for me. I used my regular sanded grout. It's normally a light gray color, but I darkened it with concrete stain.
I will be placing it on top of a concrete stone when I position it in my garden to steady it. Do you think I should morter it to it? Or would it be best to pound rebar into the groud and position the pedestal over that?

Helen, this will be a bird bath base, but the table base idea sounds good too!!

Bama, your pedestal is BEAUTIFUL!!! I love it and am green with envy. Your artistic talents stand out on this. I realy like the multi colors and sizes of the glass pieces. Now who is going to take that off the table?

WOW!!! that is just beautiful! Is that a chimney flu, or something like that? I have never seen one that tall.
It came out so pretty, you did a great job.
Bianchi

Amazing!! Really beautiful! How long did you say you were working on it?

OMG, Bama....that is absolutely stunningly BEAUTIFUL! I love it! Wow!! Love your colors, the placement of the tesserae, everything about it!!! It's just perfect.
I wish I could find those (whatever they are called) around here. Maybe I should start asking about them....

When I apply the mortar, I find that craft sticks (popcicle sticks)work well for me.

I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this!

WOW!!!! OMG!!!!I do like that Ilove every thing about it.

BAMA, did you make the pedestal chimney, or did you buy something already in that size/shape? You may have addressed this in another thread, but if you did, I missed it, so thought I would ask you. It is truly gorgeous! Beautiful work.

Oh, that is so wonderful! I love it! I want to do one just like it! It's just fabulous!!

This is a chimney tile/liner. You can get them at a building supply store. They come in different sizes and aren't very expensive. The one I bought was $7.00.
{{!gwi}}

Wow bama that is busy!!! Busy being beautiful!!!! I'm thinking of putting it on my to do list...it has such potential!! Great job!!!

VEEERRRY NICE BAMA!! I could hardly concentrate on it tho as I saw the pond and the slate walkway/patio, Drooling!!!! I'm like Lyndalu, I like my popsickle sticks! Today I went ot my fave tile store and bought some Really Cool porceline tile, blues,blacks,yellows,reds, and some more copper slate, have finally decided on what I'm gonna do with my mushroom!!! Also bought some outdoor black grout and outdoor sealer, was a great time, it's now my FAV Store!!! And one of the guys told me about a new tile blade I might want to concider, it's 1/2 the thickness and cuts tile like butter he said. Just over $100 for it so didn't get it ...today...plotting sceming...obsessing... Also went to the ReStore and score more tile there for an experiment to cut leaf shapes. Here I am rambling on and wishing I had a gorgeous pond area like you do. And I love those chimney liners!!! I think they would look awesome in the garden, lending height to the eye candy!!!

OMG! Is that ever gorgeous! It will look soooo nice in your beautiful garden!

Gorgeous , wow that's a real beauty, it'll look so good in your garden,
Cindy

I agree with what everyone else said...love the colors and I'd also like to know who is going to move that to it's final resting spot! LOL

I have a question though, we have freezes here in Michigan and I was wondering if I used one of those and glued my stuff on with thinset and grouted with it to, would I have to move it into the shed during the winter? Or maybe cover it up???

Barb

Barb, myself, I don't trust ANYTHING in out in our strange weather!! Of course, if I do this wall, it'll be outside all the time!!

I've heard covering is worse because it traps the moisture..hence more problem in the freeze part of the cycles

If I make one, I'm making DH drag it in the shed ;-)

Maria

THe pedestal is just over the top BEAUTIFUL! But that yard...who keeps that up? Show us some more pics of that!

The yard is my project. We moved into this house March. I do not have a job yet, so I devoted all my time into landscaping.
I did a pond, with LOTS of stone work. A Pennsylvnia blue stone patio..set in our sandy soil, and flower beds.
DH knocked the end of our deck off to extend it down towards the pond. It's almost finished, but he's slower at projects than I am!
Here's a link to my photo album. Feel free to browse around.

Here is a link that might be useful: Back Yard

oh, BAMA.......your home and gardens are just stunning! You did a fantastic job. I bet you really get a lot of enjoyment looking out at that.

Oh Susan... it's absolutely gorgeous! What a huge job... and it's turned out to be spectacular! Can't wait to see it with the addition of your pedestal and birdbath! Love that style of home, too!
Katie

I could SCREAM!!! I LOVE Every picture!!! The house, the patio, the pond, BEAUTIFUL!!!! Soooo inspiring!!! I quit my job and it's almost been two months and I've barely scratched the surface of my landscaping project! I have GOT to get out there!! Thanks you so much for posting! There are so many beautiful homes and gardens on this forum!!! Inspiring! My place is so Plain Jane!!!

Bama I've been gone this weekend but just looked at your pedestal and all your pictures.I am breathless and can't say any more than what's been said already .What a beautiful job youve done and how perfect it will look in your beautiful yard with your beautiful home..did i say beautiful too many times? I think not enough BEAUTIFUL!!!Annie

I absolutly love it bama. now youve got me motivated to start my pedastals for my birdbath and BB! I was thinking about taking my mold that I use for stepping stones and just stacking them and using my epoxy mishap as well since it bonds so well with concrete that will be my glue, then each layer will be a different color alternating with a mirrored row in between.

How come my free form mosaics don't look like that ! LOL

Your's is to die for . Awesome !!!

Thanks gals!
I went today and bought a concrete birdbath top for it. It's just a simple round one. I got it home and DH doens't like it, which made me not like it either!
I really need a square one to go with the shape of the base.
This area has a lot of potteries, so I think I'll contact some of them and see if someone could make one for me.
I thought about concrete also, but am not sure how to make a mold.
Any ideas?

I do love your garden .You did a great job .A lot of work .I know I have done it .
About the BB top you can get you a box the size you want it to be .Line it with plastic Get another box smaller to put in side 3or 4 inch smaller .pour some of your cement mix how ever thick you want it at least 2 in. Put your box in the center start putting cement a rouhd it .Then let it dry and tear the box off .You can do all kinds of thing with it .I would mosaic it to make it water proof.I have seen one some where don't remember where.

Hey BAMA! I REALLY like your pedestal. That design is right up my alley. A thought on applying thinset. Because I didn't know any better, the way I did it when I mosaiced my cowboy boot, was to put it in a ziploc bag, snipped off the corner, and apply it to each piece like cake icing, in a little blob. VERY SIMPLE. My hands stayed clean, and once I figured out how much I needed to not squish out too much from under the piece, I had very little cleanup to do. I'll do it that way again for sure!

Veronica

PS Looking forward to what you do for a square birdbath. I thought right away that a square topper would look best.

ZIPLOCK!!!! Why on earth didn't I think of that??
Well now, I'm off to buy a box.
Oh, on the concrete for the birdbath, do I use the quick crete stuff with the rocks in it, or is there some other type?

Susan
I think using those for the base of a table would be fantastic! But now I see my oversight where you mentioned the birdbath. ~: )

Bama, that is gorgeous! Your birdbath/pedestal will be right at home in that beautiful setting that you've created. Fantastic job on both!

Cindy

That is a beautiful piece. I was going to show a picture of my cement "monolith" I covered with glass, but you have put mine to shame.

OH NO YOU DON'T, SIRIUS! Don't you do that! We better be seeing some pictures from you. Since you must be new - WELCOME to the best forum in the W.O.R.L.D.