Gazing Ball done

14 years ago

Here's my first try at a bowling ball mosaic. I used silvercoat mirror red and gold for the sun, and glow-in-dark blue for the moon. Underneath the moon are a dusting of starts, with the ORION constellation included, those are glowinthedark too. I'm anxious to see how it will look at night, but first i have to do build a pedestal. I have a heavy piece of irrigation pipe that i will concrete, bought a piece of rebar today at Lowes and left one hole open in the BB. So should be able to feed the ball onto the stand. Then I will mosaic the stand.

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I've read several ways of doing the pedestal but i think for my first try, i will just concrete INSIDE the pipe, leave the pipe there and then concrete over the pipe. I might just be able to pull the pipe out and use it again, but in was really cheap. Stay tuned..

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Comments (19)

charmo
14 years ago
Mermaid, your BB looks beautiful, I'd like to see more of it! Let us know if the glow in the dark works it would definitely look amazing. Bravo!
texaswild
14 years ago
Oh, my!!! That is sooooooo beautiful. Yeah, I'm w/Charmo - wanna see all sides.
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Thanks much, sandplum1. sunnyca, re the drainpipe and pot. I'm the one likely to trip over it as his gate comes open and slams back in the wind, get tired of listening to it, he's sometimes away for long periods. So I go out at night w/flashlight and secure it with a bungee cord. I'll think about how I could bring up about the pipe in a non-combative manner because he had a quiet party the other night w/much coming and going; even a young person could trip over it. I wouldn't have one going over my side walk like that, don't remember how the older neighbors who died had it. I'm the one who's worried about getting sued if I don't get my huge, beloved tree taken down this season, 'nuther story. The crazy thing about that house is that I toyed with buying it when it was all run down and razing it so I could have a double lot to grow more beautiful plants than I can. The old couple who were friends died, and it was $40 thou, most places here top $100 thou and more surrounding, nice neighborhood. The spec buyer (not current neighbor) put up this enormous garage, I hate the thing, big as a small house, helped to hasten the ruination of my huge maple tree by digging so deep for foundation and chopping up important roots not 4' from that tree. Then to add insult to injury, left cow pies of concrete in my yard and ruined my driveway. I didn't notice the driveway was messed with (excavating and grade) until later when I tried to drive up it to put things in garage, don't use garage for car but often parked my car there in the summer. I have a permanent easement across the property for access to my driveway I can no longer use, tore out something on my muffler. So I fume over it, but am not the type to pick fights with people. I got a feeling that the home spec guy's father or fil could play hardball, big in with the city. They never displayed their building permit like I do, called the city to see if they got one, said they did, and that the garage met specs but was max. I do not believe it. Other neighbors wanted a taller garage almost a block away and another one huge trelliswork on their property, and I get papers I have to sign off on as did other neighbors. It just makes me mad, try to be a good neighbor, tolerant, laid back, and maybe they don't know the grief that has caused me; it's not my property. And I was nice enough to let them have access to my yard to build that garage, and they didn't even have the courtesy to ask. So it's life, and I just have to vent about that sometimes, and have enough problems of my own, but you get that with neighbors even in the country. If I start something difficult involving people, my anxiety goes on overdrive so bad I've ended up in hospital; that's why I tend to be passive, don't meet things headon. I have read about old ladies growing pot believe it or not. Hard to tell if that widow was in on it or not. And I not only runon sentences and paras, drift OT, and get too chatty, then go quiet for long periods because I'm busy w/something else. Good luck to all those who want a coatrack like mine! I'll check more at that link when my headache goes away. Should be outside working now, lethargic, and wasting time on computer.
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Thanks everyone..They must be sold at Michaels or Joanns, they are in a knit kit, wrapped with yarn. They are kind of rigid but do have some give if you push hard. I think the reinforcing with something might be good, can't imagine injecting with concrete tho Pat, although even some would help weight it on one end, huh? Yah Lynda, FL heat is a killer, I will make sure NOT to put in full sun..I need to be more daring and just TRY it..I got a couple including a few cute smaller ones, like the small floating mirror ones in our koi pond. Will keep you posted! Thanks so much! I know..Just DO IT!! lol AND finish grouting a bunch of other pieces AND the side slab, sheesh!;>)..pix to follow.. Debbie
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katishooked
14 years ago
First try!!!!! Beautiful. Even more so if glow in dark works. Let us know.
Mermaid
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Slow, Charmo, and Kati. There a a couple more views on my flickr site.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mermaidmosaicsbythesea/

oh the glow in the dark does work. You can see my backsplash
emtnest
14 years ago
OOlala!!!! Beautiful!, where do you buy glow in the dark glass?
charmo
14 years ago
I wanna know where to get them also!
flagtruck
14 years ago
Beautiful job...this thing is drop dead gorgeous....I love your choice of colors...lovely....I am drooling. going to Flickr to see the rest...great work.
Mermaid
Original Author
14 years ago
Em, Charmo and Flag, thank you so much for your kind words. they made my day. I get the organiks glow in the dark tile from Kathy at Maryland mosaics. I love they are made of recycled glass, she has so many different colors, but only one -my all time favorite is the baby blue by day, glowing blue by night, but they are VERY STEEP. I just bought two more sheets when she had her anniversary sale. If you put in gardenweb, she will give you a 10%.

Be warned, they are $40 per sq. ft!! I put a little piece in everything that I do and I just love it.

i can't get the STUPID link to work(I hate that when it happens), but you can type in
http://www.marylandmosaics.com/
and go to organiks..
charmo
14 years ago
Thanks mermaid! Woo, they are steep! One day though, I will be ordering some. Thanks and again beautiful job!
vee78910
14 years ago
Mermaid, am I seeing your picture correctly? Is the grout on the top actually gold? If so, how on earth did you do that. It glistens like gold jewelry. Boy, would I like to do that! Thanks for your help.

Cheers, Vee
Mermaid
Original Author
14 years ago
Sure Charmo, if you get them, be sure to post pix of your wip!!

Vee, no i just used charcoal grout, what I think you're seeing is the spectrum silvercoat gold mirror and red mirror are reflecting light. It's the first time I used this mirror, and it really gives you bling and light to any project you are doing.
chinatreasures
14 years ago
I'm loving the glow in the dark tiles! I usually just lurk here and have learned so many different techniques. Now my mind is really going in all directions and I'm wondering, as an alternative to the expensive glow in the dark glass, if one could use a glow in the dark paint underneath the safety glass type mosaic and still get the glow in the dark effect? Anybody ever tried that?
cathyscache
14 years ago
Mermaid I love yur BB!!!! Just BEAUTIFUL it is!!! And the Glow in the dark tiles are amazing!!! Very very lovely ...
Calamity_J
14 years ago
WOW! Good Job and LOVE those tiles, the backsplash is Awesome!!!
Mermaid
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks China, Cathy and Calamity
China, no I haven't tried that but maybe some one has. I did buy some glow in thedark polyclay and that does glow, though it doesn't last as long timewise as the organiks glass tiles.. but it's cool. I did it for my nephew's bday plaque.
I think it was sculpey but i am sure you can check. I plan on buying more of the glow clay because life is too short to not enjoy playing with cool things.
Mermaid
Original Author
14 years ago
I just took some new views of the gazing ball, you can check out my flickr site if you want. Once I make the pedestal, will take pix at night. I love my new camera-just got this week

Here is a link that might be useful: Gazing Ball view
daisyme
14 years ago
I've loved this BB since the first I saw it. It's beautiful with the mirror tiles.
Mermaid
Original Author
14 years ago
Daisy, you are so sweet. I feel the exact same about your gazing balls. I've never worked with TG and yours was just too beautiful. Have you started your commission yet??
texaswild
14 years ago
EXCELLENT, MER - It's a real beauty. I've only mosaiced one orb - made from a light fixture filled w/concrete. Good job.

Gazing Ball done

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