Lillian the Domestic Engineer
This tile project arose from my need for a fun, funky, light weight, durable, portable Display for my Polymer Clay Jewelry and from my absolute Love of the process of working with tiles
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| Tile and mirror finished with brown grout. |
I drilled the holes in the wood for the dowel before applying any tiles.The tile bits are then attached to the wood with a dollop of silicone.
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| The tiled and grouted Display Unit stands about 14 inches tall |
With this project in mind I headed out to the garage, motivated to begin what has become the Annual Dung It Out.
A project that's become a necessary and essential part of resuming the projects that I started and stored in various stages in the garage over the winter.
The
problem is that after my STUFF all goes in there, all kinds of other
STUFF enters to find it's place on top of whatever happens to be there,
where ever it happens to be.
I
now know how it be possible that "they" cannot find what they are
looking for and although i do not appreciate it, I know I will not
change it, SO again I move it. Re stacking, re piling and rediscovering,
re inventing...may the circle be unbroken..
But God spare the Tiles!
I
believe that all old can be knew again and of course that distance can
make the heart grow fonder. Uncovering long lost and forgotten
projects can be as exciting as the thrill of inception of the creation itself.
With
a forecast temperature high for the day of a reasonable 15C above (as
opposed to 35 above or below) on what is promised to be an overcast,
breezy day, I made my way to the garage with a garbage bag in one hand
and a broom in the other.
Off in the
direction of a mountain over which I will climb to the far depths of the corner
to retrieve the broken mirror and smashed up bits of dishes and tiles
that I know I set on the floor in that very corner last Fall.
I
do make the occasional trip to the garage during the winter months but
only long enough to grab what I need from the freezer and then to
skedaddle back to the house. I waste no time looking around and have
learned to leap over whatever may be in my way. ....I don't worry about
any of it till spring comes my way.
I have learned to keep a
box of tools that I just may need hidden inside the house. Only if I'm
asked nicely are others allowed (accompanied) access. This is enforced to ensure that the
tool(s) make their way back to the box.
(I recently uncovered suspicious evidence of what appeared to be unauthorized Tool tampering)
My Tools are now in transition to another secret location.
As I opened the door and walked into the garage I immediately smelled the rustic aroma of damp Cedar.
Amid
the pile of stuff amassed just inside the door,which I had to reach over
to press the Open button for the door, I spotted a chunk of a 3x3
inch Cedar sticking out from under the cardboard boxes and the burlap
sacks that lay amid, amongst and on top of the assortment of other
items laying there, all deemed to be needed sooner than later by
someone?
These things are kept under foot and in your face (I've been told)
because it's easier to find them there than it would be to look in it's place!?
And then I noticed the second piece
I grinned at the aromatic reward.
I
scooped them both up out of the pile. One piece was about 14 inches
long and the other about 10 inches long. I carried them both out to my
think table on the deck. They may turn out to be just what I need....
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| Tile work begins on Cedar post piece. |
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I had stared at the wood blocks on the table for the good part of a week before finally having my Ah Ha moment.
The mirrored bits had recently been rediscovered inside in a crafting
drawer of stuff that I had sorted through over the winter. They were
still tied into the baggie that they had arrived in. One of my Sons gave
them me a couple of years previously.
How proud I was of him at that moment for his frugality, his ingenuity and his creativity!
As he passed the baggie to me he said,
"Here Mom I saved these for you. I thought you could find do something with them."
They had been removed from a mini, mirrored disco ball that he had originally purchased at the dollar store.
I had first envisioned them embedded into jewelry pieces but could
suddenly see them used instead to reflect the bits of jewelry.
I
began by lightly sanding the blocks. The Tile and Mirror pieces are then attached to the cedar block with a dollop of Silicon Seal.
After the desired placement of tiles and mirrors, I leave it to dry overnight. Attempting to Grout too soon may cause the unset
tiles to move. Finally the project is grouted and the dowel (or wire) is inserted through the holes.
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The completed projects
The Earring Display
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| Tiled Cedar Block |
The wire I used is bottom wire for chain link fences. The wood base bottom is a cap also used in fencing. I spray painted it black.
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| Tiled Earring Display |
The mirrored pieces worked wonderfully!!
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| Mirror tiled Display |
"only a dollar all Summer long!"
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| Polymer Clay Earrings on Tiled Display |
The wire needed to be sturdy enough to shape and thin enough to fit three ends into one hole.
I had originally set out to insert doweling into the holes on both of the displays...
As it turned out I used dowel on one and wire in the other.
I
do need something to keep the Necklaces from falling off the ends so I have
attached the clips.
Not particularly happy with the visual
result, I think I'll make Clay Cane Balls for the end of each dowel.
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| Tiled Display Unit with Polymer Clay Cane Necklaces |
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Polymer Clay Canes
HERE |
Over this past weekend I found and purchased a mountain of
Miniature Tiles
(all in packages and suspiciously appearing as though they come from the dollar store)
all mixed in a bag with oodles of colored
Glass Stones.....Hmmmm
I am fit to be TILING the next Project to be born!
Have fun, stay fit but before you throw it out consider
TILING IT!
Check out my page Here for links to more Tile Posts
