Skip to main content

Crafting Fail

So you know how there are those websites that do Pinterest projects that failed miserably...well this is one of my craft fails...not from Pinterest but the concept is the same.  Something that seemed simple...that did not go well, that I hope you can learn from. 

 I "rescued" a bird bath from the curb that had a hole in it.  I thought "no problem, I'll mosaic over it and the  hole will be covered and it will be prettier." 
Seems small enough to cover

Lesson 1:  in mosaic-ing-or any other any craft project. Have the right materials. 


You should not try breaking pieces with a rolling pin...you'll just dent your rolling pin
Quick-drying is not what you want for a mosaic-art takes time!
As you can see from some of the above pictures I did not have the appropriate materials.  I had purchased some plates from the thrift store to break for my mosaic, but I couldn't find a hammer so I proceeded to smash them with a rolling pin.  This will not work, this will result in tiny shards breaking off instead of one large piece becoming several workable pieces.  You should not use a quick-drying medium.  I was using Plaster of Paris, which would have been fine, except it was literally drying before I could get more than a few pieces stuck into it.  Read the directions, get a medium that's meant for what you're doing.  

Lesson 2: Have a plan. 


Mosaics are not usually abstract and if you want it to have some sort of design you need to know and have the pieces ready for that design because your medium is drying while you're thinking, it doesn't stop working just because you do. 

Have the pieces you need ready 
Since I hadn't planned out my design in advance I quickly realized I didn't have enough gold pieces to go around the outside of my flower once I was finished with it.  This is a problem because by the time I go get more pieces of china and break them my medium was dry.  

Lesson 3: Sometimes you have to let go. 


From memespp.com


This was my second (yes second) attempt at doing a mosaic to rescue this bird bath (yes I know my second attempt looks like my nieces did it thank you for your moral support).  That's two times that I failed and I have discovered that I was not enjoying it, and it wasn't worth it.  I literally was spending more money and time into something than I spent on it (it was free remember!).  So this project, we're going to accept defeat...and let it go.  

So the moral of this story is yes, even my amazing self fails sometimes (its actually my specialty). So now go forth and FAIL!


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting is exactly what is sounds like: composting with vermis, which is the Latin for worms.   I first became acquainted with vermicomposting when I started at Grow Food, Grow Hope in November 2009.  One of my coworkers was attempting to vermicompost in a container he kept in his desk and usually the 1st thing he said to you after "hello" was "want to see my worms?"  However, the worms jumped ship, were all over the office, and then were banned permanently.   Since that day I had a small adventure into composting with worms.  In my ignorance in the nature of compost I assumed that worms were always necessary for compost and therefore dug up worms from the backyard to add to my porch compost bin (an 18-gallon Rubbermaid tub I drilled holes in and added my food scraps to).  These worms of course were never seen again as they were cooked in my compost bin.   And then the research began.    Now tha...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shoes

Shoes Shania Twain Tell me about it... Ooh! Men. Have you ever tried to figure them out? Huh, me too, but I ain't got no clue How 'bout you? Men are like shoes Made to confuse Yeah, there's so many of 'em I don't know which ones to choose (yeah, yeah, yeah) Ah, sing it to me If you agree There's the kind made for runnin' The sneakers and the low down heels The kind that will keep you on your toes And every girl knows how that feels (yeah, yeah, yeah) Ouch, ah, sing it with me Chorus: You've got your kickers and your ropers Your everyday loafers, some that you can never find You've got your slippers and your zippers Your grabbers and your grippers Man, don't ya hate that kind? Some you wear in, some you wear out Some you wanna leave behind Sometimes you hate 'em And sometimes you love 'em I guess it all depends on which way you rub 'em But a girl can never have too many of 'em It's amazing what a little polish will do... Men ar...
4 comments
Read more

FINALLY

After more time than I ever intended on dedicated to creating the list, blog, and ticker that has accompanied this 101 in 1001 I am finally finished. As you have seen, the bolded items are the categories, and the items that are NOT pink (in this case I believe we'll let them all be purple, because its a nice match, are the items that are finished. Today's one and only item (and the motivation for FINALLY getting this up) is Emma, a great book. I watched the movie with Megan before leaving for France so I knew what was going to happen. Now I'm sitting here dreaming of my own Mr. Knightley, but where I will find him I have no idea. Let me know if you find any men as perfect, graceful, handsome, and amazing as Mr. Knightley for me.
Post a Comment
Read more