Etched glass shadow box

I've been eyeing every glass surface in my house a bit differently these days, looking for things to accent with etchall® etching crème. First I tried some glass candle jars, but the etching came out too faint to photograph well. Some types of tempered glass (like Pyrex or candle jars) that are thicker to withstand heat won't etch very deeply.

So I kept looking and my eyes finally landed on this cute little shadow box with a glass lid. I have a small 5"x7" mixed media piece inside that I made a while back - the center part is an ocean sunset, framed by layers of Lutradur and layered on top of a painted journal page.

Framing art in shadow boxes is fun because you can add additional embellishments to give more personality to your work, like putting little seashells inside. Now let's etch a cute water-drop border on the side of the glass.

After emptying the shadowbox and cleaning the glass, press a self-adhesive silkscreen into position and smooth out to remove any creases or air pockets. This little water-drop pattern is part of a larger set of paisley silkscreens that I love using any chance I can get. 

If there's not much material bordering the image to be etched, then add painter's tape all around the edges to prevent the glass from getting etched outside the image area. After pouring a small puddle of etchall crème on top, use a mini squeegee to slowly spread it across the silkscreen. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the jar.

Let the creme sit on top of the image for about 15-20 minutes, then swipe away the excess and return it to the jar - it's reusable. Carefully pull the silkscreen off, remove the tape and rinse the silkscreen under water to clean. Wipe the residual etching crème off the glass with a damp paper towel and you're done!