Altered Bottle Challenge - "Garnet & Wings"

Anita Buckowing has started a Facebook challenge group called BOTTLE UP! 2019.  If you'd like to join the fun, here's what the group is about: 

“Welcome to BOTTLED UP! 2019.

This is a themed project-based group that is open to all with the hope that all participants have fun and enjoy sharing their creations and maybe learn something too.

This Group was inspired by a post on MyModernMet.com that detailed a ceramic artist that created unique bottles for 100 days straight.  After discussion with a few friends, we decided to challenge participants to create a unique bottle every two weeks (total of 26 bottles in 2019).

Since some folks like themes to help provide direction to their creative energy, we decided to publish a schedule (each month has a birthstone color theme and every two weeks has a subject theme).”

While I am not sure I will be able to meet the challenge and keep up with creating a bottle every 2 weeks, I have challenged myself to create at least one a month!

It’s a fun way to think outside my normal “clay jewelry” box these days.  It’s also a great way to showcase not only my favorite glass etching products from etchall®, but to show and share with the group the broad range of applications of another of my favorite versatile products - Makin’s Clay®! 

For my first bottle I’m following the January themes of Garnet & Wings.  Here's how I created the delicate, dimensional butterfly accents for my altered bottle. 

Materials:

Glass bottle 

Makin’s Clay® - Red 

Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine® 

Makin’s Professional® Cutting Mat 

Instructions:

Make a sheet of Red Makin’s Clay® by rolling through the Ultimate Clay Machine® beginning on setting #1, and increasing one setting at a time to setting #8. Let sheet dry overnight. Cut to as size that will fit through your die cutting machine. 

Following manufacturer instructions, cut desired number of butterflies from dried sheet of Makin’s Clay®. Makin’s Clay® remains flexible after drying and is lightweight, not brittle, etc. A great option for die cutting to add dimension to your projects. Use clay tool, or craft knife, to remain any unwanted pieces that remain after cutting. 

If you'd like more information on how I created the etched glass effect on the bottle, find those instructions here.  

Use Beacon Mixed-Media Glue to mount clay butterflies to the bottle where desired.  

If you have the desired color faux gemstones, apply as desired to make “flight trails” behind butterflies.   If you only have clear/silver gemstones, a great way to color them is with a touch of alcohol ink.  Non-adhesive faux gemstones can be substituted and adhered with the same Mixed-Media Glue.  

Add a bit of glow inside your bottle and highlight your etched butterfly details with a string of LED lights.  These lights from FloraCraft® can be turned off and on with a simple twist.  I used a touch of the Mixed-Media Glue to actually adhere the plastic battery case to the bottle top. 

Wrap organza ribbon around the rim of the bottle and up far enough to cover the light case.  Tie a bow and the bottle is complete! 

Baby's First Christmas Ornament

Cindi McGee recently shared how she used Makin's Clay® and the Makin's® Christmas Nature push mold in a bit of an unexpected way to create this Baby's First Christmas ornament.  She used the mold to make individual petals/leaves for her poinsettia, then cut them down to a smaller size, and re-assembled them to make a poinsettia the perfect size to fit in the space she needed to complete the ornament. 

4th of July Polymer Clay Embellished Patriotic Vase DIY Video - Makin's Clay® Design Studio

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In this DIY episode from the Makin's Clay® Design Studio from our MakinsClayUSA YouTube channel, Cindi McGee shares how to do a simple technique to create blended clay for your projects.  She uses the Makin's Clay® blend, along with our Makin's® Star Clay Cutters and Stars Texture Sheet, to make decorative stars for a festive 4th of July upcycled centerpiece.

Beach Life Decorative Frame

Materials: 

Makin's Clay® - Earth Tones Multi Pack, Black, White 

Makin's® 

• Clay Mixing Ruler
• Sea Shell Push Mold 

Makin's Professioanl® Cutting Mat 

Wooden star frame 

Round mirror 

Alphabet push mold 

Cheese cloth 

Beacon Tacky Glue®

Proxxon® Delta Sander

Plaid® Coastal Paints - High Tide, Sand Dollar and Seal Gray 

Alphabet stickers or die cut lettering

Etchall® Dip n' Etch

Tattered Angels Copper Glimmer Mist

Script stamp

Permanent ink 

Paint brush 

Instructions:

Use the Clay Mixing Ruler to create your own colors of shells, adding different colors of clay in any number of holes.  I initially chose 3 colors from the Earth Tones pack to work with.  Then I simply removed the clay balls and mixed them together.  This way you can create some very realistic looking shells.

Place the clay in the Sea Shells push mold gently pushing the clay into the cavities so the clay picks up the all the details in the mold.

Once removed, you have beautiful shells to work with.

To create the letters to spell LIFE, mix black and white clays together until you've created gray.  Then place the clay in an alphabet mold.

To create the mirror/frame, begin by sanding the frame with the Proxxon Delta Sander.

Paint the frame with  Plaid Coastal Paints using High Tide for the base color.  Then add touches of Sand Dollar and Seal Gray to create a beachy feel.  Once dry, use Tacky Glue to adhere some mesh around the right side of the opening.

Determine the placement of the shells and use Tacky Glue to glue them around the frame.  Glue LIFE in the opposite corner.

Use etchall® dip 'n etch to etch Beach into the mirror.  Directions on how I etched the mirror can be found on my blog.

Spritz Tattered Angels Copper Glimmer Mist on the shells and the mesh.  The glimmer mist adds a nice tone to the shells when it gets into the crevices.

Use a script stamp with black ink and stamp it randomly around the frame to create some additional detailing.

I hope I've got you in a beachy mood today.

What will you create today?

Steph

"In Case of Emergency" Gift Frame DIY When Creativity Knocks Video featuring Judi Watanabe

Makin's Clay® is a sponsor of the When Creativity Knocks All-Star Designers Spring Series.  In this episode, Designer Judi Watanabe shares a fun twist on the gift of money for a graduate.  Complete with a Makin's Clay® hammer!

Wedding Centerpiece DIY WCK Video with Ana Araujo

Makin's Clay® is a sponsor of the 2016 When Creativity Knocks All-Star Designers Winter Series.  In this week's episode, designer Ana Araujo shares ideas for creating a wedding table centerpiece display featuring Makin's Clay® accents.

New Year's Count Down Flutes & Glass Charms by Cindi McGee

Cindi McGee recently shared this project featuring custom etched glass flutes just in time for New Year's Count Down.  She also made glass charms for each person's glass with Makin's Clay®, our Stars Texture Sheet, and our Numbers Clay Cutter set.   Find her full instructions here - and a DIY video showing how she made this project above!  

Memorial Poppy Votive by Cindi McGee

Memorial Poppy Votive

Designed by Cindi McGee

Remember all those who have served our country with this memorial poppy votive.  The candle that was originally in this glass votive was burned away, but the glass is given new life thanks to etchall® and transformed into a perfect holder for a tea light.  A realistic poppy hand-made with Makin's Clay®  is a beautiful dimensional accent and adds to the "memorial" feel of the finished votive.

Materials: 

Makin's Clay® - Red, Green, Black 
                         - Ultimate Clay Extruder™
                         - Ultimate Clay Machine™
                         - Professionnal® Clay Tool Kit
                         - Circle Cutters - 4 Piece Set 
                         - Cutting Mat 
Glass votive 
Etchall® -  Etching Cream 
               - Resist Gel 
DecoArt® Americana® Stick On Stencil & Mask - Knock Out Alpha 
Palette Inkpad - Moss Green 

Instructions:

Roll ball of black clay about 1.5cm and a ball of green clay about 1cm.   Blend two shades together to create a slightly variated back ball (some green with show for a very subtle shading).  

Use point tool to draw lines from outside edges to almost center of ball (leave small area in very center unlined). 

Use Ultimate Clay Extruder™ and multi-hole disc #7 to extrude black clay.  Cut into pieces about 1/2” long and mount in clusters around outside of detailed ball.  
Always clean your extruder and remove all clay after use. 

Roll red Makin’s Clay® in Ultimate Clay Machine™ to setting #8 (begin at setting #1 and increase one setting at a time until desired thinness is achieved). 

Place onto cutting mat.  Use 60mm (smallest) circle cutter in 4 piece cutter set to cut 4 circles from red clay.

Press large sphere tip around entire outside edge of each circle to create petal effect.  

Use lined shading tip to create very light lines in each petal. 

Use cutting wheel tip to cut each petal into shape shown in diagram (cut to a point on one side of circle).

Lay two petals point to point and use Beacon® 3-in-1 Adhesive to mount black center of flower in middle.  

Mount remaining two petals beneath first two, on opposite sides.  

Place flower into a small bowl, cup or muffin tin to dry.  This will help form the flower into the desire shape.   Let dry 24 hours. 

Roll green clay in Ultimate Clay Machine™ to setting #6.   Use fine tip tool to cut out 4 leaf shapes (I referred to a photo of a poppy leaf to create my shapes).   

Use shading tip on all edges of leaves, and to create lines in leaves.  Place over clay tools, or a pencil, etc. to dry (this will give some dimension and shape).  Let dry 24 hours.  

Use fingertip to add a bit of dark green ink over surface of each leaf to highlight the texture. 

Clean glass votive.  Spell out REMEMBER on glass votive with DecoArt® stencils.

Use etchall® resist gel to fill in each letter.  Important:  Remove each stencil while gel is still wet or gel will come off when you remove the stencils to etch.   

Let resist gel dry until clear.  

Apply etchall® cream to entire surface of votive.  Let set 15 minutes.  Return cream to bottle.  Rinse to remove remaining cream.  Let dry. 

Use 3-in-1 Adhesive to mount leaves and poppy to bottom of votive beneath REMEMBER. 

Add a tea light to illuminate your votive to honor and remember those who have served this Veterans Day, on Memorial Day, or any day of the year. 

Valentine Treat Mason Jars DIY Video featuring Makin's Clay®

Learn to make 3 different versions of these Valentine Treat Mason Jars all with unique Makin's
Clay® accents in this episode of When Creativity Knocks All-Star Designers Winter Series!