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Welcome
Welcome to the Kiln Goddess' Clay Pit of Mosaics. You might ask what is one of those dusty, mud cover, clay artists doing talking about mosaics. Well, I have a lot of shards.
A broken bowl, a cracked plate they all accumulate into a big ole pile of mosaic materials. At first I used the shard in the bottom of gardening pots for drainage but some shards were just too pretty to bury.
One day I was making show tent anchors out of cinderblock cubes and wished they were prettier. Solution...mosaics. I got a book at the thrift store on laying tile and adapted the method to mosaicing my shard collection to my cinderblock anchors. I've learned alot since then. I thought I should share what I have learned with other clay artists, beginning mosaic students and whoever else cares to. So lets go break something and start creating.
A broken bowl, a cracked plate they all accumulate into a big ole pile of mosaic materials. At first I used the shard in the bottom of gardening pots for drainage but some shards were just too pretty to bury.
One day I was making show tent anchors out of cinderblock cubes and wished they were prettier. Solution...mosaics. I got a book at the thrift store on laying tile and adapted the method to mosaicing my shard collection to my cinderblock anchors. I've learned alot since then. I thought I should share what I have learned with other clay artists, beginning mosaic students and whoever else cares to. So lets go break something and start creating.
Mosaic Places
- House of Shards
- A cottage in Louisiana covered in shards.
- Watts Towers
- Mosaic towers Located in south Los Angeles created by Simon Rodia
- More Photos of Watts Towers
- Close ups
- Antoni Gaudí's Park Güell
- Nonenglish site with lots of pictures of Gaudí's famous mosaic park.
- Nek Chand's Rock Garden
- Photos from the Rock Garden in the city of Chandigarh, mosaics made from thrown away items.
- Orlando International Airport
- Three floor mosaic in Orlando, Florida
- The Mosaic Atlas
- This is a real cool site. It has mosaics places listed from all over the world.
Great Books on Gaudí and his Creations on Amazon
Antonio Gaudi: Park Guell
Amazon Price: $15.00 (as of 12/10/2009) 
List Price: $15.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
Living Gaudi: The Architect's Complete Vision
Amazon Price: $47.25 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $75.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
Park Guell: Gaudi's Utopia
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $16.95
Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks
About Mosaics
- Mosaic Glossary
- Don't know what a term means? Find it here.
- How to Make Mosaics
- A inclusive how to guide to making mosaic.
- The Joy of Shards Mosaics Resource
- Links to how tos, galleries, history and more.
- Making Mosaics
- Tips for making mosaics.
Needed Tools
- Tile Nips- Used to nip and shape your shards to fit where you need them
Hammer- Used to smash those plates and tile. This can be great fun. Go break something for your art.
Wet Dry Sandpaper- Used to smooth the sharp edges on your shards.
Safety Glasses- Used to protect your pretty peepers. You only got two and they are very useful so protect your eyes when smashing and nipping shards.
Dust Mask- This is to protect your lungs when mixing thinset and grout. You don't want to breathe this stuff.
Masking Tape- To tape your design while breaking.
Kitchen Spatula- Used to mix your cement media and to apply thinset and grout. I like a large one to mix the thinset and grout and the small ones to apply both to your project.
Nylon Scrub(like on the back of a kitchen sponge)- Used to remove the excess grout from your creation.
Soft Sponge- Also used to remove the excess grout from your project.
Rags- Used to help remove the haze after the grout excess has been removed.
Small Bucket- Used to mix your cement media and to hold water to remove excess grout.
Gardening Gloves- Used to protect your hands while handling and breaking shards.
Rubber/Latex Gloves- A must to keep your hands from drying out while applying grout.
Mosaic Tools on Amazon
Diamond Tough GT Tile Nippers
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $14.73
Wet/Dry 600 Ultra Fine Sandpaper(5)
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $3.19 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $5.03
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
FASTCAP MXV 10PK Dust Masks, 10-Pack
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $15.00 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $15.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
Mosaic Musings
tips and hints
Since my mosaic beginnings I've moved on to mosaic stepping stones, flower pots, boxes, picture frames etc. I also now use shards from plates I have found at the thrift and glass from empty wine and beer bottles as well as glass scraps given to me by a stained glass artist friend.Here are some important things I have learned:
Safety glasses are a must, don't skimp and get the cheapest as they will continuously fall off when you look down. Spend a few bucks more on a nicer better fitting pair.
Tape the the design that is on a plate before breaking the plate to keep the shards from falling all over and you having to reassemble the design. The tape will keep the design roughly together as it breaks.
Wet your stepping stone or terracotta planter before applying thin set so it doesn't dry too fast.
I like to break my plates inside a paper grocery sack to keep the bits from flying all over.
Don't buy the cheapest pair of tile nips as the spring will soon fall off making the nipping of tile and shards not so fun.
Use the plates that have the design in the glaze for stepping stones and the like cause if you use the plates with the ceramic decals instead the design gets scratched up quickly.
Uneven shards from the foot rings of plates and bowls and such work well on the sides of stepping stones.
Kiln Goddess' Mosaics' Etsy Store
KilnGoddess' Mosaic Work
Some of my mosaic work is sold on etsy. Take a gander maybe you'll find something you can't live without or make a fantastic gift for someone. Handmade makes the best gifts.
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Great Mosaic Stuff on eBay
Ebay can be a resource to get fabulous mosaic tile and shards that you might not be able to find locally.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Breaking Tile
I found a very easy method for breaking flat tile safely. Get one of those flannel backed cheap vinyl/plastic table cloths. Fold the table cloth in half with the flannel on the inside of the fold. Place table cloth on the ground or sturdy table(if you do not wish to mar the surface of the table put padding of flat newspaper sections between table cloth and table). Open the fold of the cloth and place your tile on the flannel with the glazed side of the tile down. Now fold the cloth back and take hammer and hit the cloth covered tile to break it.
The advantages to this method is that the tile being in the cloth fold keeps the shards from flying everywhere and you can do a lot of tile rather quickly. Do use care and wear your safety glasses when smashing tile as accidents can still happen and it is good to protect your eyes.
The advantages to this method is that the tile being in the cloth fold keeps the shards from flying everywhere and you can do a lot of tile rather quickly. Do use care and wear your safety glasses when smashing tile as accidents can still happen and it is good to protect your eyes.
How to Use Your Tile Nips
- Nipping Tips
- I found this really nice photo tutorial on how to use your nips to get the best results out of your shards. Very good photos to show you how to use them properly.
Mosaicing with Dishes and Pot Shards
One of the biggest challenge when using broken shards from dishes and pottery shards is that all your shards are different thicknesses. If using thinset to adhere your shards you can fix this problem easier by using a thicker layer of thinset and floating and sinking shards into the thinset depending on their thickness. Thicker shards get sunk into the thinset while thinner shard are more floated on the thinset. This will give you a smoother mosaiced surface.
Its not always necessary to have a completely level surface on your mosaics, Usually stepping stones can have a little variety in surface level but tabletops will be better with a flatter surface. It all depends on the project.
Remember if your mosaic surface has a unlevel surface pay close attention to the edges of your shards, make sure the edges that are raised are not sharp, you do not want to cut yourself walking on your stepping stones or handling your mosaiced objects.
Its not always necessary to have a completely level surface on your mosaics, Usually stepping stones can have a little variety in surface level but tabletops will be better with a flatter surface. It all depends on the project.
Remember if your mosaic surface has a unlevel surface pay close attention to the edges of your shards, make sure the edges that are raised are not sharp, you do not want to cut yourself walking on your stepping stones or handling your mosaiced objects.
Using Floor Tile
Floor tile is thick. This thickness is what makes floor tile so durable but thick shards are hard to work with especially when working on 3-d objects like flower pots or going around the edge of a stepping stone. I find using smaller shards and leaving wider grout lines leads to a more successful mosaic when using floor tile for mosaicing.
Mosaic Projects
- Make a Pique Assiette Shard Mosaic Flower Pot
- Instructions for crafting a colorful and attractive pique assiette mosaic flower pot using china and pottery shards.
- Garden Stepping Stone
- One method for making and mosaicing a stepping stone.
- Mosaic Stepping Stones
- Method for mosaicing a ready made stepping stone.
- Mosaic Birdbath
- Mosaic birdbath created using glass shards and a terra cotta saucer.
- How to Mosaic a Bowling Ball
- Instructions on how to turn a old bowling ball into a great garden orb.
- Mosaic Garden Bench
- An involved and very useful garden bench project from Lowe's home improvement store.
Stepping Stone Molds
Lots of things can be used to make stepping stones for your mosaic projects. Cake pans, pie pans, serving trays, spring form pans, etc make wonderful forms to cast stones in. Sometimes you can't find a pan or tray in the shape or size you need. Here are some stepping stone molds available from Dick Blick, I especially like these first two as I've not found any everyday item in this shape that would work for a stone mold.
Stepping Stone Mosaic Molds
Make your own garden stepping stones with unique designs. These reusable, high impact plastic molds have beveled edges and rounded corners to release stones from the molds with ease. Note - Mosaic pieces and cement are not included.
Stepping Stone Mosaic Molds
Make your own garden stepping stones with unique designs. These reusable, high impact plastic molds have beveled edges and rounded corners to release stones from the molds with ease. Note - Mosaic pieces and cement are not included.
Glass on Glass Mosaics
Lately I have been doing some glass on glass(GOG for short) mosaics. I got a good deal on some glass vases and decided to give gog a go. When using glass shards on glass you need to use clear silicone instead of thinset. I use clear GE II silicone either kitchen and bath or door and window. You grout your creation as normal but using care not to get it inside your vessel(if you are mosaicing a vase). Here are some things i have learned while making GOG mosaics.
- Make sure your silicone covers the bottom of your glass shard completely else your grout will leak under your shard ruining the translucent effect of glass on glass.
- Frosted glass is much harder to remove the grout from. Masking each frosted shard with a bit of masking tape will keep your shard from looking dirty after grout removal.
- Alcohol will remove silicone while the silicone is still wet.
- Test each tube of silicon before you use it on a project. Make sure the silicone sets up properly by squeezing a bit on a newspaper and waiting a half an hour and then touch it to see if it is still gooey. If it hasn't set up take the tube back to the store and get another. Improper storing of silicone such as in a hot semi truck can make it fail.
- Clear or translucent glass shards on a colored glass or mirrored surface gives a lovely effect.
Silicone from Amazon
GE II Silicone makes a perfect adhesive for your Glass on Glass Projects. Either of these 2 types will work for glass on glass projects. Don't forget the caulking gun.
GE Silicone II Clear Caulk, 10.1-Ounce Cartridge #GE5000
Amazon Price: $6.55 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $6.85
Usually ships in 4-5 business days
GE Silicone II Clear Kitchen Sealant, 10.1-Ounce Cartridge #GE5040
Amazon Price: $8.49 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price:
Usually ships in 4-5 business days
9"Heavy Duty Ratchet Rod Caulk Gun
Amazon Price: $4.65 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $6.49
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Smooth Rod Caulk Gun, 1/10 Gal
Amazon Price: $2.32 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $3.29
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Great Mosaic Books on Amazon
Encyclopedia Of Mosaic Techniques: A Step-by-step Visual Directory, With An Inspirational Gallery Of Finished Works (Encyclopedia of Art Techniques)
Amazon Price: $18.45 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $27.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
The Mosaic Book: Ideas, Projects and Techniques
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $19.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Making Mosaics: Designs, Techniques & Projects
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $24.95
Mosaic Art and Style: Designs for Living Environments
Wonderful book. Lots of photos. Not a technical book but a wonderful book of contemporary mosaic art.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $29.99
Mosaic Madness
After the mosaic bug has hit you, you might find the world is full of things that you can mosaic with. Here is a starter list of everyday items you can use in your mosaics, this is of course in no way the only things you can mosiac with. What can you think of?
- Beads
- Marbles
- Glass Gems
- Pennies/Coins
- Pebbles
- Pasta
- Nuts, Bolts, and Screws
- Game Pieces(Dice, Dominoes, etc.)
- Buttons
- Old Jewelry
- Bottle Caps
- Almost Anything
Unusual Mosaic Stuff on Amazon
Here are some fun items I found that would make great mosaic media. Add these to your shard mosaics to make your mosaics your own.
Brushed Stainless Steel with Ceramic Base 12 x 12 Mesh
Amazon Price: $25.00 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price:
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Glass Pebble 12 x 12 Mesh
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price:
Glass Pebble 12 x 12 Mesh
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price:
Czech Glass Bead Mix Flowers 15mm Assorted Colors (20)
Amazon Price: $5.69 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $5.69
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Mosaic Forums
Places to go to talk about mosaics, ask question, share successes, or just lurk and learn.
- Garden Junk at GardenWeb
- A friendly place to talk about garden mosaics and other garden art projects.
- Stained Glass & Mosaics at GardenWeb
- Another friendly place to talk about Mosaics...stained glass too.
Create With Chaos Etsy Store
The Kiln Goddess' Mosaic Supply Shop on Etsy
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Suggestions and Feedback
I welcome your feedback. Would you like something added? Know a good link or book? Did I manage to misspell something? Did you find a dead link? Let me know, afterall this Kiln Goddess isn't all knowing ;-)
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- PicaRosa PicaRosa Sep 25, 2006 @ 8:24 am
- Here's a few links to a piece of folkart that's been made into a state park.
http://www.grconnect.com/murals/html/r14img1925.html
http://areas.wildernet.com/pages/area.cfm?areaID=CASPWATTSSIMONRODD
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Reply
- littleliz littleliz Sep 25, 2006 @ 2:00 am
- Great lense! I'm all inspired now. Hmm I wonder if we really need all those cups and plates in the cupboard ^__^
Great Mosaic Gear on CafePress
Antinous Mosaic Tote Bag
Price: 17.99
I love Mosaics Journal
Price: 14.00
Geometric Design Button
Price: 3.73
A Place to Find Some Mosaic Supplies and Tools
by KilnGoddess
The Kiln Goddess is an artist/potter. She loves working in clay as well as metals, mosaics, and nearly all mediums she tries. She especially loves whe... (more)
