Main GreatStarts Links Gallery

Bubble Bottles, Continued from Page 1

I've turned this one upside down, to flatten the top from it's dome shape. Hold the bottle against a plain background and look for symmetry, side to side. Put it upside down on the plain background, and see if it "lists" to one side, or if the bottom isn't centered on the body. It's not too late to change the shape until you've baked it. *g* Let the bottle sit for a while so that the handling during opening it won't be as likely to smoosh it or distort it. To open it, just use a sharp craft knife or even an awl and put a hole in the center of the top. Use a tool handle to gently roll the opening against your thumb, to make a flared lip. Go slowly, rotating the bottle. When the bottle begins to feel warm and soft, reshape it if necessary and set it aside until it's cool, again. No hurry, right? ;-)

Just work slowly, a little bit at a time, turning the bottle, working inside the "lip" and outside. You may have to trim off a little clay here and there. You can "brayer" the surface, or smooth it with your fingers in a light, quick motion. The more fingerprints you eliminate now, the fewer you'll have to deal with, later. Don't forget to check the symmetry every now and then against a plain background. This one stills needs a lil work. *g*

Got a little carried away while this was baking... you don't notice the burned color too much, do you? ;-) I can see that I should have paid more attention to symmetry, here... can't correct these kind of flaws once they're baked. This is a similar shape, but made with Fimo Fir Green and decorated with pearl roses. The first one... boy did those canes smear or WHAT? But, this was the bottle that my daughter decided she had to have, to keep her "wishes" in... she made up an enchanting story about how it works. "Well, you see," she would tell you (in her Camille way) "you blow your wishes into the bottle, and QUICK, put the lid on, so that the wishes can't escape. THEN, you put the bottle on your dresser where the wish fairies can find it. They come into the room while you're asleep, and they have magical powers to open the bottles and set the wishes free... that's what makes them come true." The story was embellished with every telling. I miss that... she's almost nine now, and wants to be Baby Spice. *sigh* One of my favorites, Ouroboros, the world snake. A little ivory colored bottle covered with ivory cane... dang, that stuff browns easily! ;-) An little odd-shaped jar made with scrap clay.

I still love this little bottle... it's made of a scrap bubble which was then covered with leftovers from my first batch of mudpile mokume. After it was finished and glazed, I added dots of foiling glue and foil to follow the curves in the MG designs, to echo the gold foil in the mokume gane. A little pear-shaped bottle covered with failed cane. Another scrap bottle. Interesting designs in the color. A stoppered amulet that I later made into a pendant and matching beads. Hope the rose essential oil in it still smells good. One of the other stoppered amulets, mostly scrap, but a couple of cane slices added. Kind of a wierd little thing, but I like it. :-) Cane slices on a bottle made from the scraps of that cane.

Back to first page

Main Great Starts Links Gallery