We brainstormed some ideas and hit upon the following project. They would work together during random free periods to create the logo for the event, which would then hang in someone's office.
To prepare for this project I took their event logo and sized it to 2' tall by 4' wide.
Then, in Photoshop, I worked the image up into color areas to get an idea of how much tile we would need in each area.
and then laid an 8mm grid over the image.
This image was then sent to FedEx to print in 2 2'x2' halves.
I glued the printouts onto 2 boards measuring 2' x 2'.
We came up with a color palette for the project and provided the group with 8mm tiles in various mixtures for each area.
The 2 boards were put out in the common area of the building during the event and participants glued tile into the grid when they had free time.
Sadly, I can't find any photos of the project in progress or completed. If they pop up somewhere I'll amend this blog post. (I know I should have written this post at the time this all happened.)
]]>
|
You know how much I am getting into mosaics. I pretty much love anything that comes from Kismet Mosaic. They have great products and I really need to rebuild my mosaic materials stash after making all of those Christmas gifts and decorations this year.
Here is a link to their Gift Cards. They have them in various sizes, from $10 up to $100.
]]>Once I have all of the Diamond Shaped colors in stock, the next new product I want to bring in are glass petals. But, I'm stumped. My supplier has 3 different petal shapes/styles available. So I'm putting it to a vote.
Comment on this blog post as to what style you would like to see for sale at Kismet Mosaic. You get to choose between Style 1, Style 2, and Style 3 as seen below.
Petal 1: These are a mix of 2 sizes. The smaller are 14 x 6mm x 5mm thick, the larger are 21 x 9.5mm x 5mm thick.
Petal 2: Again, this is a mix of sizes from 20-30mm, all are 4mm thick
Petal 3: Another mix of sizes from 11-20mm, all are 4mm thick.
]]>
What do you do in here?
We sell mosaic art supplies--glass and ceramic tile, wooden bases, and glue in addition to other miscellaneous supplies. Most of our business is online. We ship throughout the US.
Do you offer classes?
Not at this time. However we do sell kits that are beginner friendly and don't require any tools.
Do you have beads?
No. Our tile does not have any holes for stringing.
]]>Reuse and Recycle:
]]>Reuse and Recycle:
Our line of Kismet tiles are made from broken windows and scrapped bottles. These are pulverized into a fine powder. This powder is sintered—pressed and kiln-fired—to for tiles. The tiles use 98% recycled material and 2% coloring agents and stabilizers.
We recycle our unusable elements into packing materials. The backing of our barcode stickers go into the random plastic bags our product bags come in to create pieces to fill in the spaces in your box to lessen the risk of damage during shipment.
Our single use plastic bags go to a collection that uses them to create building materials. Most of our tile come in plastic bags. Most of these, and grocery store plastic bags, go to one of our neighboring businesses who collect them to pass on to the company that makes Trex plastic decking.
I reuse packing materials that are donated by the same business that takes our plastic bags. I also reuse the bubble wrap that comes with my inventory orders. If I need, I’ll also put out a call through our local Freecycle to take in packing materials.
Reduce:
I drive a hybrid and walk to work on days when I don’t need my car for business use or errands. I live about 5 blocks from the store, so walking is my transport during nice weather. I also have a bike but it has issues that need to be fixed before it’s reliable.
I have a programmable thermostat and keep the temperature at around 63 degrees in the winter. The store gets a lot of sunshine through the day and soe days I even need to lower the temperature.
In-Store Greenery
I have 3 plants in the store that help to make the place more friendly. My favorites are the geranium and the orchid. The other is an odd succulent that seems to be thriving. I don’t let it get too leggy because it wants to put out rooted shoots that just have no place to go.
]]>They are: Water-based, Solvent-based, Cement-based
Water-based
Adheres as the water in the adhesive mixture evaporates. These glues may contain various materials to enhance the durability of the bond.
Good for gluing almost anything (glass, ceramic, etc.) to a porous substance (wood, plaster, terra cotta, unglazed ceramic, some stone etc.).
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Brand Names
Crafter’s Pick
Tacky Glue
WeldBond
Solvent-based
Hardens and adheres as one of the chemical components, often ammonia, in the mixture evaporates.
Good for gluing two non-porous substances (glass, metal, glazed ceramic, stone, etc.)
Benefits:
Drawbacks
Brand Names
Liquid Nails—original (putty colored), clear (clear)
Silicone—various brand names
Glue Bond 527
Crafter's Goop
E6000
Cement-Based Adhesive
Hardens and adheres as the cement cures. For strongest bond allow for a slow cure. This may include covering in plastic and misting occasionally over 48-72 hours.
Best for exterior and architectural applications. Works on wood or cement bases
Benefits:
Drawbacks:
Brand Names:
Versabond
Kerabond
This information is by no means extensive or exhaustive. This sheet was compiled from the instructor’s limited knowledge and experience.
]]>Everything else is just variations on that theme. It helps a great deal to have a project or design in mind and starting out simple is MUCH better.
Other materials can be used for a base so long as they are rigid and durable. Be sure to clean them thoroughly to remove any grease, dirt, or oils.
Primers: For wood any water-based wood primer will work. This is a paint product and is different from deck sealant.
You can also make your own primer for wood or terra cotta with a solution of 5 parts water to 1 part WeldBond, applied in several coats allowing each coat to dry before applying the next.
If you’re using ceramic items (tiles, plates, etc.) as tesserae you can break them into manageable piece by wrapping it in a towel and whacking at it with a hammer. Then cut them into smaller shapes with a nipper or cutter.
Before grouting make sure that there is no adhesive on the face of the tesserae or more than halfway up the side of the tesserae.
Tesserae placement: When laying tesserae keep in mind the space your grout will need. When using sanded grout, the spacing between the tesserae should be between 1/8 and 1/2 inch, basically no thinner than a craft stick and no thicker than your pinky. When using unsanded grout the space between tesserae should be 1/8 inch or less.
]]>
Please email information about your business to info@kismetmosaic.com. Be sure to include the following:
Once I have this, I will set you up with a wholesale discount by your email address and send you the discount code.
]]>]]>
https://youtu.be/dJ__5s6ksQY
]]>
]]>
Now that most of the product is bagged the process has moved to preparing the space for retail sales. The idea is that, once we're able to reopen, customers will be able to shop the whole warehouse rather than the small retail area we used to have.
To that end we're in the process of putting bar code tags on all the products. The product bin is removed from the shelf, the bagged products counted, inventory updated and tags created and affixed to the products, the products re-binned, and placed back on the shelf. A sample of the product is glued to the front of the bin for reference.
As of the writing of this article the products remaining to be tagged are the Kismet 8mm and 12mm and the Krystal products--or about 1/2 the products.
Right now we're open by appointment only for shopping, but someday soon. . .
]]>
"I was wondering how I get dried glue off belli button rounds"
Here's my overlong answer:
Following in the story of Kris Kringle in “Miracle on 34th St” it seemed a good idea to provide a help when you’re searching for a specific type of product that we don’t carry.
Glitter Tiles
https://witsendmosaic.com/mosaic-art-craft-glass-tile/glitter-babies.html
Hexagon
https://witsendmosaic.com/special-purchase-blue-water-hexagons.html
Micro Tiles (microtile)
https://www.tinytilemosaics.com/recycled-glass-teenies/
https://www.tinytilemosaics.com/ceramic-tiny-tile-2/
Jewelry Bezels
https://www.tinytilemosaics.com/blanks-bezels/
https://www.tinytilemosaics.com/wood-jewelry-blanks/
https://witsendmosaic.com/mosaic-bases-frames-substrates/jewelry-bezels.html
Smalti
https://www.dimosaico.com/smalti/
Liners
https://mosaicartsupply.com/product-category/outliners-mosaic-sticks/
]]>
I’ll be honest, I personally don’t care for these tiles. There are pros and cons to them, which I’ll lay out below. But my dislike of these tiles started years ago, before I ever heard of Kismet or Krystal.
They are manufactured in China. Not that this is a bad thing, overall, but with COVID-19 issues affecting shipping, along with possible tariffs, the prices will most likely go up when/if I restock the line.
So I would like your feedback.
Pros
Cost is less expensive than other tiles
The color range is wider than most glass tile
Thickness matches with other glass tiles
Cons
Backing scratches and chips easily
Tile sizes don’t coordinate with Kismet line
Cutting tiles can leave sharp edges
Long lead time and shipping time when restocking
]]>
There are a few products I am considering adding to the Kismet web site and I would love to get your feedback on which one(s) you would prefer. Feel free to leave your choices in the comments area.
25mm Kismet tiles
These glass tiles are larger than anything we currently offer. These are just under 1 inch by 1 inch. They come in the same color palette as regular Kismet tiles (8mm, 12mm, penny rounds, belli buttons, mini rounds, rectangles, and triangles). They only come in gloss finish.
4 oz price range: $3.25-$8.50
Stained Glass Petals
These petals come in a mix of 2 sizes—small are about 1 1/2” long by 5/8” wide, large petals are about 2” long by 2/3” wide. They are cut from variegated stained glass and come in a variety of colors.
Prices would range by color from $2.99/$4.05 for 1 oz to $11.60/$16.20 for 4 oz.
2 Irregular Tile Options
Kismet Glass
These tiles are in the same color palette as regular Kismet tiles (8mm, 12mm, penny rounds, belli buttons, mini rounds, rectangles, and triangles). They only come in gloss finish.
4 oz price range: $2.80-$7.16
Ceramic
These come in the same color palette and thickness as other ceramic tiles and come in irregular shapes.
4 oz price range: $4.36-$5.56
]]>I am new to mosaics and so have a question. I recently purchased glass tiles that have a white paper on the back. Do these need to be removed? Thanks.
My response:
Those are Krystal tiles. The white backing is the back of the color that is fused to the clear glass tile. It won't soak off, and if by some chance you are able to remove it, you will be left with a clear glass tile.
Our Krystal tile line comes in 4 sizes/shapes.
These tiles are also available in a limited range of metallic tiles (more on these in a separate article).
Krystal tiles are clear glass with a color backing fused on. Because they are glass, they are suitable for indoor or outdoor use. Since the color is fully fused to the back of the tile there is no danger of it desilvering (mirrored backings can turn black or dissolve with some adhesives) or changing color due to the adhesive used. However, the color may fade after years of UV (full sunlight) exposure.
So why or when would you want to use these tiles? Because the color is applied rather than throughout the glass (like Kismet tiles, stained glass, or vitreous glass tiles) the range of color can be much wider. If you look over the range of colors and compare it to the Kismet tiles, you’ll find that Krystal has more reds and purples than Kismet does.
What are the downfalls of this product line? Because the body of the tile is clear glass you’ll find that it cuts differently than glass tiles. Comparing and contrasting it to Kismet tiles and stained glass, it cuts more like stained glass.
I’m also not able to stock it as quickly as most of the other products we carry. So if a color is out of stock, it could be unavailable for a while.
But it can be incorporated with the other products we carry at Kismet Mosaic.
Krystal rectangles and 10mm tiles incorporated with 12mm Kismet tiles, stained glass, and Velvet Matte Belli Buttons.
How do you use Krystal tiles?
]]>
I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining. I’m over the moon with how many orders we’re getting right now, but it’s taking me a long time to get all those orders fulfilled. I don’t have any staff, (other than my husband who comes and helps for an hour or so a few days a week) and because of the pandemic I can’t really bring anyone else on to help.
So, it’s just me. And the orders will get fulfilled, and if it takes longer than I would like I give discounts toward future orders.
With the Free Shipping sale on Friday, April 17 over 60 orders came in. That’s typically what I do in a normal week! But we haven’t had a normal week for over a month now.
So as I keep the wheels of mosaic commerce turning here in my little shop in Colorado, I want to let you know I appreciate your business, and your patience. We’re in this together.
]]>