My experience w/hand painted dishes is that they don't hold up in below zero temps outside. I had a few minor chips on the shards, as well as on the red ceramic tiles I bought from Lowes, last winter when we had 19 below - nothing major that can't be re-touched w/porcelain paint. IMO, you can safely use yours on inside projects.

Slow, when a pattern is painted on, does the grouting process scrape the pattern? I had the same fears as bverste.

I haven't had any problems w/grouting, and I am very vigorous in the grouting process - sometimes using a wire brush. I think it was the severe winter we had in East TX that nicked a few spots. Still, I won't hesitate to keep using whatever bright colors I can find in my area. A mosaic, to me, isn't supposed to be absolutely perfect.

for all the dishes that I've broken, used nippers on and sorted..I found that the finer china for sure is superior to thicker pourous dishes, like from dollar stores or ones made of stone wear..
any Gibson or others, with that type of name, will be great, in breaking, nipping, hammering or just dropping on the floor.

it's just nicer, to have dishes that make a clean break and not fly off into a thousand itty bitty shards, that fall all over the floor, right around you or 6 feet away.

thrift store, with china is the way to go..don't even bother with bonanza dollar stores..you'll be sorry.

it's the gold and silver rims that make me nervous, for the grout to scratch it up.

and positively never try to outwit any corelle dishes!
you will lose~

Becky .(*_*).

Thanks for the info everyone, I have been having fun nipping poor little plates up--little plates that have done nothing to me.

Don't give up, BVERSTE. Keep looking for the nicer dishes and keep breaking, When I don't want certain shapes, I do as STRAWBERRY suggested - hammer away on a concrete floor.