I started my mosaic journey by breaking plates with a hammer in a plastic IKEA bag (bad choice of material to use, the glass broke the bag pretty quickly–the recommended wrap is an old towel). I had purchased odds and ends of plates from thrift shops and enjoyed the process of breaking the plates. All along my mosaic journey has provided a really WONDERFUL stress outlet.

Finegardening.com describes this wonderful outlet as “Breaking china and tile is a cathartic yet willy-nilly process since it is hard to know how the pieces will break.” (They also have good instructions and safety notes at their site as well.)

For me that “willy-nilly” factor is a good reminder that I’m not truly in charge of anything in my life, including the crazy drama with my ex-husband. But usually I don’t think that deeply about cutting plates and just get busy. The process of cutting is very meditative for me. These days I prefer to use a tile nipper on most plates.

The “Best Quality Porcelain Tea-Set”

But, recently I bought an entire tea set still in the box with the styrofoam — pristine condition, beautiful Chinese tea set. I couldn’t resist, it had a second tag so it was a total of $1.99…come on!

Perhaps it was the lady at the Estate Sale who said “Oh, I just don’t want to know” when I told her I did mosaics that got me thinking about the “soul” of the china/plates, but alas, I was now feeling guilty with my intention to break up this tea set, and by break up, I, of course, mean more than separate…I mean BREAK up.

How I Overcame My Guilt

So, now when I buy a beautiful unbroken plate or tea set (I always buy ones with chips or cracks when I can!), I acknowledge the beauty in the piece and say thanks for providing such a cool batch of tiles for me to turn into something that is greater than the sum of its parts! At least that is my goal.

For example, here is a frame using some of the cup parts: