My Bob is a fellow junker. He often drags things home to ask me if I can use them. He has found me a bed frame to make a bench out of, an old mirror from a dresser that would look great in the garden, floor lamps that once converted make great bowling ball stands, dishes and pottery for mosaics, old chairs that would make great planters ... well you get the idea. He has no qualms about dumpster diving and curb shopping. He loves rummage sales and thrift stores. He is very handy too. The only drawback? He isn't artistically inclined. So I guess that part is left up to me. He does think some of my ideas are nuts but then when he sees the final project, thinks they are great. One other mark against him ... he thinks flowers are stupid and would only want a vegetable garden. My defense? Flowers attract birds and bugs that help pollinate the vegetables and eat the bad bugs in the garden. he-he

I use a mosaic tile tool called a nipper and snip the plate up...and with these beauties, I'll be probably using my Taurus 3 ring saw as it will let me use the little butterflies in the center of the plate too....then I use my rock tumbler and fill it 3/4full of dishes, add water to just over the plate pcs, then a drop of dish soap, then tumble it for about 20-30min...dry pcs and they are spoothed on the edges...better for when I grout,,,as the dishes can be wicked sharp!!! Too many cuts from this so now I tumble....I haven't done a ball in a while so forget how many dishes I use...it really depends on certain factors too, if the whole plate is usable, or just certain pcs, like the border....sometimes they have a lip(underside of the plate) that deters the use of some of the pattern...as it is just too uneven...but what I do is add 1/2marbles and other plates that match the plates I want to use, so I get a real assortment...sometimes I gotta save plates for a while to get enough to do a project...I've even bought one plate cuz I liked it and then spent months looking for stuff to add to the colors so I could use it!!! I will suggest to anyone, that it is a good idea to bring your bowling ball in for the winter as they can freeze and crack...no matter how well you seal them...I have learned this the hard way!!! PLEASE consider this, it is a shame to do all that hard work and have it ruined!!! PLUS another biggy warning is to use only porceline dishes, NOT ceramic, as they chip when wet and freezing...plus they can fade(the pattern) under harsh summer sun!!! Okay...now that I have poo poo'd some enthusiasm....sorry!!! But being a MOM...I have a knack for it!!!lol! Enjoy and don't let the shards get in you eyes, kids!!!

that is good advice. at the time i was being lazy and i knew i should outline the geckos first before doing the triangle thing. but i didnt. i think that would have been a better idea to place the dark next to light like you said with an outline. too bad i didnt ask you. i have found that i could probably teach this class i am taking and sometimes i should follow my own gut feeling. I wish i hadnt done that dark grout. I also should have done 2 geckos with the same color. great suggestion to use the colory wheel theory. oh well, it looks ok, good enough to give to the school auction which is next week. it looks better from far away. and squinting. Ha HA like i said i like the swirly ball better, so i am keeping that one. by the way, i thought the sealer was to weatherproof the work

Materials Needed: Old Bowling Ball 650 Half Marbles or glass gems(approx. 6bgs of 12oz marbles) 1 Tube Silicone Glue (GE Silicone II, clear, outdoor) Cereal Bowl (or something to hold the work in progress) Wood Putty (optional) Outdoor Spray Paint (optional) Assembly Steps: Using the Silicone glue work in sections to glue the half marbles in place. The glue will hold almostimmediately so place the marbles carefully. It is best to do the top half of the BB and then let it dry overnight (in cereal bowl) before turning the BB over and glueing the bottom portion. When doing the bottom portion you can either leave the finger holes open or see below for filling instructions. Place in the Garden and enjoy the shimmering beauty you just created!! Optional Steps: If your BB is black and you prefer another color, simply use an outdoor spray paint to achieve the color of your choice. Spray the BB well and let dry throughly before you glue on any marbles. If you wish to cover the finger holes in the BB, use wood putty to fill them and let it completely dry before adhering the marbles to that area.