1 Cindi Bisson McGee - Behind These Eyes : Cindi’s Adventures with Etchall

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Cindi’s Adventures with Etchall



Etchall® Etching Cream is an amazing product with a long history of use on glass, mirrors, and ceramic glazes.  It's easy to use, and the product is re-usable so there is very little waste.   Be sure to visit http://www.Etchall.com to learn more about their variety of products, for a project gallery, and for how-to videos.   And, of course be sure to follow the Designer Craft Blog Connection post on the left to see what the other participating designers have created with Etchall®!

Those of you who follow my creative work know I tend to be a bit of a mad scientist sometimes when crafting.   When I received my Etchall® for this Designer Craft Blog Connection Hop, I immediately began scheming and dreaming up new things I wanted to try with it. First, I'm going to share my finished project, then I'll share my experiments.....

The Plaid® Martha Stewart stencils I used for these glasses are made of sturdy plastic and therefore would not bend well to mold to the shape of the wine glass.  So I traced the stencil onto Etchall® Etchmask, and used a sharp craft knife to cut out the open areas. 



The finished sticker stencil was mounted to the glass and I followed the manufacturer’s instructions for applying the Etchall® - and it worked wonderfully - I was able to easily create four seaside themed wine glasses.  (*Note... I found when etching a curved surface like this, it was better to apply the cream to small areas at a time, rather than the entire image to eliminate the issue of the cream running off the curved edge on to the area of the glass you don't want etched...)

And even though the different designs would make it easy for those using the to determine which glass was there, I like to be optimistic and think that several sets might be in use at a fabulous beachside party.... causing confusion as to whose glass was whose.    My answer - quick and easy wine glass charms made from gold hoop earrings, 4 different colored Connie Crystal pearls, and some sparkling Connie Crystal accents. 

And now... cue the bubbling vials and beakers of steaming green and brown goo in the laboratory....

First Experiment: 

Polished marble door stop......  I am lucky to have access to some great assorted chunks of gorgeous marble and have been wanting to create something unique with a piece for a while.  

I whipped out my KellyCraft Get-it-Straight™ Laser Square and lined up some Plaid® Martha Stewart alphabet stencils to spell out a favorite verse.   Applied the Etchall® and waited not so patiently for the required time.  When I removed the Etchall®, then the stencils, I discovered...... nothing.   Apparently, the manufacturers are correct in not claiming their product works on polished marble - lol......


Second Experiment: 

(Yes, the inner “Beaker” in me... anybody remember him from The Muppet Show?..... persevered and had to keep on pushing the limits beyond the product’s recommended uses...)

Etched luggage tag......... I love the clear acrylic Mod Podge Acrylic shapes, especially the tags, from Plaid®.   Out came my Get-it-Straight™ Laser Square again and those same Plaid® Martha Stewart stencils..... I spelled out my name and was planning to add my phone number too and a pretty little flower design.  

Guess what?  Apparently, the manufacturer was also correct in not claiming the product would etch plastic.  

Was there a third experiment?  Well of course there was.   I took a sheet of rolled, dried Makin’s Clay®, added a stencil and added some Etchall® just to see what would happen.  I bet you can guess what the result was.

With all of that shared, I want to reiterate that the Etchall® cream was very easy to use, and I had good results, when I followed the manufacturer's instructions and used it for it's intended use!  I'm glad I got a chance to discover this product and I already have ideas on ways to use it for future projects! - Cindi

3 comments:

denise clason said...

Very pretty projects, Cindy!

Anonymous said...

LOL! You are indeed a mad crafting scientist Cindi! :) I'd wondered about etching marble and now your experiments have cleared that up for me! :) The glasses turned out so pretty!

Barbee said...

Thank you for trying the different mediums!! Great Job!!! If a medium does not work, please contact www.etchall.com and let us try to identify the issue. etchall works on glass, mirror, marble, slate and china. The added rings were an excellent bonus. Writing on an etchall etched surface with a pencil can be washed away at cleaning for a temporary identifier also!! Thank you... Barbee... <{{}}><