Community Education

I have always really loved community / adult education classes.  I've taken many interesting subjects, some more successful or useful than others, but I have pretty much enjoyed every class.

My most recent class was to learn to make mosaic garden stones.  I've always thought this would be a fun craft to make and it has turned out to be just that.

The Luck School District offered this class, and as it turned out, it was taught by a woman I knew and who is very good friends with my sister in law, Lois.

In the first class I made a Danish Heart and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.

It was so much fun and I was so impressed with the results, that I decided to dive into this hobby.  I purchased the glass cutting tools and then found some colored glass to buy.  The heart above was built on a paver from Menards and it is about 8 X 14, I went to Menards and found some small square pavers and went to work.

These are not as impressive as my larger stone, but once they dry completely and I seal them, I think they will be cute in the garden.

Our second class was on Tuesday night, 

I decided to purchase a specially cut piece of glass for my project.  

The process is to cut the glass into the desired shapes and lay it out on the paver.

Once your design is complete, a piece of contact paper is applied to lift the glass, and the design, from your stone.

Then the thin set cement is applied.

Once your cement is leveled and ready, the glass design is carefully reapplied by lowering the contact paper holding the glass back on to the block.

My finished design, contact paper applied before the lift.

Once the thin set has dried completely, about 48 hours after the class, the grouting takes place.

Small heart stone with grout

Carol using the grout float to press her grout into the glass design.

And after the grout is wiped away to the desired thickness, you have a masterpiece.

Carol's grouted daily

Wanda's grouted Badger stone.

The last step is to seal the grout after a drying period of 48-72 hours.

The sealing makes is weather resistant, although since this is glass, it is recommended that it be stored indoors in the winter.

I'm pretty tickled with the results of this latest project.

In fact, Carol and I have decided to take the next class & last class offered this year.

What will I make?  I'm starting to noodle on a design.

Learning is good.