1,575 hand-made-and-cut polymer clay tiles. *falls over* Just posting this finished shot reeeal quick to make sure I don't miss the deadline, more pics and details in just a little while!
I was going to write a big 'ol long post, but it was boring, and I banished it to my
Crafty LJ. All the pics (including many more progress shots, and many many views of the finished product can by found at my
flickr. I'm sure I forgot lots of interesting tidbits, so if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! I'm also happy to create a tutorial if anyone's interested.
On to the pictures!
When I first plugged her in, tucked happily away in the bathtub.
This is my favorite shot! I almost made my mosaic out of these glass globs, but quickly realized it would be far, far too big. I like them in the pans though, they look nice and fire-y.
Each tile was individually cut with the square cutter...
And then quartered with the blade.
My totally awesome lazy way of emulating the stained glass I wish I had, using lots of translucent clay. You'll see why in a bit...
My dry run, laying out the tiles on the acrylic frame I used as a base.
And then I realized that my pattern was far too small. Oops! So much for my attempt at math.
Halfway...
Finished! Tiling, anyway.
Making a hole for the water. I just realized I neglected to take pics of the sealing step. Pretend I did! I used Varathane. Probably won't again, at least not the spray stuff.
From drab to fab!
Grouting, sitting on the edge of the tub. I managed to bruise my booty doing this, and I got to feel extra smart every time I sat down for a few days.
Next time, I'll drag in a chair, or at least fold a towel.
All finished, view from the back.
This is why I used translucent clay. She glows! I couldn't manage a pic that really captures just how awesome this is. I almost started bawling with pride (and relief!). Have I mentioned that I've been staying up way too late to finish this lately? Hehe.
Thanks for looking! I had a lot of fun with this, even though there were plenty of times when I was pulling out my own hair from frustration. I'm just glad that after all that crafty drama I ended with a piece that I'm really proud of.
