That is beautiful...What a great job...

That's cool!!

Beautiful!! I've been lurking here for a little while, but I'm not familiar with the term TGd balls...so is it just clear glass over the ball? What adhesive did you use? I have a bowling ball (somewhere) that I've been meaning to do something with and this looks right up my alley, umm, so to speak. Please forgive me if the answers are obvious - I'm new to the junking, but I'm loving it so far!
Sheryll

That is just absolutely lovely, Daisy!

I've partially made one BB by gluing various marbles all over it. It took me so long I was fed up with it and have never grouted it. Should ask DH where the dang thing is and finish it.

I should have decoupaged mine, it would have been finished.

Welcome, Sheryll. Glad you popped out of Lurkdom.

Daisy, I didn't understand what exactly you did...your ball looks like stained glass to me. LOL. So I'm thinking you've got some "splaining to do, Lucy".
I often need enlightening.

hugs, Karen

Welcome Sheryll. Do like your bb. Very pretty. Here' a couple of mine.{{gwi:183175}}{{gwi:183178}}{{gwi:183180}}{{gwi:183182}} Oooops can't count lol sorry. The two blue ones I gave to my DIL. The yellow sunflower gave to my cousin. The mirrored one I kept. Left the thumb hole open and put one of my solar lights in it. Fit perfectly. I have two with soalr lights next to my water fountain. Enjoy

Good job on the BB Daisey!! Lovely!! I just did a small project with tempered glass and it about drove me nuts, so I commend your ability to cover a whole bowling ball with it!!! Here are some of my balls...look but don't touch!!!!lol!!! (I'm bad!)

Here are some of mine. I love doing them with "crash glass". Mindlessly simple.
Have a good one!
Ann
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Sorry, guess I've done more than I remembered!

These are all so beautiful, what kind of glass is that on the wrapping paper one, and what is crash glass, sorry I'm so clueless.But I really want to try this.
Syble

Wow, you guys are GREAT! It was wonderful to see all these. There are so many I hadn't seen! Let's hope to see more!

Kat, all your balls are so colorful. I especially like the turquoise one with the half marbles. So pretty! I would love that in my garden. Hmmmmm, I've got some marbles left from the beach house in those colors.....hmmmmm

Calamity...Wow! That first one is a stunner! And I've got to get to breaking some plates I see. I enjoyed seeing your grouting colors. I have so much to learn! Each of yours is so different. The top one is so lovely and I really like the green one too!

Gibsona...PEARLS! Wowwee! And thanks for responding with some tempered glass ones too. That red one is sure pretty!

Shrill! Welcome! The answers are never obvious when you're new, and this is a great place to ask questions and get started. Everyone has been so helpful to me too! I just started mosaicing a couple of years ago and never would have gotten anywhere with it without the help and support of my friends on GW.

OK, let's see. I think you've picked up that TG is tempered glass. It's the glass that breaks into small chunks that is on car side windows, patio doors, patio tables, etc. You can sometimes get it from glass stores for free when they missize a window, or from auto wreckers. I put Weldbond glue on it first and let it dry before I broke the glass to try to keep it in larger "islands" of glass, so I wasn't always putting on the tiny pieces, but someone told me that I didn't need to do this. Then I put the glass pieces on the ball with GE Silicone II. I grouted it when the glue was dry.

It did take a while, and I got a few little glass pokes, but I think it was worth it. Once the ball was grouted, you couldn't get cut on the glass.

Thanks everyone, and keep sending those BB pics! I love, love, love them!

Thanks daisyme for the details and the welcome!

Thanks for the welcomes purplemoon and katishooked - I'm happy to be here. The creativity of all the guys and gals on this forum is so inspiring!

All the bowling balls posted so far are gorgeous, but the TG ones really stand out for me, so I think that's what I'll try first. I can always re-purpose the half marbles I've already purchased to some other project...right?!

Gibsona
Tell me more about the 'Orb from space'
I love the look....

Shrill, How fun! You're inspired!

To answer your question, I think it depends how much time and dedication you think you are willing to put into your first BB project. The half marbles would be easier, would go faster, and you'd have a finished project to enjoy right away while you learn. Believe me, you'd want to do another one then. That said...you could GO FOR IT if you want to do the TG! I think they're really beautiful, and if you're a dedicated person and have time and energy to put into it, you might truly enjoy doing the TG ball. It just takes more time and the TG is bit more frustrating to work with. You could do either. Whatever you do, know we are here for you! It'd be great if you'd start a new post to let us know when you think you're ready to begin, and then ask questions as you go along.

How fun!

Crash glass is just another term for tempered glass. I had some patio doors from my neighbor, laid them in the driveway on top of cardboard, hit the side of the frame with a hammer and watched it go. So cool! :)
Shrill, the TG ones are really my favorites when my creativity isn't working. You can find some really colorful BB at thrift stores (at least, around here you can). I only pay about $2 for mine. Then I just cover a large area with Silicone, lay down large chunk of glass and press into shape.
Nona, the orb from space was made with slate roofing tile scraps. When it was done, it just looked so plain. :( So I grabbed my Silicone and started filling in the gaps. It's always the kids' fav because they think it feels creepy!
Gonna have to try 1 w/wrapping paper soon! Gorgeous everyone!
Have a good one!
Ann

Thanks for telling me how you did it--it looks really great to me!

Gibsona, the wrapping paper is really easy. Just cut it out and Decopage it on and don't worry about any wrinkles very much. The one thing I did do was spray it with UV spray to try to keep it from fading (thanks to the idea from Lyndalu at Carl's forum). We don't know if it will work, but it's worth the try. Have fun!

I have learned so much from this posting, thanks everybody.The glass place around the corner has a set of TG patio doors I can have for $5.00,cool, plus some large sheets I can use on my greenhouse project for only $5 each. Now, a question when you glue glass globs to BBs do you have to grout them, I kind of like the way mine is looking without it?
Syble

I have, in my home in Florida, well that is outside about eight bowling balls
I thought they are kind of neat,
I live there half a year and it is an enclosed community
The first ball I put in the garden was my husbands, after he passed away.
Just left it outside by the side door I thought it was kind of pretty, the colours

Not long after I was offered another and another, from either the family of someone passed away or a ball left behind, and new owners didn't want them

On one I put little plastic figures from a flee market of snow white and the seven dwarfs. People thought that was kind of neat.
On another I glued several bugs and such, plastic ones, and that for some reason, appealed to kids visiting, more than adults.

A couple I just spray painted with the same colours as some of my large garden pots.
Gives a nice affect

I am hoping to collect more each year. Conversational they are

Those shown here are really neat. And a lot of work put into them but, inspirational

Thanks
Diane

Diane, please send us some pics!

Wow; those TG's balls are fantastic! Definitely need some more coaxing to venture that way though ;)

Mine is nothing compared to those already shown. Stupid me left mine outside over the winter and naturally, it's got a few major cracks in it.
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Syble, get that glass! How fun you found it! I haven't used half marbles once, but someone last week posted that they weren't going to grout theirs 'cause they liked the look. I don't know if it'd hold up outside as well as if were grouted. You can always water down your grout a little and somewhat pour it on if the grouting seems daunting.

Tracey! I love how the blue comes through with the pink! Did you grout in turquoise or how did you get that look? It sure shows off on that great stand. Sorry it's cracked some. RATZ!

Daisy I love your bowling ball, and as a decoupeur I'd love to know how well the uv spray works. I've never been successful keeping it outside even on porches.
Everyone else, I've loved looking at your bbs! I'm going to call the local alley cuz I'm realizing that maybe that's what my friend and I should mosaic.
kathy

Sorry I'm so late to the BB party, here's one I did recently...well, finished recently. It's been sitting unfinished in our garage for over a year. Hope this works, been a very l-o-n-g time since Ive posted here!

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How cool! A totem and BB all rolled into one! Great job!

CD! That is one great ball and stand! Wowwee! I love it. All that green glass and the design is great. Is it actually a bowling ball? No problem putting the weight on the totem? Love, love love it!

Daisy - yep, it's a real one - about 14 lbs before glass, grout, etc. It's on my sister's front porch (southern exposure), under the overhang part of the porch. That should give it some protection. This will be it's first winter outdoors and I have cautioned her to cover it or, preferably, bring it in if there's prolonged freezing temps or ice/snow expected. Fortunately, she's in West TX, so that doesn't happen too often. With regard to the weight, I made it in 2 sections so it would be easy to transport 300+ miles and did the final assembly on site...v-e-r-r-y carefully placed it in position to be sure the silicone didn't slip.

curbdiver that is one neat totem. I love the base. And we all seem to find the same plates!! Great job.

I love them all. What a terrific job. Very inspirational. I had one as background picture on computer at work. I picked it up a while ago (picture of) it was blue and had dragonflies on it. It received many compliments, too bad it was not mine. I will have to be on the look out for BBs.

You can find a few BBs on the FAQ page.
It says 'FAQ' before the red lettering
about the problems they are have with
the back button.
Some instructions too.

Hi Everyone! I've been lurking for years and getting lots of good ideas. I have a blog about my bowling balls that I would love to have you visit. It is www.bowlingballsiveknown.blogspot.com. I can't remember where I left off on the blog, but I just finished ball #71. Cheers!

curbdiver, that bowling ball totem is really fantastic. It definitely needs to go in one of our Inspiration albums, either totems or bowling balls...or better yet, BOTH. I've saved the photo to my files to add to the albums in the near future. I LOVE it.

hugs, Karen

Akasjs, loved your blog and have it bookmarked. Thanks for sharing it with us.

hugs, Karen

This is an area I have yet to venture-- so I have only praise and admiration to offer! These are all very impressive. Guess I need to get to the flea market before the summer is over and look for some BBs.

Was there any issues with the concrete drying around the glass vase? I've always thought that concrete shrinks as it dries, and would crack the glass.
I've been looking for a heavy enough base for one of my bird baths and this might just be the solution I've been looking for.