Altered Light Bulb

                                     

Awhile back I purchased these glass light bulbs with screw off tops at Hobby Lobby for my art group, In My Vintage Room and Beyond, thinking it would be fun to alter them.  Well this

has proven to be quite the challenge for me at least....lol.  I decided I wanted to do a fun 

summery beach theme since this year winter seems to be hanging on forever.  Not knowing exactly what I way going to do I started looking on Pinterest and different blogs to find or at least come up with some ideas for what I wanted to do.  What I was finding was a lot of Mermaids, I think that must be the in thing this year.  Anyway I decided that was what I would do...but how...the opening of this bottle is barely a inch wide.  I wanted to work with something other than paper so my mind went to making the Mermaid out of clay. 

I purchased some Sculpey Clay (oven dry) at Michael's, It took me several tries to get the Mermaid

the right size each time I made her she wouldn't fit in the opening of the bottle.  I finally figured that

out by leaving her tail fins off. Once I had the right size I baked her at 275 degrees for 15 minutes. I then used my Tim Holt's Markers and colored her this worked perfect I got the pastel color washed effect I wanted.  I cut apart and glued 2 petals from a silk flower for her tail fins. and glued her to a small peace of cork I had.  Now here comes the hard part getting her into the bottle... luck have it

I had put a peace of wire thru her head before I baked her which was a big help in getting her in the bottle.  I placed some glue in the bottom of the bottle and placed her in position.  Letting this dry really good.  Next I poured some sand from a beach that a friend had given me in to cover the cork,

glued a piece of wooden coral that I distressed a little and some small shells and pearls and sequins  and there it was finished.  For the metal screw on top I just wound some Jute around the top and glued the ends giving it a Nautical look I tied some ribbon on and some more shells made a tag and it really was finish.  I am really liking the way it turned out.

I wish I could have gotten a clearer picture to post.

The tag has a little saying that reads:  The Beach .. Come to the beach   Where the sea is blue  And Little white waves  Come running at you.     A wave comes splashing   Over your toes  You just stand still  And away it goes.   We'll build a castle  Down by the sea  And look for shells  If you'll come with me.