Ep. 135 MAKING GLASS MOSAIC LETTERS, TENTACLES AND PETALS!

Ep. 135 MAKING GLASS MOSAIC LETTERS, TENTACLES AND PETALS!

0:30 Starting with St. Matthew, I cut out his head and halo for future installation. It takes several passes with the exacto blade to get through the alkali resistant fiberglass mesh. The Laticrete 254 Platimum thinset is VERY strong and holds it all together.
1:12 Then I step over to the mosaic Sea Anemone and tackle some of the tentacles. Many start in one shade and then change color as they move toward the tip. I often pre-cut some pieces for a certain area and then spread thinset and lay them all at once.
2:22 Tackling the text "St. Matthew" is next. I created the letters on Adobe Illustrator, using a curved line as the base, the program with add the text at all different angles. It also allows the user to select from different fonts. I chose one that is very straightforward and easy to read from a distance. The black and white contrast should also make it easier to read.
To make the thin pieces that outline the banner, I start with glass strips cut with a scoring tool and breaker. I break it into usable lengths (about 1/2" or so) and nip it in half with my wheeled nippers. The topmost part of the banner is where I add the gray outline, gradating to black for the rest of it.
5:50 When my wheeled nippers stop giving me precise cuts, it is time to rotate the wheels to a fresh part of the blades. I turn them about 1/8 of a turn and then tighten.
TIP: If the wheels are VERY tight, try using an oven mitt so the hex wrench doesn't cut into your hand.
This is very precise work, with the curved letters presenting more of a challenge as they must be cut from glass strips slightly wider than the letters to allow for room to shape. The tighter the curve, the smaller the piece. The lower case a and e were tricky!
7:53 I show how I cut the tiny circle that is the period after St. Then I show how I cut parts of the letter S. Then I finish up the letters and the banner.
TIP: I show how I "seat" each piece in the thinset so it has good adhesion and is in its place.
When I'm done, I sweep up all the debris!
10:36 Time for the final push on these tentacles!!!! There is just a bit on the upper right, and then just the left side to finish up. YAY!!!! I then cut the two mosaics apart and remove from the base so that I can ship them next week. I will be using the mesh to secure them during shipping, so I do not cut around each shape. This is such a satisfying part!!! Amazing that it all holds together without cracking! Making the thinset more solid will allow for a notched trowel to be used on the back of the mosaic to install. With the thin stained glass, this means there is less of a chance that the thinset will ooze through when installing and crowd out room for grout.
14:49 I saved some of the hot colored scrap glass because it was SO PRETTY! I also pull from some translucent glass leftover from a lantern project to use on the red mosaic sunflower. TIP: Use a white plate so you can see what the glass will look like on a white base. I show how pretty these dark red pieces look with light behind them! Then I show how I cut feather cuts for these petals.
18:00 I settle in to knock out these petals. I am using Weldbond adhesive in a Wilton cake decorating bottle. (Not shown: My husband interrupting me over and over and texts coming through constantly so we could make dinner plans.)
That's Putting It Together Ep. 135. Thanks for watching! See you next time.

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