About Me

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Clacton-on-Sea, North Essex, United Kingdom
Hello and welcome, I'm Diane and I am Mum to two lovely, lively and craft-minded children, Tayla and Arron. I love my crafts,especially knitting and crochet but my main passion is designing and making mosaics. I have been mosaicing since 2007, using a variety of different items. I suppose I should call myself a mixed-media mosaic artist. I also love the challenge of a commission!!! All my items (including those on Flickr) are for sale, just leave me a message for details. (I do have Paypal)

Monday 23 November 2009

What a wash out!

Well yesterday's fair wasn't good. Took enough to cover my outgoings but that was all. Not many people came but I think in fairness that was due to the appalling weather. Although on the upside, the lady came to collect her cat (yes that cat!) and she was absolutely delighted with it!!!

However, I ended the day in pain and cold.

Never mind, some you win and some you lose!

To cheer myself I have today listed some more items on Misi to see how I can do on there.

Other than that I intend to have a quiet week and then back to making next week in time for an event I love doing: Mrs. Christmas's Charity Event in Weeley. (12th December) This is in aid of the Chemo unit at Colchester General Hospital and is run by a lovely lady, Ruth (aka Mrs. Christmas) and her helpers from the Weeley WI!

Friday 20 November 2009

oh what a week!

Well, what can I say, having set out this week in a fairly good mood, things deteriorated a bit, all due to personal matters which I won't bore everyone with. The end result being that I have spent the last three days trying to sort out problems and on the phone to various bodies, so needless to say not much mosaicing got done.

I have today just been doing a unicorn, this one will be different to the last few I have done because I am using varigated grey glass for his "skin" rather than white. I have also used gold mirror for his horn, as opposed to silver.

I am still undecided about his mane though, I have three options, cobalt blue whispy, turquoise whispy or jade/teal whispy.

On asking friends on Facebook, I have received mixed answers to am still none the wiser as to what may look best.

I have a craft fair on Sunday at Colne School in Brightlingsea, Essex. I have only ever done two school fairs before, neither one being a success to am having mixed feelings about this one. Fingers crossed it will be ok.

I will give updates next week both on the unicorn and also the fair on Sunday. HAPPY CRAFTING ALL


Oh and lastly........ both the horse and panda have been received and liked by their owners. Still to send the cat.

Monday 16 November 2009

Look what else I made

Blue Angel Gold Angel

This is a new design for me. I decided to make a different, smaller style angel as my other angel is very popular but quite large. I will be adding these two angels to my Misi shop shortly. Next on the agenda is a flowery top box that I have to finish and then I am going to have a go at some micro mosaic Christmas decorations. Watch this space.........

Sunday 15 November 2009

HOORAY!!! At last my three commissions are finished.

First is the horse with photo



















Then we have the fluffy cat and the photo used for comparision. I have had mixed reviews from family members as to whether I have got the likeness right.








and lastly is the panda.
I'd love to know what everyone thinks. This is the first time I have used a photo to make a commission mosaic!

Wednesday 11 November 2009

Stressing big time-commissions!

Well, hello again and welcome to day 1. What am I up to at the moment? I have three commissions to do, two of which I had done, just the grouting left to do. These are a horse and a panda. I've done horses before and this one is different as it is black and white with a cream mane. I had a photo to work with so it was ok. I've never done a panda, but once I got the design right the actual mosaicing was fine. The grouting may prove a bit challenging as I will have to do two colour grout, as the black won't work with white grout and vice versa.

As to the third, this is a fluffy cat. Not done one of these before but I already had a design cut from wood, so easy you would think. Well actually this is proving to be a real challenge. The customer has given me a photo of the cat's face and instructions on to other markings. It is basically a white cat with a grey tail and grey paws. It has little grey marks on the ears and grey markings on the face.

So far so good, except I am really stressing over this one, not enjoying it at all. The customer has reiterated about the markings several times. I have tried to explain I am not a portait painter, I'm a mosaicist. I have tried to tell her the cat I produce will be a representation but I really and truly don't think she has taken it in. I just hope that the final cat is acceptable (but I don't hold out much hope).

Well onwards and upwards because as soon as this damn cat is done I can get on with items I really want to be doing.

Who said the customer is always right????????? shoot 'em!

Tuesday 10 November 2009

Hello and welcome to my blog

This is where I will be showcasing all the mosaics I make and why I have made each one. Hopefully (time permitting) I will be updating this blog weekly.