Category: Material and Tool Information

  • Staining Grout With Acrylic Paint

    Staining Grout With Acrylic Paint

    Mosaicists sometimes mix in artist acrylic paint to create custom colors from white grout, but you can also use acrylic paint to “stain” grout after it has hardened (for dry indoor mosaics). Like the process of staining wood, “staining” grout with paint is a process of wiping on and wiping off. The paint sticks to…

  • Materials and Methods for Outdoor Mosaic Tables

    Materials and Methods for Outdoor Mosaic Tables

    Artist Risa Puno recently completed her interactive mosaic sculpture Common Ground for Rufus King Park in Jamaica Queens, NYC, and the project is a great example for discussing materials and methods for mosaic table tops. No Plywood Backers Outdoors Plywood is never an acceptable backer for outdoor mosaic table tops. Humidity in outdoor air can…

  • Why Did My Tiles Come Loose From Thinset?

    Why Did My Tiles Come Loose From Thinset?

    Recently, artist Jackye Mills emailed me about a problem she was having with her first mosaic project, and it really caused me a lot of angst because the artwork was a strong design that was otherwise well executed. I hated the thought that a first-time mosaicist could do such a good job on something so ambitious only to…

  • How to Cut Diagonal Triangles from Vitreous Glass Tile

    How to Cut Diagonal Triangles from Vitreous Glass Tile

    Many people report having trouble cutting vitreous glass mosaic tile reliably because of the embossed patterns on the back sides, which can interfere with the blades of the mosaic glass cutter, but if you take simple steps to minimize interference and rotation, it can be done. What I mean by interference is when the blade slips…

  • Making Pictures With Colored Mirror Tile

    Making Pictures With Colored Mirror Tile

    Natalija improvised this picture of a lighthouse using the Colored Mirror Tiles to show that they can be used to render an image. We added these tiles last year, but I haven’t had time to use them in anything. In Praise of Colored Mirror Tiles I can say that the Colored Mirror Tile ranks the…

  • Online Source of New and Used Mannequins

    People ask me about mosaic mannequins from time to time, and usually it is which adhesive to use for attaching tile to an old used mannequin they bought at a thift store. I also get questions about where to find a mannequin to use as a mosaic base, and I could only suggest eBay, garage…

  • Glass or Ceramic Tile for Mosaic Patio Table?

    Glass or Ceramic Tile for Mosaic Patio Table?

    Ceramic tile can be used for outdoor mosaic patio tables provided you live someplace warm year round, but otherwise glass tile should be used because it is impervious to moisture and freeze damage. There are other reasons to use glass tile explained later in this article. Concrete Patio Table Set Artist Naomi Haas recently completed a…

  • Mosaic Jewels, Gold, and Silver

    Mosaic Jewels, Gold, and Silver

    The following picture of 24kt Gold Leaf Mosaic Glass Tiles mixed with Faceted Glass Jewels is the best evidence I can point to for our renewed commitment to finding exciting new products for use in mosaic artwork: Mosaic Gold 24 kt with Faceted Glass Jewels could be used to make wonderful mosaic art in a medieval…

  • Ceramic Tiles with Mottled Glazes

    Ceramic Tiles with Mottled Glazes

    We have an exciting new type of tile that fills a void in our product offering and not just because it is glazed ceramic. The glazes on these tiles are mottled with random splashes of different colors that makes them absolutely beautiful. Mottled Glazed Ceramic Tiles selection A Yes, we have great colors in glass mosaic…

  • Vacuum Attachment For Removing Dust From Small Parts

    Vacuum Attachment For Removing Dust From Small Parts

    The new SPARDUSTER™ Small Parts Dust Remover looks like a simple vacuum attachment, but it is actually nothing less than a revolution in studio and workshop cleanup. With this simple tool, cleaning up a work surface covered in mosaic tile goes from 45 minutes of tedious sorting to a few minutes of casual effort. You can…

  • Blue and White China Print Porcelain Tiles

    Blue and White China Print Porcelain Tiles

    We just added three different types of glazed porcelain tile for use as accents in mixed media mosaic art projects, and the most exciting of these are the blue and white floral china patterns. “Blue and Whites” Porcelain Tiles Blue and White China Print are made to look like pieces cut “Blue and whites” are…

  • Real 24kt Gold Mosaic Glass For Art

    Real 24kt Gold Mosaic Glass For Art

    We now sell 24kt gold mosaic glass, and it really is gold and not the brass alloy imitation products that some competitors are rather shamefully selling as gold. We also sell the imitation gold brass foil glass. but we have it correctly labeled and appropriately priced.   Real 24 kt Gold Mosaic Glass The real 24…