Happy New Year! I’m a little late in getting this info. out, so please accept my apologies! Following are the Supply Shop and Open Studio Hours for January:

Sun. 1/15-5-9 pm

Mon. 1/16, 1-5 pm     (MLK Day! 15% off in the Supply Shop!)

Mon. 1/23, 4-8 pm

Thur. 1/26, 4-8 pm

Sun. 1/29, 5-9 pm

Also; please be on the lookout for upcoming posts and registration links regarding the next Tempered Glass & Jewelry Classes in February and the next Outdoor/Garden Mosaics and Beginner’s Mosaics Classes in March.  I will be attending the Society of American Mosaic Artists’ (SAMA) Conference in February, and will be bringing back lots of good information, techniques, and updates from the world of mosaics!  While there, I will also be meeting with several other mosaic artists about coming to Denver as “Visiting Instructors” to teach us their special skills and techniques in a variety of mosaic methods!  This year will be another year of growth for TileMosaicGirl, with more instructors and more classes! Be on the lookout, GO BRONCOS, and See you Soon!

FYI, everyone; I’ve posted the April and May Open Studio & Supply Shop hours on the “Supply Shop” page. Remember that Open Studio Time is available for you to come start a new mosaic or work on an existing piece. You don’t have to have taken a Beginner’s class at all or through me, but you should be operating at a minimum of a beginner’s level, because Open Studio Time does not include teaching. It does, however, include almost everything you need to work on mosaics: ceramic & glass tiles (others available in the Supply Shop at an extra cost), adhesives, tools, supplies, grout, sealer, etc. for only $10 an Hour! Either bring your own base/substrate or buy one there at a nice low cost. I have frames, mirrors, boxes, plaques, decorative birdhouses, etc. available.

If you’re looking for some instructional mosaic time, we can put together a class or a group event or party with as few as 4 people (adults or kids). Contact me and we can discuss your needs and what dates and times will work. This is great for “Girls Nite Out” type events, birthday parties, clubs, etc.  Or, if you and 3 or more friends or family members want your own, private class in one of my ongoing areas or another, we can customize it to your desires.

I’m SO excited to announce that we now have a shop for mosaic classes, studio time, and supplies in Denver…TileMosaicGirl at Pot-Luck, the Pottery Painting Place!  The shop is right on CO Blvd., in the U. Hills area. It’s in the front of the parking lot of the old U. Hills Shopping Center, the one with ACE Hardware and Jo-Ann Fabrics.  TileMosaicGirl at Pot-Luck, the Pottery Painting Place, will offer Mosaic Classes, Open Studio Time, and a Supply Shop. “Opening” date will be Thursday, February 24, 2011. The TMG shop will be the ONLY place in Denver where you can get ALL the supplies and materials necessary to make mosaics in one location.  Until now, mosaic crafters and artists have had to go to a minimum of 4-5 different stores (more if they were watching price), just to get the supplies they needed to make mosaics. Now, you’ll be able to find everything from tiles and goodies to decorate your mosaics to the adhesives and grout to glue ‘em down and finish them off, all in one place!

The Supply Shop will be open during Mosaic Studio Time hours, Mosaic Classes, and by appt. The comprehensive selection will include: glass vitreous tiles, metallic veined tiles, deep color “crystal” glass tiles, glitter tiles, smalto tiles, glass gems and shapes, stained glass tiles, ceramic and Mexican tiles, Van Gogh tiles, millefiori, china, beads, mosaic jewelry supplies, mirror tiles, and misc. found objects and toys. Mosaic bases, adhesives, grouts, tools, colorants, and sealers round out the selection. Prices are very good; much better than ordering online, having to meet order minimums, and paying shipping! Several package sizes of each item will be available so that you don’t have to commit to large quantities of one item.  At the TMG Supply Shop, you can get the materials you want in the sizes you need at an exellent price! Starting date is Thursday, Feb. 24th, after I get back from the natl. mosaic conference with all kinds of new supplies and expertise!

Mosaic Studio Time is open-ended time for you* to work on mosaics in a space besides your home, where all the supplies and materials you need are on hand and you don’t have to worrry about getting your house ‘mucked up’. All basic tesserae (tiles, etc.) included, as well as adhesives, grout, sealer, tools, supplies, etc. Everything is included, except you bring your own base or buy a low-cost one there. Come have space to work, hang out w/ other fun mosaic people, and make a mess somewhere other than in your dining room! Studio time is $10 an hour.

Mosaic Studio Time HOURS are:
Mondays from 11 am to 3 pm and
Thursdays from 11 am to 3 pm
and By Appointment

At least 1 weekend day a month and 2 weeknights a month willl also be scheduled; check out Calendar page for current month’s dates/times.

* Please note: Mosaic Studio Time is not a class and does not include teaching time; participants should have taken a Beginner’s Mosaic class (anywhere) and/or be at least a Beginner’s level mosaic crafter to use Studio Time.

Mosaic Classes offered at the TileMosaicGirl shop are:
Beginner’s Mosaics
Tempered Glass (“Crash Glass”) Mosaics
Mosaic Jewelry

Cutting & Shaping Tiles for Mosaic Design
Continuing Mosaics
Garden/Outdoor Mosaics
Special, Introductory no-artistic-skills-required, “MAKE A MOSAIC!” Sessions!

(These “MAKE A MOSAIC!” sessions will be perfect for those friends and family members you have that think they don’t have an artistic bone in their body but want to get out and do something fun, quick, easy, and inexpensive. Very similar to what they do at Canvas & Cocktails or Sipping & Painting…everyone works on the same simple base and leaves class with a completed mosaic that’s either ungrouted style, they can easily grout at home, or they can leave to get grouted.)

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: CLASS DATES ALREADY SCHEDULED:

(Long-awaited, big demand)…Tempered (“Crash Glass”) Mosaics…Thursday, March 10 & 17th, 5:30 to 8:30 pm

Beginner’s Mosaics…Sunday Evenings, March 13, 20, & 27th, 5-8 pm

There will be a registration function on the “Classes”  page here soon, so that you may register for these classes. Class sizes are kept deliberately small so that Krystie Rose has enough time with each student for the help that they need  to learn the ‘awesome art of mosaics’!

TileMosaicGirl at Pot-Luck, the Pottery Painting Place

2620 S. Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO, 80222

720-435-3057 / tilemosaicgirl@gmail.com

Also on Facebook & Twitter!

New Fair Display Walls!!

OMG! I am SO excited! I found some great stuff today on my latest trip to the Habitat for Humanity Resale Store in Denver.  (They have stores located across the U.S. and Canada, all of which benefit Habitat for Humanity’s excellent program.)  I often find great grout, caulk, and tiles at the Resale Store, much of it donated from home improvement stores when the manufacturer decides the new season calls for a new shade of ‘white’.  This time, I was looking for something to use as a fixture in my upcoming summer fair booth that I could hang my mosaics on; like a vertical wall that’s freestanding.

Well, hallelujah, I’m here to tell ya, I found the PERFECT thing for it and I am SO excited! It’s a brand new set of bi-fold doors; 2 sets of 2 doors adjoined by hinges, that can stand upright very well, but I’ll hit Depot for some kind of L-brackets to mount on the bottoms so they have some support on the floor for the weight of the mosaics.  These ones are perfect because they’re brand new, unfinished, completely flat surfaced, and 6 feet, 8 inches tall!!!  And, for a zippy lil price of $45 for all 4 doors, they more than fit into my fair ‘budget’.  I thought I would share this ‘find’ of both the display option and the Habitat stores, if you weren’t already aware.

Closer-up of new display walls

I also scored an awesome wooden display cube that I can use as a riser or a double shelf for displaying tabletop items.  This one’s great because the depth on it is at least 12″, which is much larger than most riser-type fixtures.  And, at $5.00, ya can’t beat that!One more thing I found myself not being able to leave at the store was the most awesome, super-duper, cool, yummy-rific, bright baby blue, ceramic, completely in great shape, TOILET!  Yes; you heard it here; I AM going to mosaic a toilet and put it in my backyard!  The tank’s going to become a planter and the bowl will either be a birdbath or have a fountain in it!  It was only $35!  I canNOT wait to be able to start gluin’ on that baby after the fair and get it in the yard for summer!!!

'Fish Bowl' by Jean Wells

Barbie Pink Toilet

Garden-y Mosaic Toilet

Fun Sunny Mosaic Toilet!

New jewelry blanks at Hobby Lobby

New Bracelet blanks at Hobby Lobby

Yep; you read that right! Last week I found some awesome new jewelry blanks (or ‘bezels’) at Hobby Lobby and this week they’re on sale for 50% off (through Sat. 5/22 only!)!!!  YEY!  These ones are GREAT for mosaic jewelry cuz they have deeper bezels than just a flat plate.  I’ve included some pics here; they include pendant blanks, super cool bracelets, earring blanks (incl. clip ons), and, esp. some awesome new hair pins, barettes, and ponies w/ deep bezels!  The price range is only $ 1.47 – $2.99 and that’s BEFORE the 50% off sale this week!

This is GREAT news for those of you that can’t afford to make a big online order or don’t qualify for wholesale prices, or just need some jewelry blanks last minute.  So; head on down to your local Hobby Lobby; I looked it up and they have stores in 35 states (but, alas, no West Coast states; sorry my many wonderful friends there!)!  Grab some, get ur tube of E6000 (epoxy) glue if you don’t have it already, their ear wires & chains are also 50% off, and some millefiori, tile, glass, polymer clay, or paper designs & resin, and GO TO TOWN!

New Hair Jewelry Blanks at Hobby Lobby

I’m very happy to announce that my new Mosaic Jewelry class starts next week at CO Free U.!  Mosaic jewelry is a great way to wear your love of mosaics and have a piece of jewelry that’s totally customized to you and your style!  And, it only requires 3 hours of your time (one-session class) and a low class and materials fee!  You’ll get to choose from different jewelry bases, including pendants, rings, earrings, and bracelets! You’ll leave the class with one finished piece!

Make your own delicate mosaic jewelry and learn how to decorate  your original design with tiny mosaic tiles, beads, and glass (the mosaic ”tesserae”) in this hands-on workshop.   You’ll learn the basics of making mosaic jewelry and complete your jewelry piece during class. Choose to make a ‘groutless’ style mosaic or take home grout, sealer, and clear instructions to finish the piece off simply at home in about a 1/2 hour. A wide array of materials are provided with your materials fee or you can upgrade to more elaborate supplies.   I’ll also include information on great sources for mosiac and jewelry materials and supplies and next-level mosaic jewelry in this fun, stress-relieving course.  Absolutely NO prior mosaic, jewelry-making, or art experience is necessary to quickly and easily learn this fun craft!  Come take a break from the daily grind and lose yourself for a few hours in a creative, stress-free environment!

Price: $45 Member   (nominal annual membership fee gets member rates all year)

         $57 Non-Member

$15 Required materials fee due at class

         $2-10 Optional materials fee payable in class

Classes are held at Colorado Free U. Lowry Campus, Off Quebec and 2nd between 6th Ave. and Alameda at 7653 E. 1st Place, Denver, CO

UPCOMING CLASSES & REGISTRATION LINKS:

Monday evening, May 3rd, 6-9 p.m.

Friday DAYtime, May 21st., 9 a.m.-noon

Monday evening, June 7th, 6-9 p.m.

Wednesday evening, July 21st, 6-9 p.m.

For more information, see  www.freeu.com  OR call 303-399-0093.