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I am very new to mosaics and just got a starter kit at hobby lobby. I got a nipper with my kit but it only allows me to cut square bits. How can I cut the tiles in curved shapes to make things like circles or petal shapes?
spider, in the class I took, they taught us to take tiny nips off the square edges to get round shapes. There's also a glass grinder tool that ain't cheap, but works very well.
Spider, I was taught just to use the regular straight nippers that look like pliers----actually, as I recall, they're called grozing pliers. I'm sure there are new and better tools out there now, since it's been almost 20 years since I took the class. But these did the job just fine.
I love pigeons (rock doves) in the wild; not so fond of them at the commuter-train station where they poo all over everything...
I make my own tiles, so mostly I can get them the shape I want before they're fired. I have done a few pieces of stained glass, but my focus right now is on making stoneware tiles and planters for my house. I've been making pots for over 30 years, and just made my first tiles about 3 years ago. It's been an adventure. I've gotten some great tips and feedback since I joined DG last year----there are so many creative and generous folks here!
Talent----not so much. Perseverance----tons...LOL! I think one of the main reasons I love working with clay is that it's not wasted when I have to moosh it up and start over for the bazillionth time. Not the case with any other medium I've ever tried, except maybe digital photography.
Awww...shucks...thanks so much! I'm sure I'm not alone in this---it's really easy for me to help my friends figure out their gardens, and I have TOTAL analysis paralysis with my own!! Since being on DG, I've gotten so much inspiration from seeing what others have done, and it's made me much braver and more determined to get what's in my head converted into plants and hardscape!
When the landscaper finishes my long list of projects, and after I retire (hopefully next year) I plan to a) go back to school and b) join a local artisan's guild (the one my pottery teacher belongs to) that DOES sponsor a tour every year of its members' gardens. I've been on a lot of "garden crawls" with my friends, and this one's our absolute favorite. I'd LOVE to be able to participate in it someday. We shall see... In the meantime, I have a ton of planting to do in brand-new beds, and I only want to plant them ONCE, so I'm going very slowly! That being said, I just ordered a ton of bulbs from a highly-rated Watchdog company, and when they arrive I'll be absolutely swamped..LOL!!!
