Have you every used Gallery Glass products that help create stained glass looks?  I love the stuff!  My favorite is Crystal Clear (as if clear could be called a color):

This is what it looks like.  My sister-in-law knows that I love this product and got me like 10 bottles of it when she saw it clearanced out.  Thanks, Kinna!!!  Now I can come up with all kinds of projects to make.  Trust me, I’ve got ideas!  Oh, and lest you think that Gallery Glass sponsors me…nah.  I’m not that cool.  I just like this stuff!

So, a couple of months ago I picked up a square framed mirror at the dollar store.  I bought it with absolutely no idea what I was going to do with it.  I like square stuff, remember?  Today I was doing some organizing and came across my G.G. stash (thanks again, Kinna!) and immediately formed an idea of what to do with the square framed mirror.  Want a sneak peak?

Question… have you ever tried to take a picture of a mirror?  Not that easy, let me tell you.  Just so you know!

So, let me walk you through the process from dollar store to finished art.  Ready?  Let’s go!

First thing, I cut up a 4×4 piece of sticker paper and placed it smack dab in the middle of the frame.  You could just use tape if you want.  You might as well know that I did this project twice.  First, using the tip of the bottle, I just made big squiggles:

Squigle product using the tip of the bottle

What it looked like when it dried.

Easily scraped off if you want to go for a different look.

It was ok, but not great, so I just scraped it off and started over again.  No tears, now worries.  Next try, I just smeared a layer of G.G. over the whole mirror.  I didn’t really take any pics because I used my fingers to smear the stuff around.  Messy.  I used Q-tips to make my design.  Basically, I just wiped vertical “stripes” and then horizontal.  I truly wasn’t going for perfection, more of a playful look.  Really, the sky is the limit when comes to the textured looks you can create with this product.

Important: once the product has dried, and before trying to remove the paper/tape from the center of the frame, make sure that you score around the paper with a razor so your awesome design doesn’t come up with it.

Honestly, this project would have been easier if I would have removed the mirror from the frame.  I made quite a mess near the frame, so I made it part of the design and just wiped the area closest to the frame clean.  Yeah, I used a bunch of Q-tips and this is what it looked like once it dried:

Well, it was mostly dry at this point.  See what I mean about taking pictures of mirrors?  I actually like this shot because it shows the effect pretty well.  Not perfect, but that is just fine with me.  I wish you could see it in person.

Don’t you just love this quote?   It is by Gordon B. Hinkley and I adore it.  I just printed it up on aqua cardstock, cut it 4×4 inches, sprayed some spray adhesive on the back side and stuck it right in the middle.  Go ahead and print it up for yourself, if you want to.  Look closely at the cardstock.  Do you like the spotted bits?  Kind of goes with the distressed font (Attic), right?

The spots were a happy accident. I tried to distress the frame a bit with sandpaper, but it didn’t really show.  BUT, it got bits of black dust on the paper and I decided I liked it so I purposely added more, smashing it on with a paper towel.

A-ny-way… it is done and here it is!

Again, the little white bits are mostly dry.  Ain’t nobody got time to wait!  Oh, yeah.  I added a satin flower that I made a while back and I like the way it looks.

One more look?  O.K., fine.

Makes you want to run out to the craft store RIGHT NOW to get some Crystal Clear Gallery Glass Window Color, doesn’t it?  Go! I want to see what you create!

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