Oh Christie, you got it bad, the mosaic bug has hit you hard and heavy!!! Yesterday I was even looking at those round fish bowls, thinking of a whole snowman theme of glass on glass for it with floating candles for the inside!

Christie, the edges are hard for me, too.

Here again, it depends on how thick your china is. If I'm using fairly thin tiles I just use grout. If it's a thicker area you might want to put a row of something - if you have fairly straight pieces, or use tiles. If you grout it, then want to paint, that will work,too.

I have to contain myself at the TS!!LOL I only buy things I LOVE- not things I like!I have enough around here to keep me busy for a while!

Maria

The edges are always a problem for me too. If the edge is wide, I always try to mosiac that too...real thin ones I just grout.

Hazie

try this site, but be prepared to spend a lot of time there!

You can get ideas on how to handle the edge problem

Maria

Here is a link that might be useful: mosaics

Thanks Maria - I just looked at the site -- wow! I love the jester that has the tiles spelling FOOL on it. Lots of talent and experience to aspire to . . . . .

Christie (aka theboysmom)

Edges are easy. I use a lot of masking tape.

Paint the edges of your project (picture frames, bird houses) - places you know you can't/don't want to grout...and then before you grout, tape it so that you don't get grout stuck to it ...you don't have to do this...but it makes your project look nice.

And then again, sometimes I don't tape and will later use very fine sand paper and sand it off and then paint the edges. But, it's easier to paint first and then tape...

Does that make sense?

Christie - did you see the CARS? I think there is a little search thingy

Thanks for the tip doone!

Maria

Okay Maria, we've been patient but come on ...pics!!!!!

Oops, I mean Christie!!!

Okay -- pictures to be revealed on Sunday. I decided to go ahead and tile the outer and inner edges. I have finished three outer edges so far. Now I need to complete the remaining edges tomorrow and then will grout on Sunday and post pictures. Be kind . . . this is my first attempt and goodness knows what the finished result will look like! Oh, by the way, I bought yet another item at GW to mosaic today. Jeez, when am I going to get back to my stained glass windows I was in the middle of when the 'mosaic bug' bit? I have so many little cups of cut up china and colored glass already . . . . . . I guess I will HAVE to make the other pieces I bought, right?

Christie (aka theboysmom)

Bumping because I didn't see an answer to this one. My #2 project (which likely will probably be started at the same time as the backsplash just so I have something "else" to work on when I get frustrated with one or the other)...

...is the soffit above my bathroom mirror. It's identical to the one in the kitchen (see thread titled "Technically not WIP..." for pic) and houses canned lighting.

My bathroom is carnation pink. What better to do here than...___________ (fill in the blank)!!!!

My problem is this: I will stick with the hardiebacker board application rather than applying directly to the soffit, but I need to know how to finish the bottom edge. The soffit is a 'box,' and I will start by just doing the vertical part, and not the underside (if I get REALLY ambitious, I'll do the underside) If I grout, then there will be a weird edge that, if you were inclined to look UP, you'd see weirdness. Here are my thoughts/options:

a) Grout, and deal with an ugly edge.
b) mosaic all the way to the edge, and AROUND the bottom edge of the hardiebacker board (assuming the HB is cut to the exact same measurements as the box), and have an 'overhanging edge' that- although convenient when doing the underside- would be hanging off the bottom weirdly.
c) cut the HB to 1/2" or less to allow for the tiles to butt right up to the (existing) horizontal plane of the underside. Of course, if I do this, then later when I do the bottom, it would then be weird yet again, because it would be too 'short' at that point.
d) cut the HB 1/2" or MORE to allow for the later underside HB to match up to it, leaving again, another weird overhanging piece of "thing" on the vertical edge.

HELP! Thoughts? Here's a pic:
{{gwi:297594}}

MM: We have all experienced this problem at one time or another. I had to deal with it when I mosaiced a guitar a few months ago. BUT it is good that you recognize that it is something you need to deal with as you mosaic. When I was working on the front and back sides of the guitar, I deliberately left my tile hanging over the edge so that when the sides were mosaiced I would end up with a nice angle. So the top tile sits on top of the side tile and hides the grout line. Does that make sense?
Here's a photo if that helps.

Here is a link that might be useful:

What if you just cut the hardibacker slightly shorter than the soffit. Then you could use 3/4 in. round and run it along the bottom. It can be painted to match the rest of the room or stained. You will have a finished look on top and bottom without interfering with the lights.

I think you could just grout to the edge, but you would really have to be deliberate with your grouting. (I tend to be a bit haphazard) grout can be easily sanded if you need to remove some. When I did a vase and the top edge looked unfinished, I piled more grout on it and then sanded it until it was even. It provided a nice finish. Not sure this is doable on a soffit though. i think you will need pretty dry grout too.

Rosie- Yes, that top/bottom hangover explanation made perfect sense, thanks!

sunshine- 3/4" round...moulding? That would make sense. OR...HEY I just had another revelation:
What if I measure the HB on BOTH the underside and the verticals to EXACTLY the same size as the box NOW...then I'd actually have a "V" shaped crevice at the end...I could fill that with silver BBs or Cheap Pink Pearlies or...marbles...or...!!!!!

I'm so glad we have these boards to bounce ideas off each other...cuz it really does help the think-process.

I like the moulding idea best of all. ROSIE - your use of the moulding on your recent pedestal was very wise, and it made it look so finished.