Wild West Coast, Olympic Peninsula Beach Combing

Olympic Peninsula, Wild West Coast, Beach Combing Paradise

I started 25 years ago making wind chimes and sun catchers from sea glass and copper. I still make them from those materials, but I now use a lot of beach stone and driftwood too.

I used to think that our local Sunshine Coast beaches were perhaps the best in the world for beach stones, and okay for driftwood. Last year I discovered that some beaches along the open west coast are far superior for these materials. I just got back from yet another wonderful week of beach combing in this area, and this time I took plenty of stones and wood back home with me.

I can't wait to get started on a fresh collection of wild west coast wind chimes, using these materials.

Visit my website to see the sort of works I do using natural materials: 

Coast Chimes beach stones

Coast Chimes drift wood

Olympic Peninsula, Beautiful, Beautiful Area

Olympic Peninsula, March 2016

Last year at this time I quickly passed through the Olympic Peninsula.I was amazed by the beauty. I was also so impressed by the beach stones and driftwood (I use both to make wind chimes). I took a little of my beach combing finds home with me last year, and immediately regretted both not spending more time on the Peninsula, and also not taking home more raw materials.

So I went back.

The Olympic Peninsula truly is one of the most awesome areas I have ever explored. And it definitely has some of the finest beach stones and driftwood I have ever enjoyed discovering. This year, I took home plenty for my work, and I am so excited to soon start making things. You can see the types of things I make with these materials on my website: Coast Chimes.

Nine days of hiking, fine resorts, beach combing was not enough. I probably have to go back next year!

Bird Feeder Deluxe Handcrafted Wind Chime

Handcrafted Cedar and Copper Bird Feeder Wind Chime

Every year I make 5 or 6 bird feeder wind chimes. I look forward to making them (I usually sell out well before the end of the year). I just finished this years crop-- and I am exceptionally proud of them.

I love the design: so simple, so perfect. The 4 sided top actually started out, years ago, as a desktop lamp! I used to make pretty much the same design, fill the box with sea glass, and have a light bulb and nice shade on the top (no bird perches on that one, though!). It was cool lamp, but eventually I got a bit hesitant about shipping out electrical things, since I'm not a licensed electrician. That lamp design turned into this bird feeder.

Every year I have had months to mull over the design, and while the basic form is wonderful I always make small changes for the better. Most of these have to do with strength. This years batch is without a doubt the best ever-- the lid is more secure, there is more strength everywhere: extremely solid. And extremely beautiful!

You can find them in on my website here: bird feeder wind chime

Or in my Etsy store here: bird feeder wind chime

Or on Amazon here: bird feeder wind chime