Mosaics in an afternoon

Rating:
Summary: Boutique style projects
Review: Connie Sheerin's particular artistic style shows through in these projects which for the most part have a gift-shop, feminine, country-home look. They are very pretty, with other materials besides tiles incorporated into her pieces. Dressing up her pots, vases, pitchers, frames, shelves, etc., are marble "jewels", shells, dried flowers, and painted plaster figurines such as angels, fruits and vegetables. These give her creations a look distinctive from other mosaic books, and require different steps to complete, in particular preparing the figurines for use. There are also a few very nice projects, such as backsplashes, that rely solely on tiles.

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.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful,informative book!
Review: I just received this wonderful book today,and after looking through it,I cannot wait to begin this hobby I have always wanted to try.Everything about this book tells me that I will be having a lot of fun with mosaics.The instructions are well-written and non-intimidating;the colorful photos of various completed projects are gorgeous;and the design patterns included,along with a completely thorough list of what supplies are needed for each project, will be a huge help in taking my first steps.I'll be getting my supplies first thing tomorrow.Can't wait!!

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book for beginners or more experienced crafters
Review: I loved this book because it made the projects seem very possible to do for someone like me who has just started learning to make things with mosaic tiles. The book is fun to read and the pictures give the reader lots of ideas for other projects. Ms. Sheerin has done a wonderful job of making mosaics appealing and not daunting.

Rating:
Summary: Off & Running
Review: Just received this book & have already started on my first project. Great book for the beginner like myself as it providesd me with a detailed list of supplies to to have on hand before I started on a project. Easy to follow instructions & pictures.

Rating:
Summary: Great way to get started!
Review: The instructions in this book are excellent. I wanted to try various types of mosaics and purchased several books. This book gave me the confidence to complete my first projects. Now I have some wonderful homemade gifts to give at Christmas.

Rating:
Summary: I Went to the Fair & Decided...I Can Do Better Than That!
Review: When we lived in Miami in the '70's, I decided to take up stained glass as a hobby. The community college offered wonderful courses taught by professionals at rock bottom prices.

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.