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Home Projects: Sea-Glass Mirror Surround
Glass mosaic from beachcombing finds
by Kathleen McKenna
PROJECT: Sea-Glass Mirror Surround
Beachlovers Holly Rader and Carol Smith-Sloan are longtime friends who share a passion for beach glass. Recently they've started transforming their collections of those ocean-tumbled fragments into art.
They've adorned mirrors, picture frames, and mantels with colorful shards -- but these days they're concentrating on larger installations, such as the mirror surround they created in the powder room at Holly's summer home in Chatham, Massachusetts.
PROCESS
Holly and Carol sifted through their sea glass, collected on expeditions to Spectacle Island, located in the waters between Boston and their hometown of Hingham, Massachusetts. Their design captures the spirit of the sea. "We wanted a natural look," explains Carol, "one that would suggest that the waves had tumbled and tossed these particular pieces right into our mosaic."
They built "troughs" for either side of the mirror with the same two-inch crown molding used elsewhere in the room. Next, they mixed grout in a plastic bucket. They decided to keep the grout a natural shade, which resembles sand in both color and texture.
Using a large sponge and a putty knife, Holly and Carol set the grout inside the trough. Then they spread solvent-free tile adhesive onto each piece of glass and pushed it firmly into the grout. Holly's husband and three daughters affixed their favorite pieces; the mosaic became a family effort. Overnight their masterpiece dried; they sprayed tile sealant across the entire surround in the morning.
COST
About $100 (if the glass is free), including grout, adhesive, sealant, and molding (16 feet of 2-inch pine crown molding runs about $30). Replicated or artificially tumbled sea glass may be purchased online or in craft stores for about $10 a pound. Holly and Carol say there are countless jars of genuine sea glass out there collecting dust: Ask around among your friends and look for glass at flea markets.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST?
"I love that Carol and I did it together," Holly says. "It reminds me of the fun we have going out to the island to collect our treasures."
RESOURCES
Visit allcrackedupbiz.com (or call 781-789-0677) for information on Holly and Carol's sea-glass mosaic artwork.
Reader Comments
Comment from Mary Hardwick on August 4, 2008
We found spectacle island last fall and had a wonderful afternoon searching for fun pieces of sea glass! This past June we brought a few friends to visit the island bringing a picnic lunch along. As we walked the beach we were met by several rangers who frowned upon our removal of "sea glass/pottery artifacts" off the beach. We were reminded these artifacts belong to the federal goverment! As a former "dump site" we were amused that sea glass is now belongs to the goverment! What next! Mary Hardwick
Comment from Paul Martinello on August 19, 2008
Outstanding Craftmanship on this Sea Glass Mirror. If you are ever interested in Sea Glass Jewelry from Maine, take a peek at our Website: www.tearsofthesea.com for Exclusive Designs. Christine
Comment from Susan Fischer on August 28, 2009
Wow, rangers frowned on removal of sea glass! How absurd! I love sea glass too, but we all know it's sanded down glass bottle garbage. We're all just helping clean up the beach!
Comment from Elizabeth Ulnits on September 11, 2009
what does sea glass look like - i do not think i have ever seen any????
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