Kitties and Mosaics

Here is the cutest thing happening right now. The little black and white boys asleep together on the couch. And see all the mosaics hanging on the wall. There was supposed to be a Holiday Boutique last Saturday but we were rained out. I believe it will be rescheduled for this Saturday. So I have a few new items. There's a mirror below with stained glass and ball chain. I love the way ball chain can outline areas of glass.

On the left is a Christmas mirror with a cute kitty wooden ornament. I used Martha Stewart's glitter paints to brighten up the grout on the green glass and the red glass. 

And on the right is a spiral using plates and optic drops to define the spiral.

The studio is just about ready for outdoor mosaicing in the winter. I have a nice oil-filled heater and my great handyman, Jim, installed the fluorescent light fixture over the work table. I'm moved a lot of my tools, saws, drills and cutting devices out there so now I just need to start working! I'll send a picture soon.

Busy Mosaic Month

Begonia luxurians

My mosaic of Begonia luxurians did very well at the annual American Begonia Society convention in San Diego last month. All three of the mosaics I entered won ribbons, and this mosaic also won Best in Division and Best in Arts. Quite an honor for me.

This is a picture of all three of my entries. They all won a ribbon of some sort. The watercolor pictures at the front of the table were the prizes for winning Best in Something (the large blue flower ribbons). They are gorgeous paintings from a Begonia grower. She made at least 50 of these paintings for the prizes.

The convention was held at the Town and Country Hotel in San Diego on Hotel Circle. It is a very large, very beautiful hotel with lots of gardens and plants. Many of my friends and I were in the area of small cottages with beautiful landscaping and areas to sit outside. Here I am with the Champagne Ladies of Los Angeles. This lovely gazebo was outside our rooms so we took advantage of the afternoon sunshine to have some snacks and wine.

Mosaics and Cats

Today we have a two of my favorite topics; mosaics and kitty cats. First is a mosaic mirror I finished for a client. I'm fortunate to have a lovely garden to use for picture-taking when a mirror is involved.

Below we have a mosaic I made on a cupboard face sample given to me by my neighbor. His family owns a company that installs kitchens, offices and other cool spaces. It is a botanical of a hummingbirds with flowers that I thought matched the frame. On my next attempt at one of these clear swirly glass mosaics, I'll be more careful to make sure all the squares line up properly. As you can see, I had to make adjustments near the bottom. I'm always learning from my mistakes!



And finally we have adorable kitty pictures. First we have both boys asleep atop the divider that separates the front door from the living room. There are fluorescent lights in the top so it is warm, and the kitties love sleeping up there. If it weren't for the two tails, you might think it was just one cat.

Sleeping kitties

And finally we have Prancer asleep on the bed. Is he cute or what???

Prancer takes a nap

Holiday Bazaar - EtsySanta Barbara Artists

Come visit the Etsy SB artists Thanksgiving weekend at our Holiday Bazaar. It's Black Saturday, November 26th, at the Oreana Winery, 205 Anacapa Street, across from the Santa Barbara Amtrak Depot. Come taste delicious wine, visit food vendors and browse through over 15 local artists. And I will have mosaics priced to sell for holiday gifts or just something for you.