Monday, 20 January 2014

Vintage milk bottle caps

Good morning fellow bloggers, thank you so much for all the lovely comments you are leaving on my posts, it is such a pleasure to sit and read them and to visit you as well and see such amazing inspirational projects from around the globe.  
One of the things I love doing is going and mooching round antique markets now and again and we have a good monthly market near us in Farnham, Surrey (UK). Last year I was intrigued by some old milk bottle caps I saw on a stall and was told they would have been used by the dairy to seal old wide neck milk bottles in the 1940’s. You can just make out a circle indentation that could be pushed through which would be used to insert a straw, apparently children wouldn't just drink the milk they would use these caps to make those woolly fluffy balls, so they were a toy too.

The ones I bought are all the same and are in mint condition and at last I have had an idea for a tag using one.
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I had a corrugated tag part finished so I started with that …….
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……. adding some stamping and I gathered various elements that I thought would go together to create a design. The 17 plaquette reminded me of a bottle chain, the mini number made me think of milk deliveries and house numbers, hessian for texture, a small shrink plastic bird in my box of bits reminded me of when I was milk monitor at school, we had foil tops then and the birds would peck through them to get at the milk. Some of Tim’s words stamped from the Little Labels set seemed appropriate and I needed a bottle.
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Die-cut from the Apothecary set in white card, I dipped the bottle in a little watered walnut stain DI, dried it and then covered it in clear embossing powder.
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Here you can see the shine and texture it created. In hindsight perhaps I should have added more layers of EP to make it smoother, but I quite like the way it ended up.
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I really like the collage design too, I always look to create a balance between my elements and to 'bridge' some of them to create a flow that allows the eye to move easily around the design.
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I hope your week goes well and that you have time to find some creative time.



hugs {brenda} x0x

39 comments:

Valerie-Jael said...

Fantastic work again, love how you made your tag, and I'm loving those old milk bottle tops, what a great find! Hugs, Valerie

Deborah said...

Full of milky goodness :-) Love it.

craftimamma said...

What a wonderful tag Brenda. Love all the elements you included and those bottle tops are amazing. I'm getting on a bit (;D) and I can't remember those so they must be from waaaayyyy back! I certainly do remember the birds pecking through the foil tops though, cheeky little things and also remember the milk freezing in winter and therefore expanding a pushing the foil tops off. The birds loved that 'frozen cream off the top' before the days of skimmed, etc., lol!

Anyway, your lovely tag certainly evoked some memories for me today.

Hugs
Lesley Xx

Inkypinkycraft said...

This is full of vintage goodness!I love olds finds and love adding old keys and bits and bobs but not been lucky enough to find such a treasure as your fab bottle tops! Youbhave made a gorgeous tag x hugs x trace x

Gram's Treasures said...

Gorgeous tag, Brenda, and brings back some memories. Remember the days of the milkman and the glass bottles of milk where the cream rose to the top?
Joyce xx

Margreet said...

awesome tag Brenda!
xxx Margreet

Rita said...

Memories for me Brenda. Dare I say it, but I remember those when I was young. Fabulous tag with great textures and fabulous colours. Hugs Rita xxxx

Netty said...

The bottle caps are a brilliant find Brenda and loving your fab tag, hugs Annette x

Martina said...

This tag I have admired on Facebook today! It is soooooo beautiful, dear Brenda! I love it :-)

sally said...

What a brillian way to have used your vintage find! Never seen these caps but I use to love coming back to the UK & buying the triangular packs of milk at kings cross station, we could not buy fresh milk where we were in north Africa :-)

Sally

Barb Cady said...

What a brilliant tag! I love the way you lay all your elements out first then put them on the background, I tend to put them on as I go, but your way is much better, I shall try it! X

Craft Addicts - Tracy Evans said...

Lovely tag Brenda, I always love seeing corrugated card used in art. Love the milk bottle top too. The bottle is fabulous with the embossing. Tracy x

Glennis F said...

Brilliant idea Brenda - I love your interpretation

Helena (Gvendalen) said...

fab tag, Brenda, love all details.
hugs, Helena

Silvia(Barnie) said...

A gorgeous idea and a fantastic tag with wonderful elements.

Redanne said...

Your tag is wonderful, I love the bottle cap and the way you have fitted it into your design. I also love it when you use corrugated card, you do such wonderful things with it. Hugs, Anne x

Jools Robertson said...

Beautiful and so unique, what an amazing embellishment and theme
The background and colours are so lovely, altogether beautiful

Jools x

Astrid Maclean said...

Oh wow Brenda what a fabulous tag!! And what a find those bottle caps are! Love how you have put this together, and you really have achieved the most perfect balance of elements on this collage. I like the slightly bumpy bottle too and such a clever idea to cover it in clear ep! Brilliant all round!!

Meggymay said...

Those bottle tops were a great find. Its a fantastic collage on the tag.
Yvonne

Terry said...

Brenda, this has such a wow factor in every detail! Love the milk bottle and how you combined all the elements right down to the vintage bottle cap! I really like the idea of having some background finished and ready to go! Gorgeousness! Hugs!

catherine said...

This looks fabulous Brenda and love how you have put it all together. It just fits so well
x catherine

Sandy said...

Totally wonderful Brenda! I hate to admit it but I do remember those milk bottle caps. And I want to thank you for telling us how you did you bottle - it is really a neat idea. Your whole tag is pretty splendid!
Sandy xx

Jennie Atkinson said...

Fabulous tag and yes I remember the bottle tops ! Love the bottle but your background tag is stunning x

Mrs.B said...

Fabulous tag, the finish on the 'milk' bottle looks wonderful and the bird pecking the top is just brilliant.
Avril xx

Annie said...

this is a fantastic tag Brenda x I adore that wonderful background and then the stunning layout. Lots of fabulous techniques used here and I love it!!

Hugs Annie x

Margaret Mifsud said...

Brilliant Tag!! Love it!! ox

Unknown said...

Fantastic Tag,love the milk bottle texture, not all bottles were smooth in the old days. Brings back memories of how yellow the cream used to look at top of the milk. The tops are great. xx

massofhair said...

Stunning Tag, so much to see and enjoy :-) xxx

Cocofolies said...

Just a marvelous tag Brenda. your design is so clever and the result so beautiful!... Great work!! Hugs Coco xx

Kim Dellow said...

Totally wonderful Brenda. Great find and beautifully utilised! Kimx

Words and Pictures said...

So cool to incorporate the vintage bottle top, and I absolutely love the finish you've achieved on your milk bottle - it's stunning, and fabulously distressed at the same time! Of course, I love the corrugated base too... Altogether a really wonderful make, Brenda!
Alison xx

Karin said...

wow very beautiful tag, love all the things on it!
Groetjes Karin

Jenny Marples said...

Loving the collage feel to this and that fabulous bottle. Jenny x

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Pinning this lovely! I love the milk jug and bottle cap. I buy them every time I can find them! Fabulous tag!

Jane said...

This is a wonderful tag Brenda, I love your creative thinking process...I certainly remember the birds pecking the foils. The bottle came out perfectly with it's chain, so many textures. What a lucky find, those milk reminders are real vintage treasure. See you tomorrow...can't wait ;0) xx

Joanna Wiśniewska said...

Great tag. Love the milk cups and the bottle of milk too. Looks so real :)

2amscrapper said...

I have a collection of bottle caps, too! I like what you made with yours. That milk bottle is fantastic.

Linda Coughlin, the funkie junkie said...

Such a fabulous collection of yummy bits - what a sensational tag you have created with them. Those milk bottle caps were an amazing find and such a cool embellishment to have in your stash! Love what you have done here.

Hugs,
Linda

Marjie Kemper said...

How cool! Love the way you created that milky bottle and of course the gorgeous tag base itself. Love the way you are showing all you components in one pic these days.... a great visual!