Tile Testing... in 7 Days

I'm experimenting with making some tile coasters, using reclaimed tiles from the EcoStore.  (The heart tile is a failed experiment.  That's why they call it research!)  The mosaic looks fun, but would look better on black.  The photo tile unfortunately has a problem right around her cute little smile, so that one is also labeled a learning experience.  I'm using this first batch to figure out what techniques will work.

I tried to seal one with polyurethene, and the alcohol ink promptly smeared.  So I added three layers of ModPodge before adding three layers of polyurethane. Then it didn't smear.  (I used leftover polyurethane from one of my dad's woodworking projects, the kind you apply with a brush.  I wanted something I could do indoors.)

Now I'm waiting 7 days before putting the tiles through a series of tests, including grape juice and boiling hot tea.  Once I know what works, I'll do a tutorial.

Stay tuned!

Stylish DIY Papier Mâché Gold Mirror Tutorial

So excited about how this one turned out!

I usually like to do stealth upcycling, wherein the viewer doesn't realize that the object or art was made (usually for free) out of trash.  I'm particularly delighted with this project because I think it actually looks like hammered gold.  And, yes, it was completely free.  Plus it weighs a good deal less than it would if it were gold!

It was not a quickie project, but it was really satisfying to make.  A tutorial follows after the jump if you would like one of your own.

In Box for Msgr. P

My beloved spiritual director requested that I keep an eye-out for inbox trays.

I found some at work that were so ugly the secretary said I could just have them.

But I couldn't give them to dear Msgr. P looking so ugly!  So I tackled one of those projects that only looks easy....

It’s pretty basic: book pages affixed with white glue and water, then sealed with ModPodge.   However, there were lots of uneven surfaces and corners and angles….  The photo essay continues after the jump if you are curious…

Puzzle Painting Tutorial

This was such fun!  I am definitely going to do more of these.

This baby shower gift was for a cousin's wife who has had a difficult pregnancy, and has endured MONTHS of bedrest in a hospital room with one window that looks out on a brick wall.  Since that doesn't leave a lot of decorate the nursery time, I made this.

Part of the idea is of connections and of using materials in the way they were intended, but with a big twist.  A single puzzle piece usually communicates nothing.  But together, in context, it has meaning.

Pictures and a tutorial after the jump.

Mosaic Box Finished! (+ Mosaic Tutorial)

Finished!

Here’s the final result:

And here’s a sort of Before and After, using a box I haven’t done anything with yet:

Here’s quickie tutorial.

1. Paint your box.  Better yet, start with a box that is already white and use paint to touch it up.  Plain old cardboard soaks up paint like thirsty roofer soaks up water, as you can see from the box on the right, which my not-picky niece decided to mosaic.

2. Cut and paste.  In this case, I cut up Christmas cards left over from another project.

TIP: Work with one color at a time.

TIP: If you don’t want to work with one color at a time, put your bits on little folded cardstock trays to move them out of the way.  That way you don’t have to re-sort them by hue and size again.

3. Mod Podge the final project and you are done!

TIP:  Make your pattern stand out more by using different shapes for different colors.  The green stripe stands out more on this side because it is all squares amid blue triangles.

The green stripe doesn't stand out as much this side because it is a mix of squares and triangles.

TIP: Keep your pattern simple!

TIP: Be open to surprises.  The stars on the lid were originally going to be flowers.

I’m really happy with my final result and it cost nothing but time as the Elmer's Glue I had on hand, and the Christmas cards and box were intercepted on the way to the trash and consequently were free.  If you try something similar, please let me know how it goes in the comments.

Happy creating!

Angel Mosaic Done!

Snow Day Today!

And what did I make in my studio?

I finished the angel mosaic:

I'm really pleased with how it came out.  Now I just need to afix something wherein I can hang it on the wall and it is ready to give the expectant parents.

To see how I did it, step-by-step, check out my tutorial on one of my favorite websites, Cut Out + Keep.

Angel Mosaic Progress

I did some work on this while waiting for Mom to come over to play in the studio.  The torso looks really shiny but that is because it is still wet with Modge Podge.

I

I still don't know what I am going to do for the face....

Mosaic Angel

Something else I did a little work on this evening was this a baby shower present.  It's made from an ugly thrift store painting that I gessoed over and cut up and used Christmas cards left over from an ornament-making project. (So I'm recycling my leftovers from recycling!)  The pieces are applied with Modge Podge.

This is going to take more or less forever, but I'm currently fascinated with mosaic and this is my first attempt to make an image.  I love the idea of separate bits that alone seem not worth saving but come together to make something beautiful.