Mosaic Stepping Stones How To

Lovely Stepping stones to make. Copy these ones for your own yard.

So much fun to make!!








Stepping stones really liven up the backyard. Here are some I have made to use as stepping stones throughout someone's yard. They are simple to make and fun.

These two stepping stones were ones I made when I had grout left over from a special order stepping stone I was doing. This happens sometimes. When it does you have to be quick so the grout doesn't dry before you can use it.


The top stepping stones are my favorite. They took a few extra hours to do. Depending on your design, they can take more or less time.

Mosaic Stepping stone How To:

I started with ordinary stepping stones already made up from the store. In this case, Fred Meyer's.

I cut out the main design from stained glass and positioned that pattern in the middle of the round or square stone. Once you have your main design placed on the stone, it is easy to decide what your outside area will be.

You will note I have used the already made glass tiles I bought at the craft store for the outside area. Then it is your decision whether you use broken pottery or plates to fill it in.

The Rose stepping stone has some squiggly clear glass as fill in that were picked up at the dollar store. The dollar store is a great place to find things to put on your stepping stone.

The frog, dragonfly, rooster, hummingbird, gecko and butterfly are made from a stained glass pattern and stained glass. These designs require a glass cutter and grinder. They take a lot more time to make.

Once your tiles are perfectly placed to your liking, you will now attach these pieces to the cement stone with water proof silicone. I use DAP Aquariums Sealant 100% Silicone.

When this is finished, you will set the stone aside for a day or two to be sure the silicone is perfectly stuck.

After a day or two you will mix up some grout of your choice of color there are many different colors. I use Polyblend Sanded Grout. It is very simple to use. The instructions are very straight forward. I use a rubber spatula to smooth the grout. Be sure to cover everything well.

After a few hours, check it for dryness. If you think it looks good, use a large sponge and water to carefully wash the excess grout of the tiles and/or glass pieces. If you get too over zealous and take off too much...don't worry. Make up more grout and apply. The idea is to leave the grout evenly around the tiles. Have you ever tiled a kitchen or bathroom. Same idea.

Not quite finished yet. Last step will occur a few days after you take off the excess grout. You will want to seal the grout. I use Grout and Tile Sealant. I apply two or three times for a good seal. I use this for any mosaics I want to put in the yard.

There you have it. Now you can place the stepping stone in the garden.

Hints: Try using a couple of different colors of grout on one stone. This looks great. Use this same treatment for small hot plates, jars and just about anything you want to make to liven up your home.
Have fun with this. Once you have done a few items, it becomes much easier.

Leave a comment. What have you made? Do you like these designs? What do you do differently?

Ellen @
http://www.spiderwoodhollow.etsy.com

Dragonfly Art in Copper Metal

Dragonflies are definitely one of the most adored bugs next to butterflies. Perhaps they are in a class all their own.

If you decide to look for information about dragonflies, you will find millions of articles and photos to look through. That is one reason I decided to make my own dragonflies to appeal to those dragonfly lovers out there.

I propose to offer a large variety of these dragonflies. I started with one like the one above which has two dragonflies on copper wire flying over forest green glass gems. This structure is simple yet strong as it is soldered together.

I propose to use different size glass gems to make the look of scenery a little different in each item.

If I use dark green or even lighter green it could be grass. Blues would be water. Black could represent night. I will use iridescent colors when I can to make it look like the sun is shining on the scenery.

This pair of dragonflies were the first pair I made. I liked the simplicity of them. they are soaring free...doing their own thing.

Some of my metal art will be of a single dragonfly over three glass gems. Some will be a grouping of maybe three or four on a little more complicated setting. Dragonflies on planter rods will probably be next on my to do list.

Here is a single Dragonfly over iridescent green gems.

I hope you will take some time and check out my art whether it be the dragonflies or the spiders and spider webs.

I will be adding both periodically. I hope you will love them as I do.

Please leave a comment if you have some ideas I could incorporate into my art. I would love to hear from you.

Ellen

http://www.spiderwoodhollow.etsy.com

Are Rabbits Devouring All Your Spring Flowers

Really! Are rabbits devouring you lovely spring flowers? Maybe. Probably some of them.

In my case, I have yet to see the lovely crocus that usually come up every year. They are planted around a small dogwood tree in our front yard.

You know, I was so excited to see the first signs of green coming up. I was thinking...'won't be long now and I will see my pretty little bunches of crocus.'

In the mean time, I saw a pair of rabbits in our yard eating the grass. "Aw! Look at the cute little rabbits" I would say whenever I saw them. Pretty soon there will be a bunch of little bunnies running around the yard. They are so adorable. Now, how could I ever get upset with such cute little furry creatures?

Well, I'll tell you...I am sure you can picture the lovely crocus of white, purple and yellow. Now, can you picture only the green stems sticking up out of the ground? It looks like the crocus got a crew cut. I never got to see one color let alone three colors of crocus this year. I certainly don't mind watching the rabbit eating all the dandelions in our yard but I have to draw the line at the flowers.

Honestly, can I remain mad at the rabbits for eating my precious flower arrangement? No! Worse things will happen during the Spring and Summer to upset us I'm sure. All living things have to eat after all.

It could have been a pair of giant rabbits the size of St Bernhard's munching in our yard. What would I have done then???

Did You Forget Something Important?

I Wonder...

Do you ever have that feeling someone took your "Get Up and Went" leaving you without a thought in your head as to what you had to do?

It's not quite like procrastination. With procrastination, you keep putting things off. These things continue to multiply. You're more stressed than you would be if you just made up a list and did each task as soon as you could.

No, when you stand around looking like someone stole your brain...then something is drastically wrong. You can't remember what is it you have to do. You wander around looking for clues. Nothing gives you that clue. What do you do then? You sit down and have a cup of coffee hoping it will all return to normal. Most of the time it will, eventually. Then you worry it will happen again on a regular basis tomorrow and tomorrow after that.

In time, you'll forget what you were worrying about.

Am I the only one this happens to? Is this an Alzheimer symptom? Maybe, or just too much to do everyday. You are over worked and stressed to the max. Some of you can get away with this and function normally ...then there are people like me. I'm not normal at the best of times.

What do you do in a case like this?

Why Did You Bring Your Umbrella

Indeed. Why did you bring your umbrella? Some people would say this if they lived in a place where it seldom rained, but here in Washington, it rains a majority of 90% of the time during the months of September to the following July. An umbrella is your constant companion.

Hey, I know. I live here and I can tell you if you don't like the rain....don't come to Washington to live. During the fall, winter and spring, it is very depressing and dark.

When the sun comes out, we have a celebration. Today, I was ready to celebrate. The sun was peaking out from behind some nice white fluffy clouds. I finished up what I was doing and went out the door only to find that not only had the sun gone behind the clouds, it was now hidden behind dark black clouds that were spitting tiny hail stones. Throwing up my arms, issuing a language my mother would not like to hear, I turned around and went back in the house.

This is what happens when you forget your umbrella. Poor baby. It stings a little or a lot depending if it is raining or hailing. This fellow is usually laughing and playing with his friends in the park.

This is also the way I feel sometimes when I have planned a day outside...working in the garden, taking a walk, reading by the pool, lunch in the park or any other wonderful thing you do when the sun comes out. This is dashed by "Rain Drops that Keep Falling on Your Head".

I realize there are millions of people who love the rain...who whistle in the rain...who play in the puddles. All I can say is, that's just fine if it happened occasionally. When it seems to happen every day or every other day, it gets tiring and can bring out the worst in you.

But hey! That's life here in Washington. I guess it's time for a vacation to Bora Bora. See you in July when rain is something we make oursleves by using a sprinkling can to water the flowers.

Spring is in the Air

Today, I went shopping for flowers. After all, it's that time of year. Today was buy your flowers and the store would supply the rich soil and plant them for you in your own pots.

Well the picking of the flowers was easy enough. The getting in line with all your pots and plants was easy enough.

The hard part came when after an hour waiting in line, we had only moved a few yards. It actually took me approximately one hour and fifty minutes to get to the front of the line.

Now again, another way of looking at waiting and waiting is you get to talk to the people on either side of you. It wasn't so bad. Even when the fellow in front of me found out he should have paid for his flowers before he got into this line.

Being the nice person I was, I told him I would save his place while he went to pay for his flowers. So when I found that nature would not allow me to wait just a little bit longer to go to the ladies room, I pulled in the favor and asked the fellow if he would mind pulling my cart with his towards the front of the line. He didn't mind and I did a little bit of running so I would'nt hold up the line any longer than was necessary.

All in all, it wasn't so bad. I got home after two hours and a half hours with some lovely fuchsia and and geraniums all planted in their containers. They looked nice. I was pleased.

Spiders of Color and Nature Felted Bowl

Spiders of Color

These pretty green, red and blue spiders have been made with copper wire and soldered together. Each one is shaped by hand.

I have invested in the work of another etsy artist to use her nature bowl as a prop. this is to give you an idea how to show off your spiders. Of course, it is only one idea. Other ideas is to put the spiders on a window sill, on a desk or make a little nature place on a shelf with moss and a piece of a tree branch.

Some spiders have a ring on their bums for hanging. These spiders can be hung from a window (using a suction cup) or hung on a wall.

These spiders can be placed outside on a table with a plant. Make the spider your pet. HE is a great conversation starter as not a lot of people have handmade spiders.

Some spiders I make are magnets for the fridge. Check them out here.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/71751444/two-green-spider-fridge-magnets