Creating the stencils......

Today I'm going to work on creating the stencils I will need.   My original idea was to print on heavy cardstock.   This isn't going to happen, as this printer is solely a paper feed with no manual feed from the back.   So...

My backup plan is now to simply print out a few templates, cut out my elements and use the remaining paper for a stencil.  I can simply use a marker when drawing out the pattern.  I'll then cut out the elements and apply to the glass.  This is actually easier and avoids having to cut into heavy stock, then tracing out and recutting.  

The smaller ones are pretty hard to cut out!  It's a good thing I'm not in any rush. 

Ok, now applying the marker to the stencil.....

I've now cut them out and applied them to scrap glass I got for free.  Best to test things out before going whole hog on this. I like using old catalogs and such for protecting surfaces - you can just throw out a page or two once done, depending on what you're doing.

I got this bottle at A.C. Moore - Hobby Lobby had a kit, which had a teeny bottle in it and a lot of stencils, which I didn't need.   I got this for less than half price with a coupon!  I hope it will last.  The list of precautions are large.  Don't inhale, don't get on skin, etc.   It also says to stir it - I'm going to shake the bejesus out of it instead.  It should not be clumpy or crystallized anywhere.  

Be careful when opening!  This bottle had some caked etching cream on the lid and edges, which fell off when I opened it.  Open it over a garbage bag and dispose of when you are done.  

So, now I've applied.  Now I'm going to wait.  The instructions say to apply a thick layer, but for my purposes, a small layer will do at this point.  I just want to see how it works.  Their website says to wait 60 seconds.  This is because they are concerned that the cream will creep under the stencil.  I don't have this worry, as this sticker is going to stay on.  I'm only going to use it once, then peel it off.  

Ok, now for the results.  I did notice that when I held the test up to the light, that I could see that the area was unevenly applied.  A softer brush might give a better application.  I wanted to use a stiffer brush to make sure I got into small areas, but that may be more of an issue when you are stenciling a design on.  Here, I'm sort of reversing the concept.   All you have to do with this is rinse under warm running water. 

Hey, it worked!   I did have some sticker reside which I can clean off, but a thick layer is advised.  Not sure if a sponge brush will be better.  I don't want air bubbles on it.  But it's a start!  

Tomorrow, I'm going to try tracing out the whole design, then peel the contact paper and apply directly to the glass.  I'll then cut the small designs, then pull off the background. I can test a new brush as well with this. 

Etching Glass with Stencils

My husband and I have lived in our house here in South Central PA for almost 13 years now.  Due to his health (and for other reasons), we've tried in the past to sell our house and relocate back to the Chicago area.  I lived there all of my life, and Jim lived there most of his, with a short stint in Maine.  Our first attempt to sell started in July of 2009, and stopped in April of 2016.  Yes, really!    There are a few things that I think will help with our sale, and the first I will show is how I am going to fix the panes in our outdoor lanterns. 

When we bought the house, the lanterns had plastic panes in them.  They were discolored yellow, and looked pretty bad.  We went to Ace Hardware and bought two new plastic fluorescent light panels - the kind you see on overhead fluorescent lights.  Jim cut them up and we replaced them.  They are now looking just as bad as the original ones, and since he wanted to use double-stick tape, they are now flopping everywhere.  I still have the hardware we used to keep the original panels in straight, so I am going to attempt to do this "right" for once and for all. 

Some time back, I had seen a book of Victorian Stencils published by Dover Publications in our library.  I checked it out, and reviewed the patterns inside for suitability.  This is the one that I think will work best:

Pretty Stencil!

 I chose this design because I like it, and because I think it will readily resize to the dimensions I need.  The darker areas will be clear, and the white areas will be the etched area.  

I use Irfanview to handle pictures and other patterns to resize and adjust.  It's a great program and it's free! I managed to get the size I need for my smaller lanterns with little fuss.   So, all I need is one print  of this  (and one as a layout template) and I am ready to go!

Originally, the way I had thought I would handle this was to print this onto contact paper.  Reviews of doing this successfully online showed that the ink may run.  Ruining my printer is also an issue, so instead I will print onto cardstock and cut out the dark areas, then trace those onto contact paper and cut them out. 

Here's a picture of the original panes in the lantern.  A plus is that the yellowed area shows the dimensions required!  

Nasty Old Panes!

   And see how well this fits!  Just inside the yellowed part!

Pretty!

More on this tomorrow.....I have to finish my apple butter and get myself some lunch before I go to work tonight.  I have a total of 9 small panes and 10 large ones to make.  I might make extra just in case for future use.