Liquid Lace



From Maureen Williams
Here's the Basic Info & Recipe that we sent out for the Idea of the Month Club. This pic with the scrolls are the eggs Carole & I did with Debbie Botts.



IDEA OF THE MONTH CLUB*

FEBRUARY 1998
USING LIQUID LACE

One lady who does the most superb designs with Liquid Lace is Debbie Botts from Colorado, USA. Carole & 1 have been fortunate enough to do a workshop with Debbie and she taught us many neat ways to use this product. Two of the eggs in this month's photographs are the eggs Carole & 1 did at Debbie's workshop using a paintbrush to apply the medium. You will notice that both these eggs have the same design markings but because they have been used in different ways - one as a hanging egg and the other on a stand - you have two completely different designs. Below are some hints & tips on how to use this product.




For those of you who
don't have 'Tis An Egg
here's a pic of Cupid's
Rose Trellis(left)referred
to in the Applying Liquid
Lace part of the Basic
Instructions.

*****

This picture(right)with
the scrolls are the eggs
Carole & I did with
Debbie Botts.


BASIC INSTRUCTIONS

Liquid Lace is a water-based, non-toxic medium, that can be used very successfully on eggshells and other smooth surfaces to create superb images including scrolls, lacework, flowers & leaves (to name just a few applications). It can be used to strengthen lattice or on any area of your design that you want to call attention to. Small designs like flowers around the opening of a design are easier to cut if they have first been built up and strengthened with Liquid Lace.


The surface of the egg should be clean & dry. If you wish to paint the egg this should be done before applying Liquid Lace. However, if required, the egg can be sealed before or after adding the Liquid Lace.


Hand drawn designs, prints cut from wrapping paper, photocopies or cards all make an excellent background to apply Liquid Lace over. It is important not to run two lines together when building up the design.


Add dimension to flowers, leaves or scrolls by applying Liquid Lace to alternate areas. Allow these to dry then fill in the ones that you skipped. If you want to create a vein down the center of a leaf, apply Liquid Lace to half the leaf, allow to dry and then do the other half.




APPLYING LIQUID LACE

There are a number of ways to apply Liquid Lace including brush, fine tip applicator bottles or even a toothpick. To achieve a smooth, rounded appearance use a brush. This takes a bit of practice so don't despair if your first attempts aren't what you feel they should be! If you make a mistake, wait until the Liquid Lace sets a bit and it can then be removed with a craft knife blade, allowing you to have another go.


An applicator bottle with a fine tip (like a glue bottle) can be used to apply Liquid Lace to latticework or to apply raised lettering on an egg. Plate No: 18 - Cupid's Rose Trellis from our book 'Tis An Egg is an example of Liquid Lace applied thickly from an applicator bottle. With this thicker application you will notice the Liquid Lace has formed ridges, which creates a more "natural" appearance for the lattice than the smooth technique used for scrolls. Liquid Lace sets in around 20 minutes with complete drying in about 2 hours. Once the Liquid Lace dries off a bit you can use a rounded toothpick to shape your design and push the medium where you want it to go.


COLOURING LIQUID LACE.

Acrylic paints or chalks can be used to colour and highlight Liquid Lace. These may be applied once the lace has dried completely or alternatively acrylic paints can be added to the lace before it is applied to the shell. Lettering can be enhanced with gold metal/flake enamel paint applied with a very fine brush.


Although Liquid Lace can be purchased from most egg supply places, below is a recipe for an economical homemade alternative that will allow you to practice with.



LIQUID LACE

1 Teaspoon cornflour
2 - 3 Teaspoons thin PVA glue (Aquadhere, Sobo, etc)
3/4 Teaspoon acrylic white paint (or other colour if desired)
2 - 3 drops water (if required)
Mix to a consistency that will flow slightly after being applied, allowing it to smooth over.



VARIATIONS Similar results can be obtained by using the dimensional fabric paints used to decorate T-shirts. Brands such as Duncan Iridescent Scribbles, Polymark Pearl Iridescent Dimensional Paint and Fashion Show Glitter Dimensional Paints are some examples of paints suitable for this type of decoration. They come in a wide range of colours and textures. Experiment and have fun!

*The Idea of the Month Club has been discontinued.




Some questions Maureen received with her answers.

What type of egg was used?
An extra large (by Australian standards anyway) goose egg was used for Cupid's Rose Trellis. Just ran a tape around it and it would be approximately 11" around the long axis.

Was the lattice cut first?
Yes, all the lattice was cut first before applying the Liquid Lace.

How long does the homemade liquid lace last?
To be honest, it's been so long since I've used it I can't remember but I think I just made up the quantity in the recipe at a time, rather than trying to store it.

I do remember though the paste is affected by humidity! Carole was using it in a seminar once and it was a hot & sticky day - didn't work too well at all!!




From other eggers......

From Karen: Liquid Lace is a thick white paste-like product available from several of the egg supplies, I get mine from Alcraft in Ohio. When applied with my method, a smooth, white dimensional effect is achieved which can be painted, gold-leafed, chalked or left plain. It strengthens the egg and can also be used to mend, patch and fill holes.


I love the stuff!! I use it on many of my eggs instead of cording as it lends itself to lots of cutout areas on the eggs and has a natural, free-form look for nature scenes as in branches surrounding an opening for a scene egg. I have only used it on real eggshells - but I know it won't wash out of the washcloths I use at my worktable. It can be removed with a razor blade before drying completly. Once it dries, it is very solid.


Depending on the overall plan for the egg, this is my procedure -
1 - Mark egg with pencil
2 - cut egg
3 - wash egg
4 - apply Liquid Lace
5 - finish egg (scene, stand, whatever) the only time I do not follow this is if I am using prints to define my design areas. Then it's -
1 - wash egg - spray white if needed
2 - apply any guidelines for opening(s) - very lightly and in pencil
3 - apply print(s)
3a - apply Liquid Lace now or see below
4 - cut egg
5 - remove unwanted pencil marks
5a - apply Liquid Lace if haven't already
6 - finish egg - etc.



What liquid lace is for........
Debbie Botts does the most fantastic things with liquid lace - she's probably the one to ask, but here goes.
It can be used to strengthen lattice with a decorative appearance (if you don't apply it correctly as liquid lace is supposed to be smooth!) and also for adding a dimensional look to scrolls. If you check out "Cupid's Rose Trellis", you'll see what I mean.

From Terry:

I do something very similar to what Maureen does for liquid lace. I add corn starch mod podge and a little paint and there you go homemade liquid lace. The thing I like about this recipe and probably Maureens too is that is dries a lot faster that the real liquid lace. If some of you still prefer liquid lace try Alcraft I believe they still carry it.



From Maureen:
Request for liquid lace. We actually included a recipe for an economical homemade alternative to liquid lace in one of our Idea of the Month sheets back in Feb 1998.

LIQUID LACE
1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
2-3 teaspoons thin PVA glue (Aquadhere, Sobo etc)
3/4 teaspoon acrylic white paint (or other colour if desired)
2-3 drops water (if required)
Mix to a consistency that will flow slightly after being applied, allowing it to smooth over.



INDEX