this is amazing. This proves that the U are really talented.! Thanks for sharing this lovely stuff with us.! Kudos to U mate.!!!

Alright, I just had to put it in print here that I have decided to try making these on my own. I really want a new and unique bird bath, and cannot find anything I can afford that I even like. I'm willing to work on these until I get one I like. If I can't get it painted to look beautiful, I have a cousin who can... Wish me luck!

Go for it Mary! You'll have fun with it and have the best birdbath in town. I just posted a long how-I-do-it in another thread.

Those leaf bowls are fabulous, Pogo!
I love colors you painted them!

Love your work.

Ooooooooeeeeeeeeee!!! I just saw those leaves. They're gorgeous. Don't think I could do anything like that myself.

DaisyDew, how's yours coming along? Any pics?

Uh, yeaaaah. About that. Not exactly.

Our life is currently upside-down while DH is remedying his joblessness, and I haven't had the energy to start them yet, but I have two new beds and a start on my angel memory garden.

Perhaps you mentioned it in the mix of posts, but do you use fresh, still green leaves or can you use them when they just start to yellow and wilt?? I have a source for the "weak" ones, but it'll be next year before I have my own "stash" planted.

The fresher the leaves the better. You can use wilted leaves, some of my leaves are wilted before I can get the mix on them, but the farther they are from fresh the easier they will tear. The concrete mix is heavy and and you need to be pretty gentle and careful even with a good fresh leaf. When they're weakened it's that much harder.

In the pics, it looks like maybe 1/2" thick after curing, is that about right? And you pour the mixture over the back of the leave while it's on sand?? (I think I read that right!)

Are you going to make a leaf Wiley? That would be great!

I get the mix about 1/2 inch thick in the center, but try and thin it to about 1/4 at the edges for a nicer edge. The mix is the consistancy of toothpaste so it doesn't pour. More water in the mix makes a weak cement that will crack. I take a golfball sized handfull of cement and pat it around in my hands, then gently pat it on to the back of the leaf, thinning and spreading as I go.

The leaf is laid with the back side up on some sand made in the shape you want. Put a sheet of thin plastic between the leaf and sand, to keep the sand out of the sticky cement.

I hope you try one, it's fun

That looks great!

www.peyoteway.org sells "Mana" pottery which is neat.

I'm going to try it--the DIL LOVES elephant ears (and all thing else elephant) and a "welcome" placard, stepping stone (or fountain if I get industrious) would make a great Christmas present.
Of course, first I've got to steal a leaf or two-----

Do you sell your wares?
Red

I haven't sold any yet but I will have to find an outlet soon or we'll have to build another garage for storage . I pondered in another post somewhere about the need to keep creating stuff when I've run out of places to put it.