A few months ago a magazine picture of a mosaic table caught the eye of Natasha Squires. It changed her life.

Natasha, 17, had been "messing around with mosaic" for some time. She decided to use her inspiration to start a new business venture called Mosaics and Modern Furnishings. She runs the business in Portugal Cove-St. Philip's with her friend Jason Mercer, 22, a woodworker and furniture maker.

Mosaics is the art of making pictures or designs by inlaying small bits of colored material, such as stone, crockery or glass,. Natasha puts her designs on an object like a table or other piece of furniture.

Where does she get her furniture? This is where Jason comes in. He builds furniture and accessory pieces. Natasha adds the finishing touches by creating an artistic, mosaic design unique to every piece. All kinds of broken crockery, glass, ceramic and marble are worked into it. Natasha makes sure that a design is only used once.

Natasha said when she saw the picture in the magazine, she was hooked.

"I just loved it and thought I'd like to do that," she said.

She then thought of Mercer, who had previously made furniture for her, and the plan was hatched.

"I suggested to him we work together on it and that's how it all got started."

Michelle Barney, a Youth Ventures co-ordinator for the Northeast Avalon area, helped them work on their business plan and get a loan.

Natasha and Jason were enthusiastic, talented and committed, Barney said, and had done considerable work on their business plan.

"This is a new product to Newfoundland and I think they are going to do excellent with it," said Barney, who also helped them get a loan for the new business.

The company will start out making end tables, night tables, odd-size tables and hope chests, Squires said. She noted she is fixing up a shed in her yard for a workshop, while Mercer works from his own workshop.

Source: The Telegram, August 6, 1999, p. 25