April 2008 Newsletter

Hello

PLEASE NOTE: THE SPECIALS DESCRIBED IN THIS POST ARE NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

Well, Spring is (finally!) here, and so are we. Here’s what’s new at MosaicBoutique.com:

New Product Line
- Over the years, many of our customers have enquired about ceramic tiles. So we’re pleased to announce that we now stock a range of ceramic tiles in 36 colors. These glossy-surfaced tiles are baked at low temperature and easy to cut. Each tile measures 4.25″ x 4.25″ For interior use only.

Mosaic Art Now Magazine
-  There’s something new in the world of Mosaics : derived from the Mosaic Yearbook project, the first edition of the Mosaic Art Now annual magazine presents some of the best work from today’s mosaic artists throughout the globe.

Six prominent artists from different parts of the world selected their favorite mosaics from this year’s MosaicYearbook for inclusion in the magazine’s gallery which includes 106 full-color photographs of mosaics. 39 pages in all.

Profiles on the reviewers tell you about their journeys in mosaic art, show photographs of their own mosaics, and provide insight into the criteria they use in looking for excellence in mosaic art. A very inspiring publication, available for $14.95. See our Current Specials page for more details.

Price Reductions
- Our prices are taking a tumble: we’re now able to offer Leponnitt wheeled nippers at an improved price. We’ve dropped them from $37.00 a pair to only $32.95.

- The Bohle wheeled nippers, which used to sell for $30.00 a pair have plummeted to only $19.99, which represents a savings of over 33%!

- Even more price cuts: a discount of 33% on our wonderful Smalti tiles. Regularly priced at $24.00 a pound, these tesserae are now offered at $15.99 a pound. Again, this represents more than 33% off. A bargain, available in one-pound bags only.

Antique Mosaic
- While visiting the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts recently, we were taken aback to see an ancient mosaic in the Mediterranean Archeology collection. It is a Syrian floor covering dating from the 5th century, measuring 9′ X 11′. It can be viewed with free admission to the Bank of Montreal room in the Michael et Renata Hornstein Pavillion. See mbam.qc.ca/en.

Finally, a brief reminder that our Gift Certificates are available all year long. Why not share your love of mosaics by offering one today?

December 2007 Newsletter

NOTE: THE SPECIALS FROM THIS NEWSLETTER HAVE EXPIRED

Hi again.

We hope you’re looking forward to the end of the year as much as we are, looking forward to having some fun… maybe taking a bit of a break. Well, our purchasing elves have NOT been taking a break at all, and that’s why we’re writing today:

Newly Available
- The Mosaic Art 3 CD-ROM has finally been released, and we have it for sale on our site. This is a wonderful compendium of 1,111 original mosaic pieces created in 2007, representing the work of 615 artists from around the world. It is Windows and Mac compatible, and a browser version is also included that will let you view the photos and descriptions in Internet Explorer, FireFox, Safari, and so on. See our Current Specials page for more details.

More New Products
- We have added still more colors to our new range of metallic vitreous glass tiles. In addition to the four blends (Sea, Earth, Sky, and Cloud) we also offer White, Turquoise, Copper, and Bronze at a great price. These tiles are veined with aventurine, which creates a powdery gold appearance that gives off wonderful reflections.

New tools have arrived:
- We have long bent-nosed tweezers that you can use to position small tesserae without disturbing the surrounding field.

- We’re also offering self-closing tweezers that will hold tiles or tile pieces by themselves. Simply position a tile where you want it, then squeeze the handles a touch to release it.
Both tweezers are priced at only $5.49 a pair.

- We have replacement wheels for our Bohle nippers. You probably won’t need to replace the wheels for years, but if your nippers are getting old, it might be time to renew them with a pair of new wheels: only $16.95.

Back again
- We’ve been out of stock on our 7-8 mm opaque Millefiori slices for a week or two. Well, they’re back, at a new lower price, with two new sizes added to the lineup: 5-6 mm and 8-10 mm. All sizes are only $5.59 an ounce.

Finally, don’t forget that our Gift Certificates are available all year long. Why not share your love of mosaics by offering one today? Makes a great holiday gift.

Newsletter: November 11, 2007

NOTE: THE SPECIALS FROM THIS NEWSLETTER HAVE EXPIRED

Hi to one and all. Yes, we’re still here!

Yes, we admit it’s been a long time since our last newsletter. But we’ve been busy welcoming new customers to MosaicBoutique .com and making our future plans.

So what do we have to say for ourselves, you ask?

New Products
- We now offer Gift Certificates. Why not share your love of mosaics by offering a MosaicBoutique.com Gift Certificate? Makes a great holiday gift!!

- We’ve introduced a new range of metallic vitreous glass tiles consisting of 4 color mixes: sea, earth, sky, and cloud. These tiles are veined with aventurine, which creates a powdery gold appearance featuring wonderful reflections.

New Special
- For the entire months of November and December, we will be selling 1-pound bags of our regular Smalti for only $20.00, which is more than 15% OFF.

New colors
- We’re gradually expanding our line of SICIS colors. Recent additions include Fern3, Iris2, and Coral4. These tiles are real gems!

Upcoming
- We will be offering the Mosaic Yearbook 2007 on our site. It should be available mid-December, at the latest. If you are not familiar with this project, it is an annual collection of photos from mosaic artists throughout the world, assembled into a digital portfolio and published on a CD-ROM. This year 615 artists from 33 countries submitted 1111 photos of their current works. Yes, over one thousand photos!

- We are actively working on bring you new product lines soon. We don’t have any details we can share yet, but we’re sure you’ll be pleased…

Finally, a word about PayPal security. You don’t have to join PayPal in order to pay for merchandise at MosaicBoutique.com, but why not take the “Fight Phishing Challenge” at the link below? It will help you learn about phishing tactics (E-mail messages pretending to come from PayPal) so you can protect yourself online.

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/cps/securitycenter/antiphishing/CanYouSpotPhishing-outside

Well we’ve taken enough of your time. We wish you well, as always…

“Found” mosaic

We were driving along beside a municipal yard in Montreal when suddenly we spotted a tree trunk that looked a bit out of the ordinary. Upon closer inspection, this is what we saw:

Some industrious soul had taken it upon themselves to create a mosaic right there on the curbside tree stump. It’s made of ceramic tiles, dishes, a light switch and electrical outlet, and some tail light covers. If you’re in Montreal and would like to see it for yourself, it’s located on Christophe-Colombe, a few steps north of St. Gregoire, just above Parc Laurier.
Tags: mosaic

NY Sun Arts & Letters: The Brilliance of Ancient Pixels

Here is a link to a story from the NY Sun of April 24, 2007. It discusses the contemporary interest in mosaic art, and mentions in particular the updated Bisazza and SICIS showrooms in the SoHo district of New York City:

http://www.nysun.com/article/53074
Tags: mosaic

The Madaba Mosaic Map

The Madaba Mosaic Map is a unique piece of art realised in 6th-7th cent. A.D. as a decoration for the pavement of a church in the town of Madaba (Jordan) in the Byzantine Near East. The mosaic represents the biblical land from Egypt to Lebanon, including Sinai, Israel, Palestine, and Transjordan.

The Madaba Mosaic Map web site is an expanded version of a chapter of the book:
M. Piccirillo – E. Alliata (Eds.), The Madaba Map Centenary 1897-1997. Travelling through the Byzantine Umayyad Period. Proceedings of the International Conference Held in Amman, 7-9 April 1997 (SBF Collectio Maior 40), Jerusalem 1999.

The Madaba Mosaic Map web site is interactive, with abundant details and is overall of great interest to scholars and mosaic lovers alike. Shown below is a small section (7) of the map:

To visit the site, follow this link:
http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/mad/index.html

© copyright – Studium Biblicum Franciscanum – Jerusalem 2000
Tags: mosaic

Top 10 Yahoo Groups for Mosaic Art

What is a Yahoo group, you ask? From Yahoo’s own introductory page at http://groups.yahoo.com:
“It’s where people with a shared interest meet, get to know each other, and stay informed. Your group gives you instant access to:
* Shared message archives
* Photos and photo albums
* Group event calendars
* Member polls and shared links
And best of all, it’s free.”

So here is our quick list of the top 10 mosaic art groups of general interest. We’ve excluded most regional groups or very small groups of limited scope.

MosaicArtistsOrg
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mosaicartistsorg
This is the largest and most useful group – the one that every “mosaic person” should join. There are 3,425 members posting 1,000 – 2,000 messages per month. Members range from the famous to the ordinary, but all with a passion for mosaics. Several regional subgroups also exist.

This group is for mosaic artists around the world, of all skill levels, who are dedicated to improving their art, technically and artistically, and committed to advancing the recognition of mosaics as a fine art form in the greater arts community.

Mosaic_Critics
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MOSAIC_CRITICS/
There are 257 members posting 100-200 messages per month.

This is a forum devoted to giving and receiving feedback for finished mosaic works or works in progress. In order to further our mosaic skills, we need an open and honest forum to receive feedback, both positive and negative, and suggestions on how to improve the work as a whole.

MAG Mosaic Addicts Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mosaic_addicts
Australia-based group. There are 1,228 members posting about 1,000 messages per month.

A relaxed group sharing mosaic dreams, adventures, ups and downs, experiments, tips & tricks, monthly mosaic challenge, polls, community mosaic art and most importantly the love of mosaics.

Mosaic_For_Fun
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mosaic_for_fun
There are 374 members posting 10-30 messages per month (it is less active now than it has been in the past).

Let’s have a forum of warmth and fun, allowing each of us to learn, teach and express ourselves so that we make a community for those “newbies” as well as those “pros”!

InstituteofMosaicArt
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/InstituteOfMosaicArt
California-based. There are 237 members posting 10 – 30 messages per month.

This group is intended for students and friends of Laurel True and The Institute of Mosaic Art, Oakland, Ca. and has been created as a forum for students and friends to share ideas, information, and experiences in relation to the art of mosaics.

Mosaic_Creations
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MosaicCreations
There are 121 members; sparse message posts.

Our group started with Mosaics made with Polymer Clay. We have expanded to include all types of Unique Handmade Tiles, including polymer (of course), painted glass, found objects, clay, or ?whatever?

BAMM (British Association for Modern mosaic)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BAMM_group
There are 44 members; sparse message posts, but this group appears to be pleasant and informative.

The aim of this group is the ability to chat, exchange news, information, chat, make friends more easily and to enable the group to communicate, sort out car sharing, arrange gallery space, share photos, ask for help etc… Idea’s are most welcome. Also who are your favourite suppliers, do tell – add a link and let the world know… There is only one rule of this site: BE NICE.

Mosaic_California
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mosaic_California
California-based. There are 231 members posting 100 – 400 messages per month.

A place where mosaic artists in California (and elsewhere) get together to discuss mosaic artwork, calls to art and opportunities, classes, workshops, tips, places of interest, etc. in our regions. Group is open to any states, and any countries! If you love anything and everything mosaic, feel welcome to join our group and become a part of our growing West coast mosaic lovers corner.

Minnesota Mosaic Guild
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MinnesotaMosaicGuild
There are 99 members posting about 50 messages per month.

The Minnesota Mosaic Guild (MMG) is a group of mosaic artists and enthusiasts interested in creating an opportunity to explore, discover, and share their knowledge of and interest in mosaics. Please visit www.minnesotamosaicguild.org to see details about formal membership to our group with great opportunities to be part of group shows, discounts at suppliers and have a weblink or images on our website.

mouseiclesmosaics
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mouseiclesmosaics
There are 93 members posting about 150 messages per month.

Mouseicles Mosaics is a mosaic site for anyone that wants to learn about mosaics, or improve their mosaic skills, with help from existing members.

____________________________________
Greatest Pity:
“Mosaic” Yahoo Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mosaic
There are 882 members who used to post about 100 messages per month. This unmoderated group has unfortunately been taken over by spammers. Avoid at all costs, unless a moderator takes charge.

Art list on all aspects of mosaic. Contemporary creation, historical works. Sources, ideas, novel techniques etc. Traditional mosaic from ceramic tile, smalti, vitreeous glass, stones, found objects, nails, beads.

Google Groups

The Google groups are generally not as influential or useful as the Yahoo groups. But there is at least one group devoted to mosaic art:

Mosaics
http://groups.google.com/group/Mosaics?lnk=gschg
There are 44 members. Low activity.

Tags: mosaic

Newsletter: April 2, 2007

NOTE: THE SPECIALS FROM THIS NEWSLETTER HAVE EXPIRED

Hello once more from MosaicBoutique.com!

This is our April newsletter – no foolin’…

What’s New

We’re making our newsletters available now on our blog at http://mosaicboutique.wordpress.com
We expect the content there to grow as time goes on, but for now we have the specification info for a few of our products, and a link or two to some sites of interest to mosaic enthusiasts everywhere. Please feel free to suggest sites or topics of interest.

We’re listed in the Suppliers category at crafterscommunity.com. For now, we’re the only mosaic resource there, but they’re worth a visit for their many ideas and sources for dozens of crafts.

- We’ve added a few new items to our Tools and Supplies page (which we’ve re-designed to help you see everything better). We have:
economical wheeled nippers from Bohle
disposable vinyl gloves (in mens’ and womens’ sizes)
and 8 oz. bottles of Weldbond adhesive (not avail. in winter)
Weldbond is our recommended glue for mosaic work with glass.

Our Current Specials

- We’ve put our entire Bisazza collection on liquidation. You get a 3 pound mix of 15 colors, in bulk, of this fabulous high-end Italian tile. Metallics, solids, and hot vintage reds oranges and yellows in bulk, in 3-pound bags for only $34.95. Regular price: $68.00. A bargain not to be missed!

- We’re now offering 225-tile sheets of the Ash color of our Series1 vitreous glass tiles, normally $7.00, now for only $5.95.

- Finally, we’re continuing the fabulous discount of 40% on our Oakwood Brown marble quarter sheets. The regular price of $5.00 for 81 tiles is reduced to $3.00. These tiles feature tiny veins that are, as we said last time, a work of art in themselves. Here’s a sample:

Oakwood Brown sample

See you soon!

The Girls and Boys of Mother Goose

Recently, Barbara Benson Keith, author of The Girls and Boys of Mother Goose, brought to our attention her lovely children’s book illustrated with stained glass mosaic art. This beautiful book of nursery rhymes is available for only $7.99 from the publisher, Brownian Bee Press.

Tags: mosaic

SICIS glass tiles from Italy

SICIS tiles from the SICIS Iridium Mosaic collection have a high-gloss surface with a spectacular iridescence quality that shimmers at varying angles. SICIS tiles from the SICIS Murano Smalto collection also have a high-gloss surface, with the strikingly intense and deep colors employed by the finest Italian craftsmen. There are twelve different collections of SICIS glass.

For purchasing info, see the MosaicBoutique.com SICIS page.

Product Application Specifications

The following specifications are excerpted from the “Installation Instructions” (PDF) link at http://www.sicis.it/Eng/Glass/glass.htm.
© MAPEI, SICIS. In our opinion, you can very likely follow these tips when installing any type of glass or vitreous glass tile.

SICIS can be used for interior and exterior, floor or wall installations in wet or dry areas. Among the recommended backing materials are:

• Completely cured concrete
• masonry block
• cement mortars and leveling coats
• Gypsum wallboard (interior vertical dry areas only)
• BUs (cementitious backer units)
• For interior residential floors and countertops in dry areas, over 2 layers A.P.A. rated Group 1, exterior grade plywood, C.C. plugged or better, or a CAN/PLY exterior glue plywood, conforming to CSA 0121 standard for Douglas fir.

Not recommended are:

• pressed wood
• particle board
• chipboard
• OSB (oriented strand board)
• masonite
• Lauan
• asbestos board (to be avoided anyway!)
• fiberglass surfaces
• metal
• gypsum-based patching compounds
• any dimensionally unstable materials which are not suitable substrates.

All surfaces that SICIS tile will be applied to must be clean and free of dust, oil, grease, paint, tar, wax, curing agents, primers, sealers, adhesive residues, form release agents or any other debris which can prevent or reduce adhesion. Substrates should be sound, solid, stable, rigid, level and plumb.