Broken china and mosaic flower pots

Last week, I took a brief mosaic class from Summer Sanderson at the Thyme for Herbs Society's monthly meeting out at Beaumont Botanical Gardens. I'd often thought about trying Mosaic work, but it looked rather intimidating and complicated.

As it turns out, it's not. At least, not for small projects. Yes, it takes a certain amount of creativity and patience - the process isn't speedy - but it's great fun. First, you get to take a hammer and whack an old, chipped china plate. Then, you take those broken chips and glue them to a terracotta pot, then fill in the spaces with grout. You can make it as ornate or simple as you wish.

I find the process calming. I can sit and look for the right pieces to fit just so, and get lost in the process. No thinking about the worries of the world, no thoughts of what else I should be doing - just the joy of creating.

Here's a pot I'm starting now, to give you an idea of the early stages. I'll be filling in the rim of the pot with more pieces before grouting.