Playing around with textures.

This is just one of those round, cardboard boxes that you can get from   any craft store. I wanted to do something colorful and different, so I began with the red and yellow Smalti. I really love it. Those colors just pop! 

This box contains a lot of odds and ends that can be used in other ATCs (artist trading cards) that I make for trade: Found objects, bits of jewelry, odd rhinestones, buttons and bows. Next!

~ Onward

Found in San Francisco

In October of 2009 my daughter and I went on vacation to San Francisco. I've always wanted to go. Always. Now I know why. Mosaic Art was waiting for me there.

We drove to Half Moon Bay (doesn't that sound sort of dream-like)? When we got out of the car we saw this beautiful bench enclosure. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. We continued to walk down the main drag and mosaic mural covering almost the entire side of a brick building took my breath away. But wait! We hadn't even crossed the street yet. We walked in through a chain-link fence and found the most beautiful bird houses I'd ever seen. I looked at them, turned them around in my hands and wracked my brain, but I couldn't figure out how they got to look like that. We were walking on inches thick of broken ceramic tile and glass and you could even buy it by the pound! I was awestruck. I had a lot to learn.

When I got home I bought a book, a few tiles, a tool, a birdhouse and got to work. My son-in-law would be the first recipient of my new passion. As time went on and I learned more and more, I could no longer work at the dining room table and converted a second floor bedroom to my studio. (Pictures to follow) It's actually getting ridiculous. I could use a bigger room.