Framed Glass Suncatchers by Coast Chimes

Cedar Frames, Freshly Oiled
Ready for the Addition of Beautiful Glass

These wet, dark, cold days are perfect for tackling some long put off projects. Making cedar frames to fill with my glass is a great thing to tackle.

The end of January through much of April are the slowest days at Coast Chimes for orders, so there is less interruption for answering emails, packing, shipping, and I can concentrate on the somewhat more complex projects, demanding precision use of saws and so on.

I have to admit that I do not overly care for using saws and other power tools, due to the noise, the dust, the bit of danger (will never forget sawing the tip off my left thumb years ago!). But I do enjoy the end result.

I should have these three frames completed later next week, with luck, and then I'll photograph them and have them on my website (Coast Chimes) and in my Etsy store, as soon as there is a bit of sunlight for taking pictures. That might be the longest part! There are a lot of dark, wet days here currently-- sometimes it feels we may never see the sun again. But it will happen, and so will my pictures.

Framed Cobalt Glass with Driftwood, Coast Chimes

Framed Cobalt Blue Copper Wire Wrapped Glass
with Driftwood by Coast Chimes

I always loved this framed glass with driftwood piece, and regretted not having any pictures. It sold very quickly at an annual Sunshine Coast Art Crawl a number of years ago. Then, during this year's Art Crawl, the person who now owns it revisited. I was very happy she agreed to send some pictures.

Seeing it again, at its new home, I am again struck by how beautiful it is— sorry, no modesty here!

Now I am inspired to attempt making another of this style. Top of my list when I get my tools back out at the start of 2020.

In the meantime, there are many nice things to see (and buy!) at Coast Chimes.

Modern Suncatcher: Artist-made Sea Glass with Driftwood

Framed Artist-made Sea Glass with Natural Driftwood
Coast Chimes

I love this framed glass piece. It took me a long time to find just the right piece of driftwood wood, but it all came together very nicely in the end.

Almost all of the works in my studio gallery are photographed and available on my website, and Etsy, but a few I hold back, including this one. I am reserving some of these for the fast approaching Sunshine Coast Art Crawl 2017, October 20-22. A few others are just too big to ship. A few are just not ready for me to say goodbye to yet.

If this framed piece does not sell during the Art Crawl, I will probably put it on my websites, and say goodbye to it pretty fast, especially with the Christmas rush soon to start, the busiest time of year.

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Framed Kaleidoscope Suncatcher

Framed glass with mosaic kaleidoscope section

I have been known to make a mistake or two with my business. Not being by nature the most organized person around, it is surprising I do not make even more. I try, I really try.

My latest mistake resulted in the creation of the above framed suncatcher. I had made a couple of that style back in late 2010, and a customer fell in love with one of them and asked if she could pay over several months. That was fine with me. Time went by, and she emailed that she was ready to make the final payment. That was great, except I discovered that somehow I had sold it to someone else-- I no longer had it! What a sad day for her, after saving and waiting. I felt terrible.

I offered a refund, or told her that I could try to make a similar one. She opted for the similar one, and I put together three, while I was at it. She was very happy with the replacement for her original one. And now I have two more in my Etsy shop, and on my website.

Happy ending to a sad story.

Framed Glass

Click on the image to see it larger

Framed glass with natural Pacific driftwood

Visit my website, Coast Chimes, for more pictures and frame styles

It's been awhile. I used to make many frames, as there was a good store in Vancouver where they sold well. After making so many, I got tired and gave it a break.

After two years, I suddenly got the urge to make some frames. With renewed vigor, and perhaps improved skills, I have completed four, all of different styles. I even have one with a box of kaleidoscope mosaic glass imbedded!

I'm very pleased all four frames. You can see them on the Gallery Page of my website, or on Etsy.