Quick and easy glass etching

I have had the supplies for this project for months...and finally got to it this week.  Glass etching is so easy and fun.  And I love using letters around the house...I don't know why.  Ask any of my friends...grammar is not my speciality.  You would think I would have a "thing" for numbers.  Nope.  Letters.  And the "&" symbol.  I find myself drooling over interior design with the "&" symbol used somewhere in the design.  I need to get me one of those.

This particular project is going to be part of my Christmas decorations.  I can't believe that Christmas is around the corner.  Wow.

Joy...real joy...is at the heart of Christmas.  Christ's birth brings joy to earth.  I love Christmas.

Imagine these vases with white lights, pine cones...or maybe some burlap.  I didn't have the energy to dig through my Christmas decorations *quite* yet.  I have an "after Thanksgiving" rule.

My project took very few supplies...these 3 vases, stencils, a paintbrush, and Armour Etch.

Armour Etch is easy to find at Michaels or Joann Fabrics.  It is a small bottle but it goes a really long way.  I hardly made a dent with this project.  **side note...I just read the warning label as I uploaded this picture.  Yikes...use with caution!**

I placed my stencils, or should I say stickers, on my vases.  Because I was using the outside edge of letter stickers, I didn't have much of a margin.  I used tape on the edges to make sure my etching 'goo' didn't get anywhere else on the glass.  You can also use contact paper and pre-cut any design that you want.

I put the 'goo' in my letter area and tried to keep it even.  Remember that this etches the glass very quickly...you only have to leave it on for 5 or 10 minutes.  So don't let it get outside of your stencil area.

After 5 or 10 minutes, just wash it off.  That is it!  I did do a second coat on a few spots; I think my first coat wasn't as even as I would have liked.

That's it!  So easy...and endless possibilities.  I might have to try this again sometime soon.

Dr. Pepper and baby mittens

I promise...I am still alive.  I have been meaning to sit and write a blog post, but life has gotten ahead of me.

I have started a new medicine for migraines...and I don't know which is worse, the migraine or the side effects of the medicine.  Well, actually...I know which is worse.  I wouldn't wish a migraine on my worst enemy.  But my current medicine has some funny side effects...like loosing the taste of carbonation.  Seriously.  I didn't even know that was possible until I tried my favorite beverage, Dr. Pepper, and found myself searching the can for an expiration date.

Despite the lack of luster in the beverage department, I have been a busy bee preparing for my first student art show.  I must admit...I am a little nervous.  I did not major in art or anything close.  I was a theology major who is now a stay at home mom who likes to be handy!  Being handy and artistic has become my "therapy", so I agreed to have a table at the art show.

We are encouraged to sell any art or craft, not just our pottery from class.  I made some clay birds for stemware and a few wine stoppers.

I am also going to sell some of my bowls and vases...

I also decided to frame a few of my charcoal drawings.  Here are my 2 favorite -

In all honesty, I got a little nervous that I would just sit at the table all day with my pottery and drawings without a single sale.  This is the first time I am opening up to the public (on the blog and at the art show) some of my drawings, and it makes me nervous to be at a show surrounded by "real" artists.  Soooo, I decided to sew a few things as a fail safe.  I wanted at least one sale.

When Nate was born, a good friend gave me a burp cloth with this adorable robot fabric. I had been searching for some newborn hand mittens to protect him from scratching himself, and decided to try to make them to match the cute burp cloth.  Here is the end result from last year -

Aren't they cute???  Every nurse at the hospital asked where I had gotten them.  And I must say, Nate looked awfully cute.  So I decided to make a few mitten and burp cloth sets to sell at the show, just in case my real art started to collect dust.






I cut the form big enough for little hands...keeping the bottom wide enough that new moms won't feel stressed about squeezing their babies hands into the mittens.  I cut 4 matching pieces.

I folded over the bottom edge to form a hem.

Then I cut a small length of ribbon, and sewed the ribbon on 2 of my mitten "forms", about 1/2 inch from the bottom edge.

Then I put 2 forms together with the fabric pattern side in, and stitched myself a little mitten.  2 important things to note - first, I chose to do a wider stitch to give the mitten a little strength and to guard the fabric from fraying.  They won't be wearing these when they are 2 years old, but you want them to last.  Second, be careful where the end of your ribbon is when you are sewing the two pieces together.  Make sure it is tucked "in and down."  And then turn it right side out.









That's it!  I paired the mittens with 2 burp cloths...and I must admit, it is pretty cute.  Here is a baby girl's set...

Wow, I guess I have been busy.  I just haven't had a chance to write about it.  And if you are family member, or a friend that is pregnant...you might see a few of these items again around Christmas.  Just act surprised.