Are we just giving it away???

Tile Shack is having a huge 30% off sale right now and we have free shipping on most orders until December 31, 2008! It seems we are just giving it all away. This sale is valid for our Artist members too.

Enjoy 30% off of all our glass tile (excluding Limited Lots), grout, most bases (excludes Wedi), and glass tile blends. We need to move some inventory before it is time to count it all for the tax man.

Don't forget to use the Discount Code: holidayship during checkout! Click here for restrictions.

Holiday Shipping

PLAN AHEAD! PLAN AHEAD! PLAN AHEAD!

To get your package by December 24, you will need to plan ahead. Our packaging times are now 1 day but your shipping times will vary depending upon where your package is being shipped.

Use our shipping map to see how long it will take your package to arrive. These shipping times start once the order is shipped not from when the order was placed and shipping times are not guaranteed unless you choose UPS 2nd Day Air.

Please don't depend upon the shipping times quoted. This time of year UPS and the postal system get backed up so plan an extra day for shipment. I have seen many packages not make it in time because the shipping companies are just too swamped.

Looking for Large Quantities of Tile?

Visit www.okglasstile.com, our sister site, to find huge savings when you buy our glass tile by the carton. You will find the AfterGlow Series, Art Tile Collection, and Brushstrokes Metallics at 40% off just by purchasing by the carton.

The AfterGlow Series comes with 10 sheets per case and is posted at $71.34.

Art Tile Collection contains 20 sheets per case and is priced from $48 to $120.

Brushstrokes Metallics has 20 sheets per case and is a steal at $179.88.

Christmas Ornament Mosaic

This was a post made last December but I thought I would post it again. These mosaic Christmas ornaments are easy to create and make great gifts.

Christmas ornaments make great Christmas presents especially when they are handmade. Mosaic ornaments are beautiful when done with glass tiles. They reflect light and really twinkle.

Materials Needed:
1 plastic ornament
Glass tiles
Wheeled Cutters
Liquid Nails or silicone adhesive
Grout kit

The plastic ornament can be found at various dollar stores. They are usually covered in a ribbon like material. This can be pulled off easily.

You can choose to use Art Tile Minis or any other tiles. If you use larger tiles they will have to be cut down to smaller sizes to fit around the curves of the ornament.

The adhesive you use depends a lot on the tiles. If the tiles you use are translucent then use silicone. If they are completely opaque then use Liquid Nails. Don't use too much so you don't have glue squishing up around your tiles.

Attach the tiles in whatever design you choose. You will find it easiest to lay the ornament on a towel so it won't roll while working. You will probably have to attach one side of tiles and let these set up before turning the ornament over to do the other side. Always check back to make sure your first tiles didn't slide down.

After the glue has completely set, you will grout as normal. You will need to clean off the hanger part well when clearing the grout. Use cotton swabs or something similar to get it out of the grooves.

These ornaments are heavy but still hang on a tree nicely with no worries of falling off. Whoever receives this as a gift will love and cherish it forever.

Orange - The Color of Warmth

With fall here, the color orange pops to mind. Orange leaves, pumpkins, Thanksgiving, etc. bring warm feelings to most people. Orange is made from combining yellow and red. Yellow is a happy color while red is a firery color. Put the two together and you get the rich orange that is neither boring nor high strung.

Orange is versatile and should be used in mosaic art. Use it to create amazing flowers, autumn trees, and of course holiday gifts. You can also use it to show the setting sun over a field or heat radiating from the sun.

Since orange is created by mixing red and yellow, you can do just that and mix the two other colors with the orange glass tiles to give the illusion of varying shades of orange. You can use orange as a shading color for yellow or red areas too.

The orange tile can help create and define your mosaic pieces. This color is perfect for the start of the holiday season.

Featured Artist - Judy Mayberry

If you haven't visited our Featured Artist section, you really should. There is a ton of inspiration around every corner.

Judith Mayberry creates some amazing work. She actually made my favorite mosaic piece ever. It is Mums Vase shown on her artist page.

Judy Mayberry lives on Lake Pennessewasee in Norway, Maine with her husband Don (who is a Congregational Minister) and two daughters who are in college. She graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and considered herself a fiber artist (weaving and needlework) before taking up Mosaics about six years ago. Both forms of art are very tactile which is why it was such an easy transition.

In her Mosaics she uses mostly vitreous glass and her favorite mosaics to make are rural scene murals. She makes small objects like trivets and plant pots, but tends to gravitate towards kitchen and bathroom back splashes, shower surrounds, mirrors, small murals and tables. Making "permanent" artwork in homes has been a new adventure but a hard way to show off her work! Most of Judy's artwork is by commission, but she usually has a variety of mosaics available for sale from her studio located in her home.

Judy is so talented and I am thrilled that she uses our products in many of her custom works of art.

Mosaic Murals - Ken Pirtle

Ken Pirtle is a genius! He created his own system to take an image and turn it into a mosaic. Not just any mosaic though...his are huge! His last one covered an exterior wall at Amarillo College.


Ken takes a scenic image and uses 3/4" vitreous glass tile to pixelate the image. He then hand selects the best color matches for the glass tile. He uses the 3/4" tiles since there are so many color options available. Using tile grids and mounting paper, he then meticulously lays out the mosaic by his computer diagram.

You can see his work in progress here. He shows the steps they took to install it. This is fascinating. The cool thing about this type of mosaic installation is that it doesn't look like much when you are right up on it but from afar the image is clear.

His latest project is another scenic landscape that will soon be installed at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens. It will be 9ft x 22ft. This equals over 38,700 vitreous tiles! I can't wait to see finished pictures!

http://web.me.com/kenneth.pirtle/Ken_Pirtles_site/Welcome.html

The Color Blue

Blue...what a great color to mosaic with. We have more tiles in blue shades than any other. There is cobalt blue, aqua blue, denim blue, metallic blue, iridescent blue, and on and on.

So why so many blues? Blue is one of the most popular colors in our culture. It is very calming while reminding us of sky and water. It is so soothing that blue makes a great color for bedrooms (to help you sleep). However it is not recommended for kitchens as it supposedly decreases appetites.

So what can you do with blue in a mosaic...anything. There are so many shades of aqua that you can create a gorgeous watery scene that shows all of the waves and unrest of an ocean or lake. Then there is the sky. Using the rich cobalt blues will create an evening sky scene that will take your breath away.

The great thing about the aquas is that you can blend them with blues and greens to give your image some movement. The cobalts blend very well with purples for a majestic tone. While the denim blues move towards gray so they can be used together to give some umph to your gray scenes.

Whether it is the Art Tile Collection, AfterGlow, or Brushstrokes, you will certainly find enough shades of blue to make your next project breath taking.

Grout Colorant

Grout colorant is a concentrated cement dye. It can be used to tint your grout and thinset. It is very strong so a little goes a long, long way. If you are going to tint a cup of grout, you can get a strong color by using as little as a teaspoon of colorant!

Since these are tints, you can mix them to make unusual shades. I love to mix one colorant into a particular color of grout to make subtle changes. For instance, the terra cotta grout is a too orange for me so I soften it by adding the brown colorant. It makes it much more earthy.

I always add the colorant to white grout or thinset but I have friends that always add it to gray grout and thinset. The colors aren't as pastel looking and less vivid.

The only drawback to using the grout colorant is that you have a huge chance of never matching up the grout if you have to mix a second batch. If you have a large area to grout and you are going to need to mix your grout several times to get the job done, make sure to measure the colorant carefully and write down how the ratio of grout to colorant. This way you can mix it the same every time and hopefully your grout will match with each new mixture.

Showroom By Appointment Only

When we set our new showroom hours 2 weeks ago, we said it was experimental. We have now decided to make our showroom by appointment only. There are many reasons behind this but we feel this will be best for our business relationships across the Tulsa area.

Our office hours will be 9 to 5 CST. You can reach us by phone during this time.

If you want to go shop around and see some great mosaic supplies in Tulsa, we recommend Tulsa Stained Glass at 41st and Memorial. They have great hours and are even open on Saturdays. They also carry most of our products.

If you are not in Tulsa, we have other distributors across the nation. Email us to find out where. And, of course, you can also buy from us online.

I hope this doesn't inconvenience anyone too much. Feel free to give us some feedback on this.

Mosaic with Seed Beads

Using only glass tile can get difficult. What if you want vibrant hot pink flowers or a lime green lizard? You will have trouble finding glass tile in these wild colors. However you can usually find them in glass beads. Beads come in a large variety of colors and sizes. The larger the bead the harder it will be for you to make your image "appear". So you need to use the smaller beads for a better effect. Seed beads can give you that look without breaking it up.

The thought of placing seed beads in your mosaic may make you cringe. Try gluing in all of those tiny little pieces one at a time...DON'T. Most artists will put a large glob of glue and press the beads into the glue. No way should you ever try doing them one at a time. They are just too small.

One of my clients, Sherry Elmore, brought in a piece yesterday that I fell in love with. She loves the glass tiles, especially the Art Tile Minis. However she wanted a gold for the focal point of this piece. The Seville Gold wasn't what she was looking for and she didn't want to do jewelry. So she came up with seed beads.

Now you can see by the finished piece that she had a definate design to follow. We spent some time figuring out the best way to keep the pattern and grout before laying the beads. You do not want to try to grout and clean seed beads! Sherry bought some thin craft foam from Hobby Lobby and cut it to make the ribbon design. She glued this onto her Wedi board and then laid the black background tiles cutting them to go around the foam. She then grouted the entire thing. After cleaning out the foam areas she filled the void with Weldbond then smashed in the seed beads.

After finishing the entire piece she sprayed it with an adhesive spray and framed it. This was a wonderful gift for her parent's anniversary. Great job Sherry!

New Showroom Hours

The new school year has began in Oklahoma. With this comes lots of schools wanting mosaic education. So we have decided to close our showroom one day a week to work with the local schools. Our warehouse and shipping department will still be running on schedule.

The magic day is Wednesday. This seems to fit the needs of our schools the best. Since we won't be in the schools every week, we will be available on Wednesdays by appointment. Just give us a call and we will schedule you to come in.

Our new hours will begin September 1, 2008. This all on a trial basis and will let you know if we decide to make any changes.

Wheeled Cutter Coupon

Wheeled cutters are the only tool that we recommend for use with our glass tile. They cut the glass rather than crush it and are vital when doing any installation or glass tile project.

It does take some practice to get a really good cut and often times you won't get it perfect. Glass just has a mind of its own. Here is a link to a walk through of how to cut the tiles. You can also read an article that we wrote about how to cut efficiently.

Since these are so important, we are offering a one time, one use coupon that will give you 50% off one pair of cutters. The code is blogger08022008.

Shipment Has Arrived!

Our shipment has arrived in our warehouse. This means that we are back in stock on many items such as Antiquity, Ebony Minis, Clover Minis, and the 3/8" tile grids.

We also received many new Brushstrokes colors and one new AfterGlow color. We are working on pictures of these and will have them posted tomorrow.

I am sorry to say that our Tomato Minis didn't come in. Instead we received Sunset Minis. We are working to get a shipment of red mini tiles in as quickly as we can.

Vitreous Glass Tile

There has been an ongoing debate about vitreous tile. Some people are adamant that Italian brands are the only vitreous to use while others love the Asian brands. So what is the difference? Allow me to explain from my point of view.

Let me start by saying that I have used every brand of vitreous that I know of. This includes the Italian and the Asian. I love some but hate others.

A lot of the Asian tiles come from the same factory but US companies brand them differently. All Italian tile is now made in China and India. So basically, it is all Asian tile. What matters is the process.

The main characteristic of vitreous is the speckling of the glass. It is no secret that the fewer the speckles the better quality the tile. This is also a common sense deal. Glass has fracture points and tends to break along those fracture lines. This is why cutting glass tile can take practice, you have to learn how to manipulate the fracture points. So take those natural fracture lines and add in this speckling and now you have even more places that the glass wants to break. So few specks better cutting. Of course if you are using them whole then you don't have to worry about anything but the color.

The speckling is the quartz that didn't get melted during fabrication. "Italian" tile is created using higher temperatures and heating the glass mixture longer so that the quartz can dissolve. There are many of the "Asian" brands that are just like the "Italian" brands when it comes to speckling though. I will admit there are a couple of lines of vitreous out there that completely crumble with even the thought of cutting them. You will learn on your own which ones I am talking about.

Also remember that occasionally a dyelot will come in that is not very good. Every tile seems to break too easily or crumble when you cut it. This happens with all brands. Just let the seller know so they can contact their factory. Glass is unpredictable sometimes. One tile may cut fine while the next 5 may break wrong.

So now that we know about the speckling let's talk price. The "Italian" tile is about double the price of the "Asian" tile. This is because they do heat the glass longer and this will cost more in manufacturing costs but you are also paying for the brand name. Keep in mind that the higher the price of the glass tile doesn't mean that it is better quality. I have many designers that are amazed that some of my glass is identical to the popular Italian tile but at half the price. Also be aware that the lower the price doesn't necessarily mean bad tile. Like many other companies, we keep our prices low because we import directly.

I heard someone say recently during a vitreous glass debate that you really shouldn't worry about where the tile is made but rather find a line that you really like and can afford. Who cares where the factory is, as long as it has the colors you want at a good price.

Now for my shameless advertisement:

I love the Art Tile Collection (MatrixColor) because it is a reasonable price and cuts very well. I have only had one complaint since I started carrying this line of tile. Everyone I work with loves the look of it and agrees that it cuts well. Of course this is the line that I sell so obviously I love it!

Shipment Status

I know many of you are anxiously awaiting our new shipment. Unfortunately it has been delayed until August 4. From what I have been told, US Customs decided to hold on to our container for a week before releasing it. I will keep everyone posted as to when it finally arrives.

On this shipment will be a huge amount of Art Tile Minis. Clover Minis, Tomato Minis, and Ebony Minis will all be back in stock. The 3/8" tile grids will also be ready to ship.

In the Brushstrokes, we will have Antiquity back along with 6 new colors. The face of the Brushstrokes is changing somewhat and I will get the new pictures posted soon.

For the AfterGlow, we couldn't get the Silver Sands back but instead have the Stainless Steel on this shipment. It is still shimmery but it looks exactly like your stainless appliances. This should be a popular color!

If you want to reserve any of the new colors coming in, call us or email us. We will put you on our waiting list.

Limited Lots Clearance

If you haven't been to our Limited Lots section lately then you are missing out. It is packed full of goodies that are only available in limited quantities.

Well, it is time to clear some of these out. We are offering our blog readers extra savings on the Limited Lots items. Just use Discount Code: blogger0709 during checkout to receive an additional 25% off of all items from our Limited Lots.

Take a look now to find:

• Stained Glass Chunks (large pieces)
• Stained Glass Scraps (small pieces)
• Carter Vitreous Glass (marked 1/2 off!)
• Glass shapes
• Cayenne Sanded Grout
• AfterGlow 2" tiles

This offer doesn't expire and quantities are in limited supply. This can be used by ALL of our customers including Artist, Trade, and Wholesale Account holders.

New Colors Arriving Soon

I love it when we can add new colors to our collections. In about a week we will be getting our new shipment in from overseas. On this shipment will be 6 new colors of Brushstrokes Metallics and 1 new color of AfterGlow Series. Some of these new metallic colors are very unique and absolutely gorgeous. The new AfterGlow color is Stainless Steel. This is temporarily replacing our Silver Sands.

We are also going to be completely stocked on our Art Tile Minis again and the 3/8" tile grids. Then, of course, we are replenishing some of our Art Tile Collection colors.

With all of these new colors coming in, you are going to see some product line changes. I will keep you posted on discontinued items as we clear out old and replace with new!

Using Our Glass Tile With Ceramic Floor Tile

Yes, you can use mosaic glass tile with ceramic floor tile. This is a common question that I get in the store. The size differences of the tiles is the main concern people have.

A popular installation in a shower is to use large ceramic or marble tiles on the wall but to put in a border or just small swatches of glass tiles as insets. Our glass tiles are thinner than large ceramic tiles. You will have to spread the mortar a little thicker than what you lay for your large tiles then you will nest the glass tiles into the mortar. Use a 2x4 to stretch across the ceramic tiles to level the glass tiles out. However I do have some clients that will go ahead and install the glass with a normal mortar layer. They like the different depths of the tiles. Just be aware that grouting will take a little more cleaning this way.

The pictures show our Espresso tile from our Brushstrokes Metallics installed at a Parade of Homes by Ironwood Homes in Stone Canyon here in Owasso, OK.

Tulsa Parade of Homes

I don't have pictures yet but am proud to say that our glass tile has been used in 4 of the homes featured in the Tulsa Parade of Homes. I will post pictures as soon as I can.

One home built by Penn Development, market value $1.5 million, used our AfterGlow Series in two rooms. Another home by the same builder, market value $490,000, used the AfterGlow Series in one room.

Hollinger & Associates built a home in Wind River, market value $1.6 million, that used our Fantastix Iridescent glass. I haven't seen or heard which room this went into yet.

Ironwood Homes built a home in the new Stone Canyon subdivision, market value $425,000, here in Owasso and used our Brushstrokes and Art Tile Collection.

There were several other homes that tile was sold for but I haven't received any confirmation that the glass was actually used. We are off this weekend to look at these gorgeous homes to see for ourselves. If you get a chance to visit, the Parade of Homes goes until June 29th.

Marble Shack

Just wanted to advertise a little for my new side project: http://www.marbleshack.com/. I sell marbles and chain pulls on Ebay and Amazon but decided to add the website too. The marbles are little guys, about the size of an aggie marble (1" diameter). The chain pulls are perfect size at 3" long. All of the logos are fired on in a kiln so they won't scratch off. We have all of the NFL, MLB, and some college teams plus Harley, John Deere, Jack Daniels, and tons of lighthouses from around the US.

I am offering flat rate shipping for $5 to US residents on Marble Shack only. Okay there is my off the topic plug for my new website. I hope some of you will "shop by"!

Going Green

This is the latest issue for many people in America. It is good for our environment and a good habit to get into. Go green!

Tile Shack has been going green for a long time. We recycle everything that we can. Our bulk packing peanuts that we use to pack your orders are made of recycled materials. We also reuse as much packing material as possible. When we get shipments into our warehouse, we will use the packing materials when shipping out orders.

We also try to pack your order in the smallest but safest box. This allows us to use less packing material. We always make sure to give at least one inch of packing all the way around the products you ordered. So don't worry, we won't let your tiles get broken if we can help it!

We recycle in our office too. The paper we use to print your sales receipts are done on recycled paper. If our printer gets weird and prints something wrong, then we take that paper, cut it up to use as notepads around the office. We don't throw it away unless both sides are covered!

There are many other small ways that we reuse and recycle in our store and warehouse. The best way is that our products, glass tile, are environmentally friendly all by themselves. They can always be melted down to produce another product in years to come.

Go green!

Mosaic Project Ideas for Teens

It is so easy to turn teenagers on to mosaic art. All you have to do is tell them they are making something useful for their room and they will be listening! The great thing about teens is that they can use all sorts of tiles and break them using the wheeled cutters.

Some cool things to make with your teen:

1. Bulletin board - Take a piece of Wedi board and glue a large piece of cork (can be found at your diy store) to the center leaving at least a 2" space all around for the border. Glue assorted tesserae all around the outside border. Try using 3/4" vitreous glass broken into triangles with a dash of metallic glass. The Wedi is great because they can stick the push pins into the cork and it will go into the Wedi with no problems. Use Weldbond for the glue.
2. Picture frame - Buy a cheap wooden picture frame that has a wide frame (at least 1 1/2"). Let your teen glue a string of plastic beads around the outside edge. They can then fill this with colored glass that matches their room. Weldbond works well for the glue.
3. Memory board - Use a large piece of Wedi board and allow your teen to glue a huge variety of memorabilia such as a picture of their fav band, a ribbon from that contest they won, or even a pair of shoes that they always adored but are now too small. Use scrapbooking letters to glue their name and common sayings to the board. In order to cover the entire surface, provide them with ribbon, shoelaces, ect to swirl in and around the objects. You will want to use Liquid Nails for the glue and definately don't grout this one.

These are just a few ideas that can give tons of fun for your teen and their friends. The ones that use the glass tiles can also be grouted using a sanded grout. Just make sure to wait 24 hours before grouting so the glue can dry. Then place a hanger on the back and trim out the sides of the Wedi with ribbon. Now your teen can hang it anywhere they want!

Wheeled Cutters

Wheeled cutters are a major part of using glass tile. This wonderful tool makes cutting glass easy and gives clean cuts with the glass.

When I first starting creating mosaics I used a hammer and sock to break my tiles. I would place the tiles into a sock and whack them with a hammer. Needless to say, I had a lot of glass shards and very little usuable pieces.

I soon found basic nippers. These clawlike breakers work with porcelain or ceramic but are a bear to use with the glass. You have to squeeze very hard and then you usually end up shattering the glass. The crystal glass won't even break using these.

Then I was introduced to the wheeled cutters. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! Although they are an investment, it is very worthwhile. You barely squeeze and you get a clean cut on most types of glass. You will never go back to using anything else.

So take the leap and buy the expensive cutters. You won't regret it!

Additions to the Limited Lots

I have just added a bunch of items to the Limited Lots section of my website. These are items that don't sell well and we have decided to discontinue them. Discounts range from 25% to 60% off.

I added the Electric Gems, Glass Shapes, CartGlass Vitreous (not the hot colors), and of course the AfterGlow II Series is still on clearance. There are only a few left of many of these items so grab all that you need at once!

Selling Your Artwork

As a mosaic tile business owner, I see tons of completed works of art from my friends and clients. The question I get the most is "do you think I can sell my work?". Usually the answer is "yes". The next question should be, "where should I try to sell my work?".

There are a lot of bazaars, festivals, and art shows this time of year. Picking the right venue for your work is the difference between selling most of your pieces and selling none.

If your work is mostly bright colors and off the wall stuff, then an art festival is the best place for you. If you work is mostly classical such as religious items, then a craft festival is probably your best place. If you like to go to all sorts of gatherings then make sure to take a huge variety of stuff.

My point is that you need to research the show that you want to set up in before you even register. You don't want to show up at a show with all earthy pots when the show has all art deco stuff. The customers will know what to expect from a particular festival, so should you.

Cleaning Grout

As many of you know, grout can ruin a project or make it beautiful. I have had a lot of clients asking me how to get the grout off of the tiles or how to get grout out of the tiny pores or indentations of the tiles.

First off, many people love the grout being stuck in the pores. So don't think you are weird if you like how it looks. When this happens you get a wonderful natural, earthy overtone to your finished product. This is especially true if you are doing a backsplash with our Art Tile Collection.

If you don't like this look then you will need to act quickly. Quickly means within 24 hours.

There is a wonderful product at Lowe's call Grout Haze Remover. This is a chemical that works very well in cutting into the haze that can stay on the top of your tiles. You must mix it as half chemical and half water. If not then you will leave another weird sticky residue on top of your tiles. Take an old sock or rag and dip it into your mixture. Squeeze it out well and wipe off the haze. It is really that simple.

If you have grout in the pores or striations and want it out then you will need a stiff bristle brush. Often a toothbrush with hard bristles will work fine but sometimes you will need the grout brush from your hardware store (this is if you left the grout on for too long). Dip your brush into the Grout Haze Remover/water mixture and brush off every tile that has the grout stuck in the pores. It really won't take as long as it sounds. After you brush the tile then wipe it off with a clean rag.

These two methods should take care of all of your grout residue issues. If you leave the grout on for longer than 48 hours, you are pretty much stuck with what you have.

Places to Get Ideas

If you are "not creative" or just in a funk about what project to do next, the fix it easy. My very

favorite place to get a design idea is from looking at rugs. Not carpet but rugs. Rugs are made with cool designs and patterns that range from very simple to very elegant and difficult. I don't copy these but instead use them as a muse.




A great website with thousands of rugs is http://www.homedecorators.com/Rugs/. Here you can choose to see designs with different styles, colors, etc. The designs are beautiful.

When I opened my showroom in Shawnee, I did a mosaic rug in the showroom floor. I based it off of this rug from this website. Anyone that was able to come to my showroom then knows that my final creation was pretty cool. Here is what I ended up with. It is a lot different but then again similar.




So next time you are in a slump and need an idea boost check out the website http://www.homedecorators.com/Rugs/ and see what will inspire you!

Teaching Young Children the Art of Mosaics

I have been in one of our local schools for two weeks teaching the entire school how to create mosaics. These students are from Kindergarten to 5th graders. They were so much fun!

This was my first attempt at teaching elementary kids. I have taught middle school students and knew what to expect but the elementary students were so different. I took in 4" ceramic tiles as the base and the Art Tile Minis for the tesserae. We used Weldbond for the glue.

I went in with the plan to show them examples of a mosaic and discuss what makes something a mosaic. I was then going to talk to them about the history of mosaic art and finally show them how math is so closely related. I did this with the first class and quickly ran out of time. I never realized that the 4th graders would take so long to glue on all of their tiles. Instead of the planned hour, it took 1 1/2 hours and that is with all of the adults pushing these kids along.

I learned to leave out all talk of history and math and just focus on how to make the mosaic. The students all had a design drawn beforehand onto a grid paper. The paper had 10 squares going across and down and the kids were supposed to replicate the design using the tiny tiles. This worked pretty well after they got the first row and column set up. They didn't understand the concept of grout joints either but didn't get too frustrated when I made them move their tiles to give that little space.

I had one fifth grade class come in to grout and that was a huge mistake. They were a little rough and kept popping off the tiles. It was a nightmare. So I am going in every morning this week to work on the grouting. The projects are turning out beautiful and should be ready by Mother's Day!

Price Increase

It is happening all over...prices are going up on everything. With our latest shipment of Art Tile, we are forced to raise some of our prices on the Art Tile Collection and the Art Tile Minis. I hate to have to do this but with the price of everything going up and the value of our dollar going down, our overseas factory has to charge us more.

The new pricing will go into effect on May 1. It won't be much. The Art Tile Collection A and B colors will increase to $4 a sheet and the D colors will increase to $10 a sheet. In the Art Tile Minis, the A and B colors will go up to $5.50 a sheet and the D colors will go up to $11 per sheet.

To help offset the price increase I am giving you a blog coupon. This will be on the Art Tile Collection only. Save 25% using Discount Code: blogger0424 and it will expire May 24, 2008. Anyone can use this coupon including our Artist clients!

Choosing Tile Colors Online

The hardest part about selling mosaic tiles online is color matching. Everyone's monitors are set differently so everyone's monitors will show the tile colors differently.

Recently I sent out an order that had a sheet of Marmelade and a sheet of Islands. The customer stated that the Marmelade was different on her monitor but the Islands matched perfectly. She couldn't understand how this happens.

Think of it like this...Marmelade is orange and Islands is blue. The color settings on your monitor that produce orange are different than the ones that produce blue. So it is possible to have one that is close and another that is totally off.

So what is the best answer to this never ending problem? Samples, samples, samples! If color is extremely important to you then order a sample. On www.tileshack.com you can order a sample board, full sheet of tile, or just a small 25 tiles swatch. Yes, dyelots are going to change but it isn't by much so your tiles will still be very close later on down the road. This will also save you time and frustration.

Photographing Your Finished Mosaic

Taking a picture of your finished mosaic is harder than it sounds. When you do a piece that includes all sorts of glass you are going to have a reflective problem. Some glass photographs better than others. Vitreous glass tile is not a high gloss so it is not too bad but the crystal glass can be horrible.

If you stand in front of your piece and snap the picture you will most likely see yourself and all the glaring light around you. The colors will not turn out correct and you will probably end up with a very dark picture. Iridescent glass causes the same problem as the crystal glass.

To get a decent picture without a professional photographer, you will need a good camera. Those cheap digitals don't do much for glass tile. You will need some sort of light diffusing system. I found a great set up at Wal-Mart that was cheap back in the camera department.

After having the proper tools, you need to plan to take a picture of the finished mosaic from an angle. This will keep the reflections low. You don't have to go at such a stark angle as the picture to the right but get a little tilt on your angle.

Here are two of our product pictures taken at different angles so you can see the difference. The one on the bottom is exactly like the actual blend. The one on top threw the colors terribly. (Yes we are working on better pictures ourselves!)

Adhesives for Outdoors

As spring approaches, I am getting the most common question...what adhesive do I use for my outdoor projects??? You really have to know the answer to this or your project will get ruined.

First of all, it doesn't matter what glue you use if you use the wrong base. Remember that when wood gets wet, it can warp. Once it warps, your tiles will pop right off. Your best surfaces for outdoors include cement board (hardibacker), glass, and concrete. I have used wood outdoors with good results though. You have to make sure to completely seal it (that includes the bottom) and don't put it directly in the weather.

Now for adhesives...
Thin set mortar is by far the best adhesive for outdoors. It is basically concrete. You don't have to worry about water getting to your glue and causing it to loosen. Once thin set is dry it is hard as a rock. The bad thing is that thin set won't adhere to glass. It has to be applied to a porous material such as concrete. This is by far the best adhesive for your stepping stones!

If you want to do a glass vase (or even a terra cotta pot), then I recommend Liquid Nails. This stuff can stick to almost anything but works especially well on glass. I do not recommend the clear Liquid Nails. The only kind that I have good experience with is Liquid Nails for Small Household Projects. It is a putty color so you don't want to use it with clear tiles. The great thing about this stuff is that it sets up quickly so you don't have to deal with your tiles sliding down the side of your vase.

If your heart is set on using transparent tiles then you will have to try silicone. Just look for the kind that is good for use in a shower or bath. I don't like using silicone since it is so stringy but it might work well for you.

Discount Codes and Offers

Mosaic supplies can be very expensive if you are not careful. We completely understand this and I try to keep our prices down as low as I can without making us go broke. We do try to offer discount codes or special offers on a regular basis to help offset the cost of your tile. Believe it or not, we have actually had people think that our tile is cheap, poor quality tile because we have the price so much lower than some of our competitors. It is easy to change their minds once they see the tile in person. We keep the pricing low because we import many of our products ourselves. After all of this our clients are very pleased with the transaction and the money they have saved.

So check back on our site often to see what we have on sale, on clearance, or for free. Check this blog often too. Sometimes we stick coupons in here for even more savings. For example, you can use discount code blogger0308 to get free 1 1/2 pound container of grout. Next time you order from us just add the color of grout you want to your cart and type in the code. It will take off $4 for the cost of the grout. This code is good for anyone including Artist and Trade accounts.

Affordable Vinyl Graphics

There is a new business in Owasso and online. Affordable Vinyl Graphics has a very cool website and an awesome project. It is not directly tied into mosaics but the owner of this company, Heather Rodden, is a very nice person that will go out of her way to get you exactly what you need.

In case you don't know, these vinyl graphics can be installed anywhere including painted walls, metal, plastics, etc. They won't damage the surface that you put them on. So you can hang your mosaic art on your living room wall and then have Heather do a cool graphic that includes the name of your piece. She can do it in any font and tons of colors! You then stick the vinyl under or around your finished art while it is on the wall.

Imagine creating a round piece then having Heather do the name of the piece so that it archs around your art. Cool effects! So hop over to Affordable Vinyl Graphics when you get a chance and make sure to look at their Photo Gallery.

Your Grout Color

This is the most common question for me...what color grout should I use? This is a very tough question since this can ruin your project if the wrong color is chosen.

Remember the rule of thumb:

• Mostly warm colors...use brown grout
• Mostly cool colors...use gray grout
• Mostly vivid colors (all very bright)...black is a possibility
• All white...use white grout

I have people that do a piece where the focal point is all in blue and the back ground is all in brown. Since blue is a cool color they think gray but imagine gray grout with brown tiles...Yuck! You want to choose a color that will make the entire work flow. Brown would be best in this case. What if your focal is all blue and the background is all orange. In this case you will want to use gray to keep your focal from being fractured. Gray would look fine with the orange tiles too.

Don't forget the correct intensity. If your piece is mostly dark then use a darker tone. If it is mostly light use a lighter.

So the rule of thumb is just a guideline. Always do the grout test to make sure of what color to use. Simply don a mask and sprinkle a little of each grout possibility into the grout joints of your piece. See what looks best then vacuum the dry grout out before mixing the real batch.

Tulsa Home & Garden Show

Hello everyone! The Tulsa Home & Garden show is now over and life can start getting back to normal for the Tile Shack crew. It was a huge success and I wanted to share some of the pics of our booth.

We put together some great displays that show our tiles installed.

We also had some great artwork. Carriera and Artemesia were created by Tish Busking. The shoes and aquarium were done by Sean Busking.

We also got in some rest and play time with some our builder friends.

Tulsa Granite and Middleton Construction of Tulsa also featured our tiles in their booths.

Finishing Edges on an Art Project

Finishing edges on a work of art has always been an issue. There are several ways that will complete your piece and make it gorgeous.

Try:

1. Build a frame out of wood. This works especially well when thin backerboard or Wedi board has been used as the substrate.
2. Do a grout rub on the edges. The grout won't stay in bulk but will leave a fine layer of grit and color that will blend well with the rest of your piece. Just rub down the edges while grouting the rest of the piece. Make sure to pick up your piece and wipe off the excess build up before it sets up. This works well with wood and Wedi board.
3. Use stained glass copper foil. This stuff has an adhesive backing so it sticks well on the edges. For this to really work you will need to make sure your edge is clean of all grout. The adhesive doesn't stick well to dried grout. I use this when I do a piece on backerboard but it can be used on all surfaces. For a silver edge, use the tape that is used on duct work that you can buy at your local hardware store.
4. Paint those edges. This is really only a good technique if your work is done on wood. Be sure to tape off the edges before grouting. Pull off tape before grout has set and paint in a couple of days.
5. Brass foil is a great edging for wood. This is a metal band that is nailed onto the sides of your piece before you grout. Here is a link to a company where we buy our's. We buy brass foil that is .02 mm. Be sure to buy the width that you will need for your surfaces. Go the extra penny and buy brass nails to use on this stuff. It will give a nice finish.

Although you can lay tiles on your edge, I never recommend it. If your piece gets bumped or falls those edge pieces have a good chance of falling off.

Shipping Costs

With gas prices constantly going up, our freight costs go up too. Many clients don't understand why shipping is so high. Rest assured that we only charge the actual shipping plus our $1 for handling. When you are checking out on our site, your cart will return the real time shipping rates for UPS or USPS.

Now let's see how many people read this blog. I am offering you a free shipping coupon on your order of $50 or more. This is a one time coupon and can be used by anyone within the Continental US. If you live in Alaska or Hawaii, I will split the shipping with you but you will have to type the code into the Comment box to get the offer. The Discount Code is freeship2252008 and is valid until March 25, 2008.

Finishing Edges on a Commercial/Residential Installation

The big question this week has been how to finish your edges of your installation. If you are used to working with ceramic tiles then you have to realize there is a difference with the glass tiles. Most glass tiles are colored throughout so even the edges are colored. This just means that you don't need a bull nose tile to cover the edge to keep color.


My favorite way to complete the edge is to just rub grout into the small gap along the edge. I will tape it off first so I don't get grout on the wall or surface that the tiles are adhered. Then I will grout as usual making sure to rub the grout down the edge of the tiles. As soon as I clean off the excess grout, I will remove the tape to give a nice finished area.


You can also leave the gap of the tile edges alone. After grouting and cleanup, take a caulk that is your grout color and caulk down the edge. You may be caulking other areas too so do it all at the same time.


Framing it out is another way. It looks good but is a little more work. This is especially nice if you are doing wainscoting with tile on your wall or just running a border of tiles around your bathroom. Take a piece of molding and stain/paint it first. Then nail it in to frame your tiles after installation. It would be best to grout before doing this part.



Some people don't want the tiles to just stop at the end of their cabinets and counters. Try stair stepping the tiles down to give it a more flowing look. You have to have the right size top and bottom of your area to do this though. Refer to the picture at the left.


As you can see, there are several ways to finish the edges of your installation. You can make it as simple or elegant as your space needs.

Why on Earth have I not posted lately????????

I have been so busy that I completely forgot about my blog for 2 weeks. This is crazy!

Business has been incredible but getting ready for our latest shipment was the main reason. We received over 22,000 pounds of glass in last week and we had to find a place to put it all. Our warehouse is packed now! We, at least, created a path to get from the front to the back so that we can move easily.

I promise to be better about posting. Of course now I am getting ready for the Tulsa Home and Garden Show. UGH! Too much to do and too little time!

Grout Joints

A grout joint is that space between the tiles where the grout will fill. There are some mosaics that are so well done that you don't even see the grout joints. Then there are mosaics that are so well done that you do see all of the grout joints. Wait...does that make sense???



A typical mosaic art piece is created so that the grout will only smooth over the entire piece but has only a small part in the final look of the piece. For instance, a landscape done is gorgeous greens and blues sweeping across the substrate will have minimal grout joints so that your eyes only focus on the overall picture not the individual tiles.



So why not let your grout joints work for your piece? In the mosaic shown, you can see there are some deliberate grout joints and it adds an essential style to the mosaic. When looking at this rainbow piece, you see all of the circles are emphasized with the black grout.


This was originally drawn out as many circles and lines. I filled in the spaces but made sure to keep with the flow of the circles. I filled the outer small circles with a solid color of vitreous tile to add an added accent but it is still the grout joints that bring the focus of the piece.


You will have to draw out your design ahead of time. That is the only way to make this technique work. Try experimenting with different drawings. I saw a mosaic once that had words done in the grout joints. Close up you couldn't tell but when you backed away you saw the name of the mosaic piece in the grout. It was very cool!

Art Tile Collection/MatrixColor

Well you may have noticed that the names have changed for the MatrixColor tiles. We have a new shipment coming in with new colors. We thought it would be appropriate to change the name at the same time.

Our new Art Tile Collection will consist of 53 colors that includes a gorgeous crimson, olive green, and a rich dark brown. The MatrixColor Q Tiles have also changed. We are adding 4 new colors to this line as well. We will get photos posted as soon as the shipment arrives in our warehouse.

You will also see that we are adding a new line of metallic glass that we are importing ourselves called Brushstrokes. This will have 10 popular colors for you to choose. The best thing is that we can keep the price down.

The shipment is due into the US Monday so we should have the new goodies about a week later if customs is nice to us. We will send out an email notice letting you know.

As many of you have seen, we are still clearing out some items. Keep looking in our Limited Lots section for new items being added.

Installed Mosaic Logo

I just realized that I never posted about the installation of the mosaic logo that I had worked on for a few weeks back in October. After finishing the tiling onto mesh, I delivered it in pieces. It looked great uninstalled. Here is a picture of it before it was cut up and installed.

The company was having carpet put all around the mosaic so they had their carpet guy install the logo. He did a great job installing but chose to grout it in white grout. It ruined the piece! Here is the picture of it installed.

This shows how white grout can completely fracture the piece. Since the background was made using a dark cobalt blue tile the white grout really stands out. It doesn't look as bad on the center where a pale blue was used.

I would have recommended a medium gray to be used but was not consulted unfortunately. So I instead sent the owner a link to a grout stain product that I don't think he ever used.

Project Idea #5 - Mosaic Windows

If you have ever gone to a flea market then you probably have seen old windows for sale. These are the ones that are rectangle shaped with the four sections of glass, paint peeling on the wood but very sturdy. If you can get it cheap, I suggest buying one or two. Just make sure the glass is still in one piece.

You can clean up the paint by scraping it off and repainting. I have seen many clients that leave the peeling paint the way it is to add character to the piece.

After you get the wood cleaned up, you can just mosaic directly onto the glass. Use a mixture of opaques and translucents to give a wonderful overall effect when the light shines through. You can use stained glass or glass tiles or both. Weldbond is a great adhesive to use since it dries clear. Once you get all of your glass on then grout it the next day. Be sure to tape off your wood before grouting though.

Once you have it completely finished you will need to add a hanger to it. I suggest screwing in round hooks on the top corners and attaching a chain. The window can now just hang from the chain. Screw in a hook in your existing window and hang your new window so the light can illuminate your piece.

Grout Study

Even though we have this formula that we use for choosing your grout color, sometimes it isn't that easy. I have a piece that I am getting ready to grout today. I have contemplated the grout color for 3 days. It consists of metallic glass tiles of Henna and Painted Desert. Henna is a very dark brown with varying colors of black to medium brown. Painted Desert is an orangy rust color.

My first thought was black. Black grout doesn't actually dry black (more of a dark charcoal gray) so that really won't work with my brown based tiles. Then I thought a dark brown. Dark brown is a very difficult color to achieve though. My last thought is a mixture of black and mocha grout. Any one of these three might look good.

Now that I have basically three options for grout, I am going to perform a grout study. I glued sets of tiles onto a board. I used more Henna than Painted Desert so I laid them out as Henna.Painted Desert.Henna. I will mix the black, then brown, then the combo grouts and put one between each set of glued tiles. After the grout dries I should be able to see which grout color will look the best with my tile colors.

You can do this with any project that you make. Save some of those scrap tiles and glue one of each color used to a board. Do this several times so you can test several colors at once. By doing a grout study, you may save your mosaic from ruin by using the wrong color of grout.