Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Featured Artist: Bottled Up Designs Helps Clean up the Enviornment

My name is Laura Bergman, and I have created Bottled Up Designs, jewelry and gifts handmade from the glass of antique bottles! All of my pieces are 100% handmade from the glass of antique bottles, that I reclaim from old bottle dumps in the woods. I live in a very rural area in the Pennsylvania Amish Country, and in the woods around me there are multiple bottle dumps and old glass scattered everywhere.

One day when I was talking a walk, there was a baby fawn and her mother laying in the leaves. When they caught my scent they were up and away, and where the fawn was laying was the jagged remains of an antique Noxema bottle. I was horrified at what all this old glass could be doing to the wildlife, and after having one of my dogs come home with their feet cut, I began picking up all of these old pieces and working with them. In time, what emerged was Bottled Up Designs.

Being an old bottle collector for 20 years, I can pretty much pick up any remains of a bottle and tell you what is was and how old it is, so I tried to work that knowledge into my pieces. Each piece of Bottled Up Designs comes with The Story of the Glass, where I will detail that for you.

I am thrilled to have created something that is very historical, and am able to reclaim these lovely treasures discarded many, many years ago. I am also happy to present a beautiful product that the glass is not made is some modern factory using more natural resources.

I do have them in a few stores locally, and am really looking to expand my wholesale/consignment business.

Take a look! http://www.bottledupdesigns.etsy.com/