Part 1 Enamel Recipe Tutorial for Crackle Clear

Part 1 Enamel Recipe Tutorial for Crackle Clear
$9.99
Only 191 available

“Can't thank Laura enough for this tutorial! It is well written with great photos and detailed 'recipes'! I would never have the patience or time to do all this testing, never mind keep accurate records, it is well worth the cost! I love having it available to instantly refer to, I'm looking forward to the next tutorial!”  Customer Testimonial (see end of listing for customer reviews)

My crackle enamel recipe booklets are great starting points if you've always wanted to play with crackle enamel but just weren't sure what to do first.

What's a "recipe tutorial"?  

This listing is for one electronic PDF file that contains recipes (color combinations… which enamel colors to use and in what order).  The latest version is 191105 

If you are not in the U.S., click here to purchase from my Etsy shop.

Please read this entire description before ordering this tutorial as there are no refunds.  if you have a question, please ask before purchasing.

I am not an enamellist.  I am a metalsmith who enjoys adding enamel to her work on occasion.  In this booklet, you will not find any ground-breaking techniques or new ways of doing things.  What I’m sharing with you is a catalog of my experiments with crackle clear to help you find new color combos.

The enamels I use are lead-free and all available from Thompson Enamel (or their distributors).  I'm using the 1000 and 2000 series of Thompson enamels.  In this recipe tutorial, I am not using any liquid form enamels.  I am using Thompson enamels in 80-mesh powder form.  For some of my recipes I use a kiln and for others I use a torch (and sometimes both).  You will see different effects from each, but don’t let the lack of one of those tools stop you; there’s a lot you can do with either.

This booklet may be of interest to those who don’t have the time or the inclination to run dozens of their own experiments with colors and layering.  You may find a “recipe” that appeals to you and can know instantly what colors to use, in what order, and how to fire them to achieve a similar result.

You should have a basic understanding of enameling before using this booklet.  If you don’t, search online or elsewhere for information about basic enameling procedures, tools, and supplies.  I repeat, this is not an instructional booklet showing you how to enamel (I do have a tutorial for that).  This is a recipe booklet of color combinations.

Use standard safety practices at all times (a mask while sifting, protective eye-wear while enameling, etc).  If you aren’t familiar with standard workshop safety, please consult a resource on the subject before beginning your experiments.

Your monitor/device may show you slight color variations from the original photos.  Keep that in mind when comparing your results with what you see on your screen.

And along the same lines of comparing, I’d like to say that if you have seen something on the internet and think how cool it would be to replicate that, take your attempts with a grain of salt.  Don’t try to be exactly like someone else.  Instead, embrace the idea of experimenting with techniques to achieve a look that is *YOU*.  There can be frustration in trying to duplicate exactly someone else’s look, particularly if you don’t know any of the details of how they achieved that look.

I have made this booklet to be viewed on devices (phones, tablets, laptops, etc).  This is not a suitable PDF for printing as I use large images and often have one recipe per page. It would take a lot of paper, time, and ink to print this.

I hope these recipes encourage some of your own experimenting while giving you a good foundation and head start. 

Make sure to read the FAQ section thoroughly.  At the end of that section is information about joining my private Facebook group for customers of my enamel workshops and tutorials.  The FB group continues the conversation of using crackle enamel with support, q&a, inspiration, etc.

Although any of my recipe books work fine as stand-alone purchases, I think of them as a progression in my own journey of discovering more and more about the exciting world of crackle enamel.  Now let me tell you how the books differ.

In booklet 1, aside from showing many color combination recipes, I experiment a little showing you the effects of adding ground up 6/20 lump to the process.  I also do some experimenting with different firing temperatures, different firing lengths, and how coarse or fine the ground lump crackle is.  In booklet one, I fired mostly with one or two butane torches as well as a kiln.  I have one recipe where I show you how sgraffito can help the process.  I also show you how 6/20 lump crackle can help the process at times.

In booklet 2, aside from showing many color combination recipes, I show you how a few of the recipes from booklet 1 achieve very different results by changing one or more variable.  We also start to explore layer thickness, layer patterns, multiple layers, and more special testing of temps and times.  In booklet 2, I fire with MAPP gas and a kiln mostly.  In booklet 2, I have many recipes where I show you how sgraffito can help the process.  I also show you how 6/20 lump crackle can help the process.

In booklet 3, aside from showing many color combination recipes, I show many more pieces with sgraffito.  I also start showing a few examples using black crackle and white crackle (as opposed to clear crackle).   In book 3, when I’m not using my kiln I’m almost exclusively using MAPP gas (I’ll tell you how/when I use the butane torch for special effects).  Booklet 3 is mostly recipes rather than special testing of techniques.

In booklet 4 (upcoming), aside from many new recipes, we also explore special testing of how the shape of the metal affects the outcome.  We also explore different formulas of layer thickness. We continue with the experiments of black crackle and white crackle as well as liquid enamels and crackle.

At the back of each booklet, I list the most frequently used enamel colors for that tutorial.

In the private FB group, I discuss all of the above.  We also explore tools and supplies.

Once you make your purchase, you will receive two emails from my website.  The first is acknowledgement of your purchase, the second is instructions (login info and password) for accessing the area where you can download the file (up to five times).  Downloading a file means putting it on your device (desktop, laptop, tablet, etc).  You do not go to that link in my website and download the file every time you want to read it.  Once the file has been downloaded, it is on YOUR device and you need to figure out where on your device it was downloaded.  Sometimes a customer needs to seek the advice of someone else (a neighbor, friend, or family member) in order to understand where their downloads are.  Some customers are under the mistaken impression that since my website allows five downloads of this file,that means they can only open and view the file five times.  Completely untrue, thank goodness.  Downloading the file is something very different from opening and viewing the file.  Please seek assistance with this if it's not clear to you.

This PDF is a large file and may take a few moments to download.

If you have any trouble downloading the PDF, send me an email.

Happy enameling!

 

Here’s some customer feedback for my crackle recipe booklets…

KS: “I think this was the best money I ever spent. The "recipes" come complete with colors, times, order, and photos.”

JS: “This was excellent. Thank you so much for doing this. I was so intimidated by the process but your step by step made it look easy.”

KN: “Had trouble making crackle anything until i found this pdf. Fun to experiment.”

GF: “I’m an amateur in the world of enameling.  Your help has been more than I could ask for.  Like I’m having a one-on-one private class.”

JH: “I really like this edition.  I found the examples in layering helpful, as I was unsure of the thickness.  I have some new favorites to try.  Worth every penny!”

AJ: “Laura’s recipe book on crackle is very well done! She helps the enamelist become successful in this technique. She offers many recipes using crackle that have different outcomes. This booklet is a great reference. I commend Laura for the time she put into this booklet so others could find success and grow!”

KP: “This is a wonderful resource! I really like the format that allows me to print out one page for reference as I work, or to just pull up on my ipad. The explanation of how the crackle works and what affects the outcomes is invaluable, and you can tell she has done much experimentation. Thank you so much Laura.”

LP: “AMAZING! but who would expect any less from Laura? the book give a plethora of recipes that helps you become successful in enameling. use it as is or as a way to find your creative side by adding to and modifying the recipes. what a wonderful resource!”

AL: “Can't thank Laura enough for this tutorial! It is well written with great photos and detailed 'recipes'! I would never have the patience or time to do all this testing, never mind keep accurate records, it is well worth the cost! I love having it available to instantly refer to, I'm looking forward to the next tutorial!”

SC: “I am new to enamel and love Laura's e-book. It is a great reference for me on my journey to learn more techniques. The book is well organized and has great photos too! Thank you for this book.”

DJ: “Awesome tool! Anyone interested in enameling needs this!”