Adrift in a Sea of Glass - Garden totem tutorial

Back in June I took a short 3 hour workshop from
Val Pollard at Ephemera Paducah.

It was called Garden Totems, and since (having just moved in to a house with an established garden) there was not really going to be any planting this year I thought why not!?! Well, just like that 3-hour tour they took on Gilligan's Island, I found myself in a sea of glass -- for I was hooked.

The process starts by finding no longer loved glassware and dishes, gathering some basic supplies and casting off. The dishes can almost be any kind, but a couple of things to keep in mind when prowling through yardsales and thrift stores:

you need glass & ceramic things of various sizes
colored glass is wonderful,
but don't discount all that cut clear glass
having a flat surface is easier than a carved surface
plates work great to help between sections
and don't forget all those fun finds for toppers

Once you've got your own sea of glass you'll want to wash everything up before using.
Then get some rubbing alcohol and clear silicone(graded for outdoor use) and you're ready to go.

Playing with how things will stack is the next order of business, but once you start gluing you'll want to glue pairs together -- then the pairs -- then the sections. I like to give a couple of hours between section gluing.

Things to keep in mind as you glue:
put enough of the silicone around the edge to form a seal
and plates up will gather and hold water vs plates down will whisk water away

Here are some photos of a couple of my totems in process, followed by some fun toppers:

Be warned -- it can be addictive!
Enjoy.... and send big thanks to Val for letting me share.

Back to Stitching
~Rose