One-of-a-kind Handmade Quality Wind Chimes and Suncatchers

Simplicity is Beautiful
$55 with free shipping at Coast Chimes

At Coast Chimes, unique, fully handcrafted, wind chimes start at $55 with free shipping to the USA and Canada. The least expensive works are made with the same care to detail, high-quality materials, and assurance of long term enjoyment as the more expensive designs.

The chime featured above consist of artist-made sea glass, a most glorious cobalt blue, copper wire, handmade copper hook, 3 hand cut brass chimes antiqued with a reactive (not paint or powder coating, this finish will not flake or wear off). The chimes are attached to a handmade copper hanger with 21 strand nylon coated stainless steel wire, secured with sterling silver crimps (no rust!).

Simplicity is beautiful, and quality is a pleasure.

Why not give yourself, or someone you love, a very special little gift? Find what you need at Coast Chimes.

Green Eco-Friendly Production at Coast Chimes, Buy Quality Not Junk

Green & 'Green'
Ecologically Friendly Design at
Coast Chimes

How could anyone not understand that we are beyond a time to start caring, and into a time where we need to make major changes to survive as a species? As a daily beach comber, I am all too sadly aware of a major increase in sea pollution, especially plastic and styrofoam. Sad is far too weak a word. And there is an increase in illegal dumping of the most nasty sorts of waste in local forest. Disgusting. Too many have a 'buy it cheap and throw away' mind set, and this is evil.

I look at houses around me a similar size, with the same number of residents, and week after week I see two, or even three, large garbage bins. Really? What in the world are they filling those with? Most often we put one very small bag into our single bin. I'm not at all proud of that-- still seems like too much --but putting out even one full bin, and definitely several full bins, now that is just plain unacceptable.

This all got me thinking about my own work, and evaluating my impact on the planet. I feel good, for several reasons.

All my glass is upcycled, it comes from used wine and liquor bottles. How cool is it to take something that would end up either in a landfill, or having to be trucked far away (and glass is heavy) and using lots of energy to remelt? Pretty cool to turn it into art instead.

I can even feel okay about the copper I use. While no doubt having the largest negative impact (no, I can not argue that mining is swell), copper is not like the vast majority of garden ornaments made from cheap metals, or metals that have been painted with finishes that soon deteriorate, so soon thrown away. My works are designed to be extremely durable. These are works of art to be treasured and enjoyed for many, many years. Not thrown away. And my copper at least does come from Canada where there are more rigorous environmental rules than perhaps some other sources.

Yes, there is a price to pay for non-factory made, non-throw-away, garden and home decor. Durable high-quality materials are expensive, but far, far cheaper from an environmental point of view. When choosing anything, thought should really be given to how your purchase is impacting the planet. Please don't buy so much, and especially so much short lived trash. A little less stuff and a lot more quality, that helps.

Find all my planet friendly designs Coast Chimes

Beautiful Simplicity: Cobalt Blue Glass Wind Chime

Cobalt Blue Glass & Copper Wind Chime
Handmade Antiqued Brass Chimes
$87 at Coast Chimes

As a designer, I love simple. There is something very appealing to the eye, when things are taken to their least complicated level. That is why this chime is one of my favourites: simplicity.

Quality is important, too. Over the years, I have searched out the finest materials, and my designs always take durability very seriously. I do not want my wind chimes and suncatchers to be one summer affairs. The nylon coated multi-strand stainless steel I use to secure the chimes is an example of that, along with the sterling silver crimps (no rusting away). The chimes are treated with a reactive: not paint or polish, and this finish will never peel or flake away.

You can find this wind chime and other awesome works on my website: Coast Chimes. $10 flat express shipping to the USA and Canada.

High-quality Wind Chimes: A Little More Money, A Lot More Quality

Artist-made Sea Glass and Copper Wind Chime
Great Outdoors all Year Long
Coast Chimes

Some people are hesitant to hang something like the glass and copper wind chime pictured above outdoors, especially through the winter. But I have invested a huge amount of time and research finding the finest materials and discovering the best methods of design to be able to confidently assure them that it will be just fine. Having made my glass and copper creations for nearly 25 years, I still hear from some early customers that they are enjoying their wind chime to this day. I am not surprised. Yes, a Coast Chimes wind chime or suncatcher is a little bit of an initial investment, but it is made to last.

Visit Coast Chimes and see all the awesome designs.

Wind Chime, Beach Glass Inspired, Blue and Green

Click on the picture to see it larger

Wind Chime

Beach Glass Inspired

Blue and Green with

Copper Chimes

Visit my Coast Chimes Website to learn more.

It's been remarkably busy. Remarkable, I say, because of all the details about the rotten economy on the news every five minutes. My wind chimes are not cheap, but people still seem to recognize that there is value in quality, and they are willing to pay a little extra for something unique, well made, and beautiful.

I finally got time to make a few specialized kaleidoscope style wind chimes. I almost always have some with mixed colors in stock, but often run out of those with select colors. This week I put together two with blue and green glass, a mix I find very refreshing on these hot days. I also put together two with what I call earth colors, which is a mix without any blue.

I find I am spending even more time making each chime. I have always paid close attention to every detail, but now I see more details. After nearly fifteen years of making wind chimes, the eyes get pretty sharp. It's important to me to do everything the best that I can. The funny thing is, as I become more and more of a perfectionist in regards to my work, I have less tolerance for the sloppy work of others. There is too much poorly designed, poorly made stuff. In fact, it is hard to find something that is well designed and well made. That's just not in the cards these days. No wonder people appreciate my work!

$46? I don't think so!

Posted on eBay last Thursday, April 17, with a starting price of .99 cents. Five days later, it is at a whopping (joke) $46. See if it has gone up by Clicking Here, or go straight to my beautiful website (yes, I'm proud of this site I made by myself!) and buy a similar one for a fair price, by Clicking Here.

Totally handcrafted, tung nut oiled red cedar, double-brushed heavy copper chimes, a beach stone clapper... $46? I don't think so.

I so pride myself on always going for the highest quality materials, and always doing the very best job I can.

For example, I could save over 50% on the chimes by switching to the lower, thinner tubing. But that's not my bag.

I could slap some nasty cheap finish on the cedar that would look okay for a few months, instead of the $40 a small can eco-friendly tung nut oil. But that's not my bag either.

Or, one more example, I could use the number six copper wire for making the hooklets and so on, and save a couple of bucks instead of the thick number 2 wire (three times the price, and much harder to work with). But that's not my bag either.

All those things could cut my cost a lot, when added together. And, from the pictures, customers would not note the difference. But I would.

While business is good, and I do sell many for the full asking price, when I see something like this auction sitting around at $46, I have to scratch my head a little. Are people just so used to picking imported junk up at the local discount store that they have totally lost touch with the value of some finely crafted work? Perhaps. These days, you just don't come into contact all that often with something not mass produced, where every conceivable corner hasn't been cut to save pennies.

Well, that does have a bright side. I have a lot of customers write extremely enthusiastic thank you emails, after receiving their orders. And they come back and buy again, and again.

Glass and Copper Wind Chime, That's it!

Glass, copper, a beach stone clapper. That's it. For me, this is the chime. For more details, or to buy this wind chime, Click Here.

My most popular wind chime is not my favorite. Oh, it's a super nice wind chime~ don't get me wrong! But it is not my personal favorite.

It's a puzzle to me why the style pictured above does not sell more frequently. Oh, I know, it's expensive. But not that expensive! Maybe the equivalent of four tanks of gas, and while the gas might last a month, this wind chime will last for many, many years.

See, it is all glass and copper. Nothing to wear out. Nothing to need refinishing. It's just going to hang there, and look better and better as time goes by.

This is the first style I made, when I started making wind chimes. When I listed my first one for sale, people went wild! At least a few people. Well, I think those people were right. This is a winner.

I have three of this type hanging on my deck. For seven years they have been out there year round, through winter snow storms and fall wind storms, and I can vouch that they only look even better than the day I hung them up.

Now that's a sweet wind chime!