Emboss Resist Glass Etching

I ran into a few tutorials on glass etching. I was really curious about it and decided while I was in Utah to give it a go. I picked up this plate from Tai Pan for a whopping 2$. I figure if I ruined it, I wasn't out much. Well, that was until I bought the etching paste. That stuff is expensive! But with a 50%off coupon in my pocket, how could I go wrong? 

To start, what you do is clean your plate really well (watch for finger prints) and stamp your image with Versamark. You need to be careful because the Versamark is really slippery and you run the risk of smudges. Then you pour embossing powder over the image and heat emboss it. 

I ran an image of flowers and vines all around the circumference of the plate. Another thing I learned is when you are choosing an image, make sure it is very bold without a lot of detail. In hindsight, my flower and vines were not a good choice. Too much room for error. 
Then I masked the top of the plate with tape and applied the paste with a brush. I also learned that the more you put on the deeper it etches. Also, if you want to try this yourself, you really should rub the paste around constantly and in every direction. When you understand the paste is actually scratching the glass (which I do now) you want even and full coverage or it gets splotchy. 
Then you wait the allotted time. The bottle of paste said 5 min. The tutorial said around 20. I don't think you actually have to wait 20 min. but if you do, rubbing it the whole time would be a good thing. Then you are assured to get the best coverage. Rinse your plate in warm water and pat dry. As it dries, the etching will start to show up. My mom and I thought it didn't work since we couldn't see the etching through the water. This is normal and it will show up as it dries.Here's my final plate. You can see some splotchiness and rough details throughout. Overall, not the best looking, but I learned a lot and can't wait to try it again. Patrick said he liked it, but that it didn't look good enough to actually serve food on. I agree. I left it at my mom's house since it didn't fit in my bag (or did it?). I guess we will see if she ever uses it. Next time I go, if it hasn't left the cupboard, I might have to use it for shooting practice.