Blue and White Mosaic Ball

I hope this bowling ball bowls you over!

Mosaic Bowling Ball View 1

I have repurposed several bowling balls over the years, using mosaic techniques to decorate them with broken pieces of vintage china.

Mosaic Bowling Ball View 2

My blue and white bowling ball was my first attempt.  Every summer for over five years it has decorated my lawn.

Garden Art Bowling Ball

Time is taking it's toll, and it is now falling apart, so I am sharing these photos as I motivate myself to repair it.

Mosaic Bowling Ball View 3

Mosaic-ing a 3d sphere takes a lot more time then you think it should.  The surface area of a sphere is basically 4 times the area of a circle with the same diameter.  So a flat stepping stone with the same diameter as a sphere uses only 1/4 the amount of material, and dramatically less time.  

Mosaic Bowling Ball details

But the ball is worth repairing, to me.  I had some badly damaged flow blue china pieces, and I don't get that kind of material often.  (I didn't use good flow blue china - I collect and cherish those!) (Actually - I even cherish broken bits of china...)


Mosaic notes: I "roughed up" the bowling ball with sandpaper before I started gluing the china to it. On this bowling ball project I used mastic to glue the china pieces to the bowling ball, which is one of the reasons it is falling apart now. I now know that mastic doesn't hold up outside. I now use clear silicon caulk to glue the china pieces down, and then I grout with sanded grout over the china - Sanded grout is better for outside mosaics. And I seal the grout of any project that is going to be outside with grout sealer after the project is done. I bring the bowling balls inside once there will be frost or snow outside, but I have other projects (a bird bath, and a table) that stay outside year round. 
 

The birds are named!  Fortune and Cookie were made from China (in the US)

In a previous post on my mosaic birds, I asked for suggestions on naming my birds.  From reader input, Fortune and Cookie are what I named the two birds. They are made from china... 

Once again, stay sane and healthy, 

and do what you can to help others!

I hope you and yours are all healthy and well. 

Click on the images to see them enlarged.

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I am linking up to these parties:

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