Crackle - 3 ways by Gill Humphrey

There are so many different crackle mediums on the market but do you really need them all - well the quick answer would be no but the reality is that you most definitely need more than one as they have different effects. So the idea of this post is to show case some of the crackle products on the That's Crafty! website using the format of this super cute crate and a set of three MDF ATC's.

I will start with the crate which was made using the That's Crafty! Crackle Glaze. I started by constructing the crate using Multi Purpose Glue, I chose the pen format as it is so easy to apply just a thin line were you want it this way. Once the glue was dry I base coated the crate with Chestnut Brown paint before applying with a brush a thin layer of the Crackle Glaze which I left to dry naturally. To achieve the crackle effect shown above you need to use a sponge to dab on the next layer of paint rather than a brush. I chose Apricot Multi Surface Paint and made sure that I had loaded my sponge (cut up dishwashing sponge) as it is important to apply sufficient paint to cover the area without going back over it. The crackle happens immediately as the top layer of paint drys and whilst reasonably stable as this is a storage item I then applied a layer of Pentart Matte Varnish. The decorations were made by stamping the flowers from Melina Dahl's Funky Flowers Set 1 stamp set onto watercolour paper using Versafine Clair Nocturne and heat embossing with Superfine Clear Embossing Powder before colouring with Pentart Orange, Ochre and Lemon liquid watercolour. The images were then cut out and adhered in place over some thread. The title was taken from ATC Backgrounds Stamp Set and mounted on one of the waste pieces from the crate kit. Art Stones were then added using Heavy Body Gel. 

So what you may ask is different with the crackle on this ATC? - well this one is made using the same sandwich technique as the crate but this time using Pentart Random one set crackle medium - you will see this is the same as the That's Crafty! one although I find I get finner crackles with it.

This version of crackle uses the Transparent Crackling System - this works in a very different way to the sandwich techniques used before. Here you paint the base with the dominant colour and then with the primer from the system and then once the primer has dried (it will feel tacky) you add the second component. I tend to use a spatula and the thicker you apply it the thicker the crackles are. I find it is definitely better left to dry naturally. You then need to bring out the crackles and this can be done with Vintage Antiquing Paste or one of the Pentart Lasurs if you prefer a different colour. With the later you will need to wipe off quickly as they are colourfast once dried. 

This final crackle was made using the first technique followed by sealing with matte varnish and then adding a layer of the transparent crackling primer and then the second step. Which of course means you now get the benefit of layering your crackle effects.

I hope you have enjoyed learning about these products and the different results you can get by playing with them.