Thanks for the nice complements. I also love the black and white ones. I'll go so far as to admit that the biggest motivation for me to buy new dishes was the ability to use these black and white dishes for plate flowers. Well, also the fact that the biggest plates don't fit in my dishwasher. I made 4 with the orange middle plates. I'm on the look out for more yellow or orange or red that size so I can use up the rest of my service. Thanks for the input on the totem. Ravencajun - thanks for the detailed info about sealing the glass (maybe I should have asked for advice before I glued it together?). I have a metal outdoor candle holder that I'm going to cement into the ground, and I have a clear glass jar that will be attached to the bottom of the totem that slides perfectly into the candle holder. So the totem will be out in the whimsy garden, elevated about 2-3 feet. I will add a second layer of glue to the top and middle layer to make sure they are fully sealed.

Thank you, these were fun! I've been on this garden junk forum for many years, but just never got around to trying these. I was laid off a few months ago, so I have the time now. ;) I'm going to try to get around to another one this evening while watching Lost. For the person who asked, the bottle candle holders in the background are actually purchased items. Found them in a shop in Salado, TX. I wouldn't think it would be too difficult to make something similar. On these, the bottoms aren't there...it's a metal piece that fits up inside the bottle and has a loop on the top side to fit over a hook.

imjustsam, it is very simple, really. see the round light fixture on the top of the second totem? any type of round glass "junk" will work - as long as they are clear, though I have not tried making one with the smoked glass. You just pick 2-3 colors of nail polish - I buy clearance stuff or any interesting colors at yard sales - and pretty much just dump the polish inside the ball. Then swirl the polish around until all the inside of the glass is covered. Tip out any excess and let it dry. They stink to high heaven, but I always leave mine outside to air out for a couple days. If the link works, I just took some picts of ones I recently made. The light wasn't wonderful, so you can't see how sparkly the paints are, but they are gorgeous in the sun!! Oh yeah, I don't use the cream polish much, but on the turquoisey colored one I did, mixed with a green that had a lot of glitter in it. It turned out really nice. Ok, I have to amend that - my 7 year old daughter actually made it!! If you can, I recommend having a couple bottles of each color, just in case its needed. Here is a link that might be useful: my junk

Welcome to the forum DannaB, sure glad you came out of lurkdom to join in on the fun. Your totem is supurb!!! I love the colors and the shape. It's going to look so beautiful in your gardens. Yeah that silicone can look messy but you covered it up great. Hope to see more of your garden creations, we love pics around here. Sal