Mosaic Baby Shoe

Created By Mardi Burns - Specialty Art Glass

Like many parents when our first child was born we made or bought many mementos’ to commemorate her birth and important milestones. When my son was born however, life was busier, and we just didn’t get around to getting plaster casts of his hands and feet or the other treasured mementos’ our daughter has. Looking around his room the other week I decided to remedy this and capture the memories before he gets much older. I’ve decided to make a memory frame of items and photo’s from his first year. His first shoes are an obvious addition to the frame and the first item I’ve added.

Legal Disclaimer: No warranty is implied by these instructions. Use at your own risk. Specialty Art Glass and its proprietors are not responsible for the results of any actions taken on the basis of this information, or for any omission in the advice. Please wear appropriate safety equipment when cutting mosaic materials and using grouts and adhesives. Always follow manufacturers’ instructions which take precedence over instructions contained within this project. Keep out of reach of children.

Materials:

Keepsake to be mosaiced
Selection of tiles (in this case blue, yellow and some brown Tiny Tiles)
A small quantity of white and blue stained glass chips
Assorted pieces of Millefiori
Supplies for fiberglass (Fibreglass cloth, resin and hardener)
Clear liquid nails (for adhesion of Tiny Tiles)
White grout + brown grout colourant
Two wheeled nippers (for cutting stained glass chips)
Nippers (Tiny Tiles)
Tweezers
Latex gloves
Safety glasses
Disposable or plastic bowl, sponge, something to stir the adhesive & grout
The stained glass chips work well with Tiny Tiles are they are a similar height which will give you a relatively flat surface

	Step 1: Preparing base To provide a rigid surface for mosaicing I firbreglassed the baby shoes. Some important points: Always follow the manufacturers’ instructions when fibreglassing (they are the experts and their instructions always supersedes ours) Spend time getting the fibreglassing right. In the case of this shoe the surface had to be relatively flat as any lumps or bumps would have made mosaicing very difficult. I find using fibreglass cloth gives a smoother surface than matting There must be no movement in the shoe prior to mosaicing as the tiles and grout will be compromised If you haven’t fibreglassed before start with an easy project, don’t’ start with a precious keepsake as it’s likely to end in tears.
	Step 2: Working out the pattern My main concern in this project was remaining true to the original shoe, the puppy had to stay and being a boy’s shoe blue was the dominate colour.
	Step 3: Gluing the tiles (tesserae) The direct method was used to lay the mosaic tiles. As the adhesive dries out apply it in small sections at a time, a small paint brush is handy for this. Allow 24 hours for the glue to cure prior to applying the grout (refer to manufactures instructions). Liquid Nails is a strong adhesive so follow all the manufactures safety instructions and ensure that you are working in a well ventilated area.
	Step 4: Grouting Time Brown grout was used on this project. I added the primer to the grout to increase its flexibility, reduce the porosity and staining of the grout. Work slowly making sure you get the grout into all the gaps. Mix the grout according to the manufacturer's instructions. It should be the consistency of thick oatmeal before it is applied. If you accidentally add to much water simply let it sit for a few minutes and it will thicken up, or you can add more grout. Stir until smooth. Be sure to mix enough grout to cover the mirror to ensure colour consistency. We suggest that you use gloves when working with grout. While it is non-toxic it can dry out your hands. You will go through a few pairs whilst grouting. When applying the grout press it down in the spaces between your pieces and sculpt it on your edges to make a nice smooth edge. Generously cover your entire piece.
	Step 5: Once you have covered your entire piece and filled in all of the spaces, wipe off as much of the excess grout as you can with your gloves or hands. After you do this allow the piece to sit for 20-30 minutes or until the grout becomes hazy. Then take a slightly damp sponge or cloth and wipe off the haze. Buff and shine the tiles with a dry cloth. Remove as much grout as you can from the tile surface as it will be much harder to remove later. Do not use paper towels as they flake off and stick in your grout. I find baby wipes come in very handy during the clean up. Allow the grout to dry. A grout sealer can be applied once the grout is dry to keep the grout clear and protected.
	Step 6: Tips: Safety first – use protective eye wear when nipping glass Never dispose grout down the drain Mix grout in a disposable container for easy clean up Mix enough grout to complete the entire project All of our products are not toys and must be kept away from young children. Tiny tiles are not food safe or frost resistant. Please keep away from children. Glaze contains heavy metals.