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.

Cinca Unglazed Porcelain

Cinca is a brand of unglazed porcelain tiles made by “Companhia Industrial de Ceramica SA” in Portugal. They are the same thickness as most vitreous glass tiles, but very durable, and somewhat heavier.

Available in a many colors, Cinca tiles have a matte (non-reflective) finish on both sides, that in combination with the muted, earthy colors, strongly recalls the ‘Old World’ style of mosaic art. Their sharp edges, surrounding a full 1-inch square field, make them more versatile for nipping than their rounded-edged cousins.

See the MosaicBoutique.com Cinca page for ordering info.

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Technical specifications
24 x 24 x 3.5 mm
Hardness (Mohs scale):	conforms to EN 101
Abrasion resistance:	conforms to ISO 10545-6, EN 102
Linear Thermal Expansion:	conforms to ISO 10545-6, EN 102
Thermal shock resistance:	conforms to ISO 10545-9, EN 104
Resistance to household chemicals:	conforms to ISO 10545-13, EN 106
Resistance to acids and alkalis:	conforms to ISO 10545-13, EN 106
Resistance to freezing:	conforms to ISO 10545-12, EN 202
Web site:	http://www.cinca.pt/main.php
Technical specifications Copyright Cinca. Made in Fiães, Portugal.

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Newsletter: February 5, 2007

Note: the specials on this edition of the newsletter have expired.

Hello from MosaicBoutique.com!

Here are our current specials: some warm colors to loosen February’s icy grip… and a very nice brown marble.

Current Specials

- Our Vintage Bisazza mixes (red/orange and yellow/metallic yellow) are still available for only $11.95 a pound.

- We’re offering a 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 a natural work of art in themselves. Here’s a sample:

See you next time…

Glen and Jinet