Safety first is an absolute must! Since most statistic show that the majority of injuries occur in the home. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you should take the extra steps to insure your safety as well as your health.
When you are nipping plates and glass tiles, painting, gluing, using adhesives, mixing grout, you are exposing yourself to potential injury, infection, or illness. Appropriate protective clothing and equipment are essential.
Glass and tile shards tend to fly off in all directions. Most of that can be controlled by using a tray to nip plates over. I use a cardboard tray (found in most garden centers). This way most of the tiny shards will collect in the cardboard tray, making it easier to toss into the trash bin.
Protect your eyes! The splinters and small pieces from plates and glass tiles can be extremely sharp and very painful. Protective eyewear is a must to protect your eyes, as these splinters can fly towards your face.
Mouth and nose filter masks prevent dust and fumes form entering your lungs. Without this protection you risk infection or potential illness.
Rubber gloves or surgical gloves should be worn at all times when handling the tiles, adhesive, mortar, thinset, grout, colorants, paints, and when sanding. Some of the adhesive and grout mixtures are acidic and can irritate your hands. Splinters from broken tiles and glass will also be a concern. Be sure to wear long a long sleeve shirt.
Surgical gloves are often better for more intricate work such as laying china and glass tiles. They are tighter fitting and allow you to handle smaller pieces easier. They are generally made of latex with or without a powder coating inside. These are cheap and best of all, disposable.
Keep your creative process a safe one by applying these simple safety measures.
Stay Well and Happy!
Ciao,
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Now that you have adhered your tiles to your mosaic base, it is time to grout your piece. Before you begin I'd like to offer some helpful hints that will make your grouting experience as well as the clean up a more satisifying experience.
When I first started creating broken china mosaics, a.k.a. Pique Assiette, there was very little information available. I had many questions and very few answers or helpful hints to reference.
When most people hear the term "pique assiette mosaic" they automatically think of a mosaic created from broken china.
Safety first is an absolute must! Since most statistic show that the majority of injuries occur in the home. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you should take the extra steps to insure your safety as well as your health.
Generally, there are two basic methods to creating a mosaic piece: direct method and the indirect method. In working with vintage china and the varying types of bases.
I have a few tips some of you may find useful if you want to convert your pretty vintage plates into pretty china tiles and focals 
It is universally acknowledged that mosaic is one art form that people are more inclined to touch than any other. We are drawn to it, we want to run our hands along it's smooth cool surface. There is something calming and sensual about it.
