Cindy - those are AWESOME!
isn't is great when something doesn't work out the way you planned and becomes a unique item anyway??
Have you tried Quikrete Resurfacer? I'm wondering if it is something similar to Quikwall - and am planning to try it myself, soon I hope. It is available here in Canada.
Laurel

Cindy - These are both beautiful. I love the way you have supposrted each one.. and the blue color is perfect.
Laura

Cindy,
Absolutely wonderful!
Adding the feet finishes the piece.
I found that in the fall I emptied one of the balls and turned it so the hole was at the bottom so that no ice would form and crack the piece, it worked this last year quite well.
I have got to get MORE time on my hands to work in the mud a little more.
Fun project!
Dena

That you took a project that didn't turn out just like you originally wanted and made it into something unique and useful. It should give beginners the courage to see that "failures" are not necessarily total losses.

I think your creations look great. Keep up the good work.

Jo

Glad you all liked my creations. There was just something about the shape of the broken piece I found appealing and really wanted to use it somehow.I did try a bag of the quick crete resurfacer, that is what the broken sphere is made of. I still have some left.I guess I really wanted less slump from it than I got, so that made me experiment with the mix more. I may have had too high expectations for the lack of slump I got. I have been working with clay and want a cement mix with the most clay like consistency I can get for sculpting with.I just have to keep playing around with mixes I guess.
Cindy

Hi,Cindy.Nice work!Finishing is what'll set apart the artist from others who might try.You are the artist!
Interesting to hear about your mix.If you want a clay-like mix,try Mymud,and really go easy on the liquid.I found that I can get very claylike if I reduce the admix I use.It's a bugger to mix(very dense)but you'll get that kind of thing you were doing with clay.I've set a lip on a ball about an inch wide by an inch tall,without a mold and no slump at all.If you need some MK,I can ship you a pound.I use it only for second or finishing coats as it has a bit of slump,or in some other non-spherical applications like masks or other mold figurines.
Just completed a second coat on a 26 inch ball and the bottom was pretty well set by the time I got to the top!
Are you doing your spheres all at once?I'm spending 4 hours each coating to get it done.If you've got a better technique,Please lay it on me.That's wearing me out!!
Cheers from here
Rick

absolutely love it. the coloring is great. such talent

Glad you all liked the bold coloring for this sphere, started off with a base coat of tibet blue, sponged on some deep purple, and then a few lighter and darker shades of blue. Rick I will send you an email about the metakaolin..I am doing the sphere in 3 different sessions. first coat to as far as I can go before the slump gets me, then leave it to set, go back flip it over and do the other end. The last skim coat all in one shot as there is more to catch to. I am making thin hamburger type patties, slapping them on, and pressing the mesh into them.It doesn't take me four hours to do each coat, maybe I have more practise making hamburgers than you Rick. I plan on making another one after my week of camping on the west coast.I will monitor the time .
Cindy

Dena - you are amazingly productive! I assumed you spent 60 hours a week in the mud!

Rick - I get ahuge plastic bag and open it over a plant stand. Then I put the inflated ball on that and start applying the mesh and quickwall. Whenever I get bored (40 min max) I quit and pull the plastic bag up over the work and use a twist tie to keep it shut. I come back a few hours later or even a few days later and proceed with the mesh and quickwall on the next part of the inflated ball. I have never had any trouble with it not seeming like one big smooth piece. Would this work for you??
Laura

Thanks for the input,Laura.I've done one ball over a couple of days,and my concern is with the line on the inside of the ball,showing the different sessions.I found that doing it all at once is the best way.I'm featuring not only the outer look but the inside as well.
Cindy-Thanks for the input as well.Doing a 30 inch diameter ball takes a long time,as did my next size down.I do a largish(say 10 by 10 inches)area so that I can add a few mesh pieces at a go.This last one I spent extra time working on the entry hole,making a fairly round opening.I've done the"dino egg" style as well and it's cool.We'll post a couple of pix this week on our website.
I thought of an interesting,multi-day,multi-person project,to get into the Guiness book of Records:Build the biggest orb we can by hand!The ball maker in California has them up to 14 feet in diameter!Now,that would be a challenge to make.Sponsors interested in the weird would line up for that!!!But,what an auditory masterpiece it would be inside the ball.If you've ever heard Paul Horn's flute playing that he recorded under the dome of the Taj Mahal,you would have some idea of what a complete,concrete dome would do.
Ah,dreams.
Cheers from here

Cindy,
Reviewing all of the posts and thank you for giving information on your coloring technique.
I have not done a sphere this summer, but there is still lots of time, and it is on the project list. First a couple of things have to get finished first.
Thanks for all the great info and the pics. Your creations are so fun to see. Would love to take a walk through the garden.
Laura,
I wish I spent 60 hours, or at least a 1/4 of that time in the mud. There is so many other things going on in my little world, and often I am drug into things that have nothing to do with mud, but somehow I feel like I have been drug through the mud.
Couple of works in process and a couple of experiments keeps my head out of the water, just treading here.
Dena

Dena-a walk in your garden is so worth it.You explore a whole lot more than I do.It's a pleasure to see a family that supports your addiction!
Thanks for your leadership in concreting-we have all learned much,young grasshopper!
Cheers from here
Rick

Cindy,
I LOVE the jagged edges. In making my first ball last summer I had a similar problem...mesh hanging down away from the ball from the slump. I quit working on it, cured it and called it a broken eggshell. I considered making a "yolk" to float inside just for fun.

I guess we would all love to devote more time to this pastime. There are so many different things to make, and things to try.I am all stocked up with supplies, have a new mask, and my company just left so will try and play some more this week.I have a few things in mind, some sand casting and some more sculpting.Dena I would love to see your garden some time. I keep wanting to explore in the Seattle area, would love to go see l&l, as well :).
Cindy

Cindy,
E-mail me anytime you are in the area, if we are home you are welcome to come on by. I would say do a self tour but our neighbors are worry warts.
I have been working a lot in the yard this year, and feeling quite accomplished with how nice things look. There is no useless time spent enjoying and tending to the garden.
Our garden was the featured yard/garden in the Mother's day issue of the Herald, a local newspaper. I am now working on another event, then back to creating and hands in the mud!!!! There are so many things to do.
Dena

Gosh Dena, your yard is sounding better all the time. That is quite an honor to be featured in the local paper like that. What is the next event you are working on? I've also been spending time in my yard, and it is so rewarding to me to see it all come together.I wish I was a bit more of a wood worker for some of my projects.I'll be in touch if I head your direction.Thanks
Cindy

Cindy

The spheres are really nice. I have been making them for about 4 years. I started out doing the jagged edge intentionally (which I really liked) but as I do wholesale to stores and garden centers, they were always getting nicked and broken, so I then made them more smooth, but irregular shape. Kudos on your finishes, very nice.

Dena....I want to come see your creations also...have been an admirer of your work for the last couple years. I live on Whidbey Island, aren't you near here?

Here is a link to my spheres:

Here is a link that might be useful: spheres

Creteman - GREAT site! Your work is very appealing. I love your rebar stands too.
Laura

Creteman, come on over. We have property near Greenbank that I have not been to for a few years. My husband was over there a couple weeks ago, things have grown up so much.
Do you ever go on the Whidbey garden tour?, it sounds fantastic.
Cindy, This morning the Northwest Arboretum garden judges are coming here (8 of them).......Should be very interesting, I think I am a very little Tetra swirled into the bigger ocean. I did this as a challenge to myself, and can see already where I/the garden could use some good solid education behind me, but that is after I retire and will take the Master Gardeners program. The draw back to their visit is that they do not share the critique with you, and I REALLY wanted that.
Now back to the real discussion A couple of New things.
I love the jagged edge spheres!!!!! and Creteman, would love to see your work, however there was an internal error so could not go beyond the first pic.
Dena

Crete man, I manged to see most of your pics, but also had the internal error message . What I did see looked great though. Very nice finishing on the inside of your spheres.You've inspired me to make one and use it for a bird bath basin with a lovely finished interior.The leaves looked great also, good for you for "getting into the business".
Dena, good for you for taking on the challenge. You should feel some real satisfaction for taking your garden to it's next level.I know you must have put in some real time making this happen.Perhaps if you speak to the judges they will allow you to contact them after for imput?Good luck.
Cindy

Dena-good morning and good luck!Hopefully,the judges have a good eye for creativity beyond the organic!
My wife took the Master Gardeners course a few years ago,and enjoyed it a lot.She learned quite a bit.Unfortunately,she can't keep up the volunteer hours and we're too much at a distance for the courses that you have to take each year.Good luck with that as well!

Cheers from here

Creteman,
I was able to view all of your creations. Beautiful metallic finishes on your geodes. I especially like the ones where there is sort of a brass tone with dots that appear to be floating under one of the finish coats. Oh to have that secret.
The rebar/metal stands are nice and simple enough that they do not detract from the concrete piece.
And yes I am not far from the Mukilteo side, about 6-7miles south.
Dena

Hi all,
I do not want to detract from the conversation about new things and spheres, but want to make a correction. There were only 4 judges, very casual and they were good judges, complimentary, without being committal, intriguing by saying, remember we are just the first round of judges etc.
The yard was full of my creations and lots of organics this time of year. Of course right after I said the majority of the things in the yard were created by me, one of the judges picked out something that was not by me.
The garden party next week should be fun.
Dena

Dena, it sounds like it went well. Encouraging I would say when they said about the first round of judges.You are having a garden party next week? Should be fun for sure, the weather is great right now.
Creteman, I also really like those finishes, and would love more details on them ?
Cindy

Cindy,
The garden party is part of the Northwest Arboretum Garden Contest. They announce the six first round winners, honorable mentions and Golden Scoop winner, and several other awards and will show past participant gardens.
My mom is really excited to go to this.
Dena

Dena-

Congrats on your new adventure! It sounds like a great thing, and I send my good wishes that you place even better than you hope you will.

You are so brave. I'm not sure I could take the steps you have, so I'll live vicariously through your experience. ;D

Please give us the details of your day when it's over. Is there a website where we can see the results when the judging is done?

Jo