Art, Crafts and Inspiration in the Art Chick Studio

Archive for the Category »Glass Bottles and Jars «

Sands of Time in a Bottle

Feb
2012

I just thought I’d share something today since, for some reason, I was thinking about the ocean. I love the ocean…love beaches and almost any place near the water. So each year on our anniversary weekend for the past few years, the Hubs and I go someplace that is by the water, and preferably with a beach. We live fairly close to Lake Michigan and Lake Erie, so our destinations frequently end up being in a town by one of those lakes. And each time we go, I collect sand, shells, and other little natural objects as sort of souvenirs. When we get home, I choose a Mason Jar or some other bottle to put my sand and other beach goodies in, and I label them on the bottom with the town we went to and which year. They’ve become my collection of “Sands of Time in a Bottle.”

I have 4 of these Glass Bottles and Jars full of beach memories so far. They sit on my kitchen window sill, so that I can see them everyday, and in my own way, I’m close to the beach. I would have had 5 of these, except one year we got rained out on our beach day and I couldn’t collect anything to bring home. But that’s OK.

There’s always next year.

3 Captured Fairy Jars

By ArtChick

Oct
2011

I was outside the other day and to my surprise and wonder and awe, I saw 3 fairies playing in the yard. So I decided to capture those three fairies and put them in some glass jars–at least for long enough to photograph each of them. I wanted to share them with all of you. So here they are.

This is Fairy Rose

This is Fairy Sunny

This is Fairy Pinky

After they kindly allowed me to take their photographs, they were starting to get a little irked in their glass environment. So it soon became time to set them free. After all, it’s never a good idea to irritate a fairy. If you do, they are sure to start stealing your socks from the dryer.

Category: Fairy Crafts, Glass Bottles and Jars Tags: Captured Fairy Jars, fairy, fairy art, Fairy Crafts, Vintage Photos 3 Comments

Doily Vase

By ArtChick

May
2011

OK, now I’ll be honest up front. When I started this little crafty project, I intended for it to become a glass luminary. But when I got finished, my tealight was too big to fit in the opening! URGH! So I took my lemons and made some crafty lemonade…and decided to turn this into a little vase instead.

I took one of the jars I had in my studio, one that looks like an old-fashioned “vintage” milk bottle and cleaned it well first. Then I took a craft doily that I purchased at Michael’s, sprayed the back of it with adhesive, and then adhered it to the bottle. After it had a chance to dry, I added some craft flowers and a pearlescent gem to the front of the doily. And that’s all there was to it!

Since this is a very short bottle, it will be perfect for flowers with very short stems, like the lilacs that are blooming in my back yard right now. It is difficult to find cute vases for flowers that are short, so this will be just right. And the next time I get wanting to make a luminary, I am going to be sure to measure the opening of my bottle first!

Category: Everyday Crafts, Glass Bottles and Jars Tags: Glass Bottle, glass luminary, Vintage Milk Bottles 2 Comments

Flower Jar

By ArtChick

Apr
2011

When my studio was robbed a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t realize at first that anything more than my stereo was missing. That was bad enough, since it was almost brand new. But when I was able to spend more time in there a couple of days later, I realized that a lot more was taken. It’s not like I have an inventory of everything that’s in there, so really only blatantly obvious things would come to my attention.

Well, when I sat down to try to do some crafting, I realized that several of my jars of buttons and flowers that I’d created to store these craft supplies were also missing (among other things). Several mason jars of flowers and old-fashioned jars of buttons too. They seem so insignificant, but it was really very upsetting to discover them missing, after spending so much time (not to mention the money to buy those supplies) separating the flowers and buttons by color and putting them in their own fun-looking jars.

So anyway, I’m short on buttons and flowers now, because in total they took a LOT of supplies that I use very often when I’m creating. And I’m also short on jars. So I decided to make one new one today from a jar I happened to have on hand.

None of my missing jars were decorated (which makes it even more puzzling why the thief would take them), but I thought I’d do at least one that is. So I cut out a strip of burlap and sprayed the back of it with adhesive. Then I wrapped it snug around the jar. Then I took three craft flowers and assembled them with a brad and added them on top of the burlap. And then I just dropped in the one lone tube of new flowers I’ve bought (so far) to start to replace what was stolen.

I like the way this looks. Just a fun little way to jazz up a plain glass jar. And the vintage-looking zinc lid is nice too. All of my missing flower jars had lids like these, but they were plain square mason jars. Not valuable really…to anyone but me. They’ll eventually get replaced…one jar at a time.

Category: Everyday Crafts, Glass Bottles and Jars Tags: Flower Jar, Glass Art, Mason Jars Leave a Comment

Robin Eggs Jar

By ArtChick

Mar
2011

I’ve really been trying to focus on spring crafts in my studio lately. I don’t usually do a lot of spring crafts, nor do I tend decorate my home too much this time of year. But I decided that if I created some spring crafts that I love, then I could use them in the house. And at some point I’d have a lot of lovely little crafty goodies to use this time of year.

So my latest spring craft is my Robin Eggs Jar, which looks a lot like a little nest in a vintage jar.

This was really so easy to make. The jar isn’t vintage, but it does sort of look like it is, and I had it in my studio just begging to be used. I added some Spanish Moss to the bottom of the jar to give it that nest effect.

Next it was time to paint some eggs. I used wooden eggs that are about 1-3/4″ long. I painted them with craft acrylics in a robin’s egg blue, and then I took some watered-down brown and spattered on the spots using an old toothbrush. Love the speckled-egg-look! Then I just added the eggs to jar.

I think this will find its new home in my kitchen. I love the look of it, and I have lots of bird and birdhouse stuff in my kitchen, so it will be perfect.

Category: Glass Bottles and Jars, Seasonal Crafts Tags: Robin Eggs Jar, Seasonal Crafts, Spring Crafts 4 Comments

Time In a Bottle

By ArtChick

Sep
2010

OK, who says you can’t put time in a bottle?!

I’m not sure what inspired me to create this little glass bottle of art, but something sure did. I started with a corked glass vial that is about 2-1/2″ high and 1/2″ in diameter. I added a little sand…that came straight from the shores of Lake Michigan. Then I stamped the word Time and slightly distressed some purple scrapbook paper and dropped it in the bottle. I finished it with some silver-colored jewelery wire, and some Swarovski crystal beads to add a touch of glam. This would make a cute novelty gift.

You see? You can put Time in a bottle!

Tina

Category: Glass Bottles and Jars Tags: Glass Bottle, Time in a Bottle 2 Comments

Make a Wish Jar

By ArtChick

Mar
2010

Lots of crafty folks are making Making a Wish Jars these days. They are a super easy glass craft to make and you can do so many things with them, in all sorts of different sizes and shapes of bottles or jars.

This Make a Wish Jar is my first, and I kept it fairly simple. I started with a fun-shaped bottle with a cork top. I added copper foil around the neck of the bottle, because I knew I was going to solder a bit of chain to the bottle. Once the foil was burnished on well enough, I just tack-soldered a small part of the silver chain at the back of the bottle. If you don’t know how to solder, this step is totally optional. I just liked the idea of keeping the chain securely in place. Then I added a silver dragonfly charm to dangle down the front of the bottle. And of course, it’s finished off with a wish written on some parchment paper and tied with ribbon, then dropped into the bottle.

Once I finished this, I thought it looked kind of plain…like it needed a little something. So I just added in a mixture of white and light blue glitter, and that did the trick.

Your Make a Wish Bottles or Jars would be great for kids’ birthdays. When it’s time to blow out their birthday cake candles, have them write their wish on some paper and stick it in the jar. Then put the jar away for safe-keeping until their next birthday. You can pull out the jar for them next year and have them read the wish to see if it came true, and then they can add a new wish for the new birthday. Just an idea.