The Cake

The cake begins with Styrofoam cut to size and shape. The Styrofoam is covered with gauze and plaster. A water tight barrier is added. The design is drawn on if I am using one. Glass is cut and filed to fit the shapes. It is like putting together a big puzzle, only I have to fit the pieces in and make them. When the piece is finished, the adhesive must cure. Sometimes this takes twenty-four hours, sometimes longer. The next steps are grouting, cleaning, and polishing. If a piece has many intricate bits, I use sharp dental tools to pick the grout away and thin utensils covered with cotton to polish difficult to reach places.