Customized Etched Hot Chocolate Mug

Materials:

• Glass mug 
• etchall® – Etching Cream 
  • Designer Tip Kit
  • Etchmask® sheets 
• DecoArt® Americana® Gloss Enamels alphabet stencils 
• Spellbinders® 
  • Artisan X-plorer™ Machine
  •  Snowflake dies  

• Chocolate chips, vegetable shortening, plastic spoon, mini marshmallows, plastic wrap, ribbon, blue sugar crystals, instant hot chocolate packet, microwave safe bowl, microwave, scissors, measuring spoons 

Instructions:

 

1. Apply reusable alphabet stencils to mug to spell out name of child and “hot chocolate”. 
2. Fill small bottle from Designer Tip Kit with etchall® creme and apply creme directly over opening in stencils.  Let set 15 minutes, then rinse to remove creme and remove stencils from mug. (Note:  etchall® creme is reusable, it can be returned to the bottle for use another time – due to the small amount used on this project, I didn’t return it to the bottle – but washed it away instead). 
3. Use Artisan X-plorer™ and snowflake dies to cut several snowflakes from etchmask®.  
4. Save your etchmask® snowflakes for another project.  Trim around negative space left from die cut snowflakes and place onto mug. 
5. Use Designer Tip bottle to apply etching cream to open space on snowflakes.  Let set 15 minutes and rinse.  Remove snowflake stencils.  
6. Wash etched mug thoroughly and let dry. 
7. Melt approximately 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and 1/4 tsp vegetable shortening in a microwave safe bowl.
8. Microwave approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute to melt chips.  Stir melted chips and shortening until smooth. 
9. Dip plastic spoon in melted chocolate to coat.  Sprinkle with blue sugar crystals.  Set onto wax paper to cool and harden. 
10. Wrap about 1/4 cup of mini marshmallows in plastic wrap and tie with a decorative ribbon.  Cover chocolate spoon with plastic wrap and tie with ribbon.   Place marshmallows, spoon and package of instant hot chocolate mix into mug and give to your favorite little one to enjoy a warm chocolatey treat on a frosty winter day!  
    

Feeling Frosty Winter Home Decor

The When Creativity Knocks All-Stars' Designer Holiday series is rolling along and in this episode I show you how to combine Etchall, Rit Dye, Spellbinders, Makin's Clay, Beacon Adhesives, JudiKins Roxs, and Smoothfoam, Clearsnap Smooch Glitz and more create two home decor pieces for the holidays, and all winter long.   Here's the YouTube link, or follow the direct link to view the episode on WCK's site below.

http://whencreativityknocks.com/mycraftspace/m/videos/view/All-Star-Designers-Holiday-Series-Winter-Decor

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