Is that chicken wire mesh...man when I work with it I always get cut..gotta wear gloves. Okay how do you get the cement to hold to the mesh?

It looks like the beginning of another outstanding project. You amaze me working with such big and weighty things, not to mention time consuming. I'm working on a WonderHorse project right now and it's about to eat my lunch. Keep us posted on your progress.
Frou

You are one BUSY lady! That looks fantastic....it's going to be just beautiful...can't wait to see it all finished.

Oh my poor hands!!! All cut up...just can't seem to leave my gloves on! So this is 2 layers of wire mesh, to make sure the cement has a base to stick to.(2nd layer overlaps and so smaller holes..catches the crete better. It's pretty simply done, main tube of mesh is 18" in diameter and then 3 tubes added to the sides with backerboard for tower bases, holes cut out for windows and wiring...put together with wire stitches/darts...I'm so bad, I am making this in the living room watching tv...DH would Kill me!!!lol!(when the cats at work the mice will play!ha!) Gotta go clean up my 14x21 craft room so I can crete this...I'll lay a big sheet of plastic down and make the concrete like mud pie consistancy...stay tuned...heh heh...

It seems painstaking...won't the cement go through the holes? Seems you have to kinda of baby it to make it stay? I would like to hear how you do it once you begin.... ;-)

I can't wait to see what you do with it. I'm sure it will be spectacular! Keep those pictures coming!

Now that's a really ugly project...definitely too ugly for YOUR pretty yard. Just let me know when you're ready to dump it and I'll send you my shipping address. I am sure I could find a place for it...you know...to do you a favor and all! ;)

Once this is concrete skimcoated, mosaiced, grouted...you won't be wanting to have a shipping fee!!!lol!
So I mixed up the concrete to mudpie consistancy, and smeared it on, skimming upwards, not pushing in, I do it with rubber gloves on and use my hands so I can"feel" what's going on. I smooshed too much and had to take a lot off and rearrange it to other areas...but it's done and we shall see how it turns out tomorrow, I used cincrete that said to add lme...which I don't have...so I substitued...hmmm...we sahll see....Have the roofs all cut out, just gotta tweek them and figure out what I am doing with them ie:copper sheeting

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:142745}}

Sounds like it will be beautiful & with lights on, lovely at night too. Jan

AWESOME, calamity, you're on roll with your pond creations! WOW! This is spectacular already! I am in awe of your creativeness! Keep up the good work & sharing pics! Thanks! Jeanne S.

Wow big job....seems you need to go over the crete a couple of times...wow...won't it be heavy when you wanna move it? Can't wait to see the finished project. Is it going in a pond or by the side of a pond?

>>>Once this is concrete skimcoated, mosaiced, grouted...you won't be wanting to have a shipping fee!!!lol!

Well, see...since I was going to give you a place to dump it, I thought you'd pay the shipping fee! ;)

Honestly though...I can't hardly wait to see your finished project. It IS the kind of thing I just might decide to attempt, so love hearing each of the steps along the way...especially with PICS!

Here it is lit up, hauled it back inside to mosaic it, it's raining cats and dogs here...good excuse to play instead of weeding!!!lol!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:142746}}

OH MY GOSH!!! This is like a step by step tutorial! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!! YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are INCREDIBLE!!! Have to ask... with your talent, do you have a shop? If not, YOU SHOULD!!! AND I WOULD BE YOUR BEST CUSTOMER! Bear Hugs! Kirk

If that is the lit up window, I can't wait to see the rest of it! Stupendous!

Wow...love the window! I can see that the copper roofing will be AWESOME on your castle! Look at all you get done when it's raining! (Let the weeds grow!) LOL! TFS! Jeanne S.

Nice!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see the finished castle by day and night!

Ya, I am recovering at light speed now, and my creative side is coming back...I am so grateful, as it's been non existent for a couple of yrs....well except for my throne and humpty dumpty...lol! Which I threw away..arg!!!! I miss them, how dumb of me! Rash decision! Actually I am thinking of making a bunch of stuff to sell and have a show in the spring. Couldn't do it now as I have all this landscaping/weeding/100plants to plant(sheesh, why can't I stop buying plants...gotta have one of each!!)
So I'm thinking...Kirk and DW stop by and pick up Strawberry, and head up here!!!heh heh!

Calam, that is a mind-boggling project! WOW. Like the others, I can hardly wait to see the end result.
Your creative side has come back in a BIG way. Wooo Hooo.

Can't believe you tossed Humpty out tho :o(
hugs, Karen

These are more adventures of The Starship Calamity..our mission...to boldly go where Jane has not been before....

front of castle

back of castle

scrounged copper

lol....I wonder what some people thought, when you got all that copper wire...either making a still for sour mash or maybe have a meth lab in your back yard...lol

and yeah on the picking me up, on their way up there!
I'd sit still and be a good student...take notes, pictures and then go have a drink at the purple coffee house..

seasonal rates are very affordable right now for the clipper..
I'm going to Portland over night on the weekend of the 12th of June for a wedding..that's as far as I've been in a very long time.
2 hour drive south..

you have a fabulous castle going there..and bet you need a bunch of help getting it outside to it's final resting place..
I have several sheets of plywood stacked up at the end of one truck out in the yard..lol
I have no idea what it's going to be used for but one son brought it to me for whatever I choose to use it for.
needless to say...3 days later...gestapo guy showed up, unannounced....
I won't go into detail about it or my blood pressure will sky rocket.

are you going to have the castle wired for power from the house?
then later, you're going to need to have the draw bridge..and maybe an alligator or two..

I love it!
Seeing it progress has been wonderful.
Good luck with a sale. Be sure to post about that too.
Kathy

FANTASTIC, calamity! Wow, those windows! Thanks for posting more pics of your progress! I LOVE your mosaic projects! Jeanne S.

Looking good, and progressing at an amazing rate of speed. It really looks like a real castle with that rock on it. Great job.
Frou

I started to grout but will change the grout color as it washed out the nice pebbles around the windows, and here are the copper swirls that will go on the roofs...

I am totally in awe of your castle, Jane! You must be spending your entire days working on it. I can see now how it will look when finished, and it is amazing! I can't wait to see the stained glass windows lit up!

Thanks, the roof system will be a big challenge...just hasn't "come to me", how it will work out but we shall see! My friend helping me with the pond came this weekend and did the base scratch coat for the cap stones(scrounged used building blocks)but couldn't put them on as it started to rain again... it seems so slow...4hrs a weekend is about all the work getting done to the pond, but at least it is really happening now...I'm looking at a liner instead of just a big hole! ha! have gathered/cut the pergola wood, that will go over the pond and am painting it the same color I just painted the deck next to it, so they will match, also a arbor that will lead to my 1/4acre secret garden!!! I call it the secret garden cuz Cait has one and I Gotta emulate Cait!!!(and the fact that my property drops off and it looks like it's the end of the yard but there is still a 1/4acre sloped down in tiers...I just scored 3 rain barrells so am super happy!! The sweet old couple who sold me these, (also have a annual plants sale...AND they inspired me to do my pond and have a deck with a peach tree trained to go up under the roof!) went and gathered driftwood so I could have handles on the rain barrels like they have!heh heh! so sweet!!! So many projects...and they are all to show off my garden art!!!ha! It is absolute chaos everywhere you look...kinda like those tv shows that do makeovers in 2 days, but mine has lasted a few months!!!ha! If it ever really ends! I have started this "makeover" a yr ago. But my friend is the one who is really making all my wishes come true...by helping me with it all for the last few months!Sheesh, this is so long winded...you can imagine what I am like in person!lol!

I bet in person you are fun, fun, fun to be around! And a great inspiration with garden art!

Are you kidding, calamity??? I am in AWE of all you get done! Just look at that castle....in just 1 week, all the progress you have made@! It is AWESOME! Love the grouting...even if you need to change the color a bit...it's wonderful! Can't visualize the roof yet either...but those copper pcs sure look interesting! LOL! Please keep sharing pics...love this project...and your pond will be a dream come true! I'm still in AWE of the size & bog space! Keep workin', lady...it's paying off! TFS! Jeanne S.

Oh my goodness! What a lovely project! How tall is it? I would just love to make something like that...it's spectacular! I just don't have the words to describe my admiration!

Oh to be 20 years (or even 10!) years younger and stronger! LOL! You are doing a wonderful job on your castle!

JANE -- DO YOU EAT & SLEEP ? LOL ........

I envy your talent - but I swear you must have an extra 10 hours in your days . ( Or maids to cook & clean & shop ) hehehe
You never cease to amaze me !

I N C R E D I B L E
Such energy
Such imagination
Such sticktoitness, lol
Truly enjoyed the step by step tutorial

NanaGrandma

Calamity...here's a couple flower pics from pond today...yellow iris are blooming in a pot in water & purple iris to right of fisherboy. Everything is growing!

the other pic is backside with caldium (red & green) doing so well...potted & my pebble pot I bought at a gravel/sand place many years ago...blooming with purple Million Bells...elephant ears haven't poked out of ground yet...but black iris & Asiatic lilies will be blooming soon in this area behind fisherboy.

Ponds are so great! I'm so excited about your progress! AWESOME! Jeanne S.

{{gwi:142755}}

{{gwi:142756}}