Oh what's all the fuss about?

I used to do stuff like that back in the second grade with colored rice.

Sheesh! ;)

Mongo

I'll trade you my lunch for a rice picture :)

Send me lunch.

Unregurgitated of course. I mean, I don't know you that well.

Mongo

I want an old master rice picture, not some conceptualist modern garbage...

flyleft,

I thought all that 'Old Master's' mosaics stuff was pretty cool. You are just 'oozing with culture and sophistication' and trying to get the rest of us to 'rise above,' right? :)

I just skimmed the site quickly though. Will need to go back when I have more time to peruse. Missed your 'outdoor shower' the first time around, though.

mommielady, I think I offended mongo with my frank assessment of his oeuvre...

"My shower" is one of the more modest pieces in the gallery. I don't ask for much :)

And by way of apology, mongo, I offer.....

a photo account I've just opened. Yes, it's true. Only a couple of pieces in there so far, including the final column of onyx pieces into which I substituted some lovely local rocks, some whole and some sliced (not my absolute favorites, though-those are staying mobile!)

Please be gentle :)

Am I working my way toward forgiveness? You can stick with your wonderful modernist idiom; show me a rice-picture of a Campbell's Soup Can and you can have my Lunchables :)

Here is a link that might be useful: how public like a frog

Hey, my picture is gone.

You did take it!

Me? Offended? I took no offense, there was none to take. But now I actually AM offended that you'd think I'd be offended by what you wrote, especially since there was no offense to be seen. How can you expect me to take something that isn't there? And why would I take something that wasn't offered. Now you're calling me a thief!

Why I ought to...

Never mind, I'm more relaxed now. And you can keep the picture. And your lunch. I lost my appetite.

Don't you love these late night posts! ;^)

Hey, stop tying yourself in knots--did you miss my finally posting a few pictures?

flyleft,

Did you notice Mongo made no mention of your "oevure" word. Do you think he speaks French? :)

I did find his analogy to 2nd grade 'colored rice' pictures rather clever, tho, and hilariously funny.

Don't you know that your mosaicists friends would just DIE at the comparison, however. :)

Fly!

FLY!!!!

I'm so proud of you!

You posted pictures! Wooohoooooo!

Seriously, your stuff is great! The onyx looks wonderful. You need to get it into your head that you do very nice work. And that it's more than worthy of being posted to the forum.

You are capable, you are conscientious, you are meticulous, you are diligent.

Remember that you're working with natural materials here, and part of the installation is embracing the flaws in the materials, part of the process is getting grout lines a little wider in one place and narrower in another.

You made a few references along the lines of "...it could be better had I...".

Bull pookey. (I think that means something)

You don't want machine-like "perfection" or "uniformity", you don't want it to look like it was assembled by robots. The beauty of the installation comes from both the materials used and the human element involved in the assembly. They eye for detail in placing this stone here or that one there. The grain of one stone going in this direction, the grain of the next going that way.

One thing to understand is that DIY projects are often much more appreciated than run-of-the-mill professional installations because the blood sweat and tears (and carpal-tunnel pain) of the design and installation can often be seen in the final product.

I'm so happy to see the pics. Be proud! It looks outstanding.

Okay, time to turn my "effusive" knob down a few levels. :)

Remember our "cyber-conversations" from way back when? Did you ever use that salvaged teak table top as a countertop?

The tiger mosaic? I see the tiger photo, then clear wrap on the photo, something like saran wrap. Then the mesh sheet. Then the tile. Is the mesh sticky, is that all that holds the pieces in place?

Do you do the mosaic like that, then when done, cover the front with a sticky contact paper type of thing to hold it all together and pop it on the final substrate?

Best, Mongo

mommielady,

Je parle franis ? Non possible. Après tout, je suis un idiot appelé Mongo !

Well gosh, mongo, I think I'll save that post for my inspiration file :)

Thank you so much for your kind comments. I respect your opinion greatly, as you know, so it means a *lot* to hear that what I've posted passes your inspection. I actually thought of you as I was arranging the stones on the edges of each linear foot so that the transition from one to the next would be unnoticeable :)

We have just fallen in love with rocks (it's hard not to, out here) and I think that even though it's a *bit* idiosyncratic to put rock slices up on your bathroom wall, it will appeal to the Oregonian in possible purchasers :) and may not have to be taken down, as the Sicis glass tile backsplash I did in the kitchen just may be. (That was the first mosaic I'd ever done--no cutting, really, except for top and bottom rows--just arranging every single 1/2" tile for a 16 sf space...I just shake my head in disbelief when I think about the fact I just bulldozed my way through that back in 2004--ignorance was totally bliss--I figured "it's just arranging tiles, what's the problem? :)).

O.K., and to your other points (bringing the swelling in my head back down to a manageable level :)):

We ended up not using the teak because I saw what my cats had done to some wood furniture and I would have had a huge crying fit if they'd done that to the teak after everything we would have put into it, since it wouldn't be as easy to change out as, say, a tabletop. So we're making a table out of the teak, instead! A really nice side table for our family room. That's project #372 in the queue. But I'm so thankful for the finishing advice you gave and I still have it. I used it to test finishes last summer before we decided.

And re the *cougar* mosaic? ;) It needed to be sent to Australia on mesh to be installed with hundreds of others on that Steve Irwin tribute wall, so what I did was make a work surface of the picture glued onto cardboard (which really didn't help that much--I couldn't really see it through the mesh enough for it to make any difference so I had to work from another pic I had sitting up next to the mesh) topped w/saran wrap as you noticed, then taped the mesh on it and Weldbonded the pieces of glass onto the mesh. I would go under the mesh every so often to separate the glued mesh from the saran wrap. Then I packed it (I made it *exactly* the size to fit into a large fixed-price international priority box) within an inch of its life and luckily, not a piece came off during the trip.

I did have to back-paint, with various colors of nail polish, many of the vitreous tiles so as to get enough color variation to be able to come *anywhere near* the gradation of Malina's gorgeous face. I still think it looks a bit cartoonish...what was I thinking?! Why didn't I do a tiger or a skunk or something?! But I've completely fallen in love with cougar markings and just marvel at the incredible shadings each one has.

I think I may do the indirect clear mosaic-mount sticky contact-like paper thing you refer to for the big accent lines in DD's bathroom upstairs, though--I prefer it to surface-mounted onto paper because you can have some sense of how things are going before you take the mount off. I'll put tiles in a grid, then stick the mosaic mount on the front of them, then install them onto the wall. Have you used it? How do you like it compared to mesh?

(And mommielady, you underestimate notre cher mongo :) You'll discover he's a complete treasure of this forum--accomplished in way too many areas for a normal human being and extremely generous with his knowledge (and patient with people like me who ask too many irritating detail questions!). I have a theory I'm working on that he must have been the subject of one of those secret mind-experiments the military did "back then"...like a mental Bionic Man, you know...do I date myself?)

(DH just looked over my shoulder and said "The Mongo Identity" -- much more contemporary :))

flyleft,

What I am amazed at is to what degree Monsieur Mongo is both left- and right-brained.

He is far from an idiot, and I agree, incredibly generous with his knowledge ... and his rice pictures.

He's not your usual run-of-the-mill genius. I have also noticed a flair for 'quick wit', known in some circles as 'smart mouth.'

Ooops, did I just say that?? And tomorrow I will need to ask him something??

I'm blushing...

Bionic Man? Yeah, I was the prototype. Things didn't work out too well the first time around. I turned out "worser...weaker...slower".

It was only because of my volunteering to be the guinea pig that they were able to eventually figure things out so Steve Austin could be "better...stronger...faster".

Fly, a tribute to Steve Irwin and you didn't do a stingray? (See, I do have a cold, callous side)

The only time I've done mosaics was using sticky paper to back mount the pieces while it was being assembled, then using contact paper on the face, flipping it and removing the back paper, then setting it in thinset, then removing the front paper. I've never back mounted on mesh.

Mommielady, how is that shower drain coming along? I've sort of gotten lost in the flurry of emails we've been firing back and forth over the past week.

I'll probably be offline for a few days, so no worries if I don't reply. I need to run my daughter (high school senior) around for a couple of college campus visits.

Mongo

That remark would come under the heading of "smart mouth"...

Although there is a hilarious Aussie comedy group video about "Save the Irwins", a rare breed dying at a rate of one a year, whose young are often plucked from normal childhoods and exploited for entertainment (visual of Bindi dancing with the Wiggles)...

But don't get me started on Steve Irwin. I know he was controversial but he was doing great work in many ways, and from many many stories I've heard was a completely real, genuine, great-hearted person the likes of which doesn't come along very often. Probably why it was so easy for the ray to kill him--it had such a big target.

but LOL about "worser, weaker, slower" -- a joke on the opening--that's *really* dating you!

Mongo,

That mind of yours is just chock full of the most AMAZING trivia. Who else would have remembered the opening to the "Six Million Dollar Man," ...better ... stronger ... faster!? And flyleft's right, that is kinda dating you. :)

About the drain and preslope, it has been one of those situations for which there is only one practical solution: Comfort yourself with more chocolate ... cover your head ... go to bed. I think I am chickening out and learning toward adding the curb, rather than trying to go curbless, although I would love it. I just don't wanna concentrate any more ... on the preslope, I mean.

Today my contractor told me that I make his 'head guy' nervous. Said that whenever I ask him something, he's afraid of giving me the wrong answer ...like he's in school, and I am the teacher with the Pop Quiz.

Made me kinda sad,.. I work so HARD at trying not to intimidate those 'big, strong Contractor types.' Last week I made them Tuna Sandwiches, just to show them that I was NOT "Mommielady, Mistress of Darkness." ...Flyleft, Lucinda has 'dibs' on that title. LOL

So Mongo, if I intimidate him, what would he think if he saw your email that highlighted "16 Quick and Easy (depending on who's doing it) Steps To Preslope a Curbless Shower with No Slab Depression and Situate the Kerdi Drain?" Now THAT would be some INTIMIDATION!!

BTW, I have not shown that email to a single soul ... I've just cried a lot.

One more thing, Mongo. How did you make the "blushing" word blush? Good luck on the College Tour with your young'un. Would that be the little blond dumplin' that was flying the plane?

mommielady

Font Colors?

To write:

I'm blushing...

You type in:

I'm <FONT COLOR=pink>blushing...</FONT>

You can substitute most any common "named" color like red, green or blue, etc, instead of "pink", or you can probably even use hexadecimal colors. I use hexadecimals when doing web page construction, but for this forum I usually just write "pink" or "yellow" or whatever.

Yup, my blonde aviating dumplin' is getting ready to go off to collij. She's all growed up now, and thankfully she growed up good. We need to take a Boston/Montreal/Upstate NY roadtrip.

Posterior Scriptum: I emailed you this morning regarding rfh mats.

Toodles, Mongo

Fly, I liked Irwin. He had an infectious enthusiasm. He could be a bit much at times, but hey, it was his life and his style of living that life. My kids always got a kick out of him.

Mommielady,

Do be careful about over-the-shoulder micromanaging your work crew.

A good approach is to say

"Here's my problem...My drain is located here...code requires a minimum slope of 1/4" and a max or 1/2", so the drain might have to be moved. But I also want to minimize elevation gain inside the shower in order to minimize the curb height entering into the shower. Kerdi and a Kerdi drain will help in that regard.

What ideas do you big muscular husky big-bicep dimple-chinned boys have to help me meet these requirement. Oh, and here is a big box of pastries...but we'll get to those after you tell me your ideas. I wouldn't want to encourage bad manners by asking you questions while you eat...".

Don't wink at them. And don't tell them that you have a big screen HDTV with the NCAA March Madness package that they can watch while on break. Save that ammunition for later.

Okay, so you might want to modify my approach to better fit your southern sensibilities, but hey...it's free advice from the Six Dollar Man, so whadda you expect? :)

Seriously, though, tell them your predicament as you know it: Poor drain location, slope requirements, desire for curbless.

Tell them what you know: The drain can be moved, it needs a p-trap, Kerdi drain will minimize elevation gain.

Ask them how they can take what you have and get you to where you want to be.

The discussion should go from one extreme to the other and involve everything from:
a) completely tearing out the slab and pouring a lower one to get you a curbless shower, to
b) Your ideas are toast lady, you're getting our standard installation and we're going to hit you with a 7" high step-over curb, and what the heck is this Kerdi stuff you're talking about, to
c) How about a design and budget compromise? Let's move the drain a little to the right, that'll bring your slopes into code. We can do Kerdi over a cement preslope, that'll minimize elevation gain and you'll only end up with a 2" step-over curb at the threshold, and it'll save you the cost of demolishing, excavating, and pouring a new base.

Then wink and turn on the TV.

Mongo,

Do you realize that everyone reading this is wondering "whatever is Mongo babbling about ...maximum slope of 1/2" and 'minimize elevation gain'?" Why must you ALWAYS speak to me in Greek? The francais I can keep up with, but the thought of translating this injun-ear jargon to my "big bicepped, dimple-chinned boys" about minimum slopes and maximum elevations, is heart rending! :)

Besides, I NEVER micromanage, and only wink and bat eyelashes as acts of desperation. Being of the male persuasion, you cannot imagine how much these guys expect a woman NOT to know. They are completely intimidated when you know as much as they do, and 'terrified' when you know more.

Therefore, I make a genuine effort to just 'be in the background' and extend strong praise when they do well.

The drain saga continues. My contractor came in this morning ...said "we're going to bust up this concrete to give you a curbless shower, because you Deserve one, little lady!" Too weak to protest, I stepped back and let the "Remodeler's Prayer" I offered up last evening do its work. I'm wondering how he's going to get the flange of my brand spanking new Kerdi drain LEVELED into that depression of broken concrete mess that is in the middle of my shower. And...he didn't really say "little lady." I only added that for color. :)

My contractor is a good guy, I just see a difficult road ahead with everything I'm trying to incorporate into this bath... heated mats, Ditra, Kerdi. I was just about willing to give up curbless when he insisted upon it this morning. So there are now big, broken concrete chunks in the floor, simply because I Deserve It!! Just gotta keep the Faith!! :)

Mommielady

And Mongo, speaking of speaking Greek, I don't know html, and all that stuff you were discussing above about changing font color for 'blushing' must be html or PC lingo. We're Mac people, so once more your explanation was lost on me. :)