Glass Etching – Day 2

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Hey stampers! Today I'll be continuing my tutorial on glass etching, covering how to etch with a rubber stamp. If you missed Part One yesterday, check it out here.

So, as many of you are rubber stamping crafters, you need to know how to glass etch using your favorite Stampin' Up! stamps…right?! Let's get started!

It definitely is easiest to use a flat, plate for emboss resist etching; it can be done with a round surface but MUCH more difficult and results are often discouraging. So, I'll show you the flat, glass plate method today.

Supplies needed:

  • 9 1/2″ glass dessert plate or other flat surfaced glass
  • small circle punched from cardstock (dark color works best)
  • scotch™ Tape
  • cutting system to cut a circle
  • adhesive-backed (like Contact ) shelving paper
  • glass cleaner spray or rubbing alcohol
  • paper towels
  • Embossing Buddy™
  • rubber stamp(s)
  • Versamark™ pad
  • embossing powder (any color)
  • heat tool
  • rubber or latex gloves
  • Armour Etch Cream™ available at local craft stores
  • scraping tool (I use the little brown one from Pampered Chef)
  • kitchen timer or clock
  • Note: Although etched glass is food safe when complete, you might prefer to stamp your image on the back of the plate for a more “finished” look.

Steps:

  1. Attach the small, punched circle to the center of the plate with a little piece of tape. This dot will be removed later; it is a guideline for stamp placement and does not have to be in the “exact” center.
  2. Clean the back side of the plate thoroughly with glass cleaner or rubbing alcohol. The goal is to remove all the fingerprints and any oil that might be on the surface to be etched.
  3. Using a cutter, create a circle “frame” (approx. 8″) from a piece of Contact paper. Affix the frame to the plate (front or back, whichever you choose), using the dot as a centering point. The glass etching cream will be applied inside this framed area, make sure it's pressed down well with no gaps or air bubbles along the edges.
4. Check to make sure you don't see any fingerprints or oil residue from when you pushed it down in step 3; if so, carefully clean it again
5. Rub the Embossing Buddy across the framed area; this will prevent embossing powder from sticking where you don't want it!
6. Ink your stamp  with the Versamark pad and carefully stamp in the center of the framed area using the taped dot as your guide. The glass might be slippery so stamp carefully!
If you make a mistake, just repeat steps 5 and 6 again.
7. Sprinkle embossing powder over the stamped image. You can use any color; you will scrape it away at the end of the process.
8. PRIOR TO HEATING, check for any excess embossing powder and remove it with a small paint brush if necessary.
9. Heat the embossing powder with your heat tool until the powder is shiny. This will take some time because glass is much thicker than cardstock. If you aren't sure you've heated it enough, heat a little more just for good measure!
Do not hold the plate while heating; the glass gets very hot!! If you make a mistake, just repeat steps 5-9.

10. Pour or dab a large glob of etching cream into the center of the circle frame.

Caution: Armour Etching Cream will burn your skin so wear latex or rubber gloves just to be safe. The etching cream also has an odor like rotten eggs, so if that is not a pleasing smell to you (HA!) work outside or in a well ventilated area.

11. Using foam brush,  lightly brush the cream onto the frame, coating with a thick layer to ensure good coverage. If you happen to get some outside the frame, wipe it off right away. The cream begins to etch the glass quickly.
12. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes.
13. Once the timer buzzes,  rinse the plate thoroughly with warm water, rubbing slightly with a gloved hand. Keep rinsing until no cream remains. Take off the frame and throw away. Take off your gloves and rinse a little bit more just to be sure no cream remains. Use the scraper to get off all the embossing…you can also use your fingernail.

14. Take off the dot and all the tape and dry the plate with a paper towel or a clean cotton towel.

NOTE: Etching cannot be reversed. If there was cream in places where it shouldn't have been, it can't be “fixed”.

 Here are some samples; the possibilities are endless!
I hope you've enjoyed and learned something from my tutorials. Give this fun technique a try and share your pictures! If you need any Valentine stamp sets, Stampin' Up! has a lot of new ones; you can see them now at my online store. Remember, it's Sale-A-Bration so any $50 order gets you free merchandise!
Oh…if you'd like to get more free tutorials and other stamping related tips, tricks, samples, and more…be sure to put your info in the large coral circle above. We don't flood you with a lot of stuff; we just share our expertise and knowledge with you and hopefully, help you to enjoy your crafting more!
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