Finished the kitchen

Talk about a mosaic marathon! Dave and I tiled my sons' kitchen over the weekend, I reckon 31 hours of full on tiling! So difficult! Had to render the old walls, sand everything, level and work in awkward areas and not ruin new appliances and new floor and I am such a messer!

Sneaked in a bit of mosaics - a simple black and white diamond border...hope the kids like it.
The black and white kitchen looks great. Will put some pics soon.
Hope to work on website for 3 days, then to Karalee and then Son No1 is coming home for a week! Yipeeeee! I really miss him.

No to remove a ton of white thinset from my body. I sure haven't got tuck-shop arms! I think I stretched my arms this weekend. I am going to have some great aches and pains tomorrow I am sure!
It's raining in Brisbane! Wow...YabaaDabbadoo! I love the rain on our metal roof.

Whilst I did the mosaics today, I started planning the Steve Irwin mural in my head. I can't wait to start it - once we have visited Oz Zoo in the next month and work out final plans we are on a roll, from Feb 2008. If you would like to take part and make a piece of mosaic on mesh for the mural contact OzMosaics please. Pieces are being accepted until end Jan 2008.

Kettles just boiled, a quick cuppa, and off to bed.

ps We had a studio visit yesterday by a lovely lady and her husband. She brought along a mosaic she was nervous to grout - I sorted her out - she left with Leps, mesh, thinset, weldbond, my class CD notes (my gift to her) and her grouting woes sorted out! I so enjoyed meeting these people and having a cuppa before we left to do the mosaic marathon. Her husband was so proud of her mosaic art and very supportive. He gave me some hints on Project Management! The joy of mosaics is the people you meet whilst you are making them....


hugs
Sandy
Mosaic Diva
OzMosaics studio and workshops...

another day in Paradise

Had a good cuppa tea and 2 slices of vegemite toast and about to get going down to No 2 sons place to continue the tiling of the kitchen! Talk about tired. I was so tired last night, I fell into bed covered in white thinset! I just touched my neck and a blob of thinset fell off!

At least this time I look like a snowman instead of the usual black fingernail routine.

Energy, all I need is energy today. Dave and I will get the tiling and grouting complete (gotta love that match the grout and thinset routine) and then if I can still stand up I will give their kitchen and lounge room the Diva flick....and make it lovely for their return tonight (LOL my own place is a disaster re cleaning)....

The girls from Moreton Bay College just picked up some MORE tiles and grout. We loaned them our nippers recenlty. I am mentoring them in the HAA school awards. These grade 10 girls live gone all out setting up a mini mosaic business for their goal. They are making the gifts for the senior school; what a great idea and making mosaic picture frames. So proud of them. Wynnum school did this a couple of years ago and I mentored them too.

Ok, time to shower and get back into the white thinset.
hugs
Sandy
MD

worn out!

...been at son's tiling his kitchen which has been renovated....what a job! Trying to find a straight plumb line was nearly impossible but we did it! Decided on all white vit tiles (2.5 x 2.5 cm) and a double row of plain black...very plain, very stark, white grout (believe it or not) and it looks sensational. I just about went crazy trying to work out where to start. Took about 3 hours just measuring and then had to seal the concrete walls, do a render and scratch coat and then start tiling.
We are going back very early in the morning to get it finished before they come back from the coast (!!!!).
Had f ish and chips for tea, Polly will be jealous but need chocolate badly. Too tired to even wash off the thinset......
Sandy

little bit of video

a bit of fun - are you game to watch?

Endeavour Visit

Yesterday I have a lovely visit to the studio - my mosaic addict mates from Endeavour came over in the bus and put some more tiles down on some bits for the Steve Irwin Tribute mosaic mural. I gave them some spare leps for their workshop, mesh and tons of tile to get them going on a very special mosaic project (it's a secret) and also for future projects.

They also bought some of the gorgeous new tiles in stock - I haven't even had time to use them yet.

"Cybil" Polly's daughter came for a special visit yesterday afternoon and we did some great colour layout on the new grid boards. I will take these boards to the Karalee School next week for the students there to make some great basic patchwork squares for the gigantic chair project!

The cement is being poured on Monday and I am so excited that this project is starting (after a 2 year wait for the community hall to be completed). The chair will be next to the hall. It's going to be a busy couple of months!

I watched "so you think you can dance" one of my favourite tv shows (gosh those Americans can dance!!!) and the other night was wonderful - some fabulous dancing. I can't believe how they do it so effortlessly and briliantly.

I am working on the website at the moment but in an hour will be going to my son's unit, to mosaic the backsplash! NOT interesting at all. I have strict instructions to make it all white vit tile, all white grout (perhaps with a black and white border....sigh) and definitely no 3-D! So funny - I told son that he would have to beg me now for an artwork. So, Dave and I will prep the wall, use white thinset and white grout (everything I don't normally do) but it will be fine in a small, modern kitchen. I just have to work fast as I don't really have time but how could I say no?

My mother is making mosaics in a mad mosaic moment for Christmas Presents...I would buy them all off her if she let me, to me they are priceless!

It's hot today and I am happy to be warm and storms are threatening. We had a little rain the other night - it was such a relief and the plants are just about dead again.

I think I need to add some pink to Brad's kitchen - what do you thing...my calling card - one pink tile set in...I have some gorgeous new ones....LOL. Where there is a will there is a way.

have a great weekend!

Cheers and don't have too much pink bubbles!
Sandy MD

Mosaic Exchange from MFA

A huge surprise from New Zealand yesterday. My exchange mosaic from MFA group!
Will take pics tomorrow and upload - fantastic mosaic! Really made my day.
Oooh, better run...time is ticking by - studio will soon be full of people!
run, run run..
Sandy MD

Steve Irwin Mural update

Wow - more mosaics on their way DownUnder...cougars in the makings, tigers in the mail, the spare studio room is filling up fast!!!!!!!! Photo albums coming soon.

Studio Visit - Endeavour

A busy morning ahead - wonderful friends and mosaic addicts from Endeavour Foundation are coming to the studio for a visit to get some supplies. I have a pile of tiles for them to use in their next project. I gave them some Leponitt cutters recently and they are all excited to get nipping.

I will show a slide show presentation of the mural they helped to make which is installed at Queensland Railways.

It's time for some vegemite toast and a cuppa. It's always fun and busy!
Cheers
Sandy MD

Website updates

So much work to do! So much content to add to OzMosaics site. Galleries, mosaics in the making, workshop dates, events, student workshops, trips and the fabulous diva towers update.

This is such a steep learning curve for me but I am determined to work it out so I am able to understand the linking which is rather complex at first. So please be patient as I work and test and learn!

The webshop is coming soon and with it a fabulous clubDIVA members card to pass on great benefits to members who wish to shop at the Shop 24-7 Online shop.

It's all going to be fun and Sandy has patterns, dvd's (almost completed!) and heaps of fact sheets to share with clubDiva members.

Keep checking in. A mosaic mag and newsletter is being drafted as well as a calendar for fun raising and some exciting merchandise for mosaic addicts and OzMosaics students!

cheers
Sandy
Mosaic Diva

Sept - Oct busy mosaic months!

Sandy attended the MAANZ conference in Hobart Tasmania with husband Dave and Maureen (aka Popette) and Jessica (both mosaic addicts). A photo gallery will soon be added to the OzMosaics galleries level.

After arriving home from Hobart, Sandy, Dave Maureen took off to Grafton to run a 6 day mosaic marathon workshop at Grafton ArtsFest. A photo gallery will soon be uploaded and a full report in the Community art level of the website.

Sandy is working very hard to create the online shop and update the whole OzMosaics Website over the next few weeks.

The Steve Irwin Mural project is in full swing with hundreds of mosaics waiting in the wings for 2008 mural making. Full update soon.

Sandy is also about to visit Karalee School at Ipswich to complete the huge "Gaudi" chair started 2 years ago - the building is finally complete and the huge cement chair is underway!

Sandy attended her niece Julie's wedding this past weekend and it was so beautiful.
Anyway, more soon and finally a diary is running again.

Cheers
Sandy
Mosaic Diva

Welcome to the Mosaic Diva Blog!

Sandy has set up a Mosaic Addict Diva Club Blog. Please add your comments and I hope you enjoy the blog....a diary of Sandy's mosaic madness.