Okay...back to those damn glass panels aside my front door....I tried the Gallery Glass, omg...it was a total nightmare...looked good, but would have taken the rest of my natural life...Soooo I bought some stencil glass etching creme...I need to know do you let the stencil stay in place until the creme/paint is dry or do you carefully remove it as soon as you have tapped the stuff on? Thanks!

If you are talking about Armour Etch Cream you do realize that you wash that off the glass, don't you? Here are detailed steps for your project:

Materials:

Armour Etch cream
Rub 'N' Etch stencils #20-0417 (any style stencil can be used)
paper towels
glass cleaner
masking tape
wood burnishing stick / tool

Steps:

1. Clean the glass or mirror in order to remove all grease, dust, and fingerprints. Use a commercial window or glass cleaner. Dry the glass or mirror thoroughly.
2. Select the stencil for your project and carefully cut it from the larger sheet. It is important to keep both the blue stencil sheet and the frosted backing sheet together to avoid touching the back side of the stencil sheet.
3. Measure carefully to determine where you will locate the stencil on the glass or mirror. Separate the blue stencil sheet from the frosted backing sheet. Place the blue stencil on the glass with the blue (slightly tacky) side touching the glass. Secure the stencil temporarily in place with four pieces of masking tape to keep it from moving while you apply it to glass.
4. Using a wood burnishing stick, begin to rub the stencil sheet to transfer the pattern to the glass surface. Rub firmly with smooth, even strokes, but avoid gouging the stencil. It helps to hold the wood stick upright rather than on a slant. As the stencil transfers to the surface of the glass, it will change color from dark blue to a light blue. Be sure to rub over all areas, including fine lines, and areas under the masking tape.
5. When the entire stencil has been adhered, carefully and slowly peel back some of the masking tape, but do not completely remove the top sheet exposing the blue stencil that is adhered to the glass.
6. If the stencil has not been completely transferred, carefully re-tape the top sheet in place and re-rub this area until all the pieces have been adhered. When finished, remove top carrier sheet.
7. Apply a border of masking tape around the entire stencil, overlapping the tape on the blue stencil material by 1/16" to 1/8". This overlap is very important because it prevents the etching cream from seeping onto the glass and etching unwanted areas. Using the frosted white backing sheet removed in step 3, lightly rub over the entire stencil and masking tape to ensure that all the tape edges and stencil pieces are lying flat on the glass. Check the stencil for small tears or pin holes by holding the glass up to any light. If any holes appear, use piece of masking tape to cover them. Be extremely careful when removing the tape later to avoid tearing the stencils.
8. Place the closed jar of etching cream in hot water for about 15 minutes before you begin, then shake well to mix. Cover work area with newspapers and work in a well-ventilated room near a water source. For safety, wear goggles and plastic gloves.
9. Apply a thick layer of etching cream. A thin layer will not allow the chemicals to react properly on the glass project. You should not be able to see the design through this layer of etching cream. Dab on the cream while keeping it within the taped area.
10. Allow the etching cream to remain on the glass for no more than one minute. Immediately wash off all traces of etching cream under lukewarm water. Leaving the cream on the glass longer than one minute will leave fuzzy edges on the design.
11. After washing off all the etching cream, peel back the masking tape and remove it along with the remaining blue stencil pieces. Stubborn stencil pieces can be removed by using window cleaner and a paper towel. Clean the glass project thoroughly before using.
Glass Etching Made Easy

Personally I wouldn't attempt it so more power to ya! Can't wait to hear the outcome

Ooooh My Gawd....hmmmm, tis more work than I had planned on...I think I need a drink...or a nap or something.....I think I need to get a few cheap picture frames and use the glass from them to practice...or maybe I should just put the curtains back up!!!

Thank you Georgia for typing all that!!!

Hey Kitty???

Have you looked into getting something done professionally through a local glass company?

You could take the dimensions of the window in...as well as what kind of design you'd like to have etched.

Although the intial cost might be a bit, it would be something that would last forever and be a permanent part of the glass - the glass company I worked for 30 years ago did sandblasting for this type of thing.

Ummm kitty...the majority of that was cut and pasted

Actually I admire you tenacity for trying to undertake such a job.

So fill me in. What's the deal with the glass? Why don't you like it and what have you tried to do.? There are polyurethane type sheets that you can adhere to the glass you know.

Lol Georgia!!! I actually don't think I have the guts to try it or the time (well I DO have the time, but would rather nap or drink) There is nothing wrong with the glass, they are side light along side of the front door and are just plain glass, I wanted something more fancy, before I had sheer panels on them and it looked nice, but they were getting old and they do not sell panels to fit, my mom had sewn them to fit and I am not a sewer, but sewing may be easier than trying etching all by myself.

Giz, I should just look into the professionals, I just thought when I saw the box at the store and it said JUST PEEL AND STICK that it would be way easier and the picture on the box looked soooo professional , lol!!!

This is what I was talking about:
Self Adhesive Window Vinyl
Have you tried anything like that before? I'm thinking you would like the Lace one.

Wow Georgia, Miles Kimball, I didn't know they were still around, we used to get the cataloug when I was a kid. I seen some just like that at Home Depot...I think I will either do that or get the sheer panels...Thanks for all your help.

Yup, they are still around. I get there catalogs and order from them frequently. Good prices. Good products. That might be why they have stayed in business so long

Let us know what you decide to do!