Wow! What a great find! I went to the one in Flint, near Grand Blanc, and they had everything marked ridiculously high...almost retail!

Hmm where you guys from. I'd love to meet up with some fellow gardeners and swap plants have lunch etc.. I live in Highland. West of pontiac.. Besides it's always nice to get new opinions about the garden

Laura

I love our Restore here. You can get plenty of ceramic tiles there for dirt cheap.

Regarding nipping ... as their name suggests, nippers just nip. They pretty much start a crack that breaks a ceramic tile, glass tile or piece of china or pottery into pieces. Hold it right on the edge and squeeze. Once you start nipping, you will get the hang of making the piece break the way you want it. Just make sure you do it somewhere where it is easy to clean up. You will get little shards flying (unless you nip your stuff inside a plastic bag as I have done) so make sure you aren't barefoot or have pets walking around the area. It is also a good idea to wear safety goggles because those little slivers can get in your eyes too.

For people starting out, I suggest buying colored grout instead of trying to color it yourself. If you color it, you have to be sure to (1) get your color "recipe" just right so you can mix the colors together again for another batch of grout or (2) mix enough grout to cover your entire project. Neither one is an easy task especially since the grout will start drying if you don't use it fast enough. Just mix your grout to the consistency of brownie batter.

When I put grout on, I try to slap on as much as possible first and then spread it nicely afterwards. The grout can start drying out pretty quick so you want to get as much on your surface as you can before it does.

As for thinset, you want to get that to a brownie batter kind of consistency. Maybe even a little thicker. Just be careful that you don't use too much and it mushes up between your "tesserae" (mosaic lingo for your mosaic pieces) because it can cause some weakness. Grout is hard to get off but thinset, when dry, can still be pried off. You want to get as much grout between your tiles as possible to hold them in good and strong.

If you want your mosaic on a wood surface to last, seal the wood first before mosaicking. It will help prevent the wood from rotting and ruining your mosaic.

Thank you luna for your suggestions. Very much appreciated. I usually just jump in and do it but thought I would ask here first. I figured someone would have some good advice.
Laura, I am down by the Indiana line. Probably a bit far to meet and swap plants but if your ever down this way let me know and we will do just that. LOL Always open to new plants thats for sure.
Deb

I don't believe we have one of those stores....not that I've heard, we sure could use one,though! Good luck on your mosaic, you're gonna get HOOKED :) I bought some cabinet doors a few weeks ago at a yard sale for .50 each, and my sis gave me some cherubs, going to try to mosaic doors myself. All great suggestions here.....just have fun and let your creativity flow!

Hi everyone! I'm getting ready to try my hand at mosaics and have been looking at all of the recent posts. I'm here in South Bend, IN and notice that some of you must live nearby! If ever you have a get-together, please let me know. I love to garden, have a small preformed pond and have a fondness for daylilies and ornamental grasses! Now that spring has finally sprung around here, I'm trying to get into shape so I can split up some of my grasses and rearrange some of my landscaping. I enjoy visiting garden centers and botanical gardens. Might take a trip tomorrow to South Haven tomorrow if the weather cooperates....

kudz, that store is wonderful. Too bad you dont have one close to you. Of course I'm going to be hooked. I think I will really like it.
Gersh, howdy neighbor!!! I live in Edwardsburg. LOL Nice to meet you. Good luck with your mosaic. Maybe we can compare when done?
Deb

We have a habitat store and I think most things
there are 'beyond my means'.