If you use the "search" at the bottom of the page you can look up all the instructions...but here is a good one that Slow posted....

Here is a link that might be useful: Slow's tutorial

Thank you. I tried the search and all the pics are of finished wired and did not help so I thought if I posted someone could explain.

That is OK I will wing it and see what happens.

Thanks for helping.

oooops - I deleted a whole bunch of photos. MARQUEST: I've explained this technique so many times, but I'll try one more time for you. I make one layer of the diamond metal lath to form the sculpture, then add another layer of the lath. Then I use 17 gauge (19 gauge is better but I can't find it) wire to stitch it together. The two layers are important - the lath won't hold the concrete w/o the second layer. On the fountain tutorial I used three layers for the basin so it w/be sure and hold water. Every other structure, use two layers. You put nothing inside the structure. I mix Quikcrete mortar mix in a wheelbarrow to a nice consistency - roll it in a ball in your gloved hand. You lightly smooth the mixture in between the layers so you're not pushing it all the way through. Then take a wet paint brush to smooth it out on top. Be sure and clip your wire stitches close to the structure. I use lineman pliers to pull the stitches through and twist the stitch once and clip. When the mortar is dry - next day - take a concrete rasp to smooth out any warts. If your sculpture is nice and neat, you should have no problems. Bend, hammer, shape, cut darts to make it fit your shapes. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

there are tons of threads on this method, Slow and others describe the technique, the materials and recipes several times here.

Thank you Slow you are so nice.

I really appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me. That helps a lot. My Mom passed last month and I am trying to do a memorial garden and I wanted this bench as part of the garden to match a stone she made for my garden.

So sorry for you loss. Bless your heart. Re the bench, I do hope you'll post pictures of your work. Re Riana's tiger bench - that's what drew me to her work in PV six years ago. I tried three times recently - unsuccessfully - to form a cat face in an effort to make a replica of her bench. I finally gave up and made the bench you see in my album.

The Mosaic Queen of Texarkana - Sheila - is bringing her class of eight students here tonight at 7:00 pm to see my stuff. I don't like people around here after 5:00, especially today - I had an epidural steroid injection in my back this morning, and w/LOVE to stay on the sofa 'till bedtime, but noooooooooo - when you have a reputation in town, there seems to be requests now and then to show my stuff. Grumble grumble grumble!!! Be sure and send us pictures.

LOL, you should charge admission... (and aren't YOU the mosaic queen? ) LOL

rest your back

Thank you Slow for the condolences. I have to keep busy to get over the grief. I will do my best and call on my Mom to lead me to do the piece justice to match her stepping stone. I hope it does not turn out ugly. LOL

I feel for you and your back. I had 3 epidural steroid injections last year. My first one put me into a deep sleep. If it was me they would be doing the tour alone. I hope your back feels better.

Thanks, you two. I feel great this morning. As I crawled outta bed, and bent over to make the bed, I felt better than I have in years. WOW - the injection worked.

The group came at 7:00 - I had candles all lighted all around the garden and lamplets in the house as they toured. It was just wonderful to show the garden pieces at night by flashlight w/the candles. CALAM knows about how I love candles and use tons of them.

Good wishes are coming your way MAR - post pictures of your WIPs. You know how we love them.

Steroids are wonderful and magical things. They are used to treat so many different ailments. I have benefited as well.
Mar: My condolences, and a very important thing to remember: No big decisions for a year. Yeah, people know all about this, but often we don't realize when we are making a decision that will affect us in the long run. Any decisions to make, put a message here and we can tell you if it's a biggie or not.
Wish someone had done this for me. I "knew" but the grief denial kept me from realizing. Whenever I hear of someone suffering a loss, I think of my grand blunder.
I hope you have lots of warm memories of your mom.

Thank you ernie. I do not think I can make any decisions right now good or bad. I cared for her so long through her aging and illness that so many things went undone. I have a good awareness of what being a medical, elderly advocate which i am going to put to use when I get my head and heart healed a little more.

Thank you for thinking of something that could help. I will definitely take you up on the offer. I have been known to do some pretty dumb things and I was not grieving.

Yes I do have very, very fond memories and in the end she made me respect and love her more than I thought was possible with the strength and dignity she showed the last year of her life.

I just cannot wait for the tears to stop. Just someone saying hello to you can send you into babbling crying idiot like I am doing now in this post.

Awww, You just let it out, it is good for the soul! I am the biggest cry baby I know and it just is that way, I have to accept that about myself.
On another note, how about posting a pic of the stepping stone!

awwww big hugs to you Mar, don't hold back on grieving, it will wait you out