Wow! no wonder you are happy with it. This is lovely.
I would love to know how you did your leaves. Their curve is so well matched to the shape of the sphere that I would think you let them dry on it but they also seem so separate that it seems they were added after they were dry. Are you sharing your secrets??
Laura

I am happy to share how I did it. I did make the leaves first and let them dry separately. I painted them and then applied them to the sphere. I used different things that I had around the house to lay them on to get the curves. It took me a little bit to figure out the I needed to lay them opposite of how I wanted them to be when finished. I painted the sphere and then played around with where the leaves would go. I put them on with the same cement mixture. I guess time will tell if I did it right.

Thanks for the information. I have tried pretty much what you describe and I know it is NOT easy to get those upside down curves to match later! You must be a natural at this - go make more!!
Laura

Thank you for your input. I have seen pics of your stuff and I take your comments as a real compliment. I have already got the next one planned. I just remembered that some of the leaves I did put inside the sphere to dry. That helped with the curve. One of the leaves I made had too much curve, so I will save it for another day. I also figured out how to do the leaves with both sides veined. It was really easier to do them that way, and I may do them all that way from now on. I really love doing this, I just need to learn more patience. It is just so hard to wait. Here is another view of it from a different perspective. I am not sure which way I like best. If I leave the opening at the top, I would probably add more leaves to the edge.
Vicki

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:72081}}

Vicki, that's beautiful!
How big is this sphere? My hose guides are 4" across, it looks huge
in the second picture, even allowing for perspective it must be pretty big.
Love the curved leaves, I agree with Laura, you're a natural.

WOW! Really nice! An amazing "first sphere"!
The leaves are great. Did you make the leaves with the resurfacer as well? And how thick did you make the sphere?
Sorry for all the questions - hope you don't mind sharing. I got a bag of resurfacer and am anxious to give it a try too.
Laurel

I love having something to share with you all. I have been reading here for a while, and just couldn't wait to try this myself. I did start out with Quikcrete Vinyl Concrete Repair. I made a few practice leaves and the beginning of the sphere. But, I ran out of that, since I just bought a small bucket of it. I was really hoping to be able to find the Quikwall, but it just isn't available in my area. I read some more on this forum. Then I went to the Resurfacer. I found out that if I put wood glue into the water that I was going to use to mix up the resurfacer, it worked so much better. I only mixed up small batches at a time. I think the most I mixed up at once was 4 cups of resurfacer. I used one of the big play balls from Walmart. I think they are 16" diam. and cost $2.50. I would say that the sphere is only 1/2 inch thick at the most and the open edge is very thin. I wasn't sure how big the hole should be, and the next one will have a smaller opening. Some of the leaves are probably thicker than the wall of the sphere. I got better at making thinner leaves as I did more of them. This is my first ANYTHING using cement. I probably did lots of things wrong, and it might not last outside. I know the cat is really wanting to sleep in it. But, I have been carrying it around and picking it up by the edge, and so far it seems to be pretty strong. I did end up with seams on the inside that you can't see, but you can feel. That is because I wasn't able to cover the whole sphere at once. I did all of this in my kitchen, with my four year old wanting to play with the ball. I hope she lets me use it again.
Vicki

Thanks Vicki! Again - a great first project for you!
Keep it up - we'll be waiting to see what you come up with next.
Now, I'm going to try the resurfacer - hope it turns out half as nice as yours.
Laurel

Great job! I love the concept. Your leaves are great. How thick are the thin ones? Are your leaves strong or delicate?
I also use quickrete resurfacer. I love it. The color is a nice light color instead of grey and it takes color additives extremely well. I have made 6 maple leaves. My DH is afraid to touch them. They seem so delicate. I am trying to figure out how to keep them wafer thin yet strong.

The SixBarrellMudSlinger (Mary)

Hi Mary,
My leaves are strong, as far as I can tell. Now, there were a couple of them that I broke because I just couldn't wait to take the real leaf off of them. The thinest one that I have done is probably about 1/4". That is the one that I did the veining on both sides. I just found 2 leaves that were same size and sandwiched the cement between the two. I used a piece of dowel to roll over the leaf like a pie crust. I cleaned up the edges and let it dry. It turned out just perfect, and I intend to do all the rest of my leaves this way. I also didn't mention before that I use WD-40 as a release. Just a light spray and then shake to remove any excess. I have been removing the leaf from the cast after 24 hrs. I did find that if you make the leaves too thick, it is really hard to get the curve that I wanted for the sphere. I imagine that stand alone leaves could be much thicker. And the smaller the leaf the thinner it could be. The leaves that I used for the sphere are catalpa leaves. I have always hated that tree until now!! I also tried some morning glory, but they are really thin, and don't hold up very well. But, if you are ready to put the cement on them as soon as you cut them, they work fine for the sandwich method.

Great sphere! And I don't know why It hasn't been mentioned about sandwiching the crete between the 2 leaves, it never crossed my mind to do that,what a good idea :-)
bonnie

Want More-

Great thinking on the sandwiching!! And the WD-40! I used catalpa recently because I like the leaf...not the tree;) and the fuzzy side of it made the casting fuzzy. I'm kinda' diggin' it. Next time I will put on the release agent. Maybe I can get a smooth leaf.

We are really going to enjoy your experimenting!

The SixBarrellMudSlinger (Mary)

Experimenting....I like that, I usually look at as making a mess! But, I am always on such a tight budget that I have to make do a lot of the time. For example, I also found out that you can let the air out of the ball by cutting the ends off of a q-tip and sticking it into the valve on the ball. Be sure to wet it before you try to work it in there though. I haven't found a cheap way to re-inflate the ball yet, so I guess I will have to buy a pump with one of those needle things. My catalpa leaves weren't fuzzy, I wonder what the difference is? If this awful drought would end, I could do an elephant ear, but right now, mine don't look so good. I think the thing I like the best about all of you on this forum is that no one has asked "What is that for?" or "What are you going to do with that?" Have a great weekend.
Thanks everyone,
Vicki

Wantmore.....Vicki,
Really want to see your projects continue. Absolutely beautiful.
Is the resurfacer sticky to work with?
You are being creative,
Dena

Thank you so much Dena, I am actually still working on this sphere. I wasn't sure if it was finished when I posted the first time. I believe I have the finishing touches for it done now. I will be adding some things to the inside of the sphere. I have some more leaves and this lady that will appear to be floating on the inside. I know the pic of her is pretty bad, but she looks really good inside her new home. The leaves on her face were applied with a small paint brush. I did use a stencil as a pattern for them.

Since I am so new to this, it is really hard for me to answer your question about the resurfacer being sticky. I don't have anything to compare it to. I don't have any trouble getting it to stick to the surface of whatever I am putting it on, if that is what you mean. I put some of it into a plastic mold without any release agent, and the casting came right out when it was dry. I like working with it, but I really want to try something with a finer texture. It may be a while before I have something else to show, since original ideas don't come to me easily.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:72082}}

I was asking if the mixture seems sticky, whether it sticks or is gooey to your fingers/gloves?
When you say you "the leaves on her face were applied with a small paint brush." Are you meaning you used the stencil to paint through or did you apply mixture (resufacer) through the stencil. It is very nice and the leaves appear to be raised.
She will look very cool floating in her home.
Dena

Hi Dena,
I layed the stencil down, but since there are so many curves, I couldn't just put the mixture on that way. So, I used a pencil to mark where I wanted the leaves to be. Then I took the paint brush to pick up little bits of the cement and patted them on. The leaves are raised this way. I know that if the area to be done is just a little bit flatter, you can lay out your stencil and with a small spatula, you can smear cement on and then take the stencil off, and you will have your raised picture. I have done this with joint compound on a wooden chest. So, it does work, just not on this lady.
Vicki

GIRLS
You're just brilliant. Giving praise where it's due!!! I've wanted to to do the tufa but just haven't had the time yet. This forum has gotten me excited about starting. Any helpful hints I need to know before getting started? Or a good website? Girls, keep up the great work!!!

When you say you added wood glue could you give the amounts please. Your sphere is wonderful...

I usually mix up more liquid than what I will actually use,and I really don't measure it out first. But it comes down to be from 1/4 to 1/3 glue to water. So, if I was making up a cup of liquid, I would put the glue into the container, and then add the water. Then stir it up and start adding it to the dry mix. I just started using Type S Mortar Mix that I got from HD. I also bought bonder/fortifier that is ready to use. I have been using it as my only liquid. The mortar mix is white and I love the workability of it, and the way the finished pieces look.

Wow! Your sphere is wonderful. Did you use any drywall mesh in your leaves or just go with the mix?

I didn't use any mesh in the leaves, and that may be a mistake that I will learn in time. It probably would have been a good idea to use it, but I didn't have any when I started making the leaves. I was in such a hurry to get started, so I guess I will find out with time. I am using it on all of my spheres now, but not on the leaves so far. I also have decided that I like using the wood glue and water better than the fortifier that I bought. It seems like I have more time to work with the mixture. It seems to set up really fast with the fortifier, and sometimes I need it to stay wet a little longer.