Hobby Hoedown Features Tess Grant's Hobby Project, a Mosaic Flower Pot

I'm excited to welcome my friend and crit partner, YA author Tess Grant, to the Hobby Hoedown this week. Not only do we meet regularly with two other writers every week to discuss our writing, but, needless to say, we share what's going on in our daily lives. So we became cheerleaders for her ceramic project from the beginning to the end. Now she shares the joy, the work, and cut fingers with the J.Q. Rose blog readers too!

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Finished! by Tessa Grant

I am the queen of partial hobbies. My throne is made of half-finished projects--unfinished quilts, unfinished clothes, unfinished mobiles, unfinished flower beds. You get the picture…unfinished.

     When I began writing, I swore I would no longer leave a project in mid-stream. And I didn’t…writing wise, that is. That’s why I’m especially proud of my latest creation…a completely finished mosaic flower pot! I’ve wanted to learn to do mosaics for ages, so when a class was offered at our local art gallery, I jumped at it.

     I was a little surprised when the teacher showed us the basic techniques of glass work and then stepped away from the table. I wanted her to walk me through the whole thing. I looked at my bare pot, took a deep breath and decided to go for it. Start to painful finish.

      Our class was set up for three sessions. Two glass-work meetings and one for grout. After two classes and four band-aids, my pot looked like this.  As you can see, I had a little bit to go.

      I threw my ever-patient daughters in the car and hit the gallery on an off afternoon. Four and a half hours and three band-aids later, I still wasn’t finished. Another three hours and only one band-aid later (you see, I was getting the hang of it), I was ready to grout.

       I actually got to finish my pot with my class…this may have been a first. As you can see from the surrounding table, I am an exuberant grouter.

      So…here it is...I not only learned a new hobby but I finished my project as well.

       I know what’s on my Christmas list…sheets of glass, a glass cutter, running pliers. Oh, and band-aids. ‘Cause I know one thing about my new hobby. Not only does it take hard work to finish; it also takes a little blood!

 

Check out the third book in the Kitty Irish trilogy, Flying in the Dark.

Back of the Book:

High school senior Kitty Irish knows exactly what Daniel Phinney expected of her—eradicate the werewolves haunting the Manistee National Forest—until her father comes home from Iraq and takes over.

Too bad Kitty’s plan unravels. Her father spends his time watching the tree line from the safety of a wingback chair. Her hunting partner analyzes college campuses while she analyzes kill sites. When her brother finds a new friend in a long lost uncle, Kitty’s war with the werewolves becomes a battle for more than just her own life.

Whatever Phinney prepared her for, this isn’t it.

In the final installment of the Kitty Irish Trilogy, Kitty’s past meets her present in an explosive confrontation. The battle comes to her front porch making the fight for the future more than claws and fangs.

Download a sample or buy it here:

Amazon

Smashwords

Barnes and Noble

Turquoise Morning Press

About Tess

Tess Grant lives with her fabulous family on a farmette with a number of critters that changes

daily. She raises organic veggies, free-range kids, and novels. She drinks way too much coffee, which may explain her inability to finish a project.