Smug Kitty Night Light

I recently taught a fused glass night light class to a painting group in Alabama.  It was a fun project and they all seemed to really enjoy making this glass item as a gift for a loved or for themselves.   I will tell you just how we created it.

First of all, I cut out two pieces of glass the size I wanted for the night light and fused them together in my kiln so that the glass surface would be all ready to be etched with Etchall and then painted on.

I made a stencil out of my favorite kitty in my silhouette machine, and after cleaning the glass with alcohol, I attached it to the glass blank.  After removing the parts of the stencil that needed to be etched, I applied the Etchall etching cream and set my timer for 8 minutes.  After 8 minutes, I moved the cream around to make sure I had applied it correctly, then I waited another 7 minutes.  With the plastic stick tool, I scraped off the etching cream and put it back in the jar.  (YES, you can reuse this cream over and over?)   Then, I removed the outer stencil and wiped the glass off with an unscented baby wipe, polished it with a paper towel then washed it well in a bucket of water and dried it completely..  

The Kitty etching came out really well.  Now, I added some paint to the image, and the Etchall gave the glass just the right amount of ‘tooth’ to hold the DecoArt Glass Paint on the surface.

I lined up the Smug Kitty pattern and taped it to the back of the night light blank.  I traced the pattern on the front of the night light blank with a fine line marker.  Then I proceeded to paint the kitty. 

I painted the white first, then the pink ears and nose and let it dry a bit.  Then I painted the black.  If the paint is streaky, you can give it another coat.  When the black was dry, I added the hairs in the ears and the whiskers.  

This paint can be baked in the oven OR just set aside for a couple of days to dry completely hard.  

Now to assemble the Night Light blank.   Put the metal piece on as shown and screw it until it is tight, but a little moveable.

I have made a YouTube video showing how to put the Night Light Unit together. Click HERE to see how it is done, or go to   

https://youtu.be/goyIDBVYjIQ?si=s6Wz97-5lFMzSJpI 

Once you have the unit assembled, put a small amount of E6000 on the metal prongs and set the unit aside for a couple of minutes. This gives the glue a little more staying power. Now position the glass onto the unit, making sure the glass is centered on the metal and resting against the flat of the metal. Use small clamps to hold the prongs to the glass. Set aside and DO NOT TOUCH the night light for about 24 hours. This will allow the glue to set permanently. Get ready to enjoy the warm glow of your Smug Kitty Night Light, handcrafted with love and creativity!

Happy creating and always have a colorful day.