Shabby Chic Birdbath

Hi Crafters!

Now that some of the grass and weeds have been cleared from the garden, I want to decorate a little.  A year or so ago, I made a teacup votive for my garden and an etched glass angel.  This year, I'm ready to add more etched garden art to my flower beds.  I have a few ideas, but I thought I'd start with a birdbath.

I headed to my local thrift store and picked up some glass to upcycle.  I have quite a stash but I needed a large plate or shallow bowl for the main part of the birdbath.

Here's what I found - a large divided plate.

I combined it with some pieces that I had from previous trips.

One dish here was already etched, but the rest were ready to go after washing in warm soapy water.

Here's one ready to etch with etchall® dip 'n etch.

As you can see, it is not quite covered in the dip 'n etch, so I solved this problem by rotating it while it etches.  If you do this, wear gloves.  The original dip 'n etch is a clear liquid, but as it is used, it turns dark.  It is still effective and after I etched all my pieces, I poured the leftover liquid back in the container.

Here all the pieces after etching stacked into the birdbath. It's pretty like this, but I wanted a little color to bring out the patterns.

Etched Birdbath

I wasn't quite satisfied with this arrangement of glass.   For one thing, after I painted the large dish, the back was more interesting than the front.  But, then I needed a larger bowl for the actual bath.  So, I went shopping again!

Here's the beautiful pressed glass bowl I found.

The inside is smooth and the outside has a very intricate pattern.

I didn't have enough etchall® dip 'n etch to cover this bowl, so I coated it with a layer of etchall® etching crème.  It would have been easier with the bowl's intricate surface to use the liquid, but the etchall® etching crème worked fine.  I used a plastic knife to get into all the grooves on the glass.

After it was finished etching, I washed it off using an old toothbrush to get into the crevices.  On a smooth surface, I would have scraped it off and put it back in the container (it's re-usable!).  But, this surface was too intricate to make it worthwhile.

After drying, I painted it as I had the vase and plate with Americana® Décor Chalky Finish paint by DecoArt®.  With the tooth on the glass created by etching, the chalk paint works very well, and I love the soft romantic colors.  I left the inside unpainted.

To give the pieces a distressed look, I took off some of the paint with sandpaper. 

Then, I glued the pieces together with an epoxy glue.

Here's the finished birdbath:

Shabby Chic Birdbath

I can't wait to try more garden pieces!  Ready to try etching?  Head over to the etchall® site for all your supplies. 

Looking for more garden "etch-spiration", you might like these etched garden crafts:

Teacup Votive

Etched Angel

Happy etching!

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

Manufacturer's Challenge - deflecto®

Hello Crafty Friends!

This month, we have another manufacturer's challenge on the Designer Crafts Connection.  A manufacturer's challenge is when some of us designers on the DCC receive a sample of product from a company with which to create a project.  In return, we use our time and talents and blog to promote the project, the manufacturer and each other.

Our manufacturer on this hop is deflecto®, a producer of plastic frames, organizers, floor mats and other office and home related products.



This is the wonderful selection of items that I received.

deflecto® products

When I get a new product and I haven't worked with it, I do a little research to see what has been done. I like to see if other designers and crafters have tried ideas I am considering.  It helps me to know what works and what doesn't and it helps me create something unique.  One of the places I checked was the deflecto® blog. To see the projects from their design team, go to their blog.  Ann Butler Designs has recently hosted a deflecto® hop, too, and here is that link.  I found that a lot of different products can be used and I decided to try some paint and decoupage and see how that worked with the plastic surfaces.

I loved the stackable cube organizer that I received and I had on hand some chalk paint that I bought to use on furniture.  I wasn't sure that it would work on the plastic, but I was pleasantly surprised. 

The DecoArt® Americana® Décor™ Chalky Finish Paint adhered to the surface very well.  The sides of the organizer are textured, so the paint adhered and covered evenly there.  But, it worked well on the smooth plastic of the drawers also.  Here's how the organizer looked after the first coat of paint: 

Stackable Cube Organizer

Not bad, but I wanted to have more texture and cover up my uneven brush strokes, so I add a second coat.  This time I used a sponge instead of a brush.

I liked that much better, but it needed some contrast.  I found some matching paper and decoupaged the sides and top.

Decoupaged and Painted Organizer

You can use this organizer anywhere.  Coordinate it with a child's room, the bathroom, the kitchen, your work space - anywhere you need a little storage.  Decorate a few and stack them up; the organizer comes with clips to hold multiples together.  Add labels on the drawers or embellishments like stickers or trims.  I added some die cut labels to the front.  I still haven't decided what I'll put in these, so the labels are blank, but I think it will end up on my sewing table.  It's perfect for thread, needles, bobbins and other sewing paraphernalia.

Organizer with Chalky FinishPaint and Decoupage

Be sure to check out the rest of the deflecto® blog hop posts to see what the other designers have created with these great products.  Go forward or back on the big blue Designer Crafts Connection button on my sidebar to start or go to the Designer Crafts Connection blog for all the links in one place.  For more information on deflecto® products for crafts, go to their site.

There is a giveaway.  To enter, leave a comment on any of the linked blogs, enter the Rafflecoper on the Designer Crafts Connection blog and like the deflecto® facebook page!  Here's what you can win!

Good Luck!

And, Happy Crafting!

Terry

Initial Pendant

Hi Crafters!

Have you noticed how popular initials are?  They are everywhere - on clothing, home goods, jewelry and room decor to name a few.  Today I'm creating an etched initial pendant with etchall® etching creme.  This is so easy that you'll want to create one for all your friends.  This little pendant looks great as a necklace or as a charm on a bracelet.  But, you could also use it on a key chain or on a gift!

Here's the process:

Find a glass pendant of some sort with a hole in it or a setting with a bail so that you can add it to a necklace or chain.  I used Tim Holtz idea-ology Monocles, which I found at my local JoAnn's.

Clean up the glass with alcohol and place your stencil on it.  I used adhesive-backed stencils that I received from DecoArt®.  The stencil is slightly larger than the monocle, so I rounded the edges.  This allows the stencil to seal to the glass better.

Then, following the instructions on the etchall® etching creme, apply it to the stenciled area and let it work for 15 minutes.  Remove the excess creme and put it back in the bottle (it's reusable!), rinse with water and remove the stencil.  Dry it off and you're done!

Now, you can add it to an existing bracelet or necklace or string it on a chain or cord.

Initial Pendants

Are you ready to try etching?  Look for the little etchall® bee logo on the left side of this blog and try out this amazing product!  Check out the facebook page for ideas and information!  (I am proud to be an etchall® Ambassador and I receive compensation for this project.)

Happy Crafting!

Terry