Handmade Tile Mosaic Frame

Mercedes discovered a handmade tile store in the Twin Cities and fell so in love with the medium that she started working there. These days, she loves the variety of projects the tiles allow her to make. In this segment, Mercedes will make a tile picture frame.

Materials:

13" x 14-1/2" wood pieces
glue
staple gun
wood putty
wood sealant
clay
one-gallon plastic zipper bags
rubber gloves
unsanded grout
masking tape
rubber stamps
cookie cutters
tile nippers
rags
paint brushes
pizza cutter
adhesive and holster
knife
safety goggles
jug of water
acrylic paint

1. Cut wood into 13" x 14-1/2" pieces to assemble into a rectangular frame.

2. Glue together and staple, add wood putty as necessary to fill in any small gaps. Seal wood.

3. Get out clay and extrude into strips to be placed on flat sheets of drywall.

4. Stamp impressions of found objects into the wet clay. Use cookie cutters to cut out unusual shapes of mosaics. Let clay strips dry.

5. Glaze dried mosaics. Glaze using squirt bottles filled with glaze and brushed over the surface of the clay. We will have approximately four colors. Let glaze dry.

6. Load tiles into the kiln on shelves. Remove after firing and let dry.

7. Start laying the mosaic onto the frame. Tape the tiles. Lift off the tiles and spread the adhesive on the frame.

8. Bring the sheet of taped tiles to the frame and press back into the adhesive. Let the adhesive dry.

9. Lift off masking tape to reveal the adhered mosaic. Mix grout in a one gallon plastic zipper bag. Spread grout over mosaic wearing rubber gloves. Wipe off excess, cleaning tiles in the process. Let dry.

Website: www.mercurymosaics.com