mosaic for audition

So, I have been waiting about six months to audition for SYTYC.  The below project is my failed attempt at making it in the top ten.  I am upset, since it makes me feel like a failure, but OH WELL.  I guess it's one less thing to worry about doing, and I tried.  And I didn't do what some other people did...like bloggers with hundreds or thousands of followers that put their kids names, pictures, and even made a list with family members on it.  So what if somebody made a tripod into a lamp?  I made a DRUM into a lamp!  I will live, move on, and maybe contact the other three LOSERS to join me in our own, different competition:)

So, I tried to create many different "audition pieces" for SYTYC. Not that they weren't good, but I just didn't feel they were good ENOUGH. So, I was reading Chica and Jo's post that had an invitation printed on a paint chip....and BOOM I had an epiphany. I love doing mosaic, but tiles are super expensive, grout is super messy, and I have done it with smashed plates but even those take up space to collect. So I decided to use paint chips. They are free, plentiful at your local Walmart or hardware store, and they are...FREE

I started off by priming the laminate and then painting over it with a blue acrylic.  Then I used a clean rag to wipe it off and give it a nice faux-finished ragged look.

Then I stole acquired a billion different paint chips, (by the way, walmart has GIANT paint chips) and using mod podge and a design I pulled out of my head....achieved this look.  You can also gently sketch the design and fill it in as you go.  Work in small areas at a time, and let the mod podge get a little tacky before you start filling in with the paint chips.

To stay organized, I had cut the chips up and put them in a divided tackle box container by color, and this made working super fast and easy!