Etched Garden Art

Hi All,

Have you seen those fun garden designs with stacked dishes and teacups?  I've always wanted to make some decorations like that for my garden.   So, I've combined some inexpensive glass dishes and etchall® dip 'n etch to create some garden art. 

Here's the result:

Etched Garden Art

First, I went shopping in my local thrift shops and found inexpensive glass pieces like punch cups, saucers, small vases, sundae cups and other assorted pieces.  Here's some of what I found (for 50 cents apiece!).  Look for pieces that you can stack together.

Thrift Store Glass

Next, find a plastic container that will fit your glass.  I used a milk jug cut in half for some and a large salad container for others.

Put the glass in the container and cover with etchall® dip 'n etch.

You may notice that this dish isn't completely covered.  I turned this dish in the liquid to get the full etching, but it's much easier if you can cover the whole dish.  If you do rotate the dish, wear gloves.

Wait about 15 minutes.  It may take less than that depending on the piece.  Check it at 10 minutes.  Then, remove the glass from the etching liquid and rinse well.  I wash them in soap and water to remove all the residue.

Then, I tried to color the glass with some of the paints and inks I had.  I wanted a soft, romantic tint.  I tried a wash of acrylic paint and water, but this just washed right off.  Then, I tried some patina ink full strength.  That was too much color for me.  A little dilution with water created just the right tint for my dishes to give a soft color.  I used a sponge brush to paint the dishes also, as I found a regular paint brush left too many streaks.

Then, I glued my dishes together with an epoxy.  Follow the instructions and allow for good ventilation.  I glued the punch cup on top of the inverted bowl, then glued the vase in the bowl.

Side View

I painted a dowel and slid the vase over it.  You could use plastic or copper pipe for the stand also.  Or, try hanging a teacup and saucer in a macrame sling.  

Here's another view:

Etched Garden Art

You can add a tealight like I did here or fill it with a small plant or even birdseed.

There are so many fun combinations to try; I can't wait to make more!  They will make great gifts, too.  Or, decorations for a wedding - lots of possibilities!

Have fun etching! It's so easy with etchall® dip 'n etch! Use my code TERRYR for a 10% discount!

Terry

Stringing Spring 2016

Hi Creative Friends!

The Secret Garden was one of my favorite books growing up, so when I saw the categories for the Spring issue of Jewelry Stringing back in November, I knew that category was right up my alley.  Luckily, the editors thought so, too.  I don't always make it into the pages of the magazine, so it's always nice to be included.  A sweet, romantic style is one I favor and this simple necklace picks up on that.  It would be great for Valentine's Day or any spring occasion.  I did something a little different in attaching the lavender flowers to the filigree button.  Check out the Spring Stringing issue to find out what I did!

You'll find lots of wonderful designs to inspire your spring creativity.  You can also follow the Stringing Guidelines on pinterest.  The Fall guidelines are already posted if you want to submit one of your creations!  It's always a good idea to read the magazine before submitting and now, you can get 15% off on Interweave products.  Just click on the banner below or in my sidebar.  (I am an affiliate, so I will get a small percentage of the sale.  Thank you!)

Happy Creating!
PS:  You can follow my designs on pinterest also! 

Key to the Garden

Faith, Family, Friends Signpost

Hi all,

Today I'm sharing my latest project for Smoothfoam™.  It's a signpost that reflects what is important to me.   It's very simple to make. I used a sheet of Smoothfoam™ and cut the signs, notched the edges and painted them.  Looks like painted wood, doesn't it?  But, it's so much easier to work with than wood.

Signpost

For this project I've add some JOY letters in two different fonts, and it was painted with DecoArt® Chalky Finish Paints.  Both of these products work so well with Smoothfoam™.  The Chalky Finish paint covers with one coat since it's nice and thick.  And, lettering signs with JOY letters is a breeze - simply glue them on to the foam surface.  If you like, you can color them with inks or paint to get the color you desire.  You can find all these products at a large craft store near you. 

For all the details, head to the Smoothfoam™ blog and create a signpost that reflects your favorite phrases.

Happy Crafting,

Terry

Pretty Palettes :: January Reveal

Hi Everyone1

Before January is totally gone, I wanted to squeeze in a little playtime for myself and create something for the January Pretty Palettes challenge on the Halcraft blog.  This month, Erin has found some amazing snowflake photographs for inspiration.  For me, January has been filled with tax forms, needlepoint designing and the Craft and Hobby Show, so this designing time is a great little break to play with the beads.

Life is so full that I didn't have time to head down to Michaels, but I did have some AB rondelles already on hand from the Bead Gallery and I picked up some Bliss Beads (also made by Halcraft) at my local JoAnn's.

So, here is what I created.  I made a pendant with a wire ring and some of the crystal AB beads in the shape of a snowflake and added it to a quick and easy necklace. 

I'm finishing this after the light has gone, so it is not as sharp as possible, but I like how the pendant came out.  I can see a necklace with a flurry of these in different sizes.

Snowflake Necklace

Happy Creating! And, check out all the other snowflake-inspired designs! 

Photos the next day:

Snowflake Necklace

 And, here's a close-up:

Close-up of Snowflake Pendant

It's so much easier to get a good photo with the right light.  I'm still working on it as you can see.  It's part of the learning process! Now, I'm wondering if I should have a dark background....