MosaicSmith

Hi Sue, Yes, silicone to add material directly to ...

2013-02-28T15:01:54.286-05:00

Hi Sue, Yes, silicone to add material directly to glass, then grout, would be another way when using a glass shape. At the time I made this, I was experimenting with concrete. Concrete is also heavier and less affected by wind. (If your container is plastic or some other material that has flex, it will look fine initially but the flex will eventually cause grout cracking.) And either way, I'd err on the side of caution and bring mosaics inside in winter. Thanks for asking and happy mosaicing :)
Linda

Would it not be possible to simply silicon your de...

2013-02-28T10:47:21.308-05:00

Would it not be possible to simply silicon your design onto the glass light fixture and grout? Do you need to do a pour and break the light fixture?
I imagine you would have to avoiid areas of the country where there is a freeze/thaw issue, correct?
Sue

Thank you Ros! Actually I've just finished :) ...

2013-02-25T10:14:48.051-05:00

Thank you Ros! Actually I've just finished :) I need to write a blog post about it still, but have posted a picture on my 'Linda Pieroth Smith Mosaics' Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151443399523928&set=a.10151361654928928.509289.321116468927&type=1&theater

I absolutely love the subtlety of the colours you&...

2013-02-25T03:41:40.800-05:00

I absolutely love the subtlety of the colours you're using on this butterfly. Can't wait to see the smalti background and the colours you choose to work with! Beautiful work.

ros@lavieenrosemosaics.com

That sounds ideal for him then! Looking forward to...

2012-12-05T15:42:34.551-05:00

That sounds ideal for him then! Looking forward to seeing what you both come up with :)
Linda

Oh Linda So very cool. I've been thinking of t...

2012-12-05T14:22:00.876-05:00

Oh Linda So very cool. I've been thinking of this copper type of thing for awhile. I would really like to involve my husbands help in my work and this just might be the ticket. He's a precision welder and has a steady hand and loves to play..........Chris

Thank you Pam!

2012-12-04T15:05:26.114-05:00

Thank you Pam!

Lovely leaves Linda!

2012-12-04T13:14:56.035-05:00

Lovely leaves Linda!

I used your coloring grout technique and yes, lots...

2012-11-02T16:37:52.059-04:00

I used your coloring grout technique and yes, lots of masking tape, in my recent project. It looks great! Or so I have been told. Thanks for sharing. I enjoy learning from your postings. Thanks!

Thank you Jean! I am glad you found the stepping s...

2012-07-29T18:42:32.226-04:00

Thank you Jean! I am glad you found the stepping stone post helpful- have fun!!
Linda

This is so beautiful! You are amazing! I'm m...

2012-07-29T18:35:16.121-04:00

This is so beautiful! You are amazing! I'm making my first stepping stone right now and found your site very helpful. thank you!

Linda, Thank you!

2012-07-26T09:51:57.943-04:00

Linda,
Thank you!

I've had this happen occasionally too. One ke...

2012-07-25T15:01:29.542-04:00

I've had this happen occasionally too.
One key is to be sure your contact paper is very sticky- old rolls will sometimes loose their tack a bit. I've had very good results with the clear Contact-brand paper (not the low tack shelf paper). Try to keep the paper clean as you work too from dust and tiny shards from cutting glass or ceramic.

Smooth pieces for your design will adhere best to your contact paper. Some glass, for example, has a bit of texture and will not bond fully with the paper, allowing concrete to seep between the glass and contact paper. I have had some luck using rubber cement as an additional adhesive for those types of pieces.

One other thought- I have noticed that if I let the design sit on the paper for a few hours or overnight that the pieces seem to adhere more fully.
Hope that helps, Linda

The cement keeps covering my pattern. Any suggesti...

2012-07-25T14:47:18.210-04:00

The cement keeps covering my pattern. Any suggestions or ideas why?

I love following your blog - I've been saving ...

2012-07-20T13:38:46.720-04:00

I love following your blog - I've been saving broken bottle bits for a few years (they aren't allowed to be recycled in my area) mostly because it's glass and I knew that I could use it somehow. This is fantastic and I can't wait to try my had on all the curves. Keep up the great work!

Yes, fantastic work and thanks for sharing the pro...

2012-07-13T04:14:46.131-04:00

Yes, fantastic work and thanks for sharing the processes involved in getting those effects. Sonia

A lovely piece and a very clever idea for the peta...

2012-07-11T18:24:35.320-04:00

A lovely piece and a very clever idea for the petals. Thanks for sharing your interesting work — I enjoy reading about the process.

What a great tip! I'm working on a piece that ...

2012-07-01T22:59:54.589-04:00

What a great tip! I'm working on a piece that might benefit from more than one color of grout and have been wondering if I'm brave enough to try it.

Hi Nicole- The texture you see is just the way the...

2012-07-01T17:28:59.828-04:00

Hi Nicole- The texture you see is just the way the concrete board is made. The side I placed the mosaic on is gridded and this side has a slight bumpy texture. For the back, I first prime with a good quality primer- usually Kilz. I follow this with a couple coats of exterior rated paint.
Linda

Thank you for the tips on hanging concrete board o...

2012-07-01T14:58:19.500-04:00

Thank you for the tips on hanging concrete board outside. I noticed on the back side of the welcome sign you painted it and it looks like there is texture. Did you wrap the concrete board in something and what kind of paint did you use on the back. Is it some kind of water lock?

Hi Christine, Ceramic does make it more challengin...

2012-06-26T19:49:35.195-04:00

Hi Christine, Ceramic does make it more challenging. If you are using contact paper that is clear, you could color your pattern and place it under the contact paper. Tape the pattern and then the contact paper down on your work surface so they do not slip. Then the colored pattern will help with tile placement.
If you have opaque contact paper, you could to a 'double indirect' method, a version of your idea. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosaic#Double_indirect_method It is trickier and if you have a lot of open space in your design it can cause more trouble than it solves as the two pieces will want to stick together. Hope that helps! Linda

Hello Linda, I finally made a stepping stone last...

2012-06-26T19:08:21.238-04:00

Hello Linda,

I finally made a stepping stone last night. I have made s.s. in the past, but I buy the pre-made ones and glue and grout the tiles. I did make the mistake of not pushing the cement in and picking it up and kind of tapping it back down (for air bubbles) First one, won't be perfect. My question is I use the ceramic tiles. You can't see the colors of the tiles too well. I did make a template of the bottom of the mold pan and made a pattern. Then I transferred them (upside down) onto the contact paper. But if I am doing really detailed things, how do I keep it straight? I thought I could put them together and then take the contact paper and place it on top of the tiles, but they would move around too much. Any suggestions? Thanks so much for sharing your ideas with everyone. Christine

Thank you Renee! There is a hanger on the back. ...

2012-06-21T15:01:06.208-04:00

Thank you Renee!
There is a hanger on the back. Sort of a Z shape made for these little clock works. You can see it in the last photo here https://www.etsy.com/listing/90731635/stained-glass-mosaic-wall-clock-fade-to

This is really beautiful. How do you hang it sinc...

2012-06-21T01:10:59.323-04:00

This is really beautiful. How do you hang it since there is no frame?

Beautifully done! The circles nipped from wine bot...

2012-02-21T08:25:51.682-05:00

Beautifully done! The circles nipped from wine bottles make a lovely background.