it is (almost) finished

The mural at the coffee shop is *almost* done. If you want to visit it, it's in the almost-finished Dunn Brothers Coffee shop at Oak and Washington on the U of M campus. If you look in the windows, you get a great view of it! You can see images of the install here

I have to go back later today and grout the seam lines and the new corner pieces I glued on yesterday, after it was up. It's so amazing to see it UP on the wall, and how great the colors look with the paint and other finishes that Nikki chose.

The guys that helped me out, Kelly and T-man, were amazing. They ground down the edges to make them straight, and were very patient with me and the piece. I wouldn't have been able to do it without them! However, I did learn that I probably didn't need to leave open edges-in a lot of cases we just drilled right through a grouted open spot. But how was I to know? They also gave me lots of advice on my *next* mural. Anyone need one? HA!

Today I have about a billion errands to run for my show tomorrow. This is the final week for costumes and props for the latest show at the skool, which is going to require me making about 600 fake pieces of mail. And Friday, I leave for Florida with my family! Yippeeeeeeee!

attack!

(two of my favorite stuffed animals ever! Cat and Crow, both will be available at my sale on the 10th!)

well my fingers have been healing and returning to their normal color since the great grouting incident of aught-eight. they are still really tender and the middle right finger keeps bleeding, but for the most part, i've stopped wearing a million bandaids.

the installation is now going to take place on saturday the 9th. then, on the 10th, is my show at the VFW in uptown. we've gotten over 50 vendors signed up, and i've been adding info to the blog and am going to be making a map for folks to take home, so no one has to worry about their contact information being lost! brilliant, eh?

i'm also making duckieuglings.com buttons for the show. i am going back and forth about selling them or giving them out. each animal gets one attached to their back with the price tag fastened to that, and if anyone buys jewelry i'll give them one too. but should i sell the other ones for like 50 cents or just give them to folks for free? i just don't know!

lastly, i'm bringing two of my gumball machines to the sale, and loadin' them up with M&M's. YUM!

drawing to a close

i spent last night hangin' out with my folks and watching the biggest loser. i've never seen the show before, but jason really wants us to apply.

but then the whole world is going to know i'm fat! (/sarcasm)

well the mosaic has been quite the learning process. i've been working in a roughtly counter clock-wise spiral progression from the lower right corner and back around, and I can see how early on i wasn't doing such a great job of fitting the pieces together, using too much adhesive, etc. but i got a lot better as the piece went on. and now i'm into one of the final stages, grouting.

grouting has never been my favorite process, and it's funny that it's GOT to be last. i am known for leaving unpleasant tasks until the last minute, say cleaning my house right before a party instead of doing it gradually over time. i don't know of anyone who LIKES to do unpleasant tasks first, but it is ironic that you can't HELP but do this one last.

i've got the coffee cups done, but i do have a pretty major gash on my left index finger. as i was grouting little streaks of orange-red kept showing up, i had cut my finger thru the rubber glove, and it was now seeping out into the grout. ish.

i had underestimated the amount of black grout i am going to need so i have to run up to home depot in forest lake or white bear to pick up some more. bummer! i don't want to over buy, but i don't want to have to make another supply run in the middle of the project.

8:30 PM-I have finished the grouting! It looks AWESOME, in my opinion.

i have sacrificed 4 fingertips to the slicey parts sticking up on the surface however, and my hands are stained black, too. But it's worth it!

Now, I just have to screw it to the wall at the coffee shop, cover up the screws, and re-grout the lines between the panels. Another 4 hours of work, and it'll be DONE!