Showing posts with label new works. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new works. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 09, 2024

Home and Garden Ready for Spring Outdoor Decor

Zen natural beach stone wind chime, handcrafted.

Zen Natural Beach Stone Chime
$85 including postage at


This exceptional Zen style Pacific beach stone wind chime reflects a natural beauty that will captivate and delight you. The smooth rounded beach stones are carefully selected from the Pacific coastline; they add a touch of raw, organic, Zen charm to this beautiful piece. Below is a similar chime, but with a copper wire spiral piece of sea glass.

These are all unique works, completely handcrafted in Canada by an artist with over 30 years of wind chime design experience. Premium materials mean that these are all season outdoor chimes.

To see all the one-of-a-kind beautiful handmade wind chimes, visit Coast Chimes.

Sea glass with beach stones, Zen wind chime

 

Monday, February 12, 2024

New Works, Coast Chimes Wind Chimes

Cobalt blue sea glass with beach stones wind chime
Cobalt Blue Glass, Natural Beach Stone Chime
$95 US incl. shipping, Coast Chimes

Detail, Blue Glass Beach Stones Wind Chime

Handcrafted Copper Hook

Managing to find some time to create new works these days. I find that very refreshing, energizing. It's so much fun to select nice glass pieces, natural beach combed materials, and to see what I come up with. It's still after all these years most often a big surprise how these simple materials come together to create stunning beauty.

You may visit my website to see all my wind chimes, from small antiqued brass chimes to very large natural driftwood beach stone works: Coast Chimes. Satisfaction is always guaranteed, along with free shipping to the USA or Canada.



 

Tuesday, February 06, 2024

Wind Chimes, Coast Chimes, New Works

Natural driftwood and beach stone zen copper wind chime.
Natural Driftwood and Beach Stone Zen Copper Wind Chime
$295 US at Coast Chimes, including shipping to the USA or Canada

February and early March are traditionally the slow period for wind chime sales, which is actually excellent. This provides a window or time for me to switch from packing and shipping to producing. So I am now able to devote a larger chunk of time each day to creating new works, and to photograph and place said works on my website. So any day you visit Coast Chimes, you will likely see some new amazing wind chimes, such as the stunning beachcomber's wind chime featuring driftwood, beach stones, and seven copper chimes pictured above. Or the charming beach stone cobalt blue chime pictured below.

Natural Beach Stones with Cobalt Blue Glass Chime

$87 US at Coast Chimes, including shipping to the USA or Canada

Beach stone cobalt blue glass chime.

 

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Beach-combing, Sunshine Coast BC


 

Many trips by bicycle to local beaches these days. I have several favourite beach-combine beaches; one for beach stone clappers for the large copper wind chimes, another for larger stones for Zen wind chimes. I just huge order of diamond ball bits delivered, so between trips to the beach to collect stones (and driftwood), lots of time cutting holes in the stones I bring home.

Visit the Beach Stone section of my website to view all the new works. I will be adding more in the weeks to come. All these works are terrific outside in all weather-- the stones look even nicer when wet from the rain.


Natural Zen beach stone copper wind chime

Zen Pacific Beach Stone Wind Chime, 7 Copper Chimes 

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Handcrafted Wind Chimes Coast Chimes


 

It has been super busy at Coast Chimes. A good thing. But it has been a struggle to create enough new wind chimes and suncatchers, while keeping up with shipping and website work. 

The past few weeks I did manage to make a whole new batch of kaleidoscope wind chimes, as well a quite a few really nice beach stone chimes. Check out my website soon to see these terrific works... before they are gone.

Coast Chimes

Etsy Coast Chimes


Natural beach stone chime, Coast Chimes

Natural Pacific Beach Stone Wind Chime
Free Shipping


Kaleidoscope Wind Chime
Free Shipping




Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Copper Wind Chime for Seventh Wedding Anniversary Gift, or Beauty Lovers


7 Copper Chimes Wind Chime, Anniversary Edition

7 Copper Chimes Wind Chime, Coast Chimes
Perfect 7th Anniversary Gift
Perfect for Lovers of Beauty
$185, Free Shipping, at Coast Chimes

I've made my signature 5 chime copper wind chime for years: it's very popular! Lots of people buy it for gifts, and especially for the seventh wedding anniversary, since that one is copper. I've had numerous requests for the same outstanding wind chime, but with 7 chimes, and so I am now stocking that. It's gorgeous!

As with the one with 5 chimes, it is exceptionally well made, with polished, brushed, and antiqued copper, handmade hardware, all copper (ie, no fishing line, plastic), a solid red cedar roundel treated with hand rubbed oil. The beach stone clapper / striker resonates nicely against the copper chimes.

This is great for the seventh wedding celebration, or for anyone who enjoys quality and beauty.

Tuesday, June 02, 2020

Large Outdoor Glass and Copper Art Wind Chimes

Kaleidoscope sea glass and copper art wind chime by Coast Chimes
Kaleidoscope Sea Glass and Copper
Wind Chime
by Coast Chimes
My Kaleidoscope wind chimes are very popular. Still, I get new ideas for them! Above, I decided it would be nice to attache a larger piece of cobalt blue glass with a copper spiral to the bottom of the box frame of smaller glass pieces. I think it looks great!

Coast Chimes is under full production, which is still not a lot, since it is one person (me!) doing everything! Sometimes I think I should hire someone to do some of the more tedious chores, but I am extremely fussy that everything gets done exactly right-- the very best possible -- and I think any 'helper' would likely be a headache. So I will carry on, by myself, and make sure each step is completed perfectly.

While stock levels are down, there are still plenty of gorgeous wind chimes and suncatchers available to choose from, and a few more being added each week.

See all my wind chimes and suncatchers at Coast Chimes. Always free shipping.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Kaleidoscope Sea Glass Large Copper Outdoor Wind Chimes



Large outdoor kaleidoscope sea glass wind chime by Coast Chimes
Kaleidoscope Wind Chime
at Coast Chimes

Busy days at Coast Chimes. Lately, the focus has been on making Kaleidoscope wind chimes. They take a long time to make, between all the handmade hardware on the chimes, the double brushing, the treatment of the copper, the artist-made sea glass, the cedar box frame, and so on...

But the end result is breath taking. Even after all these years, as the light filters through from behind I am freshly impressed by the effect. So cool!

I just finished a series of rectangular style. Soon I will be making more diamond-shaped ones, both big and small style. In between, I'll take a little break from the woodwork, and make some glass small and large wind chimes and maybe some suncatchers for those who either do not like chimes, or who are not allowed to have them in their condo (by the way, if you are in such a situation, a lot of people hang these wind chimes indoors-- really nice!).

We will likely soon be into even warmer days, and those are the days I wait all year for. I will take 2-3 hours off each sunny, warm, afternoon to hike, bike, laze on the beach with a book, swim. That's my sort of holiday!

Visit my website to see all the new kaleidoscope wind chimes, and other good things, too! Coast Chimes

Sunday, March 03, 2019

Kaleidoscope Sea Glass Suncatcher by Coast Chimes

Kaleidoscope sea glass suncatcher by Coast Chimes
Kaleidoscope Suncatcher
$95 with Free Shipping at Coast Chimes

The snow finally melted enough for me to start taking pictures of my works again; high time! I was totally out of stock online of several of my most popular designs, such as the suncatcher hanging pictured above.

There are now several of these in on my website, and in my Etsy store. Also refreshed are my stock of freestanding suncatchers, and diamond shaped large kaleidoscope wind chimes, as well as small diamond shaped wind chimes. So visit and see all the great new works!

I'll be working on pictures and posting new stock through the next week or so. And then back to making more great works for your garden and home.

Saturday, June 02, 2018

Alcohol Ink

Original art wind chime Coast Chimes
This Wind Chime Can Be Found Here at Coast Chimes

Alcohol ink original art wind chime at Coast Chimes
This Wind Chime Can Be Found Here at Coast Chimes

One of a kind original art colorful wind chime Coast Chimes
This Wind Chime Can be Found Here at Coast Chimes

I love new materials, and alcohol ink is proving to be most interesting and beautiful. Years ago, I did quite a few reverse painted glass wind chimes, with acrylic paint. Alcohol ink is similar, but more challenging as it needs to be UV protected. So working with this ink is art and science.

For my sea glass, people frequently ask if I do not have any red, or purple. Alcohol ink more than satisfactorily solves this desire, as the colors are so brilliant. 

So for the red lovers, for the purple lovers, and the gold and silver lovers, here's to you!

See all my recent alcohol works, both suncatchers and wind chimes, here at Coast Chimes.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Glass and Copper Wind Chime, Coast Chimes

Glass and copper art wind chime, handcrafted by Coast Chimes
Glass and Copper Wind Chime Coast Chimes



With warm weather finally here, I am back to increasing my glass collection, and I have some recent absolutely gorgeous pieces. The wind chime pictured above is a prime example of that!

I have a lot of knock-out cobalt blue glass, some super greens, and the golden above.

It is wonderful to have lots more selection to choose from as I assemble my wind chimes and suncatchers.

Some people are fearful of glass wind chimes, thinking they may be fragile. My glass is thick, and actually very strong. I have a few wind chimes that I made 20 years ago that have been hanging outside year round, through wind, snow, rain, sun, and they still look just as amazing as the day I made them.

To see all my wind chimes and suncatchers, visit my website: Coast Chimes

Wednesday, April 06, 2016

Natural Pacific Driftwood and Beach Stone Wind Chimes

Natural Pacific beach stone and driftwood wind chime with five large copper chimes.
Natural Pacific Driftwood Wind Chime
Beach Stone
5 Large Copper Chimes

I've started putting together some cool new wind chimes with the beach stones and driftwood from my recent beach combing working holiday to the west coast of Vancouver Island and Washington State. These are such wonderful materials! The stones are so nicely rounded and shaped; the driftwood hard and smooth.

You can find these new works, and plenty of older wonderful ones too, on my website by going to the Beach Stone pages and the Driftwood pages.



Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Crafter vs Artist

Red, purple, clear glass kaleidoscope wind chime with copper chime by Coast Chimes
Colorful Cedar Framed Glass
Five Copper Chimes
Available at Coast Chimes
Pictured above is one of my new wind chimes-- very bright and colorful! Eye-catching! When the sunlight shines through the glass, you are treated to a kaleidoscope of color.

I've often pondered about the difference between a crafter and an artist, and I think I have it figured it out. I know some potters who are excellent crafters; but in my book they are not artist. They make gorgeous well made plates, cups, tea pots etc., and they paint with their glaze artistic squiggles. But they are content for years and years to do the same thing: same color of glaze, same squiggles, same cups. I don't believe an artist could ever do this: they would go mad.

An artist has a deep need to do something different; to experiment,  to turn the world sideways, to play.

That is where something like the ruby red and soft purple glass comes in, as featured in the wind chime above. It's not turning my world upside down, and my customers can likely accept, perhaps even like it as something different from my usual. But changing colors does satisfy my need to not always do the same thing over, and over and...

I consider myself an artist rather than a crafter. Not for me the same pot, the same glaze, the same squiggle. It does not really matter, as I have nothing against crafters, and I know some excellent ones. But I do find the difference interesting, and I do wonder how someone can do the same plate with the same glaze over and over.

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Oh So Blue

Click on the picture to see it larger
Cobalt Blue Glass with Five Antiqued Brass Chimes

Sometimes I am actually amazed by what I put together. The wind chime pictured above is a case in point: gorgeous! Everything just works. I love the colors, the design, the copper, the antiqued chimes. Sorry to brag, but, I am proud of this!

Visit this wind chime on my website (Coast Chimes) or on Etsy.

Thursday, July 01, 2010

Wind Chime: New Design

Click on the picture to see it larger
Shorter Wind Chime: as requested
Visit my website to learn more, or to purchase: Coast Chimes

Over the years, quite a few people requested a shorter version of my wind chimes. Finally, I put on my design cap and figured one out. And I think it is a real success!

It features five mini-chimes suspended from a glass roundel. The chimes are cut from bronze, and they have a most attractive antique finish. Just like with my large chimes, this has a beach stone clapper. Instead of measuring 43-50 inches long like my large chimes, this sweet one measures just 33 inches long.

It can be found on my website, on Etsy, and in my Facebook Shop Now store, where fans receive a 10% discount.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

New Designs?

(FYI, the new featured sale has started on my website: one week only or until sold: Sale Page )

windchime, copper, beach sea glass, modernClick on the image to see it larger.
Click Here to visit my website, and read about this wind chime, or to buy it.

After all these years (twelve) of making wind chimes from copper, stone, driftwood and other interesting materials, sometimes I wonder if I will ever come up with a new design. I always do, so far.

I have no idea where the inspiration comes from. While all my works are each unique, many are built on a theme that does not vary all that much. But every once in a while I will go out to my shop with the intention of putting together some kaleidoscope wind chimes, or maybe a driftwood or beach stone piece, and will suddenly just feel the urge to do something really different.

That happened yesterday. The result was a large, cold forged copper spiral. It adds some pizazz. It's cool. And my wife noticed it and commented very favorably, and that is always a good sign. When my teenage son also noticed and gave some indication of appreciation, I really knew it must be good!

It's always a nice to come up with something new and exciting. I like that.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

More Wind Chimes

Wow! Another whole page of amazing wind chimes just added to my website!

How do I find the time to not just make these, but take pictures and add them to my site? Well it's not a hobby, or a little craft I do on the side. It's my job. Sometimes, when I put in twelve or fourteen hour days, it seems like my life! Not a bad life, though. Most of it is a lot of fun, and it's rewarding to make things that make people happy. You can learn more about my art and my life (and even see a picture of me working!) by clicking here.

Wish I had more time to write, but... gotta go work!