Great Sale

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Special Sale!
Usually $177.50 each.
On sale for $137.50
or buy two for $250.00
Or, even better, All Three for $350.00
including postage and insurance (USA / Canada)
Visit my 'Flowing Copper' wind chime page on my website

Currently I have three sets of wind chimes hanging on my sundeck, and that strikes me as a very nice number. My chimes are not terribly loud, so the sound even from three sets is still just very pleasant.

With Fall here, there is more wind, and that, for me, means excellent wind chime weather. My wind chimes are designed for year round outdoor use, so no need to only enjoy them through the summer.

With my current sale, you too could enjoy three sets for a very reasonable price. Or get a set for yourself, and share with friends and family. Enjoy!

Chanterelles

Chanterelles — delicious wild mushrooms

As followers (yes, all ten of you!) of this blog know, everyday I go for a hike with my fine hound Yukon. Most often, it is with some initial reluctance that I drop the work I am doing and head off up the mountain. It's the 'up' part that is partially responsible for that reluctance, but also the dropping of the work. After all these years, I still love making wind chimes and other cool stuff, and it is hard to take a break. Lucky me-- how many jobs are there that people are reluctant to take time off from?

This time of year, with the right weather, there is an added incentive other than the beauty, peace and quiet of the woods. There are wild mushrooms.

I first was introduced to the sport of mushroom hunting back thirty years ago, as a lad living in France for a year. Where I was, mushroom hunting was not just a hobby, but a passion. Just about everybody did it. The enthusiasm was contagious, and I certainly caught the bug.

So you can imagine how delighted I was after moving to the Sunshine Coast to discover that this area is extremely rich in wild mushrooms. And unlike France, where everyone being out hunting made for fierce competition, here almost no one bothers. I guess they go down to the farmers' market in Vancouver and buy them for $25 a pound!

These days, I don't go to the greedy extremes that I used to when we first moved here. Back then, I'd hunt everyday, long hours, and pack the freezer with bags and bags of them. Now I just gather a few for our dinner, and somehow that's better.

I've also started introducing friends to this pleasant hobby (yes, don't worry, I warn them in no uncertain terms that they must be with me or someone else who really knows the good from the evil-- with pleasant little guys like the Death Angels lurking about).

I've been trying out a few new recipes. The best one I have found so far this year is yukon gold potato and wild mushroom gratin with blue cheese. With 2 1/2 cups of whipping cream, and lots of cheese, truly decadent, and also truly superb.

Framed Suncatchers

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Deluxe red cedar framed suncatcher
I have two of this style on my website.
For more information, or to buy this art, visit my
website by clicking Here.

It's usually a little slower, sales-wise, than usual during September. But having a few weeks to breath and and work on more complex items is not so bad.

This past week I worked on two very special framed suncatcher hangings. These take a really long time to plan out and cut and put together, so I don't make many of them. These two came out amazingly well— I think they are perhaps my favorites from all of this style I have made.

Septermber Blues

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Beach Glass Inspired
Kaleidoscope Wind Chime
On Sale on my Website

I've been making neat things for the home, yard, garden for long enough (13 years) to know that it is totally usual for September to be slow for sales. And yet, each time this happens, I am surprised. It's always so busy just before this slow down, and so very busy just after.

Well, slow or not, the bills keep arriving. Not to mention that I better buy a ton of copper ($$$) to get ready for the rush that is fast approaching. So to encourage hesitant shoppers, I have put a super low price on my sale item this week: a beach glass inspired kaleidoscope wind chime with five copper chimes and a beach stone clapper that usually sells for $177.50 for a sale price of $139.50 including postage and insurance to the USA or Canada. Now that's a deal!

Enjoy!

Teredo Driftwood

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Teredo Driftwood
Five Heavy Iron Chimes with a Beach Stone Clapper

For more information or to buy, visit the Driftwood Carousel
on my website.

Driftwood is such a lovely, naturally beautiful medium to work with. And what is really neat is teredo worm driftwood. It is actually not a worm at all, but a small clam. But whether you call them a worm or a clam, they do a terrific job of carving wood. Beautiful and intriguing.

What I also really like, especially with an all natural top section like this driftwood, is heavy iron chimes with a natural rust patina. The look is great, and the sound even better.

A lot of people think of wind chimes as a summer thing. Not me. A chime like this one is extremely well suited for year round use. The fall and winter brings brisker winds, and these heavy iron chimes live for that. So be cozy in your house, while enjoying the sounds produced by the fierce weather.

More Mixed Media

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Mixed media wind chime. Visit my website to see more.

I make several styles of mixed media kaleidoscope wind chime— always in demand. In fact, I had run out for sometime, and so I am happy to have finally gotten around to making a few more.

The one pictured about, with five handcrafted copper chimes, is a knock out. And then the same style of top section but with my magnificent large rusty iron chimes can be found in the iron section of my website.

Suncatcher, Freestanding, Extra Large

Extra Large Freestanding
Beach Glass Inspired
Suncatcher
(Click on the picture to see it full size)

I receive quite a few special orders. Recently an excellent customer ordered two extra-large freestanding suncatchers. I had made a few hanging large ones before, and so for once I had a good idea of what I was getting myself into: they are very challenging to make!

With plate glass this large, even just washing it and handling it is tough. Putting everything together tougher still! And the amount of small glass pieces these hold always amazes me. They weigh a ton!

While making hers, I decided I would put together an extra one, for the 'Artist's Pick' section of my website, as I knew they would be spectacular.

Now the final 'fun' part. I need to figure out how to pack these two so they have a chance of arriving in great condition. That's a tough one. They are so long and heavy, I fear if someone drops the box they are almost certain to be damaged. Maximum foam, maximum padding. It's going to be one more challenge.