Seashell & Flower Bottles of Hope by Steph Ackerman

Seashell & Flower Bottles of Hope 

Designed by Steph Ackerman 

Hi everyone, Steph Ackerman here with a fun project using Makin's Clay® products and glass bottles. Have you seen the  Makin's Clay®'s Pinterest board?  It's full of a wide variety of amazing projects.  Some of those projects are Bottles of Hope and I'd love to share how I created mine.

Note - Here is a bit more information about what Bottles of Hope are - Makin's Clay® is proud to have our designers supporting this worthy effort through the creation of Bottles of Hope featuring Makin's Clay®.  

Bottles of Hope are small glass bottles covered with polymer clay and given to cancer patients. They symbolize a wish and a hope for health.  This project was started in 1999 by a Rhode Island cancer survivor and has spread internationally. Bottles are made by artists, students, survivors, seniors and many more who volunteer their time and love.   Learn more about this worthwhile project, see a gallery of many creative bottles and more here on their website. 

Supplies:

Makin's Clay® - White Clay 60g
Makin's Clay® - Professional Cutting Mat
Makin's Clay® Push Mold - Sea Shells
Makin's Clay® Cutter Set - Flowers
Earth Safe Finishes - Ann Butler Designs Iridescent Powders
Spellbinders™ dies
Beacon™ Tacky Glue
Glass bottles
Ribbon

Instructions:

I began by pulling out about 1/3 package of white clay.  Remember to place the remaining clay in a sealed bag with a damp paper towel or moist towelette to keep it fresh for another project.

Kneed the clay gently.  It will be soft and pliable right out of the package.


Place the clay on the glass and work it around the glass with your fingers.  You don't need a very thick layer so work the clay until the glass is covered.  Don't worry about finger/nail marks as that is what makes the project unique and gives it character.

Makin's Clay® air dries in about 24 hours so you have lots of time to work on your glass.  I  sprinkled on assorted colors of Iridescent Powders.  Using a baby wipe I easily moved the powders around on the clay creating some interesting patterns.

Next, I added some die cut elements to the bottles and adhered clay flowers and shells on top.  The flower was left over from this project and the shells were left over from this project and they were the perfect elements to finish off my bottles.

To add shimmer to the "older" clay pieces, I used a baby wipe to add Iridescent Powders.  The baby wipe wet the clay just enough to add the powders.  The Iridescent Powders really provide a nice shimmer and shine.

Tie ribbons around the neck to finish.

Thanks for stopping by today and don't forget to check out the Pinterest Boards for more inspiration.

Steph