To set my flattened bottles apart from the generic, I permanently kiln-carve unique designs into each tray. I also keep the neck of the bottle open through the firing process to snugly holster the free handmade bottle stopper I include as a set.
I create my kiln-carving (or texture) molds with a custom combination of plaster and crystalline silica. Once I am satisfied with my mold, I coat it with boron nitride, then carefully lay the bottle over the mold so it doesn't roll off. The firing process takes about 15 hours. Once cooled, I pair each server with a handcrafted wine-stopper that compliments each design. Of course, I do let clients mix and match any bottle server with any topper design they wish, which makes their selection personal to them