Crackle Sign

Well my goal was to blog about something or other once a week. Well, that didn't happen. Summer has slipped away without a post. Wheat harvest went fairly well. Had a few glitches and days that it seemed we couldn't keep a combine going, but it wouldn't be a wheat harvest without those.
A friend of mine just had her baby boy yesterday, but earlier in the summer they had a baby shower for her. I decided I would attempt to make her baby shower gifts. After a few test runs and fixes they were complete. I made a sign and a block set with his name on it. Neither gifts was difficult to make, just took a lesson in patience.

The Sign...

I first painted the sign with a white acrylic base coat and let that coat dry. I let mine set half an hour.

I then painted a layer of Elmers glue. You don't want it to be to thick or to thin. This is the layer that makes the next layer crackle. If you paint it to thin your cracks will be tiny to no existent. If painted to thick they will be huge and take forever to dry. I paint just enough to start to kinda see a white in the glue instead of it looking clear. Let this coat sit just a minute to let it start to get a little sticky. Do not let it dry completely.






I then added my blue coat of paint (cover the entire surface). Allow this coat to dry well. I let this coat sit over night to make sure it was completely dry.

Once this process is complete you can now add your saying or design. I create my design on the computer then in the printer options is mirror image. I have found this to be the easiest way to flip my image. Cut out you image leaving little white outline. Lay it out on your board to decide how you would like the layout.

Once this is determined move one piece at a time and paint a thin coat of Gel Medium (found in the painters section of a hobby store). Quickly get your picture/word back on before it starts to dry. And work across the board until it is all down. This needs to sit at least 24 hrs. I found that the longer it sits the better your design transfers.

Now it is time to remove the paper. Using lots of water, your fingers, and a wash cloth wet the paper. It's OK to have a little water standing. Gently using your fingers in a circular motion start rubbing on the paper. it will start to come up. Do this across your sign. Then using the wash cloth, very gently wipe across the sign removing any remaining paper. Be careful not rub too much on your design or it will start coming off. To make sure all the paper is off let it dry completely to check for any white. I will sometimes touch up with watered down paint to make the design bolder.

Finish the sign by sealing it so it can be washed without fear of losing the design. I have used Mod Podge and water based polyurethane (I buy the spray can, so much easier). Allow this to dry then add the hanger of your choice. I have a hanging kit that has many different types of hangers in it and decide what to use based on the size of my sign