Life in the Craft Lane: Back to School Selfie

Friday, August 21, 2015

Back to School Selfie

School supplies are in the bag - pens, pencils, notebooks and more, but let's not forget the all important mirror for the school locker, so you can see yourself"ie" as others see you....

The custom design was etched on this mirror with etchall® etching creme. As you know, I love this product for etching. It's easy to use, doesn't have a nasty smell AND it's reusable! So here we go.

The mirror was 6" square, so I created a square shape for my digital die cutting machine then wrote the word "Selfie" and added a hashtag about half an inch from the top. I also added small stars down each side using a Dingbat font. TIP: You could also create the design in 3 strips; one for the top and one for each side.

I cut the design from etchall etchmask™ which is a self adhesive vinyl. After cutting, I removed the excess etchmask from around the square.

Cover the etchmask with transfer paper then carefully remove the vinyl from the backing sheet. TIP: Some designers prefer to remove the back sheet at the same time. For me, it depends on how intricate the design is. It works the same either way.

With the top edge aligned with the top of the mirror, carefully place on the mirror then remove the transfer paper.

Starting at one corner of the mirror, use a pick tool to gently remove the etchmask from around your design. The mirror will now look like this. The areas around the etchmask will be etched, so make sure your design is firmly on the surface.

Now it's time to etch: Pour a large pile of creme onto the center of the mirror. Don't be afraid to use a lot; it's re-usable so after you've finished this step, the creme will be scooped back into its container. NOTE: Read directions on the container thoroughly! You may also notice that after a time your etching creme will change color from creamy white to caramel to dark brown. This change in color does not effect the chemical etching action.

Use a sponge brush to lightly spread the etching creme over all the open areas of your design. Use a light touch to push the creme around - we are not "painting" the creme on. Think of it as icing a cake. An offset plastic palette knife works well too.

Let the creme sit for 15 minutes, then scrape as much as you can back into the container. Rinse thoroughly then buff dry with a soft cloth. Hang in a place where you can see your "selfie" every day. Be true to yourself "ie" - BeYou tiful today - inside and out!