What I've been up to....looong...

15 years ago

Well, as some of you know, I had a flood in my living.dining rm, and the insurance company has sent all these wonderful men to help repair it all!(re:the perfect man) so as the project continues, I now have a floor(in dining/living/hallwy/laundry as they had to match)(pic of the dogs help at leveling the floor)and all new paint(same lovely dijion)in said rms, and now MARTY shows up to discuss the fireplace, that they are all on board with me mosaicing myself, so they are designing it with my vision in mind and for it to have the ability to be removed easy for access to the hose bib in the wall.

Now MARTY and I hit it off like Gordon the perfect man!lol!!! He is so excited by my art, that he has phoned me 2x extra to say he is bringing me some of the special tiles he makes from hydrocement, for me to "do my magic"with!!! He is coming on monday..I can hardly wait, but I am also intimidated as he is such a master!!! "oldcountrytile.ca" He is going to tell me where I can get all the rubber mold and cement stuff myself for future projects!!! I have a pics to follow, and one is the slate I am thinking of using, even tho it is sacrificing some of my entry slate project.

Now I also decided to make a shell lamp like Klingers, (haven't done any crafting for 2 mos) and it is also going in my foyer like Klingers!!! Pics to follow, I used a hair dye bottle and slurpy grout. DH doesn't like it, too busy and not enough light. SO WHAT. It's done and up!

And I also wanted to engross you in the latest update of Calamity Jane's adventure with the front door project...

So the day FINALLY arrives, DH is going to put the window in himself, thus saving $$$. He FINALLY gets to it, so I set up the saw horses, even put up a shade canopy to work under, the door comes off...he measures to cut the size out for the new Jane window...and realizes that the window(half moon) will leave a big gap on either side of the new hole for the window!!! GRRRR!!! I run into the house, tripping over my bottom lip...into the computer room and start searching on the internet for a 2ndh door. I find one for $10!!! Brand new, proffessionally already cut, some guy bought it and never used it. I call him, he has a million people who want it, so if I want it I better come right away! Off I go..with my handy dandy little utility trailer in tow...about 50 min drive outta town, get the door!Yippee!!! Am on my way back...now this trailer is a rickety ol' thing, and each bump seems to have loosened my tie down job...and then it happens...the door flies off the trailer, end over end..behind me..on the hwy..the guy behind me, in a truck, slams on his breaks, jumps out, throws the door in the back of his truck, tells me to meet him at the next turn off (cars piling up behind him) and he puts the door back on my trailer, ties it down like it ain't going NOWHERE, and away I go, get it home with my last girlie neve barely in tow...it's dented it's got seroius road rash, uglier than heck now...maybe warped..DH looks at it...I can tell he'd rather Not put this Thing on his house..And now I'm STILL trying to get it together and on the darn house!!! It's been FOREVER!!! I tell him that I'll do it myself...he seems to take that as a threat and makes me promise to let him do it...okay so it may not be perfect when I do it..or done correctly, but at least it gets done!!!!lol!

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Comments (18)

cindiloo
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
ROLF!!!! I don't know what made me laugh harder...the dogs leveling the cement, the slurpy grout reference, the door falling off the trailer, the imagined look on your DH's face when you got it home! You sure do have a lot of fun in Jane-Adventure-Land!

I looked at those guy's cement tiles...WOW! Are you going to make some like that?
Good luck with all your projects. Thanks for keeping us updated!
flagtruck
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I wish I had been there! I know this had to be the most fun you have had in years? (Tounge in cheek) I can just imagine you and this door...ROFLOL
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Thank you all. Patty, the technique sounds awkward but is really easy. One reason to use the method is so that you can create the design in your studio, and then transport it elsewhere to install. Another reason is that, with a mosaic design on mesh, you can curve it slightly to install on, say, a vase or a pole. So, step by step, 1. Lay down a cutting board or other stationary flat object. 2. Lay down a pattern, such as a hand-drawn sketch or a picture cut from a magazine, and tape it to the board. 3. Lay down a piece of plastic such as a sandwich bag that has been cut and opened out to lay flat. Tape it in place over the pattern. 4. Lay down the mesh and tape in place, on top of the baggie. Dab glue on the back of each tile and press into position, guided by the pattern that you can see through the baggie and mesh. Let dry. Pull mesh/mosaic up and away from the baggie.
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curbdiver1954
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What a HOOT!! So wonderful to read of your adventures! Been mising your work. Anxiously waiting for the WIP's of that gorgeous fireplace...your light cover is wonderful....was it hard to squirt the grout where you wanted it? Super results....thanx for the laughs!

Pat
Mermaid
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
HMMMMMM, ROFL.. oh my.. now we know where the "calamity" comes from!!! I can just picture all of this adventure. What a trip!!! I love your seashell light fixture. Tell mw more about this slurpy grout?? LOL sounds perfect.

I'm going to check out the perfect man site, incrediblely cool that you found him

I hear you on the DH timetable. LOL same problem here
texaswild
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Well, JANEYBO - this sounds like you. I so w/love to have shared that adventurous trip w/the door. LOVE your fixture. Are you going to insert some color into that wonderful mix of tiles on the fireplace? Wouldn't hurt to stick a piece of color in there. I'm also missing seeing your work.
Calamity_J
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
WHOOHOOOOO!!!! Today is Marty Monday!!heh heh! He'll be here after 9am...I've been up since 6 ..waiting...waiting...I have a wonderful hubby who FINALLY put the window in the new door, it fit like a glove and no cutting yeehaw! And I've been painting the door so stay tuned folks!!!hee hee! DH just started his 4>12hr shifts back at work so thats 4 days I gotta wait for the door to go on. SHEESH! The molasses in my cupboard is faster than this!!!! DH is sooo conservative, it's hard to believe he is even letting me touch the fireplace!!!lol! And he's liking the walls all bare(we took down all the stuff and DH freshened the paint)says it looks nice and uncluttered!!!! Hinting about all the crap/art I fill the house with!!lol! BTW, I'm still collecting styrofoam for my "Throne" Chair....
Louisiana_greetings
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
whatta trip you had with the door, i don't know what it is with us females, but seems like miss-happs just jump out and grab us :-)
your light cover looks good, i had similar problem with mine and the light, it glows more where the light bulbs are . but everyone still liked it.
i think your fireplace is gonna look great.
bonnie
Mermaid
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Can't wait to see it Janney, also what kind of styrofoam are you collecting?? Is it going to be like our down under friend?

your perfect man has lots of cool stuff on his website, hmm maybe you could enter into a partnership with him??? I can see the possibilities..

can we get anybody to take your DH work, so he can finish your door?? LOL
off to do my pool exercises.
katkerri
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
A house flood turns into wonderful home makeover.
the new door flies off ON THE HWY, then is miraculously
caught by angel-man who fastens it safely, etc..i just
about had to fall over onto my fainting couch, Calamity!
your ceiling fixture looks fabulous! what is slurpy grout and did you use a glass or plastic substrate for the shells?
shrty411
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Jane, what a story!!

but cut DH a break 4-12 hour days!!!
texasfern
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Ahhh, the things we go thru for creativity sake!
Great story, great work!
I staying tuned for sure!
daisyme
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
So what gets me up at 2AM? The thought that even at THIS hour I can sign on and read a story like yours. You made me smile and laugh all the way through. I know we shouldn't laugh at other people's problems, but hey....Thanks for the grins at your expense.
Calamity_J
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Yesterday was Marty Monday!hee hee! What a day! He was here 7hrs!!! And LOOK at all the free goodies he brought me!!! DH loves cherubs and I scored all of these! I just LOVE the fireplace and it's built so well, I could dance up there!!!ha! He gave me these leaves that I used my ring saw on already and cut out the plaque part to match the big leaf grouping(3). It cuts like butter!!! Marty makes these from hydrocement and it's the coolest stuff!!! He is from Ireland and is so friendly..we just chatted the whole day about this hydroconcrete and business ideas!! A Real Sweetie! Oh, and my $20 window, in my $10 door being painted!lol! No more road rash!!ha!

New Fireplace!

Free hydrocement tiles

a nice grouping of cherubs and 2 hanging blank plaques

Fireplace leaves?!

Door being painted...
texaswild
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Good grief! You lucky duck - to have found a gem in Marty. What is the trim around your fireplace? Have you started on it already? This is gonna be so much fun watching this project.
Calamity_J
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
That is brass trim, I can mosaic right up to the edge of it, and it ties in the brass accent on the fireplace. Today I will be cutting the slate into random rectangles and squares and setting them out to see how that looks, and how I want to incorporate the leaves...
cindiloo
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
S-C-O-R-E!!! On those tiles!! LUCKY GIRL!!
I really like how the cut-out leaf looks! Your fireplace is going to be soooo awesome...looking forward to seeing you work on this! And the door and windows are almost ready to be installed?..Woo-hoo!!
Mermaid
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
C A L A M I T Y Jane!!!

I love the fireplace and those freebies!! WOW. Can't wait to see what you do with them!! What is hydrocement?? Is it lightweight. I am partial to the shell one but all are cool!!

Do you have a plan for that fireplace?? And your door!! Well it is going to be fantastic!!!! Keep those pix coming as you go along!!

YOU GO GIRL!
trancegemini_wa
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
OMG! this is one of the funniest things Ive read LOL. I am SO excited about your fireplace calamity! I have an old fireplace that *one day* I'll have the courage to address in some way to fix it up (it's just plain brick and a bit tatty) so just seeing how you go about this is going to be so much fun!!

Marty sounds like a great find! and look at those beautiful tiles you lucky thing!

What I've been up to....looong...

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