I am glad you finally got the tile work done, but we will not give you a year to get the grouting done as it takes so little time to complete. You did a great job and it looks supurb. Thanks for sharing. So when is the next swap so we can all come over and see? Linda

WOW, Kate! It looks fabulous!! You have done a wonderful job and the mosaic bucket is a hoot! You clever girl, you! Now I'm inspired to do the end tables I've been wanting to do forever. You and Nicki are my heroes!!!

Marcia

Looks really great. You are soooo creative! I know you are happy to have it finished. :)

You know, I have been thinking about another swap. But it will have to wait until fall - maybe when we are done with the summer heat, all our plants are mature, there are lots of cuttings to share, and we are getting ready for our Florida winter gardens. Wouldn't that be a good time to do it?

Geesh, guess how many tries it took for me to find the mosaic bucket? Way too early...must find coffee....

Beautiful wall, Kate. Ya did good!

So pretty! You did a really great job.

Very cool! Don't forget to sign it on the bottom right with an indelible marker. Hey if you have a swap in the fall, I'll bring the barbecue to you!

Ricky - that's a deal I can't pass up!

Great job! It is beautiful. What a change from the before picture. I agree with katkin, you are soooo creative. I also loved your other project of the crystals hanging on the tree!

You have given be so much motivation that I think I may try a small project. I don't have a creative bone in my body but maybe I can find a small one:)!

Gabriele

wow, this Mosaic looks awesome!
I would have the wall for one, but for sure I do not have the patience, so i won't even think about it.

You did great Kate!

And I am looking forward to your fall swap :-)

Evelyn

Hi Kate,
The wall looks GREAT !
I have be thinking about doing something like that for awhile. Even started collecting a bucket of cool looking broken plates..... maybe thiswill put the fire under my butt !

D`Ann

D'Ann & Gabrielle - you should check out the Stained Glass and Mosaic Forum! I just found them today but wish I had looked for them a year ago. They are all making these adorable mosaic'd garden mushrooms. THAT would have been a better project to start with than a WALL. What was I thinking?!?

Actually, the mushroom thing would be a fun group project. Everyone could gather some tiles, sea glass, glass bobbles and other stuff, then get together to share ideas, adhesive and grout. Could be a hoot.

Kate, looks fantastic. Congratulations. If you decide to do a fall swap, that will be great fun.
Lynne

Hey Evelyn - are you a turtle?

Kate its wonderful! Grout it now while you are still excited about it, it will be done it no time. For years I have been saying I want to play with mosaics but never do. I even have some stuff I saved in the garage to work with.

Oh, look how you've inspired us ALL, Kate! I want to do the tops of some vintage rattan end tables, but I'm thinking I want to do them with broken terra cotta. I believe I would like the solid color on this particular project, and I just HAPPEN to know where there are lots of broken pots!!

I love the idea of having a Mosaic Party some day. We can do one of those and a Hypertufa Party, too. Learn new stuff and share ideas and laughs. What fun that would be!

Marcia

That is just wonderful Kate! How creative you are. What color grout are you going to use? Can't wait to see the finishing touch!
Brenda

Kate, that is so cool! I love it!

Ricky DRIA!!

I'm struggling with the grout color. I'm leaning towards a dove gray or medium gray that should look pretty similar to the way it looks without the grout. If I get too close to white, then I'll lose the pattern. We are planning to paint the house this year and if we could ever agree on a color I might pick something close to that.
Whatever color I pick, I plan to add a sparkle element that will show up as the sun is setting. The wall faces west so at sunset the glass beads and slightly sparkly grout should be pretty. There is even a glow in the dark additive but it's expensive. So far the total cost has been less than $100. I'll probably spend another $20-$30 on the grout.

All the positive comments have made me feel great about this project! Thank you so much. I'm surprised at the attention this is getting, I guess. I was a little concerned about posting something so OT here but I was afraid no one would see the thread on the Conversations page. Now I'm really glad I posted it here.

Kate I think it's totally OT! It's an outdoor project where your gardens are the focal point. This will create so much new interest. I immediately thought grey grout when I read your first line. It will be cool to see the sparkle you add to it. Keep us posted!

Kate, I also feel it is completely ON topic. It's all about your garden art accentuating your plants and patio. What could be MORE on topic? And besides, it's gorgeous! So glad you posted here. I would have missed it completely, otherwise.

Marcia

hey Ricky, I wish :-) Turtles rock! I love turtles, have 'em everywhere, ... even as my spirit-guide.

Kate, consider the grout that doesn't discolor (epoxy in it?), it is expensive but worth every penny. and with all the humidity, mould can't get a hold.... oh glow in the dark sounds interesting

E.

Check out this link to a planter project someone did and posted on the mosaic forum. It's a toilet tank and absolutely beautiful!

Here is a link that might be useful: Toilet Tank Planter

That is SO cool!! Thanks for sharing the link. I guess I have to start checking out that forum ideas. Who would-a thunk a toilet tank could look so neat?

Marcia

Nice job! Now you gotta pst one at sunset, if the sun hits the wall or at night with your patio light on or candles. Would be neat to see the light reflecting in the swirls you created with the glass beads (is that what they are called?)

Tropicalfreak

wow kate it is gorgeous! i can imagine how relieved and proud u must feel now that every little piece of tile is in!

thanks for sharing!

oh MAN, Kate!! That is a show-stopper, for sure!!! What an artist you are!!!!!!!! Excellent!!!!

Love the movement!
Very nice.
Great work Kate.

So now, how do you sell your wall to the highest bidder?
Ebay?

Sure, I'll sell the wall. As a bonus I'll throw in a 4 bedroom, 3 bath home with a pool and delightful (but weedy) gardens. Mature fruit trees! View of the golf course and pond! Wonderful neighbors!

No, I think the wall is here to stay. A permanent installation, at least as long as I live here.

However, I would like to do another and don't have a place for it here, so if you know somebody who wants to hire an experienced mosaic "artist" let me know! If I was getting paid to finish I don't think it would take a year to complete it.

Wow! That came out so pretty. I am not a creative person so art like that always makes my jaw drop.

Kate..it looks great!! I am about to do the side slab off the garage, and a bowling ball soon..too..lol
well, you know..
great job, love the simplicity. Problem is I get too caught up with too much design/pattern..love the white! I'm in on the Hypertufa party, if near Melb. Thanks so much for the inspiration Kate..Debbie in W Melb :>)

Yeah, I have that bowling ball project in mind too. Even have the bowling ball. Had it for about 3 years I think... And an old lamp base that I thought would be a good planter if I mosaic'd it. Those will need the small glass tiles, though, not the broken floor tiles.

Wish I could join the hypertufa party! I took a class a couple years ago at Leu Gardens. Marybeth and Cynthia were there too. It was fun and I loved the completed project (a birdbath). Always intended to do lots more but it hasn't happened - yet.

lol I have the bowling ball too..not quite 3 yrs tho..where are you? I have alot of stained glass I could share..you can cut it into small pieces..and may I ask what did you use for adhesive for the wall..and what will you use for the ball? I am always so worried about the outside elements..well the rain..and moisture. Thanks Debbie

Debbie - I'm in east Orlando. My neighbor says she has a lot of stained glass from a long-forgotten hobby so maybe we can combine our stashes!
I used AcrylPro Ceramic Tile Adhesive ("For wall and floor tile installations") from Lowes. I put it in a zip-lock bag and cut the corner off (like a pastry bag) then applied the goop directly to each tile piece. There are several sites with instructions for bowling balls and mushroom shapes on the internet as well as a wealth of information on the 'stained glass and mosaics' forum.
Because some parts of the wall have been up for over a year - without grout! - I can affirm that it stands up to the Florida weather! This picture shows that the wall is partially protected from weather but still gets full blast late afternoon sun and frequent rain.

Beautiful!! i love your tropical oasis!

Hey Fawnridge--You bet your a@@ I'm a turtle!!

Solstis, I was admiring your mosaic last year, glad to see you got her done! It's beautiful

Kate, this looks beautiful! Great spot to sip those lemon martinis :-)

Evelyn

lovely home kate - are u in stoneybrook?

No, closer to Waterford Lakes.

Bumping this one out of the closet, as I jusy
now saw this and could not resist a huge compliment
for you.

Is there a way to spell WOW with more letters?

My gosh, that is so neat! I love it!
Your work is simply amazing and inspiring.
Will it prompt me to get off my mosaic duff? Maybe
not, but I certainly enjoy viewing all of your
beautiful hard work in the meantime.

WOW, over and over. Two thumbs up to you!

Karen Marie

Oh thank you! I meant to post a final, final picture after I did the grout work, but never got around to it. I used a dove gray grout that looks pretty much like the ungrouted photos look. I love this project too and had a blast doing it. This Christmas we had a neighborhood party and used this outdoor bar as the Martini Bar. Everyone gathered around and the wall was a huge hit! Several of these folks hadn't seen it before or had only seen it partially done.

Would I do it again? Absolutely! It wasn't difficult, just hard on the knees. It took way longer than it should have but that's just because I'm lazy and hate to work outside when it's very hot.

Thank you again for the nice comments! It was fun to be able to share the project with you all.
Kate