Friday 2 December 2016

Follow me on Facebook


Been a bit busy lately keeping up with the orders. If you want to see what I'm working on, and get sneak peeks of what I'll be adding to my shops come and follow me on Facebook ðŸ˜Š

Monday 31 October 2016

The Hedgerow Design

Bees and Hedgerow Hanging Plaque
A customer was thinking of getting a hanging plaque from me, but couldn't make up her mind about a design. A few conversations later, and the idea of a hedgerow was given to me, as it was the name of her house. I originally came up with a design with dog roses, rosehips and blackberries, and made that as a general hanging plaque because I liked the idea of that design with my trademark bees included. That design morphed into a conifer, holly and blackthorn design to match the hedges around the house. I then made another roses version with the sloe berries and flowers of the blackthorn (currently available in my Etsy shop). I can see this hedgerow idea being quite a fruitful one. Customers do give me some great design inspiration.

Monday 24 October 2016

Holly and Autumn Wreath and Heart

Holly Decorative Mini Wreath and Heart 




I've dipped into decorative wreaths. Seems like it's a bit of a thing now judging by how many I've seen around since I've started making mine. The original idea was to make a mini holly wreath as a festive decoration, but when the design was finished it seemed to just suit being a decorative design for the winter, or even all year. It's not overly festive at all.









Autumn Decorative Mini Wreath and Heart





As the holly version could be a winter decoration, I thought I'd try an Autumn version too. So with some red and orange berries, autumn leaves and some twiggy bits too, this is that design.

Wednesday 5 October 2016

Harlequin Gypsy Bird Bath


Gypsy Harlequin Bird Bath




A customer asked me to make my Gypsy design, which is all shades of blues, with a random colour palette. I wasn't sure it was going to work because I thought the random tiles would lose the pattern. But, I tried it, and it worked. In fact it looked great. It looked a bit like a stained glass window that you see in the cathedral. I liked to so much I made a second one, and that one now lives in the US.









Saturday 10 September 2016

Beautiful Blue Sky

Beautiful Blue Sky Mosaic Hanging Plaque



This is a design that I first made on a bird bath, but it was crying out to go onto a wall plaque, and I got commissioned to make it into one, so here it is. Think it's come out quite well.

Tuesday 23 August 2016

Ey Up! Fun Mosaic Welcome Sign

Fun Mosaic Welcome Sign
I've managed to fit in making another in my series of alternatives to the traditional welcome sign. Each one has had a regional 'hello' greeting on, for a bit of fun to greet visitors to your home or garden. 'Ow Do and 'Ay Up are now hanging in their new homes. The latest hanging sign is 'Ey Up (Duck), which can be found on my website or in my Etsy shop at the moment.

Sunday 14 August 2016

More Bees (and Butterflies)!


Bees, Butterflies & Dragonflies




Following the Bees in Blossom and Bees in Blue Daisies, the next Bees Bird Bath is the Bees, Butterflies & Dragonflies. I like the way this design has come out. It has a fabric design look to it, which I always say my designs tend to either look like fabric, or ceramic designs.











Cloud of Butterflies / Butterflies & Daisies Hearts


The other new designs are these two butterfly hearts, the Cloud of Butterflies, and Butterflies & Daisies. I think these have the fabric look too. The Cloud of Butterflies is a nice one to make because I get to create a large palette of butterfly colours and mixing colours for designs is one of my favourite things.



All of these are already sold, but all could be recreated on request. Either email me with the design name on jo@josara.co.uk or come and find me on Facebook and message me there.

Saturday 30 July 2016

New Designs

It's been very busy at JoSara HQ. A couple of new designs have been and gone from my shops already, and I've just added another.

The two that have new homes are the bees with flowers designs. One was Bees and Blossom, and the other was Bees and Blue Daisies.

Bees & Blossoms / Bees & Blue Daisies Mosaic Garden Bird Baths
The other new design I've just added to my website and Etsy shop is an abstract design that represents land and sea. The colours all match perfectly and make a lovely calm design.

Land & Sea Mosaic Garden Bird Bath 



Saturday 9 July 2016

Green Man Mosaic

The Green Man Mosaic Garden Ornament Range
Another new range that I've added to my website and Etsy shop. The mini Green Man 13cm plaque, which was the first design, has been extended into a 25cm bird bath, and onto a 25cm hanging plaque too. The Green Man is proving very popular because he is a symbol of rebirth, so he's a perfect decoration for a garden, and would make a great gift for someone getting a new home, or for a gardener.

Saturday 2 July 2016

Season Spirits and Jewel Tree

Mosaic Jewel Trees, and Season Spirits Hanging Garden Decorations
I have finally managed to get the full season set of Mosaic Jewel Tree Garden Hanging Plaques listed on my website, and joining them are a complimenting full set of Mosaic Season Sprites Hanging Decorations, which would look great dotted around a garden peeping out from the plants. The idea behind all the designs was to collect the colours of the season, so in Spring there is the pastels of blossom, the bright yellow of daffodils, and the fresh greens again the aqua blue sky. In Summer there's the deep colours of the flowers against the rich greens. In Autumn it's the tapestry of colour of the autumn leaves. And in winter the bright berries, bare wood, and the icy blues and white. Great on their own, but all designed to go with each other in any combination, so you could match a pair of seasons for a couple's birthday months, or just two seasons that you love the colours of. These can be found on my website, and in my Etsy shop.

Tuesday 28 June 2016

Mini Mosaic Green Man Hanging Garden Decoration

Green Man Mini Mosaic Hanging Garden Ornament

Finally got round to trying out a Green Man design, which I've been wanting to do for years, but never had the time/forgot to do it when I did have time. I think he's come out quite well. One thing I didn't want was a sinister or creepy looking face, which some green man plaques look to me. I've had the words 'cute' and 'handsome' used about mine, so, I think he's nice enough to look at. I've tried to look up what the Green Man actually is or represents. What an enigma he turns out to be. The best reason I can find, that he's ended up as a quite common garden ornament, is that he represents rebirth. And anyone who has a garden knows that feeling when things start growing again in Spring, now you can have your very own Green Man watching over the plants for you.

Currently available to order via message on Facebook, but I hope to have him listed as a made to order on my website and Etsy shop very soon.

Sunday 22 May 2016

New things!

Summer Jewel Tree Hanging Plaque


I have changed the Summer Jewel Tree design into a hanging plaque, which looks great with the iridescent and translucent leaves dotted around the design.















Faceted Rainbow Mosaic Garden Bird Bath


There is also a new bird bath design, Faceted Rainbow. This was inspired by the way facets in glass or jewels create a rainbow of reflected light. So the tiles are cut into facet shaped on the base, and as straight facets on the rim. It creates a great effect, so why not let your garden birds bathe in a rainbow.

Saturday 12 March 2016

Jewel Tree Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

A new range is in progress. I've called these the Jewel Trees because there are highlight leaves of translucent, iridescent, and metallic colours that shine out. These are Spring, Summer, and Autumn with Winter on it's way soon. These are all bird baths, but the range can be made onto wall hanging plaques too, and can be used in the home or the garden.

Saturday 27 February 2016

Lots More New Things





Moroccan Pool Mosaic Bird Bath




Got a creative roll on at the mo. Lots of new things added to my shops. A couple of new bird bath designs with completely different feels. This first one is another colour version of my Moroccan Pool design. I really like the exotic feel this geometric pattern has, along with the deeps blues adding to the feel of a cooling mosaic pool.











Branches Mosaic Garden Bird Bath







This second new bird bath design, Branches, has a more modern, Scandinavian feel with it's soft coloured miniature leaves on white branches, and larger leaves making the border. A lovely fresh feeling design.














Hidden Bees Mosaic Hanging Heart







The Hidden Bees design that I had made on a butterfly is also now on a hanging heart. The heart has two hidden bees, but still has that soft, subtle William Morris feel to the design.















Bees & Daisies Mosaic Butterfly







There's also a new butterfly with Bees and Daisies making the wing markings. The bees have iridescent wings that shine with metallic colours, and the daisies have transparent centres with an iridescent rainbow finish too.











Lancashire Rose Hanging Heart







The newest design is a Lancashire Rose Hanging Heart which has lovely brick red tiles used for the rose that are just like the brick colour used in Lancashire buildings, so a great decoration for anyone who loves Lancashire.

Sunday 7 February 2016

Saturday 30 January 2016

Beautiful butterflies!

Summer Meadow Mosaic Butterfly Hanging Decoration



I've found some new bases to work on. Butterflies! Bit of a mosaic classic, but I'm going to try and do something different on them. The first one I put a version of my Summer Meadow design. I was originally going to go random with the flowers, but it ended up as a mirror version on each wing, which I think gives a lovely folk look to this butterfly, which even has mini iridescent butterflies in it's wings.








Blue Flowers Mosaic Butterfly Hanging Decoration





The second Blue Flowers butterfly I wanted to look kind of like blue and white china. I've used blues and turquoise to create the flowers including roses, poppies and daisies. Then an off white grout to finish, which has actually given the butterfly the look of sea worn blue and white pottery. It would look great in a seaside theme room, or just as a splash of blue on a fence or wall in the garden.

Friday 15 January 2016

Mosaic Maisons

Mosaic Maisons, garden art for you, a cosy home for your garden birds.

New to my website (and the houses will be available on Etsy as I add them too), Mosaic Maisons. The idea was that bird boxes make the perfect way to display panels of mosaic, so they become like a practical frame for garden art. Mosaic Maisons is a fun way to offer these bird houses like an estate agent like luxury residences for your garden birds.

The first three boxes are these, although only one has made it onto my website, the other two have been reserved. So it pays to get in quick, just like on the real property market.