July 2016
The Giant's HouseI have mentioned this fabulous mosaic garden before but I came across a video profiling the garden and thought I would share it with you. If you are ever in Christchurch then the drive over to Akaroa to visit The Giant's House is well worth the effort. I promise you will be in awe of the amazing work of Josie Martin.
The Giant's House, Akaroa
Tips and Handy Hints
I get asked a lot about tools and other materials used in mosaics so I have listed below some of the most commonly used.
Nippers
Nippers are tools used to trim the pieces being used in the mosaic. The nippers can be used on ceramic, glass or china. You should look for spring loaded handles and high quality cutting edges to alleviate the force need to nip these materials. There are also wheeled glass cutters that use wheels to cut and shape glass and mirrors, rather than cutting edges found in tile nippers. But if you only want to make one purchase the Tile Nippers will do the job for all materials, just not as precisely on glass as the wheeled glass cutter does.
Sponges and Spreaders
The spreader, also called a mortar trowel, is used to spread the adhesive onto the surface being decorated with mosaics. Spreaders can also be used for grout. These help to push the grout into the spaces between the mosaic pieces, giving the piece a professional look. I like to use sponges for this too as I find they give a very good finish. By moistening the sponge, and wringing if free of excess water, you can easily clean excess grout from the tiles. BUT a word of caution, the sponge needs to be well wrung out or the grout will be dragged out from the gout lines.
Mesh
Mesh is great to use if you are making a mosaic for outside or to be positioned in an awkward place. Watch this video for instructions on using mesh.
Mesh VideoMosaic ClassesBeginners Mosaic Class
I am in the process of organising the next mosaic class - possible date is Saturday 10th September and it will be held in Birkenhead, Auckland, 9am - 4.30pm. There may also be a class in Orewa but more details on that a bit later on.
If you would like to learn the basics of mosaic design and the use of tools and materials, then come along for a fun filled day of creativity and laughter.
All information can be found on: www.everythingmosaic.co.nz
I look forward to seeing you there.
The Giant's House, Akaroa
Tips and Handy Hints
I get asked a lot about tools and other materials used in mosaics so I have listed below some of the most commonly used.
Nippers
Nippers are tools used to trim the pieces being used in the mosaic. The nippers can be used on ceramic, glass or china. You should look for spring loaded handles and high quality cutting edges to alleviate the force need to nip these materials. There are also wheeled glass cutters that use wheels to cut and shape glass and mirrors, rather than cutting edges found in tile nippers. But if you only want to make one purchase the Tile Nippers will do the job for all materials, just not as precisely on glass as the wheeled glass cutter does.
Sponges and Spreaders
The spreader, also called a mortar trowel, is used to spread the adhesive onto the surface being decorated with mosaics. Spreaders can also be used for grout. These help to push the grout into the spaces between the mosaic pieces, giving the piece a professional look. I like to use sponges for this too as I find they give a very good finish. By moistening the sponge, and wringing if free of excess water, you can easily clean excess grout from the tiles. BUT a word of caution, the sponge needs to be well wrung out or the grout will be dragged out from the gout lines.
Mesh
Mesh is great to use if you are making a mosaic for outside or to be positioned in an awkward place. Watch this video for instructions on using mesh.
Mesh VideoMosaic ClassesBeginners Mosaic Class
I am in the process of organising the next mosaic class - possible date is Saturday 10th September and it will be held in Birkenhead, Auckland, 9am - 4.30pm. There may also be a class in Orewa but more details on that a bit later on.
If you would like to learn the basics of mosaic design and the use of tools and materials, then come along for a fun filled day of creativity and laughter.
All information can be found on: www.everythingmosaic.co.nz
I look forward to seeing you there.
