Flow Blue Mosaic Mirror

Mosaic Mirror

I have loved china since before I picked out a china pattern as a bride many years ago.  This strange love would have me window shopping the china sections of department stores for years after I was married, enjoying the many patterns that were out of my price range, and knowing I would have a hard time choosing just one anyway.  My everyday tableware?  The versatile and hardy "Just White" by Corelle.  I used this daily, for over 20 years... 

I started collecting china at rummage sales.  I would see lone plates and buy them. (I guess I started collecting china for future china hutch displays and table scaping, which I hadn't yet heard of, but at the time I told myself - "Maybe I will use this plate for mosaics."  It gave me an excuse to collect china I liked.)  I would buy teacups and saucers, even though I don't drink tea.  I would buy broken and chipped china and glued together china also, spare saucers without a cup, etc.  After a while, I even went to some antique dealers and arranged to buy broken and chipped china that they wouldn't usually sell.  These dealers, too, had a hard time throwing out beautiful pieces of china.  I got my first pieces of flow blue china as broken plates from an antique dealer.

I made some stepping stones for outside, a couple of trivets, and then I really wanted to use my broken flow blue china, so I made the frame shown.  This mosaic frame square is 10.5" wide x 10.5" high, framing a square 3.5" x 3.5" mirror. (Does anyone else recognize this as an IKEA frame?)  Even the sides of the frame have mosaic china edging.

Mosaic Mirror

I may never have china of this caliber to work with again, which is why this is my favorite mosaic creation to date. This mirror is a delight to my eye - eye candy for the wall.

The china pieces in this mosaic frame include:

"Astoria" Flow Blue pattern (one of my favorites)

"Kelvin" Flow blue pattern

3+ different Blue Willow sources.

A Japanese version of blue onion china.

The Astoria and Kelvin china sources were cracked, chipped or damaged to the point of not being salable by the antique dealers who are my source for great china.  "Faux flow blue blue willow" patterns were also used.  (I like saying that, but my husband doesn't get why that is funny.  Is it funny to any of you blog readers?)

No historically important china pieces were harmed in the creation of this frame, which hangs in my bedroom.    :)

This type of ceramic mosiac work (using china) is sometimes called Pique Assiette, or picassiette.

Click on the images to see them enlarged. 

 

 

 

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Colorado Lady for Vintage Thingies Thur (Entry 22 of 53).
Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday 96 (Entry 25 of 101)

Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thur 26 (Entry 3).
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Hills are Living for Favorite Things Friday (Entry 35 of 140).  
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Roses for Show off your Cottage Mon (Entry 63 of 63).
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