My World...

of china, glass and broken figurines is becoming an artful cake plate!

Collecting these precious relics from the dinner table on and off and on for about 15 years, I've longed to repurpose them in a mosaic project.

Happily, my HS friend, Vickie, invited me to join the girls for a day in her well-appointed garage (she's a fine woods craftswoman), to begin the process.

I've purchased and read a library full of books on the subject. I've examined the mosaic compositions at juried fine craft shows. But there's nothing like DOING IT to reveal the nuances that lead to good work - better supplies, best tools, inspired techniques.

What a gift to have the time to enjoy their company and muddle through together. Naturally, Vickie and I chose round bases and I used too much adhesive at first, allowing the tesserae to slip and slide from their carefully engineered positions. After what seemed like too much time working to remove the excess goop and realign the shiny bits, I found a way to successfully seat them on the sanded ceramic surface and make satisfying progress.

Our work time was deliciously interrupted with Vickie's wonderful cooking. 'A light lunch' included sourdough paninis full of muenster and mango chutney, and a tender chicken salad perfectly seasoned and dressed with fruits and nuts.

I feel like I had a vacation!

Thank you, Vickie.