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UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) is
one of my favorite toys. It’s so versatile and can add the right amount of
texture and depth to any page. There are so many different things you can do
with it, and one of my favorite techniques is the Cracked Glass technique.
Cracked glass can be done over are photos, die cuts, stickers, prefabricated
accents and patterned paper. We will explore those ideas and some other
techniques to jumpstart your UTEE creativity.
Let’s start with the basics. Here’s
what you’ll need to get crackin’:
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Clear UTEE
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Embossing Ink or Versa Mark Ink
pads
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A heat gun
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Something to hold your work
(hemostats or long tweezers work well as do long needles.) Be sure
whatever you use is long enough that the heat doesn’t burn your hands.
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Cardstock and photos (copies of
photos), stickers, die cuts or patterned paper
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Optional: Pearl Ex, chalks, micro
beads, glitter, stamps and colored inkpads
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In Figure #1 on the right, I used a prefabricated
photo mat and accents. By slightly sanding them, I was able to achieve
a distressed look that works so well with the cracked glass look and
also helps create a better surface for the UTEE to stick. Once the
frame is sanded and wiped clean of the dust, ink it with Versa Mark or
clear embossing ink. Apply a layer of UTEE and shake off the excess.
Put your piece on a surface that will not be damaged by the heat such
as a cardboard box, and apply heat by holding your heating gun about 3
- 4 inches above the piece and working in a circular motion. This will
prevent over heating or blowing off the UTEE before it melts. Once it
begins to melt, you can move a bit closer to speed up the process.
Quickly apply more UTEE to the melted surface so that it will stick or
wait for it to cool, add more ink and more UTEE. Do this until three
of four layers are built up. Then put your piece in the freezer to
completely set up for about a minute. Remove it from the freezer and
bend slightly to crack the UTEE. If it resists cracking, put it back
in the freezer for a little longer and try again. Sometimes, you may
not like the way your work cracked. That’s okay. Just reheat it and
start over.
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Fig. 1 (click to enlarge)
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Fig. 2 (click to enlarge)
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Now that we have the basics covered, let’s look
at ways to kick this technique up. In Figure 2 at left, I used
stickers on black squares. Following the same steps of inking and
melting UTEE, I also added a bit of glitter to the edges and heat it
again to set the glitter. Sometimes clear stickers don’t hold the
UTEE well, and it will have a tendency to flake off after you’ve
cracked your work. To correct this, after you crack it, carefully
reheat only the edges, and this will secure the UTEE. To keep the flow
of this layout, I also applied UTEE and glitter to the title and the
mat. If you look closely, you will see that the edges of the photo
also have UTEE.
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Another fun add-in for UTEE is micro beads. In
Figure #3 at right, I made a tag out of acid free chipboard and laser
die cuts. On the final layer and heating of the UTEE, I dipped the
edge of the tag in the micro beads while the UTEE was still hot. I
reheated it and added a little more UTEE over the beads to seal them
in. I also used UTEE in other areas of this page. The patterned paper
was crumpled and sanded, inked with Versa Mark and then embossed with
one layer of UTEE for a water drop look. To coordinate with the gold
beads, I covered the edge of the metal-rimmed tag with ink and gold
UTEE.
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Fig. 3 (click to enlarge)
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Fig. 4 (click to enlarge)
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UTEE and Pearl Ex can be mixed to create some very
cool looks. The pigment powder adds a touch of color and sparkle, but
is transparent so your image still shows through. In figure #4
(Painted Butterfly), I reduced and copied a photo on cardstock in gray
scale on a color copier. A print out from your ink jet printer will
not work because the embossing ink will smear the photo. Then I mixed
a little pigment powder in with some clear UTEE and built up layers as
previously explained. The artsy and funky results can be so much fun
on a layout. To bring in the look of the UTEE and Pearl Ex throughout
the layout, I also added it to the hand cut title and butterfly and to
the edge of the photo mat.
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You can do the cracked glass technique over an
actual photo, but it’s tricky. The photo tends to bubble up and once
cracked, the UTEE may flake off. If you are set against making a color
copy of the photo onto cardstock (which I recommend), then use a
lesser quality photo. In Figure #5 on the right, I used a blurry
photo, but once the UTEE is applied and cracked, it becomes a page
accent instead of a main feature. The quality of the photo becomes
less important. To heat UTEE on a photo, use caution not to get the
gun too close to the photo. Once you build up your layers and crack,
you can reheat portions that are flaking off to secure them. Don’t
worry about melting away your cracks because you can always crack it
again. In this layout, I also used black UTEE for the small tag. I
built up three layers of the UTEE, inked my stamp in white stamp ink
and sunk the stamp into the warm UTEE. Once the UTEE set, I lifted the
stamp and cracked the tag.
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Fig. 5 (click to enlarge)
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Fig. 6 (click to enlarge)
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I
know what you are saying now. “Oh sure, Nancy, this technique is
cool, but not very dramatic. What can I do to really bring attention
to the cracks?” I thought you’d never ask. You can bring more
attention to the cracks in several ways. Figure #6 (left) shows
examples of the same title stamped onto patterned paper. The first
title is cracked only. The others are rubbed with different mediums.
Sample #6b is rubbed with metallic rub-ons. The effect is subtle but
noticeable. Sample #6c is rubbed with chalk and the final sample is
rubbed with dye ink. Once you rub a medium over the surface of your
piece, use a dry paper towel to remove the excess. You can finish
with a fixative if you like.
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-- Nancy Rogers (a.k.a. Nancy - BR)
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