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Smalti Assortment SM-RAINBOW 1-POUND

Smalti Assortment SM-MX00 1-POUND is a bulk assortment of our smalti. This mix contains all of the colors we carry, but there may be more of some colored tiles and fewer of others. We try to homogenize the blend, but getting an exactly even amount of each color would be exceedingly difficult.

Smalti is traditional hand-cut mosaic glass that has a different look and feel from molded tile. It is the glass to use for reproducing religious icons, antique mosaic art, or making modern interpretations of classical designs. This assortment is sold by the pound, which is 160+ pieces on average.

Mud Turtle Mosaic™ brand smalti is a next-generation smalti. It looks like ordinary smalti (non-molded hand-cut rectangles), but it can be cut more predictably and cleanly with less waste and fewer shards, which often an issue with smalti. Avoid having to discard a significant percentage of your expensive materials as cutting scrap. This brand cuts more efficiently because of how it is poured and cooled. With Mud Turtle Mosaic™ smalti, extra care is taken to ensure that the mixture is more homogeneous and that little or no cold seams are formed during the pouring of the molten material out on the slab. The result is that are fewer blobs and swirls and fault plains inside the glass. These artificial internal structures are what causes regular smalti to break in such odd ways and form such vicious finger-poking shards. With this brand, there are also fewer surface pits and crevices for grouts and mortars to contaminate.

Product Coverage

Traditionally mosaics made from smalti were not grouted. However, if your mosaic will be outdoors or in a wet location, then you need to leave a gap between the tiles so that if can be filled with grout to seal out moisture. Having a grout gap means that you will need about 10 to 15% less smalti than otherwise.

Piece Count

One sales unit (1 pound) USUALLY contains 160+ pieces, with 168 being the average for the material we sampled. However, the smalti is sold by weight, and if the factory cuts a batch with slightly larger pieces, then that batch will have fewer pieces per pound.

Compatibility

Smalti is hand cut when it is made at the factory, and so it had a different look and feel from regular molded glass mosaic tile that is pressed into a uniform shape. Smalti is also significantly thicker than most of the glass tile we sell. For these reasons, mosaics look best when they are made from one type material or the other but not both.

Cutting Smalti

Mud Turtle Mosaic™ Smalti cuts extremely well with the mosaic glass cutters that we sell.

Smalti Mosaic Glass

Price for this assortment is per pound, which is USUALLY 160+ pieces.
The factory could potentially cut the pieces slightly larger, which would reduce the piece count per pound.
hand-cut non-molded rectangular pieces.
variable dimensions: ~1/4 inch x ~5/8 inch x ~1/4 inch thick.
coverage: about 2.5 to 3 pounds per square foot with coverage being affected by how the smalti is cut by the artist.
Pigments: colorfast metal oxide.
Solid color throughout.
Opaque.
Cut surface is glossy.
Cuts relatively easily with mosaic glass cutters.
Heat, frost and chemical resistant.
Suitable for both commercial and residential installation, indoors and out.

Use in Mosaic Art

This smalti is probably the best you can find if you need to render small details in smalti because it can be cut smaller with less waste than other brands. It also has little or no surface pitting, so you can grout a mosaic made from this material without having specks of grout remaining all over the face of the mosaic in pits. The product is highly recommended.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

Smalti Sample Board

Smalti Sample Board contains all the colors of Mud Turtle Mosaic™ brand smalti that we currently carry. The factory makes some intermediate tints in addition to the tints shown on the board, but we don’t carry those simply because they are hard to distinguish from the tints we already have. We carry all the factory’s hues. The rest of the information below describes the smalti: Smalti is traditional hand-cut mosaic glass that has a different look and feel from molded tile. It is the glass to use for reproducing religious icons, antique mosaic art, or making modern interpretations of classical designs. It is sold by the 1/4 pound, which is 40+ pieces on average. Mud Turtle Mosaic™ brand smalti is a next-generation smalti. It looks like ordinary smalti (non-molded hand-cut rectangles), but it can be cut more predictably and cleanly with less waste and fewer shards, which often an issue with smalti. Avoid having to discard a significant percentage of your expensive materials as cutting scrap. This brand cuts more efficiently because of how it is poured and cooled. With Mud Turtle Mosaic™ smalti, extra care is taken to ensure that the mixture is more homogeneous and that little or no cold seams are formed during the pouring of the molten material out on the slab. The result is that are fewer blobs and swirls and fault plains inside the glass. These artificial internal structures are what causes regular smalti to break in such odd ways and form such vicious finger-poking shards. With this brand, there are also fewer surface pits and crevices for grouts and mortars to contaminate.

Product Coverage

One sales unit (1/4-pound) covers a little over 9 square inches uncut with no grout spacing. Depending on how you cut the smalti, you could get about 12 to 14 square inches of coverage per 1/4 pound. A good rule of thumb is 2.5 to 3 pounds per square foot. Traditionally mosaics made from smalti were not grouted. However, if your mosaic will be outdoors or in a wet location, then you need to leave a gap between the tiles so that if can be filled with grout to seal out moisture. Having a grout gap means that you will need about 10 to 15% less smalti than otherwise.

Piece Count

One sales unit (1/4-pound) USUALLY contains 40+ pieces, with 42 being the average for the material we sampled. However, the smalti is sold by weight, and if the factory cuts a batch with slightly larger pieces, then that batch will have fewer pieces per 1/4 pound.

Compatibility

Cutting Smalti

Mud Turtle Mosaic™ Smalti cuts extremely well with the mosaic glass cutters that we sell.

Smalti Mosaic Glass

Price is per 1/4 pound, which is USUALLY 40+ pieces.
The factory could potentially cut the pieces slightly larger, which would reduce the piece count per 1/4 pound.
hand-cut non-molded rectangular pieces.
variable dimensions: ~1/4 inch x ~5/8 inch x ~1/4 inch thick.
coverage: about 2.5 to 3 pounds per square foot with coverage being affected by how the smalti is cut by the artist.
Pigments: colorfast metal oxide.
Solid color throughout.
Opaque.
Cut surface is glossy.
Cuts relatively easily with mosaic glass cutters.
Heat, frost and chemical resistant.
Suitable for both commercial and residential installation, indoors and out.

Use in Mosaic Art

This smalti is probably the best you can find is you need to render small details in smalti because it can be cut smaller with less waste than other brands. It also has little or no surface pitting, so you can grout a mosaic made from this material without having specks of grout remaining all over the face of the mosaic in pits. The product is highly recommended.

How To Make Mosaic Art

Mosaic Stepping Stone Mold

Mosaic Stepping Stone Mold is a durable ABS plastic form for making mosaics using wet concrete and glass mosaic tile. The mold comes with rounded corners and a slight taper to make it easier to remove the stepping stones after the concrete hardens. We use thinset mortar mixed with small pea gravel (2:1) for stepping stones, but many people use ordinary concrete. Both are available at the building material store. Stepping stones are perhaps the easiest mosaic project for children and beginners. You can use materials of different thickness because you are pressing the pieces into wet concrete instead of gluing to a rigid surface.

Mosaic Stepping Stone Mold

ABS plastic for long life.
Deep enough to produce stepping stones 1.5+ inches thick.
Rounded corners and tapered edges for easy removal of hardened stones.

Compatibility

Tile of different thickness can be used in a stepping stone mold. You can also use a wide range of hard materials other than tile: found stones, glass figurines, toy glass marbles, glass gems, gemstones, quartz crystals, beach glass, etc.

Ceramic and Marble

Ceramic tile and unpolished marble can be used as well, but keep in mind that these materials are porous and susceptible to freeze damage. (Glass tile is nonporous and frost proof, so it is preferred for outdoors.)

Souvenirs Yes. Plastic No.

Old souvenirs of glass and porcelain can give your stepping stone personality and charm, but avoid plastic because it is degraded by oxygen and the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.

Safety and Functionality First

No matter what materials you use, you should always take care not to create a slip hazard or leave sharp edges exposed. That includes not placing glass or ceramic objects in positions where they can be easily broken off. Never use large flat pieces of glass or fail to put a grout gap between smaller pieces of glass because that could result in a surface that is too slippery when wet.

Tip: If your mosaic stepping stone is ever damaged in such a way that a shard piece is sticking out, you can take a piece of rock and file the rough edge down by gently but firmly rubbing the rock on the rough edge (wear leather work gloves). A Marble File is also useful for this type of repair work.

Product Use

A thin coat of petroleum jelly (such as the Vaseline brand) or non-stick cooking spray should be used to lubricate the mold prior to each use. This ensures easy removal of the stepping stone once the concrete has hardened.

Most artists use the molds by pouring in wet concrete and then pressing tile in the surface of the concrete, but there is a second way the molds can be used: If you are wanting to make an elaborate design from ordinary flat tile, then you can stick a piece of contact paper in the bottom of the stepping stone mold with the sticky side up. Press your tile upside down onto the sticky contact paper. When all the tile is positioned, pour concrete on top of that and fill the mold to the top surface. Of course you should pour in a little concrete in at first and use your fingers in Grouting Gloves (gently) to make sure the concrete is making intimate contact with the tile and is in the gaps between the tile. Leave the stone in the mold for 24+ hours before removing to allow the concrete to harden.

How To Make Stepping Stones Last Longer

We seal finished mosaics with a grout sealer or concrete sealer for longer life, and you can also bring stepping stones indoors for the winter months to avoid harsh freezes.

How To Make Mosaic Art

$100 Gift Certificate Mosaic Art Supply

Our printable gift certificates are delivered to you as a digital copy to your email by default, so you don’t have to wait.

On the gift certificate is a PIN number which the recipient can use as store credit.

Why A Gift Certificate Is Best

Artists like to choose their own colors and materials, so a gift certificate is a good way to get them exactly what they want, while trying to pick for them is problematic. When in doubt, get the gift certificate. It’s easier, and they won’t be disappointed. Your artist will also have access to all the mosaic tips and instructions at our website, which is the largest, most complete online source of how-to-mosaic information.

Mosaic Tips and Instructions

All of our online mosaic content was written by a professional artist who also holds an engineering degree and has worked in a materials testing laboratory.

Beware Of Questionable Information

There is quite a bit of instructional material online, and a lot of it is questionable, particularly when it comes to crafts. All too much of it was written merely to drive sales without regard to durability or longevity. For example, you can see websites recommending the use of water-soluable glues to attach tile to terracotta flower pots, which is problematic for several reasons and not likely to last. For comparison, here is something our mosaic artist wrote about potential problems with mosaic flower pots and how to fix them.

How To Mosaic Blog

Our How To Mosaic Blog is where we post new content written after 2013. Check it regularly for new articles concerning all aspects of making a mosaic: choosing a grout color, how to transfer a pattern, how to make a mosaic lawn sculpture, etc.

Mosaic FAQs

Our page of Frequently Asked Questions addresses many basic issues and is organized by topic. A novice could get oriented and avoid many classic mistakes merely by skimming through this page.

Mosaic Instructions

We have many different mosaic instruction pages, and most of these are described in our Mosaic Information Page.

$50 Gift Certificate Mosaic Art Supply

Our printable gift certificates are delivered to you as a digital copy to your email by default, so you don’t have to wait.

On the gift certificate is a PIN number which the recipient can use as store credit.

Why A Gift Certificate Is Best

Mosaic Tips and Instructions

All of our online mosaic content was written by a professional artist who also holds an engineering degree and has worked in a materials testing laboratory.

Beware Of Questionable Information

How To Mosaic Blog

Mosaic FAQs

Our page of Frequently Asked Questions addresses many basic issues and is organized by topic. A novice could get oriented and avoid many classic mistakes merely by skimming through this page.

Mosaic Instructions

We have many different mosaic instruction pages, and most of these are described in our Mosaic Information Page.

$30 Gift Certificate Mosaic Art Supply

Our printable gift certificates are delivered to you as a digital copy to your email by default, so you don’t have to wait.

On the gift certificate is a PIN number which the recipient can use as store credit.

Why A Gift Certificate Is Best

Mosaic Tips and Instructions

All of our online mosaic content was written by a professional artist who also holds an engineering degree and has worked in a materials testing laboratory.

Beware Of Questionable Information

How To Mosaic Blog

Mosaic FAQs

Our page of Frequently Asked Questions addresses many basic issues and is organized by topic. A novice could get oriented and avoid many classic mistakes merely by skimming through this page.

Mosaic Instructions

We have many different mosaic instruction pages, and most of these are described in our Mosaic Information Page.

Glazed Handmade Ceramic Dinnerware Scrap 2-Pound Bag

Glazed Handmade Ceramic Dinnerware Scrap 2-Pound Bag is a bag of kiln-fired scrap from dishware made by a local artist. Glazed ceramic like this is not frost-proof, and needs to be used indoors only. These pieces are randomized broken shards with different cool-tone and earth-tone glazes on them, and can be cut with a Mosaic Tile Nipper or our Compound Nipper. The average piece size varies, but one bag should cover approximately 1 square foot. This is a low-volume limited-offer discount product; when we sell out we are out.

Thickness varies greatly from piece to piece because this is broken dinnerware, but it is thinner overall than the thick 3-pound boxes of scrap we have.

Glazed Handmade Ceramic Scrap 2-Pound Bag

Price is for a 2-pound bag
glazed ceramic tile handmade by a local Atlanta artist
thickness: variable
Coverage: Varies, but almost 1 square foot

Compatibility

Tile thickness is significantly greater than the ~1/8 thickness of most glass mosaic tile, and so this material is best used by itself or in multi-media mosaic where pieces of the different thickness are pressed into a bed of thinset mortar.

Cutting Tile

This product cuts with the Mosaic Tile Nipper that we sell.

Use in Mosaic Art

This material is best used in mixed-media mosaic where pieces are pressed into mortar. Indoor use only. Not frost proof.

How To Make Mosaic Art

Plywood Mosaic Backer Board

Update in Nov 2024:
We now cut the boards ourselves with a table saw. There may be minor imperfections on some edges, but every board is suitable as a backer for indoor mosaic art. The new boards no longer have a shiny smooth side for the back. You can choose which side you think looks nicer, and use that one for the back. Mosaic on the side that you don’t think looks as good. We still have a limited quantity of 8 x 10 size with the old glossy backs, but when they run out that will be it.

Our Plywood Mosaic Backer Boards are cut from 1/2-inch cabinet-grade plywood (either maple or birch based on availability) and are suitable for indoor mosaic projects such as plaques and trivets. The edges are unfinished cuts, which can be left as is or painted with a neutral color of acrylic paint, stained with wood stain, etc.

The faces of some boards may have small splinters missing from the sawing process, but these will be covered by the mosaic.

Plywood Mosaic Backer Boards

Material: cabinet-grade plywood (either maple or birch based on availability).
Dimensions: as stated
Tolerance: within 1/32 inch of nominal dimensions.
Thickness: Nominally 1/2 inch, exact is 15/32 of an inch
Suitable for dry indoor use only.

Backers for Mosaic Art Projects

Using Mosaic Backer Boards

The Mosaic Backer Boards are plywood and are meant for indoor use only.

Should You Pre-Seal The Boards?

Ideally, the bare side of the wood should be painted with dilute Weldbond or another PVA adhesive to make sure that the wood doesn’t suck water out of the grout while it is curing. You can dilute the Weldbond 1:1 with water to help it spread more easily on the wood. However, many mosaic artists get enough glue smeared over the face of the wood while they are mounting the tile, and so this step of sealing the wood with dilute glue is not necessary for them.

The important thing to remember about pre-sealing is that you would never want to use paint or wood sealers on anything else (other than a PVA glue) because these other materials are likely to interfere with the glue or delaminate over the years.

Drawing Your Pattern

The pattern for your mosaic can be drawn directly on the wood with an ordinary pencil. You should do this before coating the wood with Weldbond. If you forget, you can draw the pattern on the wood with a Sharpie marker after the dilute Weldbond dries.

Make sure that your tile doesn’t stick out beyond the edge of the wood, which would make it particularly vulnerable to being knocked loose or chipped by random blows over time.

Indoor Vs Outdoor Mosaics

Outdoors

Wood of any type including plywood should NEVER be used for outdoor mosaics and wet mosaics because wood swells and contracts with changes in humidity, which will cause tile to pop off long before the plywood begins to show signs of warping. For outdoor mosaic projects, you must use stone or concrete if you want the mosaic to last for more than a year or two. For wall murals, mount the mosaic directly on a stone or masonry wall or use concrete backer board such as sold for underlaying bathroom tiling. For garden mosaics, use slabs of field stone or concrete stepping stones. Remember to scuff these with a wire brush to remove contaminants, sealers and loose material before mounting the mosaic with thinset mortar.

Indoors

Indoor mosaics not subject to water can be made on plywood to save weight. There is no need to use stone or concrete backer board as the backer or thinset mortar to attach the tiles. Instead, the tiles can be mounted using a white PVA adhesive such as Weldbond and then grouted.

How To Make Mosaic Art

Mosaic Art Glass Assortment 2-lbs

Our Mosaic Art Glass Assortment includes 2-lbs of American-made stained glass pieces for making mosaic artwork. With opaque mosaic work surfaces in mind, we choose pieces for pigment density and opacity. These assortments offer a great way to sample a wide variety of stained glass types and colors. We also sell individual colors of stained glass in 6-inch sheets if you need an individual color. Piece size varies, but we try to cut pieces 2 to 3 inches wide, so there should be fewer pieces measuring 1 inch or less. Cutting Scrap will have smaller pieces.

Black White Gray – grayscale stained glass mix

Blue – variety of dark-to-light blue stained glass

Designer Neutrals and Foggy Grays – unusual odds-and-ends, muted and variegated pieces, landscape tones

Glass on Glass Mix Translucents and Transparents – foggy, cloudy, see-through multicolored mix**

Golden Amber Brown – variety of brown-beige stained glass

Green – variety of dark-to-light green stained glass

Iridized – all-iridescent multicolored mix**

Premium – rainbow+ assortment with red-orange-yellow, pink-purple, blue-green, brown, black and white

Sunset – warm gradient mix of red-orange-yellow and pink-purple

*All mixes may include one Ripple/textured piece. **All mixes emphasize opacity except Glass on Glass Mix, and Iridized may include clear iridescents.

Product Coverage

Each two-pound bag is approximately 1.25 square feet of stained glass. If you cut these pieces into mosaic tiles of about 3/4 inch or less and use a grout gap of 1/16 inch, then the bag could cover 1.5 square feet.

Compatibility

Stained glass is approximately 1/8 inch thick and therefore nominally the same as most of the glass mosaic tile we sell. We also have 3/4-inch stained glass tiles.

Cutting Art Glass

Mosaic Art Glass cuts quickly with minimal force using our Mosaic Glass Cutters. Caution: Stained glass is usually sharper than regular molded glass mosaic tile. Extra care must be used in cutting, handling, and grouting to ensure that sharp edges are not left exposed. One technique to knock off the razor slivers from freshly-cut stained glass edges (called flash or groze) is to swirl pieces around in a plastic bucket with a little water. The Rubbing Stone and Marble File we sell are useful for smoothing sharp edges and are recommended when the mosaic is for a wall or architectural element.

The traditional stained glass artists’ tool for smoothing edges is the Grozing Pliers, but the Rubbing Stones and Marble Files produce smoother edges and can round off sharp points and corners.

Mosaic Art Glass Assortment 2-lbs

Material: untumbled stained glass with sharp edges.
Piece size: varies, but most should be ABOUT 2 to 3 inches.
Thickness is nominally 1/8 inch but varies considerably, typically around +/- 1/32 inch.
Coverage: a 2-pound bag covers about 1.25 square feet.
American made.
Pigments: colorfast metal oxide.
Suitable for indoor/outdoor use.
Frost-proof and impermeable to liquid.
Not recommended for floors.
Colors vary based on availability, but we keep it colorful with an emphasis on brighter, stronger colors.

Individual Colors Available As 6-Inch Sheets

If you need an individual color or found one you especially liked in an assortment, see our 6-inch stained glass sheet selection.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on making mosaic art, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

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About Us

Mosaic Art Supply was founded in 2002 and offers free project advice, low prices, quick shipping and an ever expanding selection of mosaic tile and supplies.

Mosaic Art Supply has grown considerably over the past 13 years, but it is still owned and managed by artist Joe Moorman, and most of our employees are actively working as artists.

Most of our business comes from repeat customers.
Unlike many Internet retailers, we only sell what we have in stock.
Most of our orders ship within 1 to 2 business days (excepting holidays and weekends).
Retail and Wholesale orders are placed using our website.
Please note, our warehouse is not open to customers.
Our manufacturing and art studio activities prohibit uninvited visitors.

Information about shipping times, warehouse address, sales tax, returns and other issues can be found on our policies page.

Customer service problems like lost deliveries, wrong products, damaged products, etc. are always resolved faster via email than by phone. E-mail us your customer service problems.

Chances are we have answered your question multiple times if not thousands of times over the past years. Usually we have a written answer online that we can email you. Please e-mail us your project questions.

Our Mission Statement

One of our most important goals is to promote contemporary mosaic as a fine art and encourage ordinary people to make original mosaic art in their own style.

We do this in several ways:

We provide technical information and artistic advice.
We make premium mosaic materials available to amateur crafters at a reasonable price.
We avoid kits which encourage people to make copies of “arts&crafts” junk.
We exhibit examples of mosaic art made from various materials, including low-cost materials available locally.

“Make it your way, and it will be genuine art in the highest sense of the word.”