I love that mosaic is both art & puzzle. You take your vision, chop it into many small pieces, and put it back together again. Margaret Almon, of Nutmeg Designs, is a Pennsylvania mosaic artist who uses, “topographic layers of Italian glass tile, gold smalti, stained glass and anything sparkly I can get my hands on” to create her unique pieces.

Margaret describes her pieces:

I make mandalas (above), which are a universal circular form across many cultures, and can be used in meditation, or simply to capture light in any room. I also make trivets in quilt pattern designs, which make cool housewarming gifts, as well as mirrors and picture frames.

So how does one get started in mosaics?

I started 4 years ago, when my husband and I bought a house, and I got my own studio space. The first time I ever saw a mosaic in person, about 8 years ago, I knew I wanted to make them, but we lived in an apartment and cutting glass at the kitchen table didn’t seem wise. Once I had the space, I went into the “mosaic zone”–and haven’t looked back. I took classes at the Main Line Art Center, Snow Farm, and Pennsylvania Academy of the Arts. I started doing craft shows a couple years ago, and there’s nothing more exciting than one of my pieces catching someone’s eye from across the room.

Please visit Margaret at Nutmeg Designs and on her blog to learn more!

You can also visit Margaret this weekend at the North Penn Select Craft Show.

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