Hi! I’m Emma Furniss from Gloucester and I want to share with you why I get so excited by hearts, stars, butterflies and shimmering mosaic tiles!!!
My story starts at the beginning of 2020 when I was caring for my dad who had alzheimers – it was a difficult time and I treated myself to a DIY heart mosaic kit as a bit of personal therapy. Little did I know what this would be the start of! Completing my heart was incredibly therapuetic and I found myself absorbed in the making of it. It hangs proudly at the bottom of my stairs and is a glistening reminder of my first mosaic experience which was to be the first step of a new journey for me!
I found myself eager to learn more after the sad death of my dad in July 2020 and so booked a mosaic stepping stone workshop with the wonderful Rachel Shilston – Inspiring Creativity. Rachel is a real inspiration and I learned so much that day. Rachel gave me letter beads to spell out the word ‘dad’ on my stepping stone. It was so calming that day (prior to Covid lockdown!) just sitting, chatting and sticking on the tiles and I was enthralled with all Rachel’s beautiful mosaics around her studio.
Back home I made another stepping stone for my sister including using some of the buttons my mum had saved from our clothes as kids! I was getting addicted!! My dad was a diver and had collected some beautiful shells over the years so I bought some small wooden hearts and made all my family a mosaic heart with one of dad’s shells included to hang on their Christmas tree. The whole process was very comforting and I started to make mosaic hearts for family and friends who had lost loved ones including pets. It was important to me that my mosaics celebrated life and so they had to be unique and shining just like the life they were celebrating.
I have since started making mosaic hearts, stars and coasters for every occasion and love being given a challenge!! I’ve made a mosaic hearts for a campervan, in the colours of football teams, for a lover of dolphins and one to look like an X box controller!!! The ideas keep coming so watch this space!