Mosaic crosses -- I've been busy

Shipped today; so HEAVY!  These are set in mortar and sealed for the outdoors.  Next, two more guitars and a vase, plus gearing up for a class and the succulent planter I've been wanting to do for myself.  Sitting here debating about ordering MAC glue; I want to continue using it so badly, but it's now priced out of my comfort zone.  It's not carried locally any longer for that very reason.  

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Two new mosaic garden stones: Crosses . . .

Smalti tile and dichroic glass center.  The smalti came in an exchange with a lovely friend in Massachusetts.  Smalti is the creme de la creme of glass tile, made from a secret formula guarded for thousands of years by the makers in Italy.  The art on the ceilings and walls of the magnificent cathedrals in Europe were created with smalti.  The center is dichroic glass ($101/lb., of which this is a tiny bit).  The picture does not do it justice; it looks like a sun with multi-colored rays.  

From the same exchange, this cross is made from blue and white Nordic saucers.  I love many color combinations, but blue and white is something special.  

All my garden stones are made using mortar (thinset) as the adhesive and as the grout, and are sealed front, sides, and back with Dupont stone sealer, so they should be good for many, many years as outdoor one-of-a-kind art pieces.  

New garden stones and Christmas gift certificate

I listed these two on Etsy this week.  

We went to our favorite stained glass shop and I spent my $100 gift certificate from Christmas.  Replacement head for Toyo hand-held pistol grip glass cutter -- $19.95.  Three pounds of black glass for my next project -- $24.00.  One set of replacement blades for my hand-held wheeled nippers -- $10.00.  Dichroic scrap, $101.00 per pound.  I dug through their scrap glass pile ($2.00/lb).  They no longer carry MAC glue -- it's priced out of their range; no room for a markup.  It's now $20 for an 8 oz. bottle.  I'm back to using Weldbond for indoor projects.  

It's clear from the cost of mosaic supplies nowadays that we must adjust the price of our work accordingly, take good care of our tools, and keep our eyes open for bargains.  Last Sunday I stopped at a new flea market on South Lamar that was just about to close up.  I bought a huge light fixture meant to hang over a billiards table.  All the stained glass is perfect and it's gorgeous, stunning primary colors in a hammered effect, perhaps Kokomo.  I paid $20.00 for the fixture and I plan to scavenge the glass and take the frame to a metal recycling place in Austin.  

Lowes was out of black grout last week; I'm ready to grout my large Outer Space mosaic and after I paint the back of it and install the hanging mechanism, it will be done.  I'm ready to move on to the stained glass mannequin.  That's what the new black glass is for.  I've picked out a wonderful Jacobean embroidery pattern to use loosely as a guide and so she will be covered in black glass background with fantastical red, blue, and gold flowers, and green leaves and vines.  

Also participated in an exchange with a lovely person in Massachusetts and received her box in the mail today.  Wow!  Oodles of blue and white saucers, glass beads, metallic tiles, and even a bag of smalti (!)  (my favorite tile in the world that I can't afford).  Thank you so much!  Mosaic artists, consider an exchange with a fellow artist.  So inspiring.  

New Garden Stones Finished

Cherub Dragonfly

7.5" x 5.5"

delicate thin broken Japanese tea set on peach flagstone 

(Sold)

Red Dragonfly

13" x 7.5"

iridescent red tile and black jet beads

Red Flower

7" x 6"

iridescent red tile on broken marble

Thunderbird Dragonfly

9" x 8"

pique assiette on broken natural stone tile

White and Gold Cross

8.5 x 8.5

Heavy, about 5 lbs., 1 3/4" thick at base, white and 23K gold pique assiette 

with a costume jewelry center on rough natural field stone; will stand alone. 

(Sold) 

These are grouted with a concrete-based mortar and sealed with Dupont outdoor stone sealer to make them durable for flower beds.