Amazing. This is gonna be a real piece of work. Tell us what you've done here, please. It's so realistic I'm having trouble understanding. Didja paint the thorns on the cactus ? What is the glass of the S cactus?

Slow - The cactus I painted with those enamel paints you bake in the oven for 30 min. The saguaro cactus I glued clear reed glass on top of it. There was another textured glass I liked even better but I couldn't get a piece big enough. There is 2 pieces of green glass under it the length of the saguaro cactus. It's the same glass as the prickly pear cactus. Then I started putting the glass beads on the flowers of the pear cactus. They don't show up very well but I like the look of the bead flowers. Hopefully it will show up better when it's finished.

The reed glass was easy to cut but has really sharp edges - don't care working with that glass at all,

You sure have put a lot of work into those cactus'. I never knew you could paint stained glass and put it in the oven. I like the texture of the other glass.

Sirius - They have the paint everywhere. It's the paint where you decorate vases & plates. The reed glass is cool. They had a wood grain clear glass I really liked because a cactus is really funky but I needed a long piece & the reed glass is what came in the long piece. This was my 2nd choice but I like it too.

Since it's such a big long piece, I had a hard time with the glue. It would make big air pockets in the middle of the glass when it would dry. I would pry it apart & would either break the green glass or the reed glass & start over again. I made 4 of them before one turned out. The reed glass splinters really easy. I ended up putting a really thick layer of glue on it & then weighted it down for a few hours to eliminate the air pockets. This is going to take days to dry, LOL!

very nice! And I love how creative you are with the paint and the reed glass!
I have never done any work with beads. Are they hard to grout? I imagine they are!

Foxglove - I couldn't tell you. I never worked with them either but I'm going to find out, LOL! It's been fun glueing them down - they are on tight. I'd doing some other beads too so it will be a learning experience. I believe I read it's good to give them a coating of weldbond or something like that & will probably try that.

Looking good so far Cac! Can't wait for the dimensions to really POP!

WOW.......I'm so impressed.......! This is going to be awesome!

Your saguaro is looking good....like that glass!
The pink beaded Prickly blooms are perfect!

Thanks for the explaination of the cactus and how you got the thorns on there. It looks fantastic, I think your spacing is perfect!!!!

I got this tip from someone else but Im gonna pass it along to you. When your done grouting the beads it will help to use a toothbrush to uncover them as they tend to cover up easily.

You are doing wonderful! I cant wait to see it done!!!

Very creative! Can't wait to see it finished.

Here's an update

{{!gwi}}

Oh, W.O.W., CAC. That's so dimensional - looks almost like an oil. You really have a painter's eye. WONDERFUL.

Wow is right,boy what an artist you are....looks like the real thing!Love it!

Oh that is looking great.

OK, here is the progress I've made up to now.

I sure would appreciate everyone's input on what I need to do with this - changes or whatever. I'm so frustrated with this I can't think anymore. My head just swims.

Even down to the grout color. There's the sand in the lower right. Thinking of a tan color - but what shade. I'd like it darker in the sky & rocks because it would show the brown of the rocks I think. But the sand part a lighter tan - not sure of that either. If I did do 2 colors of grout what on earth should the saguaro cactus be? That's in both. Or a darker tan all the way around. Do I sound confused? You betcha!

It would help if I put a pic now wouldn't it.
{{!gwi}}

I finally think I am calling this finished.

{{!gwi}}

I've always wanted to go to Monument Valley!!!
That is SOOOOO EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is that sanded grout you've used? It's PERFECT!!
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

Love the look of this piece! What incredible detail is being shown with the glasses you chose. Excellent work!

Cacbeary, this takes mosaicing to a whole new "level" (literally too!) You TOTALLY succeded the 3d part!!! Amazing! I love the border, the coyote, the rocks, the...heck EVERYTHING!!! I gotta try this sometime! See, another thing of yours I wanna copy!!!

Calamity - I had a lot of good advice from the girls. I couldn't have done this without them. A lot of stuff I tried & would rip off & do something else. You can't copy me - I copied from Yellowrose's sea turtle with the sand. Remember that piece? I loved the use of sand in her piece & she made the turtle 3D & the water.

Commented at Carl's, but this is worth another
Bravo! All that cutting and changing things and
hard work really paid off! I would be afraid to
touch the prickly pear, it looks so real!

Beautiful piece of art,love all the details and the sand just finishes it off perfect.Great work!

OMG, that is awesome. Wow love all the little details and such. Great job.

OH, OH, OH. I agree w/CALAM - this is REALLY a fabulous piece. You've actually painted in glass - there's so much depth to this. BEAUTIFUL!!!

Slow - Yes, I used those paints that you bake in the oven for 1/2 hour. It's great for van faux glass. It don't scratch off so you can cut it up beforehand with no problem. But with the cacti the sanded grout some of the paint come off & I had to do touch ups when finished. But it says it air drys in 21 days or you can bake it so it should last.

No, CAC - I meant your glass work LOOKS like an oil painting it's so good. You've created a "painting" using glass.

Duh! - Thanks Slow. Wow now that's a compliment.

That turned out beautiful. Love everything, the cactus' the way the rocks look, the sand you used just like being in the desert. The depth you created is amazing.