Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Another Christmas gift, this time tiles


I have three sets of tiles I will be working on.

I decided to work on the larger tiles that my neighbor gave me last year.  They had been used and removed, so nothing ventured, nothing lost.

I pulled out my Sharpies, because I had a plan.  After I cleaned the tiles using isopropyl alcohol

I created a T, which I planned to give to my friend Kathy whose last name begins with a T.

I got out my pipette and poured some alcohol in the lid of the alcohol.  You may not need 91%, but it's all I have, so that's what I used. 

Imagine my shock and surprise when the alcohol spread the colors, except for the silver and black, which stuck out like sore thumbs.

Instead of waiting for the alcohol to dry, I tried to add more Sharpies to the mix, attempting to avoid the now spreading alcohol.

Now I had to wait for the alcohol to dry before I could proceed.  That's when I decided to try another technique using the Sharpies and alcohol.

I forgot to show results of the previous tile, but show that I went on to color the two remaining tiles.

These turned out better than I expected.

Once dry, I decided to add more color.


Now that the other tiles were dry, I went back to work on the large and one small tile.

Now I was getting a look I actually liked.

Once I was sure they were dry, I drug out my Future Floor Wax, which I picked up at my Household Hazardous Waste Swap and Shop.  Free to me because I live in the county, they charge me a small fee on my taxes each year, so I want to get my money's worth.

Little did I realize this wax was so old it was gooey and refused to leave the container.   It should have poured out and self leveled.

Obviously, this wasn't going to self level.  I was hoping the ripples would look like travertine tiles.

Unfortunately, it just looks like globs of goo to me.

I kept hoping it would settle a bit once it began to dry.

Unfortunately I doubt that is going to happen.

This project could well be a bust (and not the chesty kind)!  Only time will tell.  For now, these tiles will sit in the garage over Thanksgiving and the weekend, until I'm sure they have completely dried and cured.


This is Day 23 of AEDM.   I don't seem to be faring too well in the gift giving department this year.  I appreciate you visiting, and hope you learned from my obvious mistake.

16 thoughtful remarks:

Valerie-Jael said...

I hope that the wax will dry out in a few days, you do try to think out some original gifts, that's sure. Have a fun day, hugs, Valerie

froebelsternchen said...

They turned out great in my mind! Unique gifts !
oxo Susi

Anonymous said...

Cool Christmas gifts! I never would have thought of this...xox

pearshapedcrafting said...

These look great to me! What a way to learn!! I just know you will come up with something! Hugs, Chrisx

CJ Kennedy said...

This is intriguing. What are the tiles to be used for?

Jeanie said...

It's hard to tell from a photo and you know best both what it should be and what it is, but the globby wax does give it sort of a texture. It will be interesting to see what you think after it dries.

That said, I really love the way the tiles looked (pre-wax!) and how the alcohol worked on them. I have a few small ones I had bought for a coaster project I never did and I think I may try that.

Any suggestions as to what to use on top if we can't find that particular acrylic? A polyurethane? Some other type of floor wax? I might have to try this!

Thank you, Sharpie Queen!

Dianne said...

the colors ended up looking wonderful! hope the wax cures ok...just think "beeswax"...that stuff is really thick isn't it? *grinning* great use of the stuff you had on hand! will send you an email later, so check when you get a chance... hugs! ♥

Sami said...

I like all the tiles with the blues, just because they are my favourite colour! I think the blobs on the tiles give it a bit of dimension and interest.

Sandra Cox said...

Hmm, I have tile left from the kitchen remodel........

chrissie said...

Now there's a gift I never would have thought of and such original designs as well. Hope they dry ok

Love Chrissie xx

Divers and Sundry said...

I like the way they turned out, with the texture as it is. But I'm wondering if it could be heated somehow and rubbed -or maybe lightly sanded- to smooth it if you don't care for the texture. Anyway, I like it and am thinking folks will enjoy them as gifts.

Birgit said...

What a cool idea! I would say that this is a happy accident because it looks textured as if you placed saran wrap down to achieve the look. I think they look really cool

Meggymay said...

I was thinking would a little gentle heat help and I read someone else has just suggested it. However, to me they look awesome, truly unique and no one would have another the same, the texture as they are is fantastic.
Yvonne xx

My name is Erika. said...

I really like the way they look. They may not be travertine, but I think they look way cooler. More artistic. I hope you show us the final looks once they dry! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving day tomorrow. Do you eat turkey or go all veggie? Enjoy. Hugs-Erika

NatureFootstep said...

lol, art isn´t easy and rarely turns out the way we thought. But many times it comes out better then we thought.

I like them the way they turned out. :) Most likely they will be appreciated :)

Claudia W | ImagesByCW said...

What a great experiment. I actually think they do rather look like modern art the way they are. I'll be curious to see if you are going to change them more or not after the weekend.