Pebble mosaics 25 original step-by-step projects for the home and garden

Pebble mosaics of Spain's Alhambra Palace and marble tesserae floors tracing back to the Roman Empire are gathered here to provide inspiring examples of adornments that beautify space. This compilation of projects goes beyond predictable approaches to interior and exterior decoration, incorporating terra cotta shards, fragments of glazed pottery, seashells, slate, and pebbles to create textural accents. From simple plaques and trivets for beginners to projects such as a garden bench that will doubtless require some degree of expertise or innate talent, and from such objects as a planter with a striped design to the gridlike pattern of a tabletop with insets for candles, the authors present a contemporary aesthetic. Step-by-step photos and text offer explicit instructions for most projects, while illustrations showing a complex undertaking such as the bench skip over the early stages of construction. Still, this primer presents useful advice on fabricating original walkways and stepping-stones, and for personalizing objects to be appliqued with cement and stones. --Alice Joyce

Mosaics are enjoying a surge of popularity among artists and landscapers, and both of these books provide ideas for outdoor projects. Outdoor Mosaic offers a selection of photos and descriptive explanations of projects in different settings done by the authors' London-based studio, Mosaic Workshop. These are mostly large, complex, professionally designed and executed works. No projects are included, but there is a chapter of technical information. Pebble Mosaics provides step-by-step projects for paths, planters, and decorative objects made from natural pebbles, shells, and shards. Many involve mortaring the mosaic to an already existing feature such as a birdbath. Outdoor Mosaic will inspire home crafters and professionals alike, while Pebble Mosaics will appeal more to beginners. Both of these books would be good additions to garden collections needing more material on mosaics. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Introduction The art of pebble mosaics has a long history and some of its ancient methods and traditions are still used today. For example, contemporary pavements and terraces in Greece echo and imitate those of the ancient world; in fact the same kinds of smooth, uncut colored pebbles can still be found and make a remarkably enduring surface when arranged as a mosaic floor. Certain kinds of vernacular architecture are characterized by the type of stone or pebble used -- the nearer the sea, the more likely you are to find sea-washed cobbles, while further inland local stones dug out of the earth, such as flints, may be used for their decorative qualities. This book will give you many inspirational ideas, from the simplest projects such as the border edging on page 32 or lattice planter on page 96 to more complicated larger projects using a combination of textures and materials. These require patience and a little more skill but the results can be spectacular, such as the tree collar on page 18 where pebbles are set into a circular cement base to make a permanent ring around a tree, or the pebble and stone path on page 36 which could transform your garden. You can collect stones, pebbles or shells from the countryside, but don't take too many and be aware of the environmental effect. With the growing interest in garden design it is now possible to buy inexpensive bags of pebbles in many colors, sizes, textures and forms. Contrast these properties to enhance your design -- rough against smooth, dark against light, large against small. Shells also work beautifully with pebbles, as do broken china and flowerpots. Few tools are required and there are no specialized techniques. Simply follow the cement mix recipes exactly for the best results. For all outdoor projects, make sure you use specialist exterior waterproof and frostproof cement or grout. This is generally of professional standard and the type used for tiling swimming pool interiors. Excerpted from Pebble Mosaics: 25 Original Step-by-Step Projects for the Home and Garden by Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell, Gloria Nicol All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.