Mom's Sunflower Mosaic Table

My mom had an old metal umbrella table that she was thinking about getting rid of.  But I convinced her to keep it and put Glass Mosaic on it to dress it up for her deck.  She's always love sunflowers, so that's what we decided to put on it.  I did have a little bit of a hard time convincing her though that Sunflowers come in different colors.  But after googling some images and showing them to her, we started drawing off the design.  We started with the Sunflowers, then added the leaves, stems and branches.  We decided to go with Glass nuggets around the center hole and the outside rim to keep from having any sharp points on the edges.  Then we added the blue background to make it look like you're looking up at the Sunflowers towards the sky.  Finally we grouted the whole thing with a Buttercream grout to blend everything together.  It turned out great and she was ecstatic.  My dad was almost as excited about it as she was.  He would come home from work every day to check out the progress.  Hope you like it as well.
For small mosaic items for your Home and Garden, check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz.

somethinguniquebylana: Blog Love..Fav Etsy Shops & A Giveaway.......

What a great post, blog and giveaway. Check it out. Hoping I win, though. :) somethinguniquebylana: Blog Love..Fav Etsy Shops & A Giveaway.......: "Finally I Can Share The Love.......... I have been wanting to do this for quite some time now but with everything that has been going on in..."

Lori Anderson's Bead and Button adventure and Giveaway

I love reading Lori's blog. She always has so much great info and pictures of jewelry she's made. She's also behind the Bead Soup Blog party. I can't believe all the creativity in that.  But she just got back from the Bead and Button show and has a cute video, plus some wonderful finds and a great Giveaway for readers. So get on over there and check it out.  It's Pretty Things.

And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden, be sure to check out my shop: KayzKreationz. Hopefully you'll find something you can't live without. LOL  There's Beer Bottle windchimes, jewelry, Glass plates, bowls and more.  Even some Fused Glass Garden markers to maker your garden unique like these: http://www.etsy.com/listing/48963248/yellow-weeds-fused-glass-garden-marker 

♥**A Little of This and That**♥: Huge Vintage Giveaway ~ May 2011

I love her clay molds. Check out her giveaway.♥**A Little of This and That**♥: Huge Vintage Giveaway ~ May 2011: "~♥~ Vintage Giveaway May 2011 ~♥~ Vintage Pink Rhinestone Ring, Antique blue glass bottle, Vintage & Antique inspired findings and me..."

And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your home or garden, check out my shop, KayzKreationz.  Thanks

Spring is Coming and So are the Hummingbirds

Recently I saw a post with some interesting facts about Hummingbirds.  It was from a newsletter I get from About.com  And it reminded me that soon the Hummingbirds will be returning to our neck of the woods.  I love these little birds.  But they can be annoying. LOL  I put my hummingbird feeders out every year and attract quite a few to our small Texas ranch.  But if I dare let them feeders get empty, boy do they let me know it.  They will fly all around me and buzz me until I go back inside, clean them and put out fresh nectar for them!  Anyway, I thought you'd enjoy these facts as much as I did:

1.There are more than 325 hummingbird species in the world. Only 8 species regularly breed in the United States, though up to two dozen species may visit the country.
2.A hummingbird’s brilliant throat color is not caused by feather pigmentation, but rather by iridescence in the arrangement of the feathers and the influence of light level, moisture and other factors.
3.Hummingbirds cannot walk or hop, though their feet can be used to scoot sideways while they are perched.
4.The calliope hummingbird is the smallest bird species in North America and measures just 3 inches long. The bee hummingbird is the smallest species and measures 2.25 inches long.
5.Hummingbirds have 1,000-1,500 feathers, the fewest number of feathers of any bird species in the world.
6.The average ruby-throated hummingbird weighs 3 grams. In comparison, a nickel weighs 4.5 grams.
7.From 25-30 percent of a hummingbird’s weight is in its pectoral muscles, the muscles principally responsible for flight.
8.A hummingbird’s maximum forward flight speed is 30 miles per hour, though the birds can reach up to 60 miles per hour in a dive.
9.Hummingbirds lay the smallest eggs of all birds. They measure less than 1/2 inch long but may represent as much as 10 percent of the mother’s weight at the time the eggs are laid.
10.A hummingbird must consume approximately 1/2 of its weight in sugar daily, and the average hummingbird feeds 5-8 times per hour.
11.A hummingbird’s wings beat between 50 and 200 flaps per second depending on the direction of flight and air conditions.
12.An average hummingbird’s heart rate is more than 1,200 beats per minute.
13.At rest, a hummingbird takes an average of 250 breaths per minute.

This is only half of the facts about Hummingbird's I saw.  Stay tuned for part 2 in a week or so.  Plus, keep your eye out for my new Fused Glass Hummingbird Feeder that I'll be listing in my Etsy shop: KayzKreationz. They are great for your yard or as a gift.  In the meantime, check out this cute Hanging Mosaic Birdfeeder that can also be used as a birdbath if you wish.

New Giveaway for Metal Stamps

I've just started metal stamping with my jewelry and Glass Kreationz.  So I found this great giveaway for a set of metal stamps.  They're from PJ Tools and Supplies.  It's for a set of letters, The Ballroom boogie font in lowercase letters.  They look fabulous.  Lori was asked to review them and then a set will be given away.  Her earrings and pendant turned out so cute.  So check out the Pretty Things blog for this giveaway and see her items.
Also, if you're looking for Stained Glass, Mosaics, or Fused Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden, or some cute beaded and wire-wrapped jewelry, check out my Etsy shop KayzKreationz.  I just added a Pink Breast Cancer charm for your cell phone or as a zipper pull.

I Won!-Sit and Spin Riveted Pendant class from Beaducation

Woohoo! I won the Beaducation giveaway.  I'm getting set to take my online class for the "Sit and Spin Riveted Pendant"  It looks like it will be so much fun.  They've got lots of great classes.  They even have some free classes for beginners and those interested in getting into another aspect with their jewelry making.  So check out Beaducation.
 I've always thought riveting, soldering and welding metal would be interesting so this class should be so much fun.  Although, as my family knows, torches and I don't really get along.  I forget there's fire there. LOL  But we'll see if I can get through the class without any major mishaps.  When I get my pendant finished I'll post it here so everyone can see it and tell me what they think. 
In the meantime, if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden check out my shops at Etsy: KayzKreationz or Artfire: KayzKreationz or Zibbet: KayzKreationz.
You can also sign up for my newsletter on the left sidebar here on my blog for new items and news.

KayzKreationz is Featured

I recently was contacted by Brandy at Giveaway Blogdom for a feature.  She sent me the questions and I answered them as best I could, hopefully without boring anyone.  If you'd like to read the feature about KayzKreationz, check out Giveaway Blogdom and find out more about me and my Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden.
If you're looking for something in Glass check out my shop, KayzKreationz.

Thanks all and enjoy.

Will that Be Paper, Plastic, Canvas...Treasury

I love Etsy Treasuries! I was convoed last night that my Blue Fused Glass Striped Plate was in an Etsy Treasury, Will that Be Paper, Plastic, Canvas, etc. There's some great things in that treasury.  Why not check it out and maybe you'll find something you just can't live without.  Or you may find a great gift for yourself or someone else. 
If you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden, you can check out my Blue Fused Glass Striped Plate in the treasury or other glass in my shop, KayzKreationz.  Enjoy!

Andrews Reclaimed Giveaway

I love this shop, Andrews Reclaimed.  He makes mason bee nests, wooden seed trays, painting panels, dog feeders, and much more from eco-friendly repurposed wood.  I've gotten a couple of things from him and love them.  And right now he's holding his first ever giveaway on his blog.  You can win a $50 credit in his Etsy shop by entering.  It's very easy.  So check out his giveaway on his blog by clicking on the title to this post.  Or check out his shop Andrews Reclaimed.  You'll love his things too.
And for Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden, check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz for Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass Kreationz.  They make great gifts for yourself and your friends and loved ones.
Be sure to follow my blog for more great Glass Kreationz ideas, interviews on other Etsy shops, our Texas ranch wildlife management and more.

WooHoo! 200 Followers-Giveaway between 250-300 followers

Wow! When I checked in on my blog tonight, I realized I had finally hit 200 followers! I did a little happy dance.  I've been trying to get to 200 followers for quite a while.  I love blogging about my Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass Kreationz for Home and Garden.  Plus I really like blogging about our small Texas ranch and the wildlife management we do.  I was just waiting to get to 200 followers so I could announce that somewhere between 250 and 300 followers I'm going to do a Glass or Bead giveaway.  So if you want your chance to win either a glass piece or a beaded piece, just keep following my blog and checking in.  I'd especially like it if you leave a comment on any post you really enjoy.

Meanwhile, you can check out some of my Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden in my shop, KayzKreationz on Etsy or KayzKreationz on Artfire.  You may find something you can't live without right now.  Here's a couple of pics of some other glass I've gotten done and just need to list.  Enjoy.

If you're interested in either one of these before I get them listed, leave me a comment with a way to contact you and I can let you know price and shipping.  They'd love to find a new home.  The first is a lovely little Fused Glass windchime on a piece of driftwood from our ranch.  And the second is a small Purple Fused Glass vase/tealight candle holder.

Treasuries!

In a thread in the forums on Etsy tonight, someone explained that you could go to "Treasury" and put your name in the search box to see if you'd been listed in any Treasuries.  Since I hadn't heard that I'd been put in any, I decided to search.  And I was tickled to see that in the last few weeks my glass had been put in 2 different treasuries! Yay! The first is for the "Handmade Artist Forum Twitter Ring".  This is a team I belong to, and we've formed a twitter ring to tweet about other Handmade Artist's shops and such.  The curator of this treasury put my Stained Glass Mosaic Birdhouse feeder in this one.  I love making Glass Kreationz for Home and Garden, so this is one of my favorite items.  If you're looking for something for a friend or family member that loves gardening and feeding the birds, this is just the ticket for you.
The second Treasury is "Poinsettia" and the curator put my Stained Glass Poinsettia panel in it.  If you love Poinsettia's, the color red, or Stained Glass, this panel is for you.  It would look great adorning your wall or window.

If you're looking for something else for your Home or Garden, be sure to check out my shop, KayzKreationz.  I also do some beading and wire work and have some jewelry, pendants listed.  Thanks again to those that included my glass in their treasuries.

"It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" Beer Bottle windchime

Woohoo! I got my first Custom request. A customer on Etsy convo'd my shop, KayzKreationz, and asked about a custom Beer Bottle windchime. She has a "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" area on her back porch/deck and wanted a beer bottle windchime, like the Miller Lite one I had listed some time back. But she wanted a Miller Lite, Bud Lite, and Coors Lite bottle on it. (One of each) I got the bottles fired fairly quick, but it took me a while to find a suitable piece of "driftwood" from off our small Texas ranch to hang it from. I finally got it finished today and listed for her. She loves it. So if you're interested in something similar, just post here, convo me on Etsy or tweet me: KayzKreationz and I'll be glad to make you your own Custom Beer Bottle windchime. (If I have the bottles, since I'm not a big beer drinker.) :) Here's a pic or two and a link if you want to check it out. Enjoy.

And for more Glass Kreationz for your home or garden be sure to check out my Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass in my shop, KayzKreationz.

Adorable Girl Accessories

Recently on the Saturday Blog Shopping network, one of the great Etsy shops, was offering a giveaway for her special and I won!  ChiggerHillCottage makes the most adorable little girl accessories.  Although she is closed for the summer, you can check out her shop and sign up to be notified when she returns so you too can get in on the exciting accessories she has for little girls.  And although I don't have any little girls of my own, I knew exactly who I was going to give my winnings to.  It was an adorable bow holder, made to look like a little girl with pigtails.  You just clip your girl's bows and clips onto the braids/pigtails and keep them all in one place.  But she also sent an out of this world, very professionally made bow along with the holder as an "extra".  By now I was wishing I wore bows in my hair!  LOL.  But they made great gifts for 2 little girls that are very special to me.  To get a peek at her fantastic accessories, here's a pic of the 2 great things I won.  And be sure to sign up for her notification that she's open again.
In the meantime, if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your home or garden, be sure to check out my shop for your newest Stained Glass, Mosaics or Fused Glass home/garden decor, KayzKreationz.

Best Bead Giveaway!

Wow, this is a great giveaway!  If you love to bead or are just getting started with beading like I am, be sure to check out her great bead giveaway.  It has over $350.00 worth of beads in the stash.  You can click on the title link or here.  You do have to be a resident of the U.S., though.  Enjoy.

And if you're looking for a great gift for your home, check out my Stained Glass, Mosaics, Fused Glass shop with gifts for your home and garden, KayzKreationz.

Dichroic Glass Wire Wrapped Pendants-Saturday Blog Shoppers

For this Saturday I'm featuring my Dichroic Glass Pendants.  I love Dichroic Glass.  The shimmer and shine just really add to your bling.  These are Dichroic Glass Donut Cabs.  They have been wire-wrapped in a black wire so as not to take away from the Bling of the Glass.  One is Black and the other is a Pinkish  Purple.  You'll love wearing one of these.  So check out these Wire-Wrapped Dichroic Glass Donut Cabs or my shop KayzKreationz for other great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden.  And check out the other great Saturday Blog Shoppers blogs for some great gifts by clicking on the link to the right.  And for this weekend only, if you convo me with SBS (for Saturday Blog Shoppers) I'll give you 10% off!  But wait for me to send you a revised invoice or change the listing for you.  Thanks.

Texas Wildflower Mosaic Table, Plantstand

I love this little table.  It's called "Texas Wildflower Mosaic Table".  It can also be used as a plantstand, candle holder, whatever you like.  It has different Texas wildflowers on it.  It's got Bluebonnet's, Paintbrush, Mexican Hat, and little Yellow Daisies.  Plus a little butterfly to go with them.  My problem is, for the life of me I can't figure out how to package this thing for shipping so I can list it in my Etsy shop.  So far, none of the boxes I've tried are big enough to allow extra room for all the extra wrapping and bubble wrap it would need to not only protect the table part, but also the Mosaic top and the grout.  I'm afraid if it's not done really well, the grout would get chipped on the edges. And of course, then there would be the issue of weight to ship it also.  So for now, it sits in my studio looking at me, begging me to be sent to a new home.  And I have to keep disappointing it. :(  So if anyone has any good ideas about how to package and ship this thing, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know.  I'd love to send it to your new loving home.  :)  Meanwhile for anything else Glass to decorate your home, yard or garden feel free to check out KayzKreationz.

Saturday Blog Shoppers Deals

Just a quick post today for Saturday Blog Shoppers.  I've been so busy I didn't get anything new listed.  But in honor of my Birdie getting Lunch tutorial just below, I'm featuring my other birdfeeder again, until I get this newest one listed.  The birdfeeder in the tutorial below will be listed for sale in my Etsy shop KayzKreationz for $45.00 as soon as I can find a shipping box big enough for it to fit and be protected for shipping.  Until then (hopefully this week) enjoy my Birdhouse Birdfeeder in your yard.  And be sure to check out the other great shops participating in Saturday Blog Shoppers by clicking on the link to the right.  For any other Stained Glass, Glass Mosaics or Fused Glass for your home or garden be sure to check out KayzKreationz.

And to try making your own birdfeeder, check out my tutorial in the post below.  It's great fun.

Tutorial-Mosaic Fish Bead Birdfeeder

When I first applied for the set of fish beads from sbsupply on Etsy, she wanted some ideas about how you might use them to make her choice as to who received them. I knew immediately that I wanted to do a mosaic birdfeeder. After all, fish and birds just go together, right? So now the problem was, what did I want my birdfeeder to look like. While waiting to see whether I was chosen to receive a set of beads, I mulled it over and started making some rough drawings of what I wanted. I can’t draw, but at least I got an idea of how I wanted it to look. Finally I got the news I was chosen and got to pick which set/color of fish beads I wanted. When I got them, they are adorable. Now to get to work, getting my final picture drawn out, although it may change as I start applying the glass, but it’s basically what I want. Here’s a picture of how I want it to look, more or less.

Next, I needed to decide what size clay saucer to use as the base for my birdfeeder. I decided for everything I wanted and to look right, it needed to be a 10” clay saucer. So here’s a photo of all the supplies you would need to make a mosaic birdfeeder out of a clay saucer. There’s:


1. Clay Saucer

2. Fish Beads (from sbsupply at Etsy)

3. Miscellaneous glass to use to fill in. (These are all scraps from my stained glass projects.) Plus on this project, I will be using Glass Globs to glue around the sides of the saucer, to decorate.


4. Glass cutter for the more precise pieces, like the bird and clouds. Breaking pliers to break off the pieces of glass you’ve cut.


5. Glue to glue everything. I use E-6000.

6. Grout to fill in when all the glass is attached. And masking tape to tape off the top edges to keep from getting grout on them. I will also use it to tape off the half I’m not grouting, if I decide to use 2 colors of grout. Something to mix the grout in, a rubber spatula to mix with and scoop out on the feeder and a sponge to wipe off excess. Also a soft cloth to polish off the haze of the grout.


7. And finally some sealer to seal the grout and protect everything with once it’s good and dry. I use a general all-purpose sealer from Wal-Mart or Lowe’s.


So, I’ve got my drawing, the saucer and I start gluing the fish beads down. I want to place them first, so I know where to start my water pieces. I then draw off my pattern for the bird and the clouds onto my glass and take my glass cutter and cut them out.

Cutting glass takes a little bit of practice. You need to make sure it scores (cuts) well. You can usually tell by the sound. With pieces that have lots of curves, I only cut a little at a time. I break those pieces off and then make another cut and break it. Since I want the bird and the clouds to be more precise, when I’m done cutting them I use my glass grinder to smooth out all the edges, so there’s no sharp edges on them and they have a clean look.


Once they’re done to my satisfaction, I glue them in place.

Now I know where to put the water pieces and sand pieces. I take my mosaic cutters, my scraps of glass and start placing the pieces for the water. If the scraps are too big or won’t quite fit where I want them, I can nip off pieces or edges of the glass with the mosaic cutters to get them to fit. This part is basically like a jigsaw puzzle. I just take a piece and put it where it seems to fit or follow the curves/edges of the other glass that’s down. When I’m satisfied with the look, I glue it down. Also, I’ve already glued the little pieces for the bird legs, since I want it to look like the bird is standing in the water and I can glue water pieces around the legs.

Next I glue the pieces in for the sand. I also glue the beak and the final fish down so I can start on the sky pieces. I decided to go ahead and put the branch and leaves in, so they’re next. That way I have them specifically where I want them. And the final part of this process is to start gluing the blue pieces for the sky. I have a few little pieces of a blueish-gray, that I mix in to make it a little more realistic. I also used a little bit of green and blue-green in the water to make it more realistic. Keep in mind while you’re gluing all your pieces down, it will look really bad. You’ll see all the extra glue that squeezes out as you push your pieces down to make sure they’re attached well. (You want them completely glued down so no grout or anything can get under them and lift them later.) Plus it just doesn’t look like much until it’s all filled in with grout. Next I glue the glass nuggets to the sides of the saucer. I use some blue around the water edge and white around the rest of the saucer. This is the tricky part. Since they’re on the sides, they want to slide down. So you have to press them in really hard and then keep going back for about 10 minutes moving them back up into position until they finally start drying enough to hold them in place. Viola! All the glass is in.

Next we tape and grout. Although it’s a lot more work, I’ve decided to go ahead and use 2 colors grout. I’ll use black on the water area and then white on the rest of the birdfeeder. I like my grout to kind of match my glass and blend in (most of the time) so it doesn’t distract from the scene. To tape off the edges, just tear little pieces of your masking tape off and fit it around the edges. Next I’ll tape off the top part of the feeder that will have the white grout so I don’t get any of the black grout in those areas.

Now it’s ready to grout. I just mix my grout basically according to the instructions on the box or bag. You want it to be about the consistency of peanut butter. I do only add a little water at a time and mix to make sure I don’t get it too wet. I scrape the grout on with my rubber spatula and spread/push it down into all the areas between and around the glass. When I’ve got enough spread on, I start scraping off the excess. (It’s good to use rubber gloves if you have them, so the grout won’t stain and dry out your hands.) Once I’ve gotten most of the excess off, I take a damp sponge (damp-because you don’t want to put more water into your grout) and start gently wiping off the excess grout that’s still on your glass. I define the edges of the little fish beads, by wiping a little harder around them so they’ll stand out.

Once I feel I’ve gotten most of the grout off, I let it stand about 10 minutes to start drying out. Then I take an old sock or other soft rag, and start wiping gently and polishing the glass to get the rest of the grout off and shine everything up. (If you knock a little piece of grout off, just take some of the excess you scraped off earlier and refill the spot. This is why you don’t throw your excess grout away until you’re completely done.) You will have to go over it at least 3-4 times to get it polished up and the grout haze off. Now I’ll let it stand for about 24 hours before I retape the bottom part and do the white grout.

           

It’s the same with the white grout as the black. After about 10 minutes or so, carefully pull all the tape off the edges and bottom. When I’m all done, it will set another 24 hours or more and then apply the sealer with a small brush or sponge. Once it’s dry (about 24 hours) you can polish your glass back up with a soft cloth.

Viola! You have a mosaic birdfeeder. Now all you need is a hanger. I make macramé hangers for mine.


(P.S. Sorry if this post is disjointed. I've spent over an hour trying to get my pictures to line up with my posting and it's just not working, but I think you can get the idea.) This birdfeeder will be available in my shop KayzKreationz as soon as I figure out shipping.

I won a New Banner and Avatar! Help me pick which one.

Woohoo!  I got notified the other day I had won a new Banner and Avatar set for my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz from Larue Graphics on Etsy.  It's one of his pre-made sets, but he's got some really great designs.  In fact, he's got so many I really like, I'm having a hard time deciding on which set I really like.  Since none of them will really highlight my glass, I want one that will still kind of stay with my color scheme and the fact that I like gardening, too.  Some of these links are not necessarily the color I want, but I intend to ask him if he can change the color if I decide on one that's not the right color.  Anyway, since I'm having such a hard time deciding, I'd like for all my readers to check out the links to the ones I'm leaning towards and leave a comment telling me which one you think I should pick and why.  I'll leave this open for comments until Friday, May 7th, so hopefully I'll get an overwhelming majority. Thanks for any help/ideas you can give me.  Here's the ones I'm leaning towards.  Sorry there's so many.  Let me know what you think.  Thanks, KayzKreationz

1.   http://www.etsy.com/listing/39946864/regular-7-piece-set-twisted-vinyard

2.   http://www.etsy.com/listing/32637262/ooak-7-piece-set-pink-lotus-halftone
3.   http://www.etsy.com/listing/36996956/regular-7-piece-set-violet-blend
4.   http://www.etsy.com/listing/44153633/regular-7-piece-set-dark-floral
5.   http://www.etsy.com/listing/28635938/ooak-7-piece-set-black-and-purple
6.   http://www.etsy.com/listing/28636235/ooak-7-piece-set-abstract-feather
7.   http://www.etsy.com/listing/40791884/regular-7-piece-set-lonely-birdie
8.   http://www.etsy.com/listing/40753604/ooak-7-piece-set-black-and-blue
9.   http://www.etsy.com/listing/39939870/regular-7-piece-set-violet-blend-remix
10. http://www.etsy.com/listing/38173133/regular-7-piece-set-blossom-rain