Mini Hedgehog Hearts

Blue Hedgehog Heart (left) & Blue/Green Hedgehog Heart (right)

I'm currently offering two different colour versions of this 10cm mini Hedgehog Heart. The one on the left has an all pale blue background, and the one on the right has pale blue above the hedgehog and pale green below. Eventually I will decide which one will be the only colour version, but as the moment I'm seeing which one proves more popular. You can find both colour versions in my Etsy shop with full details and more photos.

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.

Solitary Bee Houses for the Bees, and You

Des Res Mosaic Garden Solitary Bee House

As I've got a lot of solitary bees using my bee houses this year I thought I'd make them some posh houses to use, that are totally practical for them, but are also a nice bit of colour and design for you to look at too. The first one I've called the Des Res Solitary Bee House and it has a slate roof with a mosaic design of a bee against blue skies on both sides. The wooden tube is painted in pale sky blue with a white face. The tube is totally handmade and is specifically cut to be the exact size to hold the perfect length of tube for one solitary bee to make one whole nest in one tube. The bee will lay an egg at the far end, then gather some pollen to leave in with the egg (so the baby bee has something to eat when it hatches), then the bee creates a chamber for that egg using either a piece of leaf, if it's a Leaf Cutter Bee, or a plug of mud, if it's a Red Mason Bee. It'll repeat that process right up to the end of the tube where it'll plug the end and you'll know there's a nest in the tube and which bee made it. Fascinating.

Coastal Mosaic Garden Solitary Bee House

The second version of the posh bee houses is called Coastal Solitary Bee House. This one has a fully mosaiced striped roof using the colours of the coast with sea blues and greens, and sky blues, and pastel painted wood. All the bamboo canes are removeable from both designs so when the nests have hatched in spring, the tubes can be replaced. You can buy exact size replacements, or you can cut some yourself, ready for the bees looking to make their new nests in late spring / early summer.

Bumblebees in Blossom Mosaic Hanging Heart

Large Bumblebees in Blossom Mosaic Hanging Heart

Mini Bumblebee in Blossom Mosaic Heart

I think spring is springing. I saw my first bumblebee of the year a few days ago and I got all inspired to make some hanging hearts using my mosaic bumblebees. Two sizes, large and mini, and both are made to commission. This is a bit different to made to order, because the made to order designs I have the materials set aside for so when the order comes in I can make straight away. With the made to commission designs, I may not have all the materials to make in stock so will order in anything I need. I'm running a Made to Commission album on Facebook, which will have all the designs in it with the sizes and use info, and the way to order anything in that album will be to message me on Facebook to let me know which on you're interested in, then I can send you a price and a making time too.

Pink Roses Hanging Heart Garden Decoration

Pink Roses Hanging Heart Garden Decoration

The first new design of 2015 from me, the Pink Roses Hanging Heart Garden Decoration. I had designed the rose and used it in a bird bath a few months ago, and I fancied using it to create a fabric look on a hanging heart. I used some very delicate iridescent and plain pastel pink tiles for the roses, and used fresh greens for the leaves to give a nice bright background. It's worked really well with the black grout popping the colours out. So 2015 has started well with this design, which I like so much I am going to use it in a bird bath, and I'm going to try more colourways of it too. You can either follow me on Facebook to see these new designs take shape and find out when they get listed on my website, or you can follow this blog.

Water Drops Mosaic Heart Hanging Decoration

Water Drops Mosaic Hanging Decoration

Inspired by the graduating colours used in the Elements Bird Bath this Water Drops mosaic heart uses water droplets shapes to create the pattern and the colours graduate across the face. There is a small circular mirror to add some interest along with the iridescent tiles used that have a metallic shine when the light angle catches them. This heart is suitable for sheltered garden use (not too much water, definitely no ice), or indoor use. A lovely, unique decoration for your home or garden.

Muted Garden Heart Decoration

Muted Heart Garden Hanging Decoration

I had some magenta nuggets that I wanted to use in a design, and a slate heart that I wanted to create a garden ornament out of. So I designed a soft palette of purples, browns and pastel blues and toned down the magenta by adding a dark blue mottling to them so they tied in with the design. The white tiles used have a slightly pitted surface that has taken specks of the grout to create an almost white granite effect. It's a lovely Muted Heart Garden Decoration for adding a touch of subtle colour to the home or garden.

Cloud of Butterflies Slate Garden Decorations

Clouds of Butterflies Slate Paddlestone Decoration

It's official. I've gone butterfly mad. I just love the colour palettes I can put together using these mini ones. And they look great as a Cloud of Butterflies on these slate paddlestones. These slates would be great adding colour in a garden, as part of a container display, at the front of a border, next to a pond, on a raised bed wall....

They would also look great indoors. Maybe in a bathroom, or on a mantel or windowsill where the light can catch them and make the iridescent tiles shine with their metallic colours.

Beautiful Butterflies

Blue & Orange Butterfly Mini Bath

Have you noticed the amount of butterflies around already? Looks like it might be a good year for them. And seeing all these beauties has inspired me to make some more butterfly mosaic designs. I've made a butterfly mini bath which is designed to have pebbles in for the butterflies to land on and sip the water from the edges.

Blue & Purple Cloud of Butterflies Slate Decoration

The other design is a slate garden decoration with a cloud of mosaic butterflies on it. Some are plain colour tiles and some are iridescent so shine with metallic colours when the light catches them. Great for adding colour in a border, or as part of a display of pots, or next to a pond, or......

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.

Mosaic Bee Coaster

Mosaic Bee Coaster

The mosaic bees have flown onto this fab selection of coasters. These can be used indoors out outside in the garden as all materials are weatherproof. The bees have iridescent wings that shine with metallic magenta and blue. They are great decorative items that are practical too. Find them on my website - JoSara.co.uk

Purple Butterfly Slate Garden Decoration

Purple Butterfly Slate Garden Decoration

I've adapted part of the Butterfly Bird Bath design to use it as a mosaic decoration on this purple slate paddlestone. These paddlestones are great as they are usually slightly slanted so the iridescent tiles used for the butterfly's wings catch the light and shine with metallic magenta, blue and gold. The circle is made with a pale lavender / lilac tile to compliment the slate and the butterfly.

It's a lovely garden ornament that can be used all year round, but it would also make a lovely ornament for the home too. Or even a fancy paperweight for a desk.

Slate Shades Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

Slate Shades Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

Iridecent tile detail 

This Slate Shades bird bath design came about after I was playing with tiles to come up with a new colour palette. I knew I wanted to do a simple linear design, and these tile colours reminded me of slate colours, so the idea was that it would be as if the bird bath was made with slices of different colours of slate. To add interest to the design there is a line of iridescent tiles that have purple and blue metallic colours that match the design. A nice simple, modern pattern that would suit any style of garden.

Bees and Dragonflies

It's been very busy over the last few weeks. I reckon the change in weather to something looking a bit more like summer has got people thinking more about their gardens. Or it could be the Springwatch effect, which gets people thinking more about their garden birds. My own garden birds have been using my bird baths daily. I usually have to top them up in the evening so they've got water for the next day's bathing.

Had a nice order from a garden designer that was making a Japanese themed garden. I hadn't made the bird baths she chose with a Japanese pattern in mind, but when I put them together ready to pack them I could see why she chose them. Funny how different people see different things. Interesting too. I've also been working on a commission for a museum shop in The Highlands. They're now stocking a nice selection of bees and dragonflies. The lady that ordered them was so happy with them that she was the first purchaser of a slate. That's a compliment.

The selection in my shops is a bit low now, so I'm currently working on topping up with a few new designs. Keep an eye on JoSara.co.uk for them being added very soon. And be quick if you like any of them. They aren't hanging around long at the moment, and some of the designs may well be one offs.

Mosaic Bee and Daisies Slate Garden Decoration

Mosaic Bee and Daisy Flower Slate Garden Decoration

Mosaic Bumblebee with iridescent wings

The latest listing to my shop is this mosaic bumblebee with rose pink daisies on a purple slate paddlestone. The bee's wings are iridescent so shine with metallic colours in certain light angles. And the daisy flowers have translucent mauve glass centres to match the plum slate. This decoration would look great placed in a bee border, or near a plant that the bees love. The help you along, this decoration comes with a packet of bee flower seeds.

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.



Wales, Slate, and Dragons (sort of).



Mosaic Dragonfly Slate Garden Decoration



February's Monthly Challenge theme on Folksy.com is Wales / St. David's Day. As luck would have it (again, my entry for last month was something I was creating anyway that happened to fit the theme), I had just got some slate to make another one of my Mosaic Dragonfly Slate Garden Decorations. It occured to me that the slate was perfect, with Welsh slate being world famous. It was only when I was typing up my description that the dragon bit struck me too. It's a bit of a cheat, but on the other hand, it is a dragon. Of sorts.

Here's the Pinterest board with all the entries so far - Folksy Monthly Challenge - the colours are fab. I love egg yolk yellow and tangerine orange.




Slate Mosaic Flower Pot Garden Hanging Decoration






I've added another piece of slate to my shop too. I happened to end up with a bit of slate that reminded me of a plant pot shape. So I chipped away at it to develop the shape and made it into a Slate Plant Pot Mosaic Hanging Garden Decoration by adding a rim to the top with some more slate, then decorating the front with an aqua glass heart surrounded by a pale aqua mosaic. The aqua glass heart stands proud of the mosaic so the light shines right through it from the side and makes it sparkle. I think it would look great hanging on a shed. All from a shard of slate that reminded me of a flower pot. Inspiration comes from allsorts, doesn't it.

Hidden Treasure




Hidden Treasure Mosaic Garden Bird Water Bath

 




Hidden Treasure Mosaic Garden Bird Water Bath

  

The idea for this Hidden Treasure Bird Bath followed on from making my Fossil one. I wanted to make one that showed finding treasure in rocks, like precious metals or gemstones. So this design is representing cracks in rock, and the treasure sparkling through. When the bird bath is full, it'll add to the 'hidden' effect as you get a glimpse of the iridescent stones sparkling underneath the water in between the lines of grey tiles which are like layers of slate.