Mosaics in an Afternoon

There is no preparatory instruction on how to cut tiles, so it is assumed you already know how to use your cutting tools. However, these projects do not focus on cut tiles. Many of them use the objects mentioned above with pre-cut square and round tiles, and many broken pieces of plates, glass, and tiles.

The author's work is very professional and the projects are lovely. I especially like the frame of broken glass, but my taste for a classic mosaic look with more traditional tile designs, leads me to rely more on other mosaic books for inspiration.

I'd draw my patterns and cut my glass pieces and come to class. My instructors would look at my designs and proceed to tell me how I would have to cut this or that piece into sections. "Why," I would ask? "Because you'll never be able to cut a long curving piece of glass in one piece," they'd say. "I did," I'd say. I would then show them several pieces of long curved pieces I had cut. After several weeks of repeated encounters of this nature, I stopped going to class.

I'm not a know it all. I am a why person. Connie Sheerin clearly explains why. She assumes you know nothing about the terms needed to purchase mosaic supplies. She carefully explains what everything is in a brief matter of fact manner. She provides pictures of everything she's explaining in case you're a "picture is worth a thousand words" person. She doesn't talk to you like the village is missing its idiot. She just starts at the beginning so that she can build on this firm foundation.

1. You learn how to estimate supplies needed when working with one media or mixed media.

2. You learn how to attach mosaic to different types of surfaces whether they are porous or nonporous.

3. The different adhesives to use if your work will be indoors/outdoors, vertical/horizontal/flat/curved, and grouted or non-grouted.

After you've read this book and practiced on some pretty inexpensive craft projects, the only limit will be your imagination and your pocket book.

The only glaring fault of this book for a beginner is that I believe she doesn't spend enough time teaching you how to cut the tile or glass. I have some knowledge and I had questions on designs I'd seen at the fair. So many of her designs were simply not to my taste; however, I believe that's purely subjective.