Oh, dang it. I forgot to say a special thank you to Lady Ronnie for telling her method of applying thinset.
Yall, I'm telling you what. The grout bad method is by FAR the way to do it. I just used a quart sized ziplock freezer bag. Plop some thinset in there, nip off a corner, and you're good to go. No mess. And the great thing was I could use the same bag the next day, just flick off the dried edge and away you go!!

appling to the substrate or the tesserae?

alright, think mirror, think abstract and free flowing...

Ugh!! That dang mirror. I despise that thing. I hate I put all those squiggly things and glass globs and beads on it.
I wonder if I can get them off? I really want to be free flowing, but its sooooooo hard!!

That is just awesome!! Beautiful!!!!

I'm in love. With a birdbath pedestal. Is that a bad thing?;)

Ditto to all above. It's perfectly ... breathtaking !

WOW!! It is just tremendously gorgeous! What a beautiful piece. I hope those birds appreciate it!!

Maria

You're welcome :)

Ronnie
(bowing low)

PS to NT: To the tessarae.

OK, what's the deal with the mirror? Do you mind if we see it Bama? Please? Or are you THAT fed up with it?

Keep comin' back to stare...what is so bad about globs? I luv em! And the way they look on this is why they rock!!!

FYI Bama...if you would like to keep pictures, mirrors, etc...straight try putting a piece of the tack (the stuff you use for hanging posters on a wall) on the bottom corners of the picture and press the bottom edge to the wall. My DS jumps around like a herd of elephants sometimes when he is playing with Missy and it used to bug me having to restraighten pictures all the time...now with the tack, the stuff doesn't move at all!

Barb

Awesome awesome, i love it. OH my just beautiful. Great job.

I keep coming back to look at this wonderful piece. It truly IS the most beautiful birdbath pedestal I've ever seen. I can't even imagine what you'll do w/the bowl.

I'm working on the bowl now. I'm tempted to just do a design around the rim. With all that going on the base, do you think that's a good idea. Or should it be as "glass covered" as the base?
I'm really stuck here!

Pictures, woman; show us what you've got started! Personally, I don't think it would be too busy at all to continue the same thing into the bowl...JMO, though.

to the tesserae, OMG I don't think I could do that... it would take me forever

Now that I look at the picture, it looks like it needs more.
The edge of the bowl is painted black because there is a bad spot in the concrete. So I can't mosaic that area. Also, the bottom of the bowl is painted in blocks of bright color. I had bought this as a top for my chimney tile, but its roundness just didn't look good with the square base. I don't think you can even see that much of the bottom, unless you bend over and look up at it, but I'm thinking of painting it black also.

I can't believe you'd even THINK about leaving this bowl plain. Get to mortaring, girlie. You have a beautiful beginning.

Dang it. I guess I knew it all along. Gonna try and finish today.

Gosh, Bama that is just gorgeous, wowsa. Do more to the top , make it as gorgeous as the base,
cindy

Yep, gotta mosaic more on the top!!!!

You gotta do the whole bowl!!! We have all been excited to see the bowl done. It looks too naked!

Hazie

Yes, yes!!! It'll be museum quality by the time you get it looking like the base!

JEZEL PETE BAMA! GORGEOUS!!!! I think the black paint works well! Waiting patiently for the finale!!!

That is amazing! I can only hope to be as good as you are. I have got to break down and buy some glass.I am a cheap plate smasher.

Hey, Bama- quick question for you on that base: Did you work in "columns" or "rows" with that? Trying to figure out how you got the columns all lined up nice & tidy as well as each section matching with the one next to it.
Thanks!

Columns. But I only did a small section at a time. I would start on one column, do about 2-3" and repeat it all the way around. That way you can see how the pattern looks repeated, how it evolves once it has mirrored itself. Also, the way the base was sectioned already helped to keep things straight.
{{!gwi}}

Looks great! Get some clothes on that nekkid bowl!! LOL

Maria

You KNEW this bunch wouldn't let you get away w/a shortcut.

Unbelievable! Ditto what everybody else said. Fantasic colors and patterns. I said I was going to use this as inspiration for my BB but I can't - can't even imagine doing such perfect work. How ever do you cut and thinset and grout so perfectly!

Really, we know darned well you've been plugging away at that thing all day...come on...let's see the PROGRESS REPORT!!!

(thanks for the answer to my Q; that helps, and makes perfect sense.)

Well, I didn't finish it today. I'm danged tired. Worked outside in mid 70's and sunshine. I am so sleepy I can't stand it anymore. Gotta take a nap.

LOVE IT!! great design Bama!
The glass marbles are really worth it on this one.
Hurry with your nap and get back to it! hahaha
I bet you make in "make mine mosaic" with this one!
So see... we had to push you!

Hazie

I want your kitty.

Nice center design! It looks great with just that center-piece...wondering if it would hold up with even just a single color all around it, cuz that seems to be just the ticket to tie it to the bottom without being too busy. Just a single center-statement that says "I'm the Garanimal mate to the bottom."

Bravo!!!

GASP! You make me want to do a cement bb, but I KNOW mine won't be as detailed as yours! GORGEOUS!!!!!

Do you realize someone would probably pay HUGE amounts of money for that piece!!!????

Aww Susan, is sure looks better now...not so naked anymore!

Barb

This is making me a little ill. HOW in this world do you DO this? Here's the crown - ain't wearing it anymore. In fact, I don't even consider myself a mosaicist anymore after seeing this. I don't want to play this game anymore. Taking my dolls and going home. Throwing my toys all away - **pout**. I don't even aspire to EVER coming CLOSE to being this good. **sigh**

Oh Slow. If you only knew.
I want to be like YOU!! All I did was line up some squares. You do swirleys and diamonds and other really neat designs.
But..if you're gonna through your toys away, I WANT THEM!!

LOL you two are cracking me up!!! I bow to both your amazing talents!

Bama, it's looking fabulous

Bama, this is looking great! On the last birdbath I did, I put 1/2" mirror squares on the bottom (underneath) of the bowl. I know not too many people see it but it will reflect the pedestal and someone sitting in a chair will notice it. I love to use mirrors as accents.

NO, Slow! You can come to my house and play! I love your work.

This is just getting better & better. I can't wait to see the finished piece.

Oh, and I had to laugh at the picture showing the center design, because I was thinking to myself that the cat is impatient for the feathered visitors to begin using it, LOL.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, d3bbi's idea for the mirrors on the underside of the bowl! I think I'll use that idea when I redo mine after Christmas.

Hazie

I was really hoping to have the bowl finished this weekend. I got all the glass cut and ready to apply. This morning we got a call that my husbands step sister had died. So we are headed to Alabama for a few days.

I'm sorry. was it expected? safe trip

Susan, so sorry for your loss!

((HUGS))

Barb

Oh Bama! so sorry to hear that.

Hazie

I'm so sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Your work is so beautiful! Such attention to detail! I love looking at your work.

Ramona

God is with you and your family and all our prayers too!!!

Oh, so sorry to read this. Saying a prayer for you and yours.

Sorry to hear that . Everyone is in my prayers .

That turned out pretty beyond anything I've ever seen ! Gosh ... I'm at a loss for words. ( And that doesn't happen often ) LOL