Outdoor mosaic sunset in smalti, gold & pearl on porcelain tile with epoxy grout.

Last we left off, I had adhered my mosaic (smalti & pearl) to the porcelain tile with thinset mortar adhesive and was waiting for it to cure so that I could grout. Now on to that final, messy step.

I chose a medium gray epoxy grout suitable for outdoor use so the tile will be able to withstand the icky Michigan weather & freeze-thaw cycle. Since I was worried the epoxy might do funky things to the finish on the pearl, I tested it on a spare one first and found it to be no problem. Great! So I grouted according to the directions, and the tile came out swimmingly.

I had toyed with the idea of doing a final resin coat over the whole surface of the tile to further protect it, but ultimately decided against it. Reading about resins taught me that some of them tend to discolor or dull over time, and I didn’t want to risk that with this tile, especially since this will be outdoors permanently, which may speed up the discoloration. As it turned out, the pearl ended up being recessed enough in the tile that I anticipate the surrounding smalti will protect it nicely from any possible erosion.

What’s Next?

I’m really happy with how this project turned out and how it got me thinking of some new things I’d like to do. Someone left a comment on the Part 1 post that I should start including pearls in my mosaic jewelry, and I think that’s a great idea. I’ve already started using pearls in some other mosaic projects (will post pics soon!), and I think they look so beautiful and are just wonderful to work with.

The indirect method is something I’ve also not given a lot of time to in the past, but I think it needs to see some more love from me. I love how these past two outdoor projects of mine have been so textural, but the pendulum’s gotta swing. Now I want to do something ultra flat. Perhaps a stepping stone is in order to coax back the sun and (eventually) welcome the spring.

Some guys at the studio reminded me that epoxy grout was nothing more than epoxy with sand in it, and were encouraging me to make my own, tempting me with notions of sparkly, glow-in-the-dark grouty goodness. Hmm… should I give it a go? Definitely. But what to make which best shows off the awesomeness of glow-in-the-dark grout? We can save that for a different post.

You may have noticed that I haven’t posted in ages (it’s been about a month, I think?). I’ll confess – I’ve been in a rut. My muse seems to have been on winter break. Well then, Here’s my resolution. January brings with it optimism and the notion of a clean start, so I vow to give the blog more love in 2012 – even if that means having to get up earlier to write posts. (…okay, that’s unlikely to happen. Fine, I’ll just stay up later. Problem solved.)

I’m starting this new year off with a new project – a glass and porcelain memorial tile for a friend. MG readers may remember a similar tile I did last year. Both tiles will be installed on a tombstone and thus permanently exposed to the elements. All materials, adhesives, and construction need to withstand the freeze-thaw cycle of Michigan’s climate. But this new tile presents some unique challenges that are keeping me on my toes, all pretty much stemming from the fact that it includes a real pearl.

I’ve never mosaicked with pearls before, and certainly not in any pieces destined for permanent lives outdoors. My three primary concerns: How to embed the pearl absolutely securely in the adhesive, without fear that it will be pried out or pop out over time? Will the icky chemicals and colorant in the epoxy grout damage the surface of the pearl during the grouting process? Pearls are pretty soft – will the pearl be damaged by exposure or erode over time?

To address the first issue, I ultimately decided to use a single pearl earring so I could embed the post in the mortar adhesive underneath the surrounding mosaic pieces for added stability. Another option that had crossed my mind: drilling into the pearl and then drilling through the tile, back-mounting it through the tile before assembling the mosaic around it. This seemed more complicated than necessary, but who’s to say which is the best way?

I’ll have to save concerns #2 & #3 (how to protect the pearl during grouting & from erosion over time) for Part 2 of this post series because, er… I haven’t quite settled on the specifics yet. But without further ado, here’s how I’ve completed this project so far:

1.) I measured the correct tile size and sketched the design onto a rigid cardboard surface, then wrapped the cardboard in clear contact paper, sticky side up.

2.) I cut the mosaic pieces from smalti using wheel cutters and built the mosaic onto the sticky surface of the contact paper.

3.) Before adhering the mosaic to the tile, I cleaned the tile (high-fired porcelain) in a dilution of muriatic acid.

4.) With the entire mosaic complete & the tile clean, I then mixed a small batch of thinset mortar adhesive for exterior use (I used Laticrete MegaBond with MegaBond Additive) and transferred the mosaic piece by piece from the contact paper to the tile, making sure to stay within the fresh working time of my mortar.

I had to make a few adjustments and recuts here & there, but for the most part the mosaic transferred well.

 Now I just need to let the mortar set and then I’ll be ready to grout. Will the pearl survive? What solution will present itself for protecting this delicate treasure of the sea from the cruel fists of winter and time? Such drama! Check back soon and find out.

Don’t forget to visit Mosaic Geek and check out some fine mosaic wares. Mention this blog post and I’ll give you $5 off something lovely to put in someone’s stocking or under your Festivus pole. Here are the details:

Detroit Urban Craft Fair 2011

Where: Masonic Temple, 500 Temple Street, Detroit MI 48201

When: Saturday Dec. 3rd, 10am – 7pm  &  Sunday Dec. 4th, 11am – 6pm

Who: Hosted by Handmade Detroit & featuring over 80 vendors, including Mosaic Geek!

What: Amazing handmade art and crafts of all kinds – screen printed t-shirts, jewelry, photography, ceramics, shadow puppets, fabric art, smelly stuff, metal work… and MORE!

For those of you who have been to some of my previous shows, I have some new items you can look forward to this time around – key chains, ear rings, new sterling jewelry, bracelets, fancy-pants wine bottle stoppers, and by popular demand, some new Zelda art (Link is just so darned cute). So mark your calendars right now, if you please, to come to the Masonic Temple this weekend for a spectacularly tasteful affair.

Play with colors, textures, materials, and found objects – and lest it sound too girly for you, keep in mind we’re cutting glass, using cement-based adhesive, and making a general mess that you get to leave behind for someone else (me) to clean up. :-) No experience is necessary, no need to sign up, nothing you need to bring to class other than your fine self. What’s not to like? Here are the details:

Where: Ann Arbor District Library, Pittsfield Branch

When: Saturday, Nov. 5th, 2011. Session A: 11am to 1pm;  Session B: 3pm to 5pm (please choose only one)

Who: Teens & Adults

This is a great chance to get started on your holiday gift list, folks! Surely someone you know would love some snazzy bling hand-made by YOU. So meet me at the A2 Library Pittsfield branch on Saturday!

Find fun stuff like quirky shadow puppets, crazy-awesome origami creations, robot attire, smelly stuff,  tons of artsy jewelry, textile & crochet goodies, paintings, art prints, photography, and it seems like there’s something else I’m forgetting… oh yeah – mosaics! Don’t forget to come and find me at the Mosaic Geek table. Please stop by and say hello!

There will also be food & drink for sale at the Center from some of your favorite local restaurants – so come hungry. And if you have any suggestions in the meantime for mosaic creations you’d like to see at the show, it’s not too late to put a request in. See y’all soon. :-)

When they open, you’ll be able to sign up for membership by the day, month, or year to use all of their fun toys. They’ll also have classes teaching you how to use everything so that you can make great stuff. (Since I don’t even know what half these machines are, the classes are what I’m really drooling over, hehe.)

Find out more about Maker Works at their website, read their latest blog post, and Like them on Facebook. You can also sign up for email updates on their site.

I read at the Georgetown Rock Shop that pyrite suns are found on the top layer of coal seams, surrounded by black shale and coal. They’d normally be destroyed in the mining process, so miners would bring them out of the mines in their lunch pails. They’re somewhere around 350 million years old! (Did I mention that they’re also shiny and round? Love it!) Apparently they’re also called pyrite dollars or pyrite discs.

It took me a solid 20 minutes of staring at them, picking them up, turning them over, putting them back, staring at them again, etc. to finally decide on this one, but I’m confident that this is the best one. I can’t wait to put it in a mosaic!

Okay, now that I’ve made my plug, I can get on with it. As there is now exactly one month before the show, I can officially start to freak out and lose sleep worrying about whether or not I’ll have enough stuff done. Fortunately, the universe has given me a really great way to fight that stress, in the form of many glorious, sunny days in a row in which I can work outside surrounded by green and breeze. Who could be stressed out here?

So here’s a sneak preview of one of the many things you could go home with July 16th if you come to the SAF – your very own dreamy city night skyscape.

This work in progress is a larger variation on a smaller design I sold at the Detroit Urban Craft Fair last December. So far, this version features a sneaky second layer of city buildings hidden in the groutline below the silhouetted skyline, and a fancy new beacon light on top of the far right building. Yay, beacon light! You know you want it… (July 16th! Cupcakes!)  :-D

Today I thought I’d start with a tree. Trees get graffitied (?) all the time – at least city trees – so it’s not a completely crazy idea. I threw this together and asked my business partner / housemate / spouse what he thought of the whole operation.

Being the ever-practical man that he is, he was less enthusiastic about it than I. Glass might fall off one day and a dog would eat it or some kids could pick it up and get hurt.

Wait, what?? (Good point, but nonetheless) lame! Whatever, I was going to do it anyway. Off to Lowe’s to get the right adhesive (I’m thinking Laticrete Mega Bond will do the trick). Back at home and ready to mix it up when BAM!! Crazy torrential thunderstorm. Akh!!! There would be no sticking of anything to any tree now. Why was the universe conspiring against me? Why did no one want me to populate the world with my awesome art?? (Again, for “awesome art”, read “juvenile line drawings made out of glass”.)

Clearly my design cried out for modification (plus it was still raining anyway), so here is draft #2.

I’m not quite sure which I’ll go with yet, though I will take votes into consideration. In the meantime, I’m giving the trees time to dry out and the hubby time to weigh in on which tree gets glued. I know trees grow and eventually this will crack & fall off, but I’d be happy to get a couple years out of it. Stay tuned to see how (or if?) it turns out.