I wouldn't even try...buy her some white paint and paint it on the already black table.lol. Tell her you need something a little more plain. Do a search for mosaic tables on google and see what you come up with that she might like.

I agree with flag about not attempting this pattern....to much cutting with this pattern! What if you took flag's idea of painting the top and then using crash glass over the top. Just an idea.

here's a neat one I found on Flickr. Show this to your daughter.

Here is a link that might be useful: round table top

Whoa! I agree, that is just not so doable!
That one you posted Flag is very nice!
That's what I would do, just go online and look and save some you think she will like (and that you want to do) and give her a choice in those.

I guess I was thinking that once the design was enlarged to the size of the table, all those tiny details wouldn't be so tiny. Maybe we can do a less-detailed version of the graphic, or something similar but less leafy. I don't mind the swirls, but the pointy leafy things look like a real pain.

Yes, I have been sending her picture after picture for the last few days, at least 30 of them, and she has been searching online as well. Of course, she doesn't like anything mom picks out (typical 18 year old).

Thanks for the ideas, you are all very nice to help me think this through!

I'm sure you will find something that she will like and you feel comfortable doing. Have you looked at online rug sites? I was looking earlier and found some great inspiration there!
Good luck!

WOW!! Maybe if you told her she needed to help you cut all the pieces she'd begin to understand just how difficult the design is to do in mosaics. Am I being mean? LOL I love your 'typical 18 yo' comment. I like sereneseen's idea of painting the table then covering it with crash glass. That would be rally cool.

Yup, crash glass or teeny tiny triangles, black and white glass...okay, back to painted and crash glass....sounds easier!lol! Great pattern tho! Kids...gotta luv em eh?!!!

Why not blow it up to almost the size of the table, leaving space for a border, cover it w/clear glass, and mosaic a pretty border, like black/white tiles (Mary Engelbrett style) and then a solid red border?

Well, the jury is still out on this one! Thanks for the ideas, not sure what we'll do on the table. Still looking at other patterns, or may modify this one so it is less detailed...she mainly likes the swirly parts, that much I can handle, it was all those leaves that I didn't like.

Hmmm, What a challenge! Perhaps the pattern could be simplified. try blowing it up to the 36" size and then start simplifying the busier areas. Do you mind if I play around with this pattern a little?

Eggshelllady: feel free! She got the pattern off the internet. DH tried to enlarge it at work, but his machinery won't accept jpeg, tif, or bitmap files, so I can't blow it up until I can save it in another format.

Hi, Sorry this took so long. I simplified this pattern a little by taking out some of the fussier areas and fattening up some of the finer lines. I hope this will help. I think once its blown up to 36" it may be not too bad to mosaic. The leafy areas could be simplified a little more, but the design may loose a lot of its character. the pattern is really fuzzy and bitmapped so I hope its okay.

Beautiful design, and w/your talent for nipping teensy pieces, you'll do a super job on this. When are you starting????? Huuuuuuuuuuuuuury. Need something fun to watch develop.

Are you sure your daughter didn't ask for that with a mischievious twinkle in her eye? She couldn't have found something more difficult if she'd tried. LOL It was so nice of eggshelllady to blow up the design for you. What's your thought at this point? I loved all the ideas that came out of your plea.

Funny that this has come back up to the top of the list, because it is next on my list of things to do. Right after I finish the birthday box for my other DD. I need to get that table out of my basement, and my DD needs a table to go with the barstools that are just randomly sitting in her dining area!

Ok. I have all the tile, black, white, and a very odd shade of red. I am taking the file--which I converted into a PDF so it isn't blurry anymore--up to Kinko's, and they will enlarge it for me so it will fit the table. The backerboard has been cut and sitting on the table for weeks, DH is going to attach it for me.

EGGSHELLLADY: Wow, you are amazing and obviously very patient to do all that work! Seriously! Thank you for taking the time to do that; it is close to what I was thinking, may leave in some of the swirly stems.

Daisy, my daughter always has that look in her eye, ever since she was little, and try as I might, we never found a new pattern, so I figured I would just give this a try. The tiles I bought are ceramic 4 x 4, I haven't worked with those before.

Slow: I'm gettin' to it, I'm gettin' to it, lol. Thanks for the vote of confidence!

I'll start a new thread when I begin the project. What I need is some energy before I begin this one! ANd some free time!

Gcpommom,
I think that I can help you with your table. With this picture I could make you the tiles and ship them to you for you to assemble.
I am with a non-profit organization which helps women that can work only from home due to a variety of conditions. They do the work, we fire the ceramic, and then ship the finished tiles for only the cost of the materials, a wage to the workers, according by law, and to cover the small costs of the organizition. We don't know the exact price yet, but we are committed to keeping the costs low and still helping the people that we serve.
All I would need to know is the colors that you'd like used and the size of the table. Is this something in which you're interested?

Yaelb, what a wonderful organization and offer. While some of us don't qualify for assistance, could you tell us how to contact you there?

I would definitely like to know how to find out more about this organization. Yaelb, please let me know...thanks. Carol

Yaelb: thanks for the offer, but sorry, I cannot take you up on it....I enjoy the challenge too much, and want to be able to tell my daughter that I did it myself. Plus, I already bought all the tile. It may take me weeks (or months) to finish, but I am determined!

I see that you are in Israel...wouldn't it be quite expensive to ship? (since the tile is heavy)