Mother's day mosaic offer!

Hello blog friends,

Just a quick blog this week, as I get ready for my second mosaic workshop on consecutive Saturdays.  They are great fun to run, but lots of work to get ready for them, and absolutely exhausting on the day making sure everyone is happy, and has a lovely flower mosaic to take home with them!  Click here for more information - maybe you would like to have a go! http://www.felicityballmosaics.com/workshops.php

Last week I had a group of friends who hadn't seen each other for ages, and this week, I have a complete mix - a mum and daughter, two keen beginner mosaicists and a dad, who doesn't know he is coming yet as it is a surprise present - never a dull moment!

Next week, I will write in my blog about the therapeutic aspect of making mosaics - but this week it's a little plug for my flower gem mosaic Mother's Day offer - forgive me!

My flower gem mosaic makes such a lovely gift for Mother's Day, which is March 15th here in the UK.  It costs less than a large bouquet of flowers, last forever and is something a bit different.

It is 15cm x 20cm and hangs like a picture - £20 incl UKP&P and a mosaic flower greetings card - or £28 incl RoWP&P and a mosaic flower greetings card.  Please email me with your email address for PayPal - felicityball@justmosaics.co.uk - and which of the ones below you would like. I might have time to make a special colour combo for you, but you'll have to be quick!

Thanks as always for taking the time to read my blog posts, and I appreciate SO much any sharing you might feel moved to do!

Until next week,
Felicity x

Simple pleasures

I don't know about you, blogger friends, but I always look forward to reading an optimistic blog post - I especially like the ones that take you back to appreciate the simple things in life.  It is somehow reassuring that others think and do the same as you do to. I try to practice mindfulness in my life - being in the present moment as much as possible - http://justmosaics.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/living-mindfully-it-takes-practice.html

So, this week I have been collecting some photos of simple things for you, that have made me happy.  I hope you can relate to them and I would love to hear of some of your simple pleasures that make you stop, and take a moment ...

I am lucky to live near lovely places and have a lovely dog to walk every day - these woods are a particular favourite!

This photo of snowdrops was taken by my husband outside my studio - I regularly get distracted by them!

I finished the penguins mosaic this week - am really pleased with how it turned out!

One of my favourite lunches - yum!

It's been jolly cold here recently - nothing like a hot bath by candlelight!

And finally, this week I have launched my new Flora Mosaica greetings card range! A set of 8 high quality cards, individually wrapped and blank for own message.  I ship them all over the world.  For more details, please visit my Ready to Post Shop - http://justmosaics.miiduu.com

So, it's been a good week.  I am so heartened to see more of you each week giving my blog the old thumbs up with a Google+ recommendation - thank you, it really makes all the difference!

I hope your week ahead is full of simple pleasures :-)

Felicity x

Making mosaics.

Afternoon everyone!

I often get asked about how I make my mosaics - and, as with a lot of things in life, there is no magic formula - it is hard work, practice and lots of good ideas!

I can tell you want I use - simple tile snippers, PVA glue (for indoor mosaics), ordinary wall tiles, exterior plywood for the base, tweezers for putting the little pieces in place - I have a pencil, ruler and rubber handy (and a notebook for ideas as they come to me), and basically blogger friends, that is it!

Ask any mosaic artist, and they will tell you, mosaics take a long time to make.  I have never priced my work with how long they take to make - it would make the minimum wage look loads!  But, of course, that isn't the point - I just love to make mosaics, and still feel privileged that customers want spend their hard earned money on them!

My tiles are always a source of interest - where do I get all those gorgeous colours and textures?  Well, I do a biannual big order from Wall and Floors, so that the delivery is reasonable.  I visit the British Ceramic Tiles factory shop twice a year too ( see blog post - http://justmosaics.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/a-visit-to-british-ceramic-tiles.html) and I keep my eyes open for anything interesting, wherever I am.

A mosaic of Chesil Beach, Dorset, England - one of the mosaics I sold this week.

The ideas for mosaics..?  Well, they just flow - while I am working, or walking the dog, or on holiday, or at exhibitions, or in the middle of the night!  I have a great list of mosaics I want to make ..'when I have got time!'  I am learning to make the time between orders and commissions now - because you have to feed that inspiration regularly to keep it ... humming!  My heart races as I start a new mosaic I have been thinking about for a while - no one else will have done one quite like it before - it's really exciting!

On my worktable this week.....!

So, I am always happy to answer questions about mosaics, as best I can - I have a Q and A session pinned to the tope of my Facebook page this weekend www.facebook.com/justmosaics.co.uk - if you have a question.  But mostly I would say, just get stuck in and see what happens.  As an old art teacher of mine used to say, 'Art is never wrong!'

Happy weekend!
Felicity x