Pebbly Mosaics

When I was younger my parents used to watch a lot of sitcoms.  They loved Three’s Company so, if you’re ever in a Three’s Company Trivia contest I’m your gal!  The thing about watching sitcoms back n the day was that in a half hour all problems that were laid out in the first 5 minutes were neatly cleaned up and solved.  Nothing like real life, right?  But the funny thing is that any given episode of a TV show usually has a theme and for some random reason all of the characters seem to be going through similar things simultaneously.  This part of the formula seems a lot like real life to me.  You know what I mean…it’s kind of like buying a white car and all of a sudden there are white cars everywhere you drive.  Is it really that everyone has one or is it that because we have one we automatically become more aware of the how similar we are to others?   I think it’s because we are all constantly trying to take in everything around us and process how it all pertains to each of us personally.  My point?  Actually, I was just trying to say that at our house it seems to be all about Rome this week.

According to Megz (our oldest daughter) the Romans were the creators of mosaics.  I didn’t know this but she has become quite educated in all things Roman since she has a project due on the subject this week.  Coincidently, our middle son (Jake) and I began working on mosaics made out small pebbles and some “sand” that my father-in-law brought me from Glass Beach.  Rome Week at our house!

Here is the “sand” that my sweet father-in-law gave me for Christmas (I, thinkJ) last year.  I’ve since learned that this “sand” was actually created by years of dumping by the people of the Fort Bragg, California area.  The people there basically turned the ocean into their dump and the weather and the waves pounded the glass that was dumped into millions of small, smooth, colorful pebbles.

Jake draws a picture on a canvas and then uses acrylic paints to paint the pebbles in different colors.

Jake and I use the colored pebbles to fill the canvas.  We used hot glue…I burned myself repeated, Jake didn’t!

Jake’s completed his mosaic using paint and pebbles.  The minute it was dry he found a spot to hang it in his room.

My completed mosaic!  I opted to use paint underneath the pebbles so that none of the white canvas would show then I coated it with Mod Podge .  I also chose to cover the entire canvas because mine will actually end up being part of a set that I am creating and am WAY excited about.  The sketch on the right shows what I have in mind.  When it’s completed I will be sure to include it.

Next time we will introduce you all to the branch that’s been hanging out in our living room waiting for something crafty to happen to it.  Maybe by then it will have met up with some creativity!

Now Go!  Be Crafty!