Grace and I share a good mosaic chat and giggle

Just had a quick msn chat with darling Grace and a good laugh from it too! We were naming shoes and well, LOL LOL LOL.... I must start organising some chats in the Diva Towers as it really is good for the soul and we can have some fun and not feel we are upsetting anyone with too much rubbish....Grace really is so funny! Whoever gets Grace's shoe is in for a riot! My lips are sealed. I would not tell her about my shoe. I am still deciding on options (too many!). I am a mean Diva!

Last night Polly and I had a late night phone call and laughed so much we cried. Nothing like ending the day and starting a new one laughing out loud.

I was telling Polly about my adventures with Mr Google and more.....and other things. I started to write a story about it and well that's another story. I have a love/hate relationship with Mr Google and it reached a climax yesterday; SnugglePOt and Cuddlepie have nothing on Mrs ST and MG..can't tell you the titles on this post LOL, but can in the chat room.

Anyway, Grace and I were thinking about when we get really old and what might happen in the nursing homes - would you like to add to this list for fun?

-old ladies taking their Leps to bed-no wheeling around the garden, take me to the hardware store instead for an outing-running around in bin bags-comparing black finger nails and grouting stories of old-insisting our veges be cut in shapes-complaining about the texture of the gravy-trying to grout with potato
-throwing plates and not saying sorry-sitting in a row gluing things to the building-lots of pink everywhere-sneaking in chocolate-using the cutlery to try and break out
I think I will run away with Grace first; we certainly would have some good laughs and make some very outrageous mosaics....who wants to join us? Do any of you know where we should build the Pink House of Tiles - a secluded place with a transport when needed? hmmmmmm. suggestions please

- I had written a long post about grouting 3-D and my system froze up. grrrr...will do it again later as I have to get down and get dirty cleaing the studio floor (new coat of sealer) but for what it's worth, do small sections if very textural stuff; when placing the tesserae initially in the mosaic, think of what it will look like when the grout goes in and allow for grout grading and sloping and cut backs...makes All the Difference .....I have recorded all this, but time is at a premium at the moment, but it is coming. Make the grout much runnier when doing 3-D. Do use the grout as icing sugar when needed to help it get ready to clean up.........don't wait too long.......slip, slop, slap, stare, etch, remove, soften. Use a sponge to grade edges on the final smooth over for a lovely finish, especially on project edges.

There is nothing like a grout sponge, nothing in the world.......... Let your sponge and fingers do the walking and talking. Newspaper is fantastic and old t-shirt material. Use your instincts. Start cleaning off the grout when it works! Test an area. Some tesserae is chalky on the cut sides and sucks in the the grout, non-porous the opposite.

With mixed media lots of things are happening at once, it's glorious. You will sometimes need to cover the section, do the stare and the chant, then gleefully start removing the excess grout. It might take a bit of water, rubbing with newspaper but in the end, it all starts to come together. If you have Weldbond on some of the tile surface, the grout likes to stick to it. This can be a good thing if protecting your tiles form grout pitting. Allow it to sit there whilst the surrounding grout lines set up and then go at later with a scourer and clean water.

tip: when removing excess thinset off tiles, use cold water, a sponge and a scourer/mixing tool to remove. It comes off well up to 24hours later and ok up to 48 hours after that more elbow grease...but it's amazing how it goes come off. Better to be neater in applying, but you know me!

off and running
Cheers
Sandy
www.ozmosaics.com