Mosaic Table

This post brings to completion the work on my mosaic table.  For previous mosaic table posts just click here. 

All the tiles were glued in place early this summer but it wasn't until the last couple of weeks that I managed to grout the tiles, seal the grout and put the edging on. I'm currently in the process of painting the legs white.

The edging was a little tricky, I used tin snips to cut it to length but nailing it in place was a two person job.  Thankfully, my husband held the trim securely in place while I nailed it down (he's quite brave to leave his fingers anywhere near where I'm swinging a hammer!)

I'm happy with the results, take a look for yourself.

 

 

 

Mosaic Table grouted and sealed

 



Metal edging nailed in place



In the process of painting the brown legs white

 

 

First coat of paint applied to legs

 

If you would like any information about the process or products just send me an e-mail.

 

Thanks for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

 

Wishing you a wonderful day,

 

Sandra



How to Make a Mosaic Table Top

I just wanted to let you take a peak at how my mosaic table is coming along.  You may remember last summer when I started to work on it (mosaic table top). 

Well, winter arrived before the completion of the work.  Thankfully, this week I had a helping hand(s) from my daughter, Sam, and  my niece, Emily.  We spent the better part of a sunny afternoon snipping and glueing tiles.  There truly seems to be something therapeutic about piecing together bits of coloured ceramic.  As you can see from the latest photos, we've begun to incorporate the contrast colour, a yellow ochre tile.

Mosaic table top in progress

Mosaic table top

I'm hoping to have the table finished by the beginning of June to coincide with the beginning of the Summer Studio 2012.  I quite like the idea of being able to serve refreshments on a beautiful table on the verandah to the hard working artists who will assemble here during the summer.

If you'd like to join us, click the link in the above paragraph for details and how to contact me.

Thanks so much for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Hoping you can piece together a wonderful day for yourself,

Sandra

October, Time to Review and Renew

I love the month of October.  While there is no longer any denying that summer is over, the beauty of autumn is now in full swing; apple picking, colourful leaves, pumpkins, Thanksgiving dinner and fires in the wood stove.  I find that there is something deeply satisfying about preparing for winter; taking stock of what we will need to winterize the house, packing away the outdoor furniture, uprooting the droopy annuals from the gardens and raking up heaps of fallen leaves.

I also love that final push to bring to fruition any outstanding plans or goals that are on my list for the year.  While I try to be flexible about goals, realizing that over the course of the year direction and focus can change, I like to take a good hard look at what I set out to do in January and which goals I’d still like to accomplish.

So this morning with an extra large mug of tea in hand, I reviewed my 2011 plans.  These goals are written in a beautiful hardcover journal with gilded pages.  If the goals are important why not give them a suitably impressive place to be recorded?

My theme for the year was “Faith, Focus, Discipline and above all Love”.  I dedicated one page to each of the various areas of my life such as: Fitness and Health, Family, Marriage, Finances, Creativity, etc.  Each page contains a brief list of things I wanted to focus on or accomplish in that category.  Periodically throughout the year I looked at each page as a gentle reminder of what I had hoped to do.  I make notes, cross things out, check things off so that I can keep track of my direction and progress.  I also keep one page for each month to record important things that have happened, achievements and failures.  I have used this system of goal setting and accountability for many years and find that is works well.

How am I doing?  There are areas that I am satisfied with and other areas that are less impressive.  The encouraging thing is that I have nearly three full months left to finish up projects, cross others off the list or take small steps to get goals I've procrastinated on started.   

One of the projects that I am trying to complete is the mosaic table that I began back in July.  I’d like to be able to use the table indoors during the winter for playing Scrabble or having dinner in front of the fire.  Because mosaic work is messy I want to finish the table outside on the verandah rather than indoors.  I’m also certain now that I do not have enough tiles to complete it and will need to find tiles of equal thickness to finish the project. 

Mosaic Table in Progress

All in all I feel a sense of excitement about what is ahead.  I know that some things will be carried forward to next year, but with a couple of baby sized steps each week I'm hoping to realize a few more goals this year that are  expressions of faith, focus, discipline and above all, love.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today,

May your day be filled with love,

Sandra

Garbage Picking and Creativity

I used to be really, really embarrassed about finding something in someone’s garbage and bringing it home.  Now I’m only a little self-conscious about it.  In part, the reuse, repair, recycle movement has had a lot to do with my renewed attitude.  It just makes sense … your trash… my treasure.  Perhaps I could go so far as to consider myself a rescuer of sorts!

Before my renewal I would agonize over how to take the coveted curb-side cast-off.  By the light of day, and if the owners appeared to be home, I’d ring the door bell and ask permission, which I feel to be the ultimate in garbage picking etiquette.  Other times I’d recruit a bolder and more experienced garbage picking friend (thanks Sam & Rob!) and sometimes under the cover of night I would simply make- off with the goods like a bandit!

What I love about “found objects” (as they refer to them in the art world) is not that they are free (although that helps) but that you get to make something out of what was formerly written-off as nothing.   Could this be written into our DNA by the Master Creator who made the entire universe out of nothing?  I digress.

I’m currently working on a very fun and easy project that began as a rescue.  Our next door neighbour had discarded a 34” (86cm) in diameter circle of plywood, perfect for a terrace sized table, ideal for my front verandah where we love to relax and dine during the summer!  My plan all along was to make the top of the table a mosaic but I had trouble finding tiles that were really thin and therefore easy to work with. 

Last weekend at Home Depot I found an opened box of thin white wall tiles on the liquidation table .  There were 60, 4”x4” (10cm x10cm) tiles for $3.00!! Yay! Then I noticed a big box of navy blue grout with a little hole in the bag, it was reduced to $5.00. Perfect! 

Here are some preliminary pictures of my progress. I say my progress but my daughter Sam, began working on one half of the tabletop while I worked on the other.

I find the cutting and placing of the tile fragments to be relaxing and soothing; a perfect way to spend a summer afternoon. 

Mosaic work may be the perfect way for you to: refurbish tabletops, terracotta pots, mirror frames, or make stepping stones for your garden.  If you would like basic instructions on how to complete this project or something similar, please e-mail me at sandra.myturquoisekettlelife@gmail.com and I will gladly send them to you.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Have a really great day!

Sandra