Mother/Daughter Fun Time
My daughter, Kate, and I recently attended a great workshop together. On Instagram I kept seeing these beautiful Turkish lamp workshops by Mosaic Art Studio show up on my feed, and one day I noticed that they were having a pop-up workshop at a local hotel here in Ajax, Ontario. As soon as I saw that I signed us up!
When we arrived our names were checked on the attendance list, we were handed our glass globes according to the size of project we had signed up for (there are a few different projects to choose from) and then we were shown to our table which we shared with 6 other ladies. Each spot at the table had a bamboo tray with a box of necessary supplies, a bottle of adhesive and a pattern template for a variety of designs in different sizes. In the middle of the table there was an assortment of small, beautifully patterned bowls filled with different cut glass pieces (diamond, square and triangle shapes) in the most gorgeous array of colours. It was definitely a feast for the eyes.
Once we were all settled at the table and ready to begin, one of the workshop convenors came over to explain the process and answer any questions we might have had. Then it was time to get down to work…I say “work”, but it was so much fun! Even though there was a double sided pattern template to follow, we were free to do our own thing and design our own patterns. I saw one that reminded me of a quilted star so that’s what I went with and so did Kate. We both love cool colours so ours looked very similar except that Kate added a royal blue to hers while I stuck with the turquoise, green and white.
First we glued the larger glass tiles in our chosen designs onto the glass globe. This took a while because the design had to be centred from top to bottom and side to side. The adhesive worked quickly so we were able to work in sections and get the main design completed in about an hour and a half. After that it took about an hour to fill in the open areas with small glass beads. They had multiple colours of beads to choose from and many ladies at our table chose to use mixed beads, but Kate and I chose clear ones. It was at that time that we realized why we were given a tray to work on…those little beads went everywhere!!! I don’t envy the person who had to vacuum the room at the end of the day.
We shared a table with some wonderful, friendly ladies, and Kate and I couldn’t believe how fast the class went. It felt like it was over in no time. Below you can see the projects that our table completed as well as the many projects that Mosaic Art Studio offers. They even have hanging lamps, but they are not featured in the photo.
Sharon, Jenn, Carrie, Christina, Jennifer, Cheryl, Janice, Kate
all the beautiful options
Because the adhesive had to cure for at least 8 hours, there was another kit that was sent home with us in order to complete our project. We did this job the day after our workshop. Grout had to be applied between the glass tiles and beads. The grout, a measuring cup, spreading tool, sponge and gloves were included in the kit. For those of you who have ever applied grout to floor or wall tiles, the procedure is exactly the same. Below left Kate is applying the grout, and below right the two globes are shown with the grout before the excess is removed with the sponge.
Here are our completed Turkish mosaic lamps…they are sooooo pretty!!! Kate has hers in her room already and I have mine out in my livingroom so I can oooh and aaah over it when I’m doing my hand sewing. Kate and I highly recommend this experience to anyone who wants to try a new craft and have a great day out. Check here if a pop-up workshop is coming to your area, or if you’re in the Burlington or Ottawa Ontario areas they also have brick and mortar stores. Grab a friend or two for a wonderful time to be creative.
Kate’s lamp
Sharon’s lamp