My latest obsession/ meditation/ artistic outlet is creating hanging wine bottle art. The first step? Drink the wine. (A tough job, but, yeah…) Then my hubby helps out by scoring and cutting the bottoms off the bottles. We sand away the sharp edges, then I go to work (play) adding beads and crystals and shells and rocks and sea glass and pinecones and anything else that catches my eye and inspires me.
Most of the bottles that initially inspired me come from a vineyard called DUCK WALK, in Southold, NY on Long Island. I love this vineyard because the wine is fabulous, the bottles and labels are beautiful, and also because it’s located near where I grew up in Cutchogue, NY. (Back then, current vineyards on the North Fork were typically potato and cauliflower fields.) I live in the Boston area now, but I get back as often as I can to visit old friends. And, of course, stock up on local wine.
After amassing a ridiculous number of these artistic hanging bottles in my home and running out of places to hang them, I came up with an idea. What if Duck Walk might be interested in selling some of my creations there, at the vineyard? People are there to do tastings and buy wine and enjoy occasional live music…and I imagined my bottles right there, looking all twinkly and pretty…
In a bold, hopeful move, I packed up a dozen of my bottles (for fun, I made sure every one featured a semi-hidden duck bead) and went to Duck Walk with a couple friends to offer my wares. The result? They took them on consignment. I was thrilled! I put this website address on the labels for Calliope Creations, but because of some technical difficulties with the camera, I’ve only just now figured out how to post the pics I took of the bottles.
The last I heard, most of the bottles were sold over the holidays–I’m so thrilled!–but I’m still toiling away, drinking wine (hey, it’s part of the job) and playing with beads and shells, so perhaps more will be made available soon. In the meantime, I’m targeting a local vineyard here in the Boston area.
I’m looking at you, Nashoba!
By the way, if you have a special wine bottle you’d like to see turned into art, hit me up… cal.armistead1@gmail.com.
or 
cal armistead 