My Accepted Design Proposal for "Tails of the Painted Cats"

Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were great! As I write this, I am off on vacation until Feb. 5th, so i wanted to get the website updated and let you know that I won’t be available by phone, email, or Facebook during that time. “Talk” to you when I get back!

Now…on to “What’s up in the Mosaic World?”…

“NEW NEWS”: NEW LOCATION FOR TMG!:

After a wonderful year in my Glendale “Workshops” building space, I have decided that it would be best for me to eliminate the costs of rent, etc. and move my operations to a more cost-effective but larger (!) space in the West Lakewood area, allowing me to keep costs low and be more accessible for open studio time and the Mosaic Supply Shop. I hope that this will work for you and that I can continue to have your support at this new location. I will provide the address and directions if you are coming to a class, open studio time, or the Mosaic Supply Shop.

CLASSES:

2013 will bring many ongoing and new classes here at TileMosaicGirl. We’ll be starting off the year with a much-awaited “Beginner’s Mosaics” class; two Sundays; March 17 & 24 from 1:00-4:30 pm each day. Cost is $75 for the class, with a $25 required kit fee. The class is set up now for online registration and space is always limited, as I limit the number of students to (6) for plenty of individual attention. For more information or to register, go to:
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5299928228

I have not set dates and times for classes following the move and the Beginner’s class, but I would love to hear from you about what classes you are anxious to take and see next in the lineup: Tempered “Crash” Glass Mosaics, Mosaic Jewelry, European Ceramic Tile Mosaics, Making a Mosaic Table, Continuing Mosaics, Outdoor/Garden Mosaics, etc, etc. Please contact me with which ones you’re especially interested in, and in what order!

MOSAIC SUPPLY SHOP:

Come on over and get your hands on all the supplies you need to get started on your mosaic projects for the New Year! I’ve got a bunch of different grout colors in stock, as well as NEW and re-stocked colorants and European ceramic tiles, and lots and lots of tesserae and mosaic jewelry supplies! Contact me after Feb. 5th to schedule a time to come by the Glendale location in Februrary or the new Lakewood location starting the 2nd week of March! I can almost guarantee you that my supplies are less expensive, available in lower quantities with no order minimum, and incur no shipping costs if you shop in person, vs. online and/or with local mosaic and craft suppliers!

ANNUAL MOSAIC CONFERENCE:

As always, if you can do it, I absolutely recommend going to the annual national mosaic conference, put on by SAMA; the Society of American Mosaic Artists. This year, it’s in April in Tacoma, WA, by the amazing (I’ve heard!) Museum of Glass. For more information, see: www.americanmosaics.org

TERRIFIC MOSAIC CLASS OPPORTUNITY IN FEBRUARY:
I’m pleased to share that there is an incredible opportunity to train with a nationally known mosaic/mixed media artist right here in our own backyard! Laurie Beth Zuckerman is a phenomenal artist whose work concentrates heavily on fantastic mosaic “memory jars” and elaborate mixed media altars, including those featured at this year’s El Dia de Los Muertos exhibition at the Longmont Museum of Art. I first became enamored with Laurie’s art through her work in the books “Art Making and Studio Spaces” and “Art Making, Collections, and Obsessions” by Lynne Perrella.
Another fantastic mosaic artist, Susan Wechsler, will be hosting a weekend “Memory Jug Workshop” with Laurie at Susan’s studio South of Longmont. Susan has a great space, where you can see lots of her amazing work up-close and personal. The workshop is February 16-17 and I will be going. Come join me and others for a great weekend! For more info., see: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FlHHR-XZz-I/UNIlaoHiVkI/AAAAAAAADEs/MJVJ2-ZpDzs/s1600/Memory+Jug+WORKSHOP+2013.jpg

MOSAIC EXHIBIT INVITATIONAL, OTHER EXHIBIT OPPORTUNITIES:

Keep making those mosaics and honing your skills and put some in a show or exhibit to show them off this year! One exhibit you might want to keep on your future calendar will be a regional mosaic exhibition from Colorado Mosaic Artists. This will be a “juried” exhibition (which means you’ll have to enter your pieces and see if they are accepted), but it is fairly low-cost and should receive some good exposure. I’m not sure of the location, but I do know it is scheduled for September-November, so I would think the application deadline might be at least by July 1st, if not earlier. I will pass on more info. as soon as I receive it.

To find out about other local and national shows and exhibits, I recommend getting on the mailing lists of:

https://www.callforentry.org/
And http://denverarts.org/subscribe/subone/subscribe/241

TAILS OF THE PAINTED CATS:

I may or may not have shared much yet in regard to my participation in the Cat Care Society’s “Tails of the Painted Cats” event. My design for a “Frida Kat-Lo” cat was accepted among the 21 other finalists to design larger-than-life size fiberglass cats, in the same way that “Cow Parade” or horses or pigs or buffalo have been featured in other events throughout the country. This will be the third year for this hugely popular Denver event which tours the cats around to 3-4 monthly (indoor) destinations in the Spring and early Summer and culminates with a benefit dinner and auction in July. You can see a pic of my “Frida Kat-lo” design above and all of this year’s designs can be found at: http://denvercatcare.blogspot.com/2012/10/meet-2013-tails-of-painted-cats-artists.html?m=1

I’m taking this opportunity with this public art benefit piece to once again share my process so that you can learn from my mistakes! I’m chronicling each step of the process in prepping, painting, adding sculptural elements, mosaic’ing and finishing off my dear Frida. I haven’t been able to get any of it posted yet, but I hope to very soon. If you’ve heard about things like “Apoxie Sculpt” or “Clay Shay” you won’t want to miss this detailed Step-by-Step! “She” won’t be done until late February/early March, so check back for ongoing updates! Once I get some things uploaded, you can find the series here on my How-To’s page.

If you’ve had enough of shopping for the holidays, but need a great idea for birthday, anniversary, wedding shower gifts, TileMosaicGirl GIFT CERTIFICATES are always available! Gift certificates can actually be used toward classes or supplies; the recipient’s choice! This is a great way to edge that reluctant person you know into taking a workshop or class with you! Available in any dollar amount and can be made to include class fees only or class + materials kit fees. Just contact me and we can arrange the entire thing through email! I can send you a pretty e-version or an even nicer paper version through snail mail!

As always, if you need some input, information, direction, referrals, or advice on a mosaic project, feel free to email me and I’ll be glad to help!
THANK YOU so very much for all your support, patronage, and inspiration!

Krystie Rose 

Busy couple weeks here at TileMosaicGirl! Here’s what’s coming up for this week:

Thursday, November 29, 5:00-7:00 pm: Open Supply Shop!

Come on down and get your hands on all the supplies you’ll need to complete your holiday mosaic and jewelry projects! I’ve got a bunch of different grout colors in stock, as well as lots and lots of tesserae and mosaic jewelry supplies!  (If you need some supplies but can’t make it Thursday night, please contact me for other arrangements!)

Thursday, November 29, 6:00-9:00 pm: “Quickie” Workshop: Make a Mirror for Holiday Gifts!

Only ONE space left in this workshop; are you going to be  the one to snag it? This is absolutely limited to 6 students so that we can get our projects done in one night! That’s right, glued and grouted in one night! Click here for more details and online registration!

Saturday, December 1, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm: Holiday Fair at Denver Waldorf School!

I’ll be exhibiting at this fun annual event in its 38th year in the Denver Botanic Gardens/Congress Park area!  There will be forty different artists, horse drawn carriage rides, yummy holiday and organic food offerings, tons of great kids activities, and Christmas trees and wreaths! I’ll have lots and lots of great mixed media mosaic items including new jewelry items (like more of my curly-haired skull girls, including Broncos girls!), belt buckles, bottle stoppers, and many other very affordably priced gift items! Hope to see you there!

Come one, come all! Last scheduled TileMosaicGirl class of 2012!…”Make a Mosaic Quickie: Mosaic Mirrors for Holiday Gifts” Workshop! NEW date: Thursday, Nov. 29 from 6;00-9:00 pm.

Come on down, see the NEW TileMosaicGirl shop, and knock out a wonderful Mosaic Mirror in ONE NIGHT! We’ll be havin’ a good ‘ol time, with good music, holiday food and drink, and we’ll be focused, focused, focused so that we can complete our projects in one night. We’ll use adhesives and methods that allow us to get done quickly and viola!; you’ve got an awesome Mosaic Mirror for holiday gifts or yourself!

Cost for this 3 hour workshop is $40 plus a $15 materials fee payable in class. This will include your 10×10″ wall mirror, solid and iridescent glass vitreous tiles and some glass glitter tiles! If you’ve had a little bit of experience doing mosaics, you can do this workshop! Tell your artsy friends; if you think they can do this project without a Beginners class under their belt, thats fine with me; lets just make it a fun time where we can get some cool stuff made!

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED and space is limited, so register now! This workshop WILL fill up, so don’t wait to reserve your space! Click Here to Order tickets via Eventbrite.

Do you love buying local and handmade items for the holidays, rather the same ‘ol, same ‘ol mall stuff? Well, have I got good news for you!..I’ve got at least two upcoming shows for the holidays amongst great groups of other artists! I’ll have lots of new mosaic and mixed media wall art, functional pieces, and jewelry and accessories! Mark your calendars now for these great events…

Holiday Open Studio/Trunk Show: Thursday, November 15 from 5:00 to ?? pm at an artist friend’s home studio in West Arvada, this is a super fun night of cocktails, treats, and shopping! Join us for a great time; a stress-relieving break to let go and hang with new and old friends…we’ll have holiday beverages and spirits and yummy food and treats to warm your belly and rosy your cheeks! The host loves having this annual event to connect all kinds of friends and artists…you’ll see art for sale that includes: inspirational paintings, mixed media mosaic art and jewelry, vintage and upcycled gifts and jewelry, fused glass creations and jewelry, handmade ceramic wares, eclectic and unique clothing, and unique beaded jewelry. If you’re interested, please email me and I’ll send you an evite with all the details!

Another great show I’ll be at is the Holiday Fair in the atrium of City/County of Denver’s Wellington Webb Building on Thursday and Friday, December 6th and 7th, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm each day. This annual holiday event is free to attend and open to the general public. You’ll be through Thanksgiving and looking for some more great holiday gift items, so come on down if you can make it those days. This is a nice, leisurely, not-too-crowded or big fair in a beautiful indoor atrium with surrounding food vendors. Come in out of the cold and take your time browsing the many varied artisans’ booths!

Come on out and see me tomorrow Saturday, October 6th and enjoy some “cool weather shopping” at the super cute and fun Littleton Friends of the Museum and Library Show! It’s outdoors in Ketring Park, which is off Littleton Blvd., a few blocks back from Savers, West of Broadway.  Click here for exact address and more information on the event.

The Fair only runs from 9:00-4:00 and I’ll be on the SW side of the fair (booth #D-32; same location as last two years), on the outer edge, kind of facing the Living History Museum and its farm animals. If you look closely when you arrive, you can find information tables on the outer perimeter that have combined maps/guides to all the vendors.   This is a super fun fair with all kinds of great stuff; don’t miss out! It’s in its 40-something year and is a great Fall event, with local charities providing all kinds of good food and hay bales for seating!  They even have a ‘bag check’ over by the food seating if you don’t want to carry your things around!  I’ll have all kinds of new stuff, including many new items at lower price points (including lots $50 and under)! Come check it out!

Get a hold of your girlfriends and come have a fun, stress-relieving “Girls Night Out” the week after next on Wednesday, October 10th! We’ll be making Mosaic/Mixed Media Jewelry in this short, fun, and easy 6:00-9:00 pm workshop! You can choose to make a variety of items, from pendants to earrings to rings, even hair clips! You’ll learn all the basics of mosaic jewelry making and get to choose from a huge variety of materials to make yourself or someone else a great piece of unique jewelry! Absolutely no prior mosaic, jewelry-making, or art experience required to learn this fun craft! Cost is only $40 with a $15 required materials fee! If you have time and want to make more items, you can easily do so for very small additional costs! If you’ve taken this course before but just want to come make more jewelry, I’ll waive the materials fee for you!!

Come take a break from the daily grind and lose yourself for a few hours in a creative, stress-free environment! Feel free to bring whatever food or drink (including cocktails, wine, or beer) you’d like to make it an even more fun atmosphere! I have a great studio environment and good music, too! Pre-Registration is required and space is limited! Register securely online through EventBrite and PayPal:

Student Becki Whittington with her winning design

First of all, I would like to say, “Welcome” and “Thank You” to all the great new students and shop customers who have come to classes and workshops and the Supply Shop this Summer at the new TileMosaicGirl shop in Glendale! You have all been a blast and I continue to be inspired by all your great work! Keep the photos and updates coming! Special Congrats go to TMG mosaic student (and part-time instructor) Becki Whittington, who submitted her first mosaic piece to a juried contest from the Broomfield Council on the Arts and Humanities and WON!!! Her tempered glass mosaic design will be gracing all of the posters for the 2012 Broomfield Days celebration! She was also honored to recieve a request from the Broomfield Library to add her artwork to their permanent collection! The annual Broomfield Days posters often sell out, so they can be pre-ordered at bcah1973@juno.com or at the poster booth at the September 15th festival if there are any remaining. I am SO proud of Becki, both for overcoming any nerves about entering an arts contest and for actually being the BIG WINNER!!!

Now, onto Fall 2012...I have found that my schedule and ‘life’ of making and selling art, teaching art, and managing the Mosaic Supply Shop has become just WAY too overloaded! So, I will be spacing my classes out more to try to handle it all a little bit better. I have also found that ‘Open Studio Time’ and open Supply Shop hours have not really ‘worked’, so, from now on, the Supply Shop will be open By Request only…just email, Facebook, text, or call me as far ahead as possible and we’ll see what we can arrange. I will be discontinuing Open Studio Time as a way to better manage things, but if you have a time that you really want to come and work on things, please let me know and maybe you can come do some “gluin’” with me while I’m working in the studio!

As far as classes go, I will be holding (2) this Fall: Mosaic Jewelry on Wednesday, October 10th, and a “Make a Mosaic Quickie” workshop for Mosaic Mirrors for Holiday Gifts on Sunday, December 9th. If you would like to set-up a custom, small group workshop or class, please contact me regarding availability, content, prices, etc.! I think I will offer the next Beginner’s Mosaics class in January 2013 and Tempered Glass Mosaics in February 2013, with Outdoor/Garden Mosaics classes not starting until Spring 2013. I am also still looking into having other, guest instructors come and teach some classes for all of you great people! Stay tuned!

Lastly, I wanted to share that I will be exhibiting and selling my artwork at a number of events this Fall: The Friends of the Museum and Library show at Littleton’s Ketring Park on Saturday, October 6th; the “El Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead” show at the CHAC Norte Gallery, October 3rd through November 3rd; and the “Christmas Mercado/Our Lady of Guadalupe” show at the CHAC Norte Gallery, November 7th through December 24th. A unique opportunity starting September 1st is the “Beyond Borders Online Mosaic Auction” benefitting Doctors Without Borders, an online-only auction held September 1st through 21st. Register to bid! Follow your favorite artworks with email notifications! Refer your friends! All pieces this year measure 6×6″, which will make many accessible to lots of people! To access all the wonderful artwork from a huge variety of international mosaic artists, head to:
www.BiddingForGood.com/DWB-MSF

My piece "Radiant Heart" for Mosaic Online Auction

(And, FINALLY)…I need to let you know that I will be out of town on an extended vacation and unavailable by phone, email, web, facebook, etc. until about September 20th. Please know that you won’t get a response from me until then but feel free to contact me and leave your questions or requests. HAPPY LATE SUMMER! (refusing to acknowledge Fall until I see snow!!)