Bee & Butterfly Cafe Signs

Bee & Butterfly Mini Mosaic Garden Cafe Sign (comes with bee & butterfly flower seeds)

Now available on my website, mini Bee & Butterfly Mosaic Cafe Signs, complete with bee and butterfly flower seeds to 'open' your garden cafe.

Mosaic Bumblebee Bee Hanging Heart Decoration

Daisy and Forget-Me-Not Mosaic Bumblebee Hanging Hearts

Been really busy over the last month, so the blog posts have been a bit sparse. If you want to keep up with new makes and new ideas that I've got, the best way is to follow me on Facebook - josaradesign - I also show new things I've made on there first and my page followers get first chance to buy them too.

Like these Bee Hearts, a daisy version and a forget-me-not version too. All sold out now, but when I make some more you'll see them on Facebook first.

Mosaic Garden Ball Sphere Decoration Ornaments

Mosaic Garden Ball Sphere Decoration Ornaments

I've made a couple of new garden ball decorations using some bird bath designs. The first is a Canal Folk Roses one which is a lovely bright design to add colour to a border. The other ball is the Daisy Bee and has a design with a combination of bird bath motifs on it, including daisies in 2 sizes, a bee, and mini butterflies. Another one that would look great in a container, or on a patio as part of a pot display.

Summer Daisies Mosaic Garden Sphere

Summer Daisies Mosaic Garden Sphere Decoration

I've been meaning to make a garden ball for a while now after it was suggested that one of my rose designs would look good as one. In the end I decided to adapt another of my designs to make this Summer Daisies Mosaic Garden Sphere. It's come out really well. A perfect little ball of summer to add colour to your garden in a border, as a lawn ornament, or on a patio, you could even use it as decoration indoors. All the butterflies are iridescent to add metallic shine to the design as well as the bold red and orange colours. I think I'm going to end up making one of these for myself. And I can definitely see me trying more sphere designs. They are actually very relaxing to make, considering the shape.

Vintage Fabric Effect Mosaic House Number

Vintage Fabric Look Mosaic House Numbers

Vintage Fabric Look Mosaic House Number

These house number mosaic plaques have been designed to look like they've got a vintage Liberty style fabric background. The mosaic is made up of small flowers, and butterflies, filled in with small leaves. The grout on the front design has then been overpainted with weatherproof paint to create a rough texture to finish the vintage fabric look.

Delphinium Reflections Bird Bath

Delphinium Reflections Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

The idea of the mosaic design in this bird bath was having a spike of mixed delphinium blooms and the mini butterflies flitting around them as if they are being reflected in the water of the bird bath. The blue butterflies are iridescent and the plum butterflies are transparent to add interest and depth to the design. Each delphinium flower has a mini white daisy with a lilac centre in it's centre.

Vintage Flowers Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

Vintage Flowers Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

The lovely neutral, natural palette used for the mosaic in this Vintage Flowers bird bath give the flowery pattern a fab vintage fabric look. The neutral tones are used in a graduated style on the border of the bird bath. It's a bird bath that would suit any style of garden, contemporary to cottage.

Dragonflies & Daisy Mosaic Slate Garden Decoration

Dragonflies & Daisy Mosaic Slate Garden Decoration

The three iridescent dragonflies are flitting around the rose pink daisy flower. All the materials used are suitable for all year garden use so this slate decoration is great for adding a splash of metallic colour in the garden.

Cream Roses Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

Cream Roses Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

Another new design. Cream Roses. This time I wanted to add to the flower bird baths that I've got. At the moment I've only got daisies, so I thought I'd add some roses. I also wanted a light, airy feel to the design, so I used cream for the roses, and two light shades of jade green for the leaves and background. The rest of the design is finished with pastel aqua blue which has the feeling of a summer sky. It's a lovely shabby chic looking bird bath that would look great in a border, or used as a feature ornament.

Mosaic Garden Water Lily Pond Bird Baths

Jade & Pink Water Lily Bird Bath

Blue & White Water Lily Bird Bath

It's been a very busy July, and I've been selling out of a lot of designs without a chance to make more up. But, at the moment I'm writing this blog post, both of the water lily pond colourways - Blue & White / Jade & Pink - are both back in stock. For now. So if you've got your eye on one....... : )

Waterlily Mosaic Pond Garden Bird Bath

Waterlily Mosaic Pond Garden Bird Bath

Another new, but old, design added to stock. I've 
made a lot of fish pond bird baths. But this time I've decided to leave the goldfish out and make a waterlily pond so I've filled the gaps with a couple of extra waterlily flowers, and lily pads. I've made one of the waterlily flowers in a peach/pink colour as some waterlilies change colour as the flowers get older. I've also used a lighter blue for the background this time. I think it's worked well. The iridescent tiles in the lily pads, and the pink flower add extra interest to the design.

Rose Daisy Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

Rose Daisy Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

I made a mosaic for a bird box recently with a pattern using the smaller, lighter coloured porcelain daisies. I liked the end result so much, I've decided to add it to a bird bath. The porcelain daises are a light matt rose shade, and the larger daisies are made with glass tiles and have a deeper slighty more translucent pink tone.

I've got other bird baths designs in my shop with the larger daisies on them, but on those I've used them like a fabric pattern so they are evenly spaced over the base of the birdbath.

On this Rose Daisy version I've randomly placed the flowers in a semi circle spray, and filled the border and background with one colour, a pastel aqua shade. It's created a lovely, soft effect to the design.

Folksy Handmade - Summer Garden

Summer Border Suncatcher Cards
JoSara

This week is a feel good Folksy Friday with a selection of garden views. I have just completed a set of suncatcher cards that are designed to let the sun through to light up the colours, and light up the recipents day too. Just making these cards gave me the feel good factor that a flower border in summer brings. So I thought I'd share that and collect a whole page of summeryness. I have tried to select things that have had the garden design totally created by the designer/artist. That way there's a great selection of styles, and crafts.

To see more pictures and get the full details on any of the items, just click on the pic to go to the shop.

After the Rain Watercolour
Dancing Cat Studio

My Garden In June
Suzi Whinder-Cartwright

Abstract Poppies Original
Art by Mr P

Summer Meadow Tea Cosy
Gertrude

Cottage Garden Pin Cushion
Lynwoodcrafts

Summer Meadow Cuff
Claire Gent

Gated Garden Lino Print
Zebedee

Secret Garden Fibre Brooch
By Sally

ACEO A Summer Border
Brushes and Bodkins

Flowery Machine Embroider Brooch
Chocolatefrog

ACEO The Walled Garden
Bluebeezy

Embroidered Flower Garden Picture
Busy Blue Cat

Summer Garden Suncatcher Cards

Magenta Foxgloves Suncatcher Card

Blue Delphinium Suncatcher Card

Wildflowers Suncatcher Card

Set of 3 Summer Garden Suncatcher Cards

Another set of Suncatcher Cards has been added to my website. This set of 3 has a selection of summer garden borders. There's a wildflower border with poppies, cornflowers, and daisies. Another border including magenta foxgloves, and white cowslip. And the final border has blue delphinium, pink echinacea, and orange rudbeckia. They are designed to be displayed with the light shining through them so the translucent paint used lights up and brightens the design. They would make great birthday cards for gardeners, or just as a general card to brighten someone's day. Unique, traditional, and contemporary at the same time.

Purple Chrysanthemum Flower Mosaic Bird Bath

Purple Chrysanthemum Flower Mosaic Bird Bath

Purple Chrysanthemum Bird Bath

This is the latest addition to my bird bath range. The Purple Chrysanthemum Flower Mosaic Bird Bath. It's a design I've made before, but this time I've used graduating colours in the petals going from dark plum inner petals, to lilac outer ones. I really like the effect that it gives.

Ditsy Daisy Suncatcher Cards

Blue and Yellow Ditsy Suncatcher

Blue and Yellow Daisy Card

Pink and Orange Ditsy Suncatcher

Pink and Orange Ditsy Daisy Suncatcher Card

Back in stock for Spring, these suncatcher cards are designed to let the sun shine through the handpainted ditsy daisy design, making it light up and spread colourful shadows.The design has a vintage fabric look, and is available in Pink and Orange, or Blue and Yellow versions. Something a bit different and perfect for brightening the recipients day.

Heathland Mosaic Plant Flower Pot Set

Heathland Mosaic Garden Herb Plant Flower Pot Set

Heathland Pots and Bird Box

Another addition to my new Landscape range. I've already listed a couple of bird boxes in the Coast, and Heathland palettes. I've now got this set of 3 Heathland flower pots in stock. I think these would look great with silvery plants like lavender, or succulents, or herbs. Which are perfect for the Heathland theme too as it's a hot, dry landscape which is just what these plants like.

This pot set will come with a free mini packet of Thyme seeds to get you started if you haven't got any herb plants. Maybe they could be used in the kitchen to have fresh herbs there all year (you'll need to stand them on a saucer, or tray to catch the water). You could colour co-ordinate your herbs to the pots, so some basil in the small one, some chives in the medium, and a thyme plant in the big one. And you could place the pots outdoors in the summer and bring them indoors for the winter. The pots are designed to be used outdoors all year if needed though, and would look great in the garden adding colour.

Viola Flowers Bookmark / Suncatcher Blank Card



Viola Flowers Bookmark / Suncatcher Hand Painted Greeting Card



This is the third in my Bookmark / Suncatcher card series, where the card design can be removed and used as a gift suncatcher, or bookmark. Continuing with the garden / nature / wildlife theme that I try and stick to in my shops, this one has a design of three viola flowers, hand painted in deep rich blue and golden yellow which are really intense when the light shines through them. A great, unique card/gift for a gardener, or flower lover, avid book reader, or just anyone who likes something a bit different.

Wildlife Mosaic

I've created a couple more of my mosaic Dragonfly and Bee designs. This time on some fab slate paddlestones. The colours of the slate really come out when they are wet. The purple slate becomes a gorgeous dark plum. The grey slate becomes mottled with a pastel green. They look really good. The mosaic dragonfly has misty grey wings with pastel pink, blue and green in some light angles. But when the light catches them just right they shine with metallic blue, magenta and gold. The bee has translucent blue wings that shine electric blue and gold.