Sunday, January 20, 2008

100% Certified Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile ORGANiKS chosen for Better Homes and Garden 15 state Green Home Tour!

Susan Jablon Mosaics is very pleased to announce that our 100% Certified Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile: ORGANiKS has been chosen as the tile product for the GREEN HOME SHOW tour with the magazine Better Homes and Gardens. We will be providing ORGANiKS blends for the kitchen and the bathroom rooms. The tour will begin in February 2008.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Whole Division at www.SusanJablonMosaics.com

Wholesale Customer Info Center:

Lorrie RobertsLorrie Roberts is the Wholesale Division Manager at SJM. Everyone who signs up for a wholesale account will meet Lorrie, probably first with her cheerful welcome phone call, or her checking to make sure your account is approved and in place on line. She might check in to see how your trade show went over the weekend, or if installations are proceeding on target. Lorrie covers all bases, and she watches your back. We know how important attention to detail is, and you can rest assured Lorrie is carefully paying her attention to you.

Lorrie is also an amazing mosaic artist, the Number One credential for leadership positions at SJM. Her ability to create kaleioscopic patterns that repeat and unfold into amazing patterns will simply astound you. Watch for a design link to Lorries work on line, sometime soon.

Friday, January 18, 2008

LEED ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE bestowed on SJM REP!!

SUSAN JABLON MOSAICS is extremely proud to announce that our sales rep in NYC, Jason Coughlin, has achieved the designation of LEED Accredited Professional. He has demonstrated the knowledge of green building practice required for the successful implementation of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED) Green Building rating system.

Susan Jablon Mosaics sells the 100% certified recycled glass mosaic tile ORGANiKS.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

I'd like to introduce myself to you!

Just in case you don't know about me, here is a little information!

About the Artist, Susan Jablon

"The feel of running my fingers through loose tiles, it's like no other experience. It's like running your fingers through gold coins or precious stones. There's a certain beautiful quality in glass tiles, a unique vibrance that can't be found in any other material."

Susan Jablon in her studio Many years ago, a young child sat in a third floor play room, enraptured by a mosaic art kit given to her by her grandmother. A strip of warm light spilling in from a nearby window illuminated the tiny tiles, as small hands pieced together the first in what would become a lifetime filled with mosaic creations.

Susan Jablon, mosaic artist and founder of Susan Jablon Mosaics, can't recall a time that art wasn't a huge part of her life. Her first encounter with mosaics came as a child of five years old. She remembers fondly her grandmother's gift; a small moment in a child's life that would have such an impact as the years progressed.

Born in New York, Susan was raised in a large family. She attended Wells College, a (then) all-women's college in Aurora, NY where she studied English. After graduating in 1972, she moved to Binghamton and worked with the English Department at Cornell. It was during this period that Susan Jablon met her husband.

In the following years, Susan Jablon entered the business world, working as the Assistant Director of Personnel and later the Assistant Director of Sales and Promotions at a local hospital. She used her spare time focusing on her artwork, painting, drawing, sculpting, and mosaicing. Through mosaics, she became a collector of sorts, holding on to broken dishes and found objects that could eventually be incorporated into her art.

In 1984 Susan's first child, daughter Emily was born; two years later, son Samuel followed. Wanting to spend more time with her children, she took a break from her career and spent the next ten years raising her children.

In the mid-nineties, Susan Jablon once again entered the world of business, this time working in management for Barnes and Noble Booksellers. Susan recalls a point, when working for the large bookseller, that she realized she was ready to leave the corporate world behind. "The creativity was going out faster than it was coming in. I was at a point in my life that I was ready to reevaluate, and decide what I really wanted to be doing."

Not surprisingly, she began focusing on art. She started to teach mosaic classes out of her home. Her 'non-judgmental' art classes re-introduced adults to the creative process. "As children we are encouraged to create art, but as we get older things change." As class enrollment grew, Susan started to look for materials. Unhappy with the selection she could find and wishing to accommodate both her classes and her own artistic passion, Susan began buying in bulk on eBay and mixing the tiles to create her own unique blends.

Realizing that there was a market for glass mosaics, Jablon drew upon her experience in business and, with a good deal of help from her husband, started her own Internet-based company in 2000. Susan Jablon's knowledge of mosaics and her artistic flair made her blends easily stand out in the crowd. Taking a personal approach to Internet sales—focusing on her customers and treating her product as art—Susan Jablon Mosaics began to grow. In six years, her company has transformed from a self-run business based out of a guest bedroom in her home to a 12 staff operation run out of a 14,000 square foot factory.

From 2000 on, good business decisions (and a few lucky breaks) have helped Susan's business expand. In 2002, Susan Jablon was approached by TLC network producers and asked to help design for a few up-and-coming home renovation shows. One she hit the airwaves, demand for her product and reaction to the episodes that featured it attracted the attention of programs like Trading Spaces and Hell's Kitchen, which have since exposed millions of viewers to her artistic flair and shown all of America the beauty of glass tiles.

Why has Susan seen so much success in her years as a tile designer? "The business, the tiles, they're the my love and my life at this point," she says.
"I take particular pride in the relationships I develop with my clients." Answering her own phone, she's involved in every project from start to finish: creating unique blends, making suggestions, and offering design advice. It's this personal touch that keeps Susan Jablon, the artist, and Susan Jablon Mosaics, a force to be reckoned with in the world of glass tile mosaics.

Comments From Recent Customers of Susan Jablon Mosaics

Dear Susan,
Absolutely stunning tile! I couldn’t believe it. I was so happy when I opened that box and saw the product!
I haven’t installed it yet, but I'm very excited to see what it looks like on the wall! Wonderful!

Dear Susan,
My intial order was received promptly and I liked the product so much that I just ordered another 38 sq ft of the tile to finish my project.

ear Susan,
I just installed your tiles yesterday onto my backsplash, and it's absolutely the best choice I could have made for my kitchen. I'm a dental hygienist, not a professional installer, but have done all of the tiling in our home from construction to adding finishing touches through the years. The way that the blend is mounted onto the clear sheets makes it so easy to install and adjust.

One of the stretches of my backsplash is 11 feet long. It includes one side of a corner window, a corner ledge, and has lots of natural light. I also wanted it to align perfectly with the open, angled end of the cabinet line, so I wanted to start there. Lots of pre-measuring, the ability to really visualize the grout lines, and plan for what went where before the mortar went on made for perfect alignment with the cabinets, ledge, and window and left minimal need for trimming. I'm very pleased with the outcome, as I have pondered this project for quite a while.


Hi Susan,
Just love the tile, and thank you for your previous help with my questions. I ordered additional samples with this order, so I'm already pondering what else I can do with it!

Hello There Susan,
Thank you so much for your email.
It is nice to deal with a company that takes the time to follow up on customer satisfaction. My order was received, it was in perfect condition and I absolutely love the tiles.

Good Morning Susan,
As I mentioned when I placed the order a few weeks ago, the tiles we ordered are decor for a new clothing store we are opening in Hoboken, NJ. During the process of opening our store, we've had to work with many different people/vendors/outlets/etc. We simply wanted to thank you for making our experience with Susan Jablon Mosaics a pleasant one and for shipping the tiles as quickly as promised!

Additionally, the tiles were installed about 2 weeks ago, to receive rave reviews from everyone that's seen them. They look great! In fact, contractors with 30+ years experience have commented on how beautiful and unique the tiles look compared to everything else they've seen. We've even recommended your company to people and local establishments that were looking for that little something to break away from the norm.
Again, on behalf of everyone, we thank you for the commendable experience, and look forward to hopefully using you again with stores 2, 3, 4, 5
(fingers crossed) Have a great day!

To Ms. Jablon,
Not only did the tiles arrive quickly and well packed, but we love them! We also appreciate that you were so accessible for questions. Our contractor has installed them with the Dove Grey grout which looks perfect against the mint green. We have two other bathrooms to do and I will certainly be purchasing my tiles from you. We're nearing the end of our master bathroom renovation and I will definitely send you a photo via the website when all is complete.

Good Morning Susan,
My son-in-law is in the process of installing my tile this week and will be applying the grout soon. At this point it is beautiful as it is, but will be even better once it is finished! I am so happy with the results. I may be ordering a few more tiles as I hadn't originally intended to do the side walls, but I think it might be better to have it wrap around. I also feel I want as much of this gorgeous stuff around me as possible! I will be sending you 'before and after' pictures and hope they will be good enough to post on your website. I am a fan forever and will tell everyone I talk to about my kitchen where I found my tile.

Dear Susan,
Your tiles arrived perfectly packed and better than anticipated online. The colors are lovely, and very vibrant.
I tiled a 6 inch chair rail around my bathroom. Then I used some tiles to tile a coordinating mirror, plus two clay pots. It looks wonderful! I will highly recommend your tiles to friends, and will be ordering more for my next project, which will be tiling an antique table. Your prices are very reasonable!

Frequently Asked Questions from Customers of Susan Jablon Mosaics

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I am having trouble with the Tile Designer loading. It says it is at 992% loading but it hangs up, what is wrong?

A: The Tile Designer has difficulty loading if your computer is using Intenet Explorer version 6.0.This version of IE is notorious for bugs and causes much trouble and havoc. Please download version 7.0 of Internet Explorer and you will sail through the loading process. If anyone is having any problems with the tile designer or any aspect of my site, please email me or send me a screen shot as I want to know of any problems.

Q: Is the ORGANiKS tile compatable with all the other tiles, and can it be mixed in the tile designer?

A: Yes! Absolutely., Clink of the choice SIZE TILE when in the first stagee of the tile designer. Select 1" tiles. The ORGANiKS tile is in the tile designer with the item code V and then the tile number. You can mix and match it in any way with all the other 1" tiles.

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Q: I would like to mix stainless steel tiles in with glass tiles, is this possible?

A: Yes! With the arrival of the 4mm Stainless Steel Tiles, they will be available for blending in the 1" tiles, 3/4" tiles, 2" tiles and in the 1x3 subway size tiles. This should be available early February, 2008.

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Q: I would like to mix different size tiles together. Is this possible?

A: Yes! Absolutely. We are designing grids for this process as I write this. We have this capability now and can help you with your designs around the tile designer, so call Susan at 607 349 0553. this capability should be in the tile designer in March 2008, but is certainly available now.f

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Q: I need to send you my recipe number from your old site so I can order my blend. How do I do this?

A: The best way to do this is to call me at 607-748-2302 or email me. I can re-create your recipe for you in our new Custom Blend Tile Designer. You will be on your way to ordering in just a few minutes! You can email me or call me (7 days a week) and I will respond to you as quickly as possible.

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Q: I have created a recipe in the Custom Blend Tile Designer and I am ready to place my order. How do I do this?

A: When you saved your blend the first time, you created an account for yourself. This is where you need to go now. Log in to your account and click on My Blends. This will show you all the blends you have created. You can order right from there by clicking on Buy. From there you will go into the shopping cart, where you can specify the area to be covered with tile, and proceed to specify and process your order.

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Q: I want to order a sample of a blend before I order my full amount. How long will a sample take to get to me?

A: We ship samples out within 48 hours of receiving your order, and then shipping times apply.
Once we receive your full order, we ask for two weeks to make this for you, and then shipping times apply to your order. Susan Jablon Mosaics is located in Upstate New York. If you are in California, the shipping time to you is one week if we ship ground. If you are in Manhattan, it is two days. Express delivery available for an additional charge.

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Q: What if I can’t wait two weeks, and I need my order expedited immediately. Is there a fee for expediting my order?

A: If you are in a rush, please tell Susan by either calling her 607-748-2302 (weekdays) or 607-349-0553 (evenings and weekends) or emailing her. We will be very happy to help you. There is no fee for this. You might want to consider upgrading the UPS shipping from ground to an air shipment. There will be an additional shipping charge associated with this. You can see what this would cost by placing your order in the shopping cart and choosing your shipping option.

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Q: I have received my blend, but I don’t understand how to install this.


A: A blend is a hand-made mosaic. It is a piece of art that will soon be adorning where you live, work or play. It is not similar to a ceramic tile installation process; it takes a certain amount of understanding and patience to do this work well. You need the right tools and equipment (see our section on Glass Tile Installation Techniques) and you need to approach this installation as the "art process" that it is. In our opinion, the best idea is to hire a professional installer. If that is possible, and he or she has questions, please encourage them to call me so we can discuss everything. If you will be doing this yourself, by all means, call me and let’s spend the time together going over everything you might want to review. The best results come from the customers who take the most time to understand what this process is and how to best achieve great results, easily and carefully.

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Q: Can glass tile be put in a pool? What if my climate is freezing in the winter?


A: Absolutely YES!! Please visit my Amazing Glass Tile Gallery and feast your eyes on lots of pool installations that my customers are enjoying. Glass tile is exterior and interior rated, so your pool can be in a freezing climate and be very successful. It is the mortar that you install your glass tiles into that has to be unique: It needs to be latex modified. This gives the installation flexibility so that when it is freezing cold or blazing hot, the mortar can move, allowing the tile to adjust to the temperature changes.

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Q: Can glass tile be used on a floor? Will it be slippery?


A: Yes, glass tile can be used on a floor, it can go anywhere that ceramic tile can go. A floor foundation must be screwed down completely and have no bounce or movement or squeaking. A cement floor is the perfect foundation for glass tile. Will it be slippery? Certainly, when wet. Wet surfaces are slippery and care must be taken, but is it slippery all on its own? No, a glass tile floor is like any normal floor.

What does LEED Certification Mean and Other Recycled Glass Q&A

We have been getting so many curious questions from customers as to the nature of 100% recycled
certified glass mosaic tile, that we decided to post some of the FAQ'S on this topic. Please ask us your questions so we can get your answers posted for you.

Q: In describing recycled material content I hear the words pre and post consumer materials. What does Pre Consumer materials mean?

A: Pre-consumer materials are generated during the manufacturing process and may consist of scrap and trimmings that were never used in the consumer market.

Q: What does Post Consumer materials mean?

A: Post-Industrial Material is from manufacturing processes where virgin resources would otherwise go to waste. This material is collected and used in a product other than that for which it was originally used. Post-consumer material is an end product that has completed its life cycle as a consumer item and would otherwise have been disposed of as a solid waste. ORGANiKS 100% certified recycled glass tie is made completely from broken car windshields.

Q: We hear about LEED certification when it comes to green building. What does this mean?

A: LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It represents:

  • A voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable building.
  • It is a building environmental certification program developed and operated by the US Green Building Council.

  • It is The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system. It represents the US Green Building Council's effort to provide a national standard for what constitutes a "green building".

  • Because ORGANiKS is 100% Certified, Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile it is a very desirable product for builders seeking LEED Certification for their projects.

  • Regarding the ORGANiKS product, there were several questions as to the manufacturing process used in making this product. Here are a few we thought you might be interested in:

    Q:What are your product manufacturer's doing to reduce CO2 emissions to the atmosphere?

    A:Gas Ovens are not used.. All the ovens use electricity and that is why the CO2 emissions are minimum.

    Q: Is the water used in the manufacturing process treated and returned to the ground, streams, lakes?

    A:The water required to produce our glass mosaic is also minimum, around a 1%, and it evaporates during the manufacturing process.

    Q: How much energy is imbedded in the products you represent and what is the source of the energy?

    A: The source of energy is electricity.

    Q: What percentage of the products use recycled materials?

    A: 100% of the glass that we use to produce our mosaics is recycled.

    Q: What materials are used for the coloring, glazing, etc.?

    A: We use oxides.

    Q: What portion of the manufacturing process is waste and does it go to landfill?

    A: We don't have residues because every defective product goes to the beginning of the production line and is recycled again.

    Monday, January 14, 2008

    International Attention for Susan Jablon Mosaics


    Susan Jablon Mosaics (www.susanjablonmosaics.com) has received international attention for bringing affordably luxury and incredible products to the marketplace. We stock architectural levels of glass mosaics and stainless steel in our 3 warehouses, located in Florida, New York and New Jersey. In our studio in Upstate NY, you will find a team of artists creating cutting edge glass tile blends for homeowners and builders, designers and architects, pool builders and landscape architects, restaurant and hotel renovators, casino installations as well TV and movie sets.

    Our goal is to create incredible combinations of glass, stainless steel and river stone, and have them affordably priced for both the wholesale and retail market place.

    We are a company committed to excellence, both personally and professionally. Bringing this 100% certified recycled glass mosaic tile to market is a hallmark of this commitment. Green is indeed the new Red, White, and Blue, and Susan Jablon Mosaics is squarely on the mark.

    Contact us today!



    Susan Jablon
    www.SusanJablonMosaics.com
    408 Front St.
    Vestal, NY 13850
    e:
    susan@susanjablonmosaics.com
    f: 607 748 2303
    p: 607 748 2302



    Saturday, January 12, 2008

    2008 Blend Catalog Now Online and Lots on NEW Tile

    Happy 2008 everyone! I have just uploaded the beginning of my NEW 2008 BlendDesigns, fresh new designs for you to look at, play with in the tile designer, and just basically enjoy. New blend catagories include: BLING: Mirror tiles mixed with 1" tiles, too much fun! RETRO METRO: hot sleek designs for todays contemporary dweller; ORGANiKS: Our taking off like a rocket ship 100% certified recycled product, mixed with other 1" tiles. Inside all the blend catagories you will find hundreds of new designs, ready for your consideration.

    With our monthly container arriving next week, our 4mm stainless will be on board. Ready to mix into your glass tile mosaics in the 3/4", 1", 2" and 1x3" designs. Watch for this in the tile designer!!

    Happy, Healthy New Year to you one and all,

    Susan and the Staff at SJM