Etched Wind Chime

Hello!

It's almost spring and time for some new yard décor.  Today, I'm going to etch a wind chime with etchall® dip 'n etch.

I bought a small glass lampshade at my local hardware store.  You might be able to find one in a re-use store or in your own stash from a remodel.  This is the size you might find on a fan or bathroom vanity light.

Since I'm going to dip it into the etching solution, I found a plastic container that would fit the shade.

I put the shade into the container and poured the etchall® dip 'n etch over it.  I let it sit 15 minutes and poured the remaining etching solution back in the bottle.  (It's reusable!)

Here's how it turned out:

I like it just like that, but a little color would be nice in the garden.  I used a diluted solution of alcohol ink to paint the inside and out.  I've had good results with this before on other projects like this teacup votive and this angel.  The color holds up very well.

Now, I need to hang this in order to make a wind chime out of it.  I used a canning ring and  a metal flange from the plumbing department to create the cap.  

I glued the flange inside the canning ring and to the top of the glass shade.  I dabbed alcohol ink on the cap to match the shade.  When it was dry, I knotted beads on both sides of the cap with cotton cord to create the clapper and to hang it.  When the wind blows, the wooden bead hits the side of the bell to chime.

Here it is hanging among the rosemary in my herb garden.

I love to make decorations for the garden.  Next, I'd like to try one of those big dish flowers!  I hope you'll try it.  It's so easy with etchall® dip 'n etch!

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!

Glass Art Angel

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!  Today I am creating with etchall® dip 'n etch, and I'm creating one of my favorite things - an angel.

One of the things I follow on pinterest is garden art, and there are lots of fabulous creations with upcycled glass.  I love working with different shapes and sizes to create art with it.  Here are a couple of things I've done recently: an etched snowman and a tealight holder. 

First, I headed to my local thrift shops for glass pieces that I can upcycle.  They are usually very inexpensive, which is a plus.  Or, you may have some around the house.

Here's what I found for my angel:

This is a vase and a small appetizer plate.  I thought the plate was perfect for angel wings.  I found a small round candle holder for the head.

Then, I proceeded to etch the pieces.  It's so easy with etchall® dip 'n etch.  Find a plastic container that fits your glass (this is the hardest part!).  Then, follow the instructions to etch the glass for about 15 minutes.  Rinse, dry and you are ready to go!

Here's the candle holder etching away:

After etching the other pieces and washing and drying them, I glued the pieces together with epoxy.  When using epoxy glue, be sure to have adequate ventilation.

Etched Angel

I painted the angel body and wings with an alcohol ink wash.  The wings have a soft yellow tint that doesn't show in this photo.  Alcohol inks worked very well with my tealight garden art.  It held up well outside keeping the original color.  And, I like the soft glow of this paint method. After painting, I glued on some soft green glass pieces for the hair.  Now, it's ready for the garden.  The angel also looks great on the window sill catching the morning light!

Glass Art Angel

I'm already thinking of more garden art ideas to create!  Maybe a bird feeder or some interesting glass flowers!  Etchall® dip 'n etch adds a nice soft luminescent look that I haven't seen on most of the garden art on pinterest. 

Ready to add it to your supplies?  Head here:  etchall®  and see all of the great products available.  Use my code TERRYR for a 10% discount!

Happy Creating!

Terry