Mosaic Installation

The Douthit, Frets, Rouse, Gentile & Rhodes Law Firm Mosaic is underway!

Their new space being finished at Park Place in Leawood, KS is moving quickly.  We went to field measure for the new custom tile artwork and see the space recently.

There's me in my hard hat pondering what it will look like when finished.  There will be three large panels hanging as a triptych in that recessed niche and one long horizontal landscape in the photo below on the wall behind the future reception desk!

Here is a rendering of what both pieces will sort of look like when finished:

Of course, mom couldn't help herself, she had to take the "mom" pic of Christopher and I going over measurements in our hard hats.

More photos of the mosaic process to come soon!

Unveiling of the KD Crest

The Kappa Delta Crest is complete!

 ME [KD from KSU] and my mom [KD from MU]

During the Process:

 MDF plywood is cut with a jigsaw, the design is drawn in sharpie, tile is cut and laid out in sections then glued,  intricate shapes are cut on a scroll tile saw, the piece is grouted and cleaned up!

 FINISHED!
...time for your photo-shoot!

 This past weekend, my mom and I went to Columbia, MO for the Kappa Delta's Alumnae Weekend at Mizzou!  We brought the crest and presented it to the Epsilon Iota Chapter!

We met up with two of my mom's closest Kappa Delta friends, Rhonda (Overland Park, KS) and Theresa (Sikeston, MO) and made a weekend out of it!  We had a blast!

Here are some of the girls with the crest!

The Kappa Delta House at Mizzou:

 This one was a little bit bigger, heavier, and more complicated to make than the Delta Gamma crest

Hope they love it and take good care of it!
We had a great time

Dachshund Coat Rack

I was recently commissioned by a sorority sister of mine to make a dachshund coat rack for her to give to her sister for Christmas!  She saw this one I made a while back and we customized her piece with her sister's color tastes in mind.

The original was inspired by my miniature dachshund Jager:

Weenie dog in action: being useful for hanging dog leashes on in-between long walks in the park!

 Some of the colorful glitter tiles glisten in the sun

After the recent death of my mom's 3-year old doxie Oscar, we are especially fond of wiener dog paraphernalia!

Oscar Meyer Wiener

[2009-2012]

Rest in Peace

Easy-Clean Aprons

 At the Holiday Mart this year, my mom and I purchased new aprons for when we tile/grout mosaics.  We bought the animal print ones from Sarah-Janes booth.

They are oilcloth- so easy to clean and cute too!

Nothing like going to work in jeans, a t-shirt, and an apron!

Sorority Love

The blog dedicated to all cute girly things sorority girls love, Sorority Sugar, posted about our Delta Gamma crest for the Theta chapter at the University of Indiana, stating, "There are no words to describe how stunning this is." ...awwww thanks Sorority Sugar- we're blushing!!!

Delta Gee Love also posted about us:

"Two artists, a mother-daughter team of Kara Kersten and Vicky Frets, created this mosaic shield for a Delta Gamma at the University of Indiana.

Lovely.

…but this is just the beginning…"

Thanks girls for all the love!

Kappa Delta Crest

We've finally started a Kappa Delta mosaic shield!!!

It's about time we made one for our own sorority!  My mom and I were both Kappa Deltas [Vicky at Missouri University and me at Kansas State]

Here is an article about us from 2008:

Keep posted for the finished photos to come soon!

A Beautiful Life Celebrated with Art

In honor of our dear friend Karen Bullard, who passed away this week, I'm posting about her involvement in my life and the mosaics she commissioned us to do for her gorgeous home.

This is me, Karen, and her sweet mom Beverly (that passed away not that long ago) on our annual "Girl's Lake Trip" to the Ozarks.  We always looked forward to getting together with some good wine and antique shopping!

Karen & her husband Ed collected beautiful and eclectic art from everywhere they went.  Their home is a perfect and warm representation of how all of the things you love and inspire you can come together in one loving, welcoming, and harmonious blend!

Here is the LARGE abstract mosaic she asked my mom to do for a tall niche in her home: [It also includes broken pieces of hand-painted pottery Karen admired]

The mosaic below was a smaller niche on the landing in their stairwell.  Karen & Ed had recently been to Italy and desired something resembling the Tuscan vineyards.  The label on the wine bottle is an actual label from an extremely expensive bottle of wine their friends brought them one night!

 Karen was a part of so many moments in my life I didn't even realize.  She was at many birthday parties, annual lake trips, family get-togethers, many of my bridal showers, my bachelorette party, and our wedding.

Here she is when her & her sister Kathy surprised me for a bridal shower out at an old antique bed & breakfast!

My grandma Bette, Karen, Kathy, and my mom Vicky 

This is a gorgeous one of her dancing with her husband at our wedding

Vintage photo-booth fun with her sister Kathy, daughter Olivia, and husband Ed

She will be incredibly missed by so many people.  I'm rejoicing she will forever know what it's like to live in complete presence of God from this point on.