BIG TILES - try, try again

Some of you "lucky" viewers may have previously caught a glimpse of my original posting of "BIG TILES- a Tutorial".
It didn't hang around for very long and for a good reason, because...
I   HATED  MY  BIG  TILES!

Yes, you heard it right!   I enjoyed the process but the end product looked like a dog's breakfast.  The fact that they were hidden behind the stove and in the dark, didn't lessen my distaste for them.  That area under the stove was so dark in fact, that to get any kind of a decent photo, required a couple of flood lights that cast hard ugly shadows which produced more wasted pictures than usable ones. AND, not only that, the light exposed those wretched tiles and reminded me of the mess that I had made of them.   So I withdrew that posting with the intention of Re-Posting it with something that I finally do LIKE!
Yet it took me a several tries to get there.  I am posting the how-to portion again, with some additional new photos of the kitchen overall.  I hope that you will enjoy my journey, as I cover the same old ground. 
I have made BIG TILES at least 4 times since last week.  Each time they turned out a little different. 
However, I think that I am now a qualified professional using this procedure.  

 BIG TILES- a tutorial beginning again from the beginning...
I found some scrap plastic "tin tiles" in my
"I don't know what to do with this", drawer.
I decided that I wanted to use it to make a new back-splash for behind the stove.    I reversed the "tin tiles" to enable me make a new "ceramic tile" for my old gas stove.
This product is usually sold in 11-12 inch long white PVC sheets and is meant to be applied to the ceilings of a doll's house to resemble the old tin tile of Victorian Style homes.  The web address posted below will illustrate the product in its original format 
http://earthntree.com/miniatures/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=106_120

These were the results of my first efforts which
STINK!

And just because I couldn't see them behind all of the clutter on the stove,
I could still smell them! ><

 Starting the tile making process is exactly the same way as before, but I will outline what I did for those who (hopefully) didn't see it the first time around.  The photo above shows the top and the underside of the plastic "Tin Tile".  I am using the underside of it which is the longer piece. 

I decided to try the water-based Glass and Ceramic tile paint as a base which I let dry to the touch and followed it up with assorted acrylic paints and glazes.

This is the first coat of the water-based glass paint

I then added the next color of Sky Blue acrylic paint to the tiles applied onto a damp sponge and smoothed out.  My advise is to use small amounts of paint applied directly to the sponge, and then stipple it onto the surface.  

After the blue, I used brown gel stain.  These are watery paints that dry translucent.  They tend to mute most of what is underneath them and muddy the previous color.  If you let the blues dry to the touch, then brown stain will be more distinct.  If you apply it onto the wet acrylic then expect a muddy mix.

This is yet another brown added to the surface and each product was dabbed on with a damp sponge.

dab, dab, dab....

..... dab, dab, dab, .....

DAB! - DAB!- DAB!
I used way too much brown and so I removed  some of it with a clean damp sponge
dab, dab, dab....

Triple Thick

When I was 
FINALLY done with dabbing, I pinned along the 3 outside edges of the tiles to keep them from sliding around.  
The paint was dry to touch, before
I poured on the Triple Thick and used a long stir stick to level and smooth the glaze evenly over the entire surface of the tiles.

You can see the difference that the Triple Thick makes.
For the tiles above, I allowed them to dry by themselves but for the green tiles pictured below, I tried to speed up the process with a blow dryer.

Here you can see the tiles with the Triple Thick smoothed out  over the surface and below are the tiles with the grout lines cleaned out.
At this point a check should be made for tiny air bubbles that may rise to the surface.  I used a pin to try and eliminate them. 

When I used the blow dryer on the surface of the tiles, I found that the groves did not dry as clear as the first set did.  It left the tiles more milky.  Some of that milkiness eventually disappeared but not all of it.
These green tiles are the ones that I decided to install.

Now I must say, that to me these do indeed, look like 
BIG CERAMIC TILES
BUThave you noticed that you are able to actually SEE THEM!?
Yes indeed,
 I found a way to install a light that looked right for the space which gave my poor cook the opportunity to clearly see what she was  actually cooking...  no more guessing about what's in the pot?.
 :))   

I installed new trim along the length of the tiles and why I chose blue, was because that was the color it was before which matched the utensil rack right above the tiles.  However, the blue was not the best choice with the green tiles which were now glued firmly into position.
rats! :((

So enter
 yet ANOTHER SET OF
BIG TILES

By now, I was sick and tired of "Dab, Dab, Dabbing" not to mention that I had run out of all of the scrap plastic tiles; these four squares were all that was left.
It was enough.
I glued them over top of the green ones and put the stove back into the kitchen.

IT IS DONE!

Now I can clearly see the tiles, the utensils, what's cooking on the stove, 
as well as
the basket of wild mushrooms that
The Amazing
Jane Smith of "Minifanaticus"
 made for me in a gift exchange we did, last year.
Thank you again, Ms. Jane, your work is Always 
FANTASTICUS! :D

My Pretty, Pretty, Big Blue Tiles
 and 
at last
I am a HAPPY CAMPER! :D

warning:
a very fuzzy photo is coming up next :(

And I am also happy about some other home improvements that are now a part of this kitchen which are also, 
a whole lot easier to see.
Here on the post, are Fatima's  Fabulous yellow onions hanging with her 
Fabulous Garlic Braid, 
both are compliments of
"BEAUXMINIS"
Fats made them in response to a personal challenge I gave her.  I thought that her garlic braid needed "a friend".  
Fats made "a friend" for both me and Janine.  
(see Janine's  onion friends which are on her latest "MINWORKS" blog posting)
Thank you to my super talented  and fellow Miniteer 
Fatima
and a Happy Feb 13th Birthday to you!
"Love Love Love!" :D

In the background, against the window wall, is my new French- style Market basket, which I converted from a tall plain basket from my mini basket collection.  
I LOVE BASKETS! I made mine with wheels and a stand and used heavy gage florist's wire wrapped with quilling paper for  around the handle.  I filled it with groceries that are still waiting to be put away.
side note:
There is actually an incredible amount of Fresh Food Stuffs, in this tiny fridge-less kitchen.  To justify the over abundance, I decided that this homeowner regularly cooks for a friend that is currently house-bound.  She looks forward to delivering a home-made casserole meal once a week, which always includes a bit of a visit and a shared cup of tea.

Hmmmm?... I wonder what's on the menu for this week?
(groceries are mostly by me, except for the bottle of whiskey which I bought. ...  which is used for medicinal purposes only) 
hahhaha

 Every kitchen needs a clock and so my wall clock was made from a clock  faced button and a brass button cover support.  The two were glued together and then the brass was painted brown.  The teapot was purchased from the Seattle show last year and was made by Jason Feltrope, of Arkansas, who makes a wide assortment of excellent miniature pottery.   
The homemade jam is by me, following a tutorial found on Pinterest.
(I will add the link when I find it)

On the kitchen scale are a variety of cookie cutters.  The heart- shaped one is compliments of Jennifer of "Plushpussycat".
Thanks again Jennifer! :D
and the pot of fresh basil
which is my own creation
Thanks,.... "ME"! :))
heeheehee

Last summer, I was had the opportunity to purchase a few pieces
of Blue Willow Stokesayware
 through an on-line miniature show.
They are now   proudly featured on the plate rack along with those from my friend, Bettie Smith.
The sexy black nylons on the clothes line are a treasured gift, compliments of Linda Park, 
a Miniteer 
in the land down under.
 and as Fatima likes to say...
"Love, Love, Love!" :D

On the worktable is a knife block which I removed from a Hallmark Christmas ornament.  The lidded casserole is yet another 
Jason Feltrope pottery piece. 

The kitchen sink contains a bowl full of ripe, red tomatoes which I made from fake flower parts and glass paint.

Under the kitchen sink you can just make out the yellow washing up gloves, another wonderful gift from
the Very Creative hands of
Linda Park
Thanks again Linda  
 and good'day  to yah! :D

This currently is the finished right side of the cottage kitchen at #43
and it is literally
filled to the brim

And this is the now "finished" left side, with my 
new and improved
BIG TILES!
and of course, 
now you and I can see it All.

hip hip hooray!!!

 you know what they say,
"Go Big or Go Home"
 so I did both

I'm home

elizabeth

And a FINAL WORD TO ALL OF MY WONDERFUL Studio E  FOLLOWERS:
Thanks to the technical skills of my WONDERFUL DAUGHTER SAMANTHA; she was able to get my old comment section back to what it was, AND restore my Avatar,  however in reversing the format, your previously posted comments were automatically deleted. :(( I am VERY SORRY ABOUT THAT, however, I remember all of the nice things that each of you have said, and once again,
 I THANK EACH OF YOU FOR ALL OF THEM ! :D