Sunday, August 02, 2009

Blue, Beautiful Blue

Click on the picture to see it larger

All Glass and Copper
Cobalt Blue Glass
With Aged Copper Chimes
Wind Chime

I'm particularly proud of the two blue glass wind chimes I just completed.

Blue glass is the most challenging to work with, as it tends to fracture and is difficult to form into pleasant shapes, and even tricky to drill the holes in it. When I have a really nice piece, I pretty much hold my breath when drilling!

I figured it was well worth taking extra trouble for the entire wind chime, and used a glass roundel for suspending the chimes. This means that the chime is entirely glass and copper: nothing to wear out or require refinishing. I also treated the brushed copper chimes to antique them, as I think this color really compliments the dark blue glass nicely.

You can view the other all blue wind chime, and get more details on the one pictured above, by visiting the Gallery Page on my website.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Large Freestanding Double Wind Chime

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Driftwood with Double Chimes
Freestanding Wind Chime

My large works do not fly out the door, as they are pretty expensive. The one pictured above features a massive Pacific driftwood base, copper intertwined flowing supports, beautiful glass and two sets of copper chimes. It sold yesterday.

I used to be really happy when one of my large works sold. I still am, but that initial thrill is now overshadowed with dread: these are a chore to pack for shipping!

It used to be even more work to ship something like this. I used to actually cut plywood and build a special box for the copper support. Now I just use big sheets of cardboard, lots of tape, and shipping paper. Those poor collectors who received their order in a big plywood box probably did not appreciate having to dispose of the packing materials.

I have a page dedicated to large works and there are still two available on my website. They are really nice on a sundeck, or out in the garden. They can also be used indoors, in a home or an office, as kinetic art.


Friday, June 19, 2009

Colorful Wind Chime

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Colorful glass, beach glass inspired art wind chime.
Visit the Gallery Page of my website for more information.

For fourteen years I have been limited in colors to primarily greens, browns, blues and yellows for my glass. But a couple of weeks ago a friend dropped by some really stunning glass. The result is seen above: a radical deviation from my usual.

People frequently ask if I can't make something red, or purple. Since I don't usually have glass in those colors, several years ago I started making double-sided reverse painted wind chimes and mixed media wind chimes, where I try to put in lots of reds and purples. Purple and red, yes, but a far cry from the glass above.

This is the first time I actually have really bright colors in a beach glass inspired wind chime. Something different.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Wind Chime, New Design

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New design!
Beach glass inspired wind chime with a large copper hoop.
For more information, visit Coast Chimes

Often new ideas are triggered by customers asking for something. A customer wanted my very large, heavy iron chimes with one piece of glass. I didn't like that idea very much, because first the look would have been unbalanced (bottom heavy), and second, even my thickest glass might have been challenged by the weight of those big chimes.

So I thought about it overnight, and in the morning I had a solution that pleased the customer, and me. I decided to make a large copper hoop. I put the glass in the hoop, and the hoop supported the weight of the chimes. This solved the weight problem, and also made for a much more balanced looking wind chime.

After I made the special order, I liked the look so much I decided to make another one. This time I put two nice pieces of glass inside the hoop, and used my copper chimes. Above, you can see the result. I like it. Be sure to click on the picture to see it much larger.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Wind Chime, Beach Glass Inspired, Blue and Green

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wind chime, beach glass inspired, stained glass, copper
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!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Wind Chime, Mixed Media

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wind chime, mixed media, glass, copper, marbles
Beach Glass Inspired Wind Chime
with Colorful Marbles
Visit my website for more information, or to buy.

I ran out of my mixed media colorful wind chimes about a month ago. It turns out to be not so easy to track down really nice, colorful marbles.

I'd had a local source before, but that was gone. I was hesitant to buy marbles online, as it is hard to know how good they are without holding them up to the light. I did finally get some, and they are gorgeous! The colors are lovely, and they are a little smaller than those I have used in the past, which is great since that means I can set my glass plate closer together, which lets more light through.

I buy online whenever possible, and I find I do so more and more often. Since I sell almost all my work online, it just makes sense to support the online community. Almost always the service I receive astounds me. It certainly is not only me who works very hard to give great service.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Wind Chime, Hammered Copper

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wind chime, hammered copper
Copper Lover's Delight
Hammered Copper Wind Chime
With Five Copper Chimes
Visit my website for more information (Click Here)

The idea for this hammered copper wind chime came to me the other night as I was dozing off. This is often the case for my inspiration. I usually plan out what I am going to do the next day, and if there is nothing too urgent then I try to dream up some new ideas.

It would not be much fun to just make the same thing day in and day out. So I'm pleased that even after fourteen years I still have flashes of inspiration.

I really love this all copper wind chime. It looks elegant, beautiful, and unusual. It looks like quality, and it is.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Wind Chime Sale!

Beach Glass Inspired
Sculpted Cedar Wind Chime
Five Copper Chimes - Beach Stone Clapper
(Click on the picture to see it larger.)
On Sale for $137 (reg. $177.50) including postage (USA / Canada)
Click Here for more information or to buy.

I rarely place my sculpted red cedar style of wind chime on sale, as they are very labor intensive to make. But I decided to put one on sale this week. It's beautiful!

There are lots of beautiful wind chimes (and other works for the home, yard, garden and office) on my website. It's worth visiting and looking around. You are sure to see things you have never seen before, as all my designs are original, unique and, of course, very well made.

Celebrate spring with a stunning art wind chime, or surprise a friend with a special gift. I am happy to include a gift card with a personal message.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Suncatcher, Beach Glass Inspired


suncatcher, beach glass, stained glass, copper, cedar, kaleidoscope mosaic
Suncatcher, beach glass inspired stained glass hanging. So pretty! So well made!
Visit my website 'Under $100' page to learn more, or to buy it.

What a shock. I expected things to get a little busier with spring in the air, but it suddenly got crazy busy. In fact, I don't believe I have ever had a week with so many sales.

Of course, it happened just after I accepted a large wholesale order. I promised the store that I could have everything made and shipped by next Monday, at the latest, and then someone opened the flood gate on orders. Even the pre-Christmas rushes in the past have never been this busy. Go figure.

So I pack and ship and pack and ship, and in between I try to get out and make something for the wholesale order. I could use a few more hours in the day, right now. Up at 5:00 AM and working right through until it's time to cook dinner. No complaints, I'm thrilled to have this success.

Friday, May 01, 2009

Peanut Butter Pie, Blog


I've had the pleasure of several bloggers emailing to ask if they could feature something of mine in their blog (Yes! Thank You!), but I don't recall anyone going to so much trouble and care as Tami over at her PeanutButterPie blog. She's really gone out of her way to do a fabulous job.

She first wrote about two weeks ago, and later sent some questions for me to answer. She then put together a long posting with lots of nice pictures.

Her hard work shows, so check out her blog and see what a nice job she has done. Thank you Tami!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Wholesale Wind Chimes, Price Reduced

Beach Glass Inspired
Kaleidoscope Wind Chime
Wholesale packages available.
wind chime, beach glass, copper, wholesale
A popular style of my handcrafted glass and copper wind chimes. Visit my wholesale page by Clicking Here.

Due to the Canadian Dollar being so much stronger against the US dollar than it was a few months ago, I have been able to reduce the price of many of my works. Today I also reduced the price of my wholesale packages. So while pretty much everywhere you look, prices go up and up, my wind chimes are becoming more affordable. Nice!

Entering my fourteenth year of making suncatchers, wind chimes and other works for the home and garden, I am happy to report that the quality, always high, is higher than ever. I am always on the lookout for ways to improve, and seldom does a week go by without my thinking of some way to tweak my designs. Lower prices, improved designs!

I've also just dropped the price for many of my wind chimes for the casual shopper, too. As always, free shipping, and free cold forged copper earrings with every purchase. Enjoy.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Apple iPod Touch Review: e-Book Reader and More

Click on the images to see them larger
Apple iPod Touch: Awesome

After dreaming of owning an e-book reader for several months, I finally snagged an Apple iPod Touch a couple of weeks ago when they went on sale.


When thinking of an e-book reader, an iPod Touch is probably not what comes to most people’s mind. But having researched readers extensively on the web, I was impressed by how many favorable reviews I came across.


I chose the Touch instead of a Kindle because the Kindle is not available in Canada, I find it unattractive (ugly), and it is too big for my pocket— I might as well drag along a book.


I couldn’t be happier with my choice.


While there are several book reader apps available for the Touch (including Kindle), Stanza (free) is the one I have so far been using. It’s wonderful! With the touch of a finger you can change the size of the font, colors, background, and all sorts of other stuff to make the page look just right for you, and for the current light conditions. There are a ton of classics available for free, and some contemporary works too. Connected via WiFi, it takes just a couple of seconds to download any book.


While I had been skeptical that the small screen size would provide a good reading experience, the sharp screen means the letters are very clear, so you can use a small font, and, besides, simply touching the side of the screen turns the page— not exactly onerous. The iPod Touch is a far better book reader than I ever imagined it would be. It remembers your place in a book, and just takes a second to turn on, so the upshot is I have been doing a lot more reading.


Stanza on the iPod Touch. Click the image to see it larger.

Bonus: I got the Touch to use as a book reader, but it turns out that I am using it for far, far more.


I had no idea of all the cool stuff you could do with an iPod Touch. There are about 30,000 apps available. Granted, the majority of those are games, which hold no interest at all for me, but there are also many that I have found very useful. Here are a few of my favorites.


Email. Being a compulsive email checker, the Touch is saving me tons of time and energy. I used to wake my computer far too often to check. Now I pick them all up on my iPod, where ever I am, even all the way out in my workshop.


Internet Browsing. The Touch comes with Safari, and again I find the small screen oddly non-bothersome. You just pull your fingers across the screen, which expands any website for easy reading. And with an app called Instapaper (free), you can save web pages to the iPod to read later when not connected to the internet.


News and articles. Being something of a news junkie, I am thrilled at the numerous apps dedicated to various news services and magazines. My favorites (so far) are the Huffington Post, Maclean’s, and the Globe and Mail (all free). You can update these before leaving home and then enjoy catching up even out of a WiFi zone.


Skype. I’ve used Skype for several years on my home computer. It turns out it works even better on the Touch. (I am guessing this is because of no interference from whirling hard drives etc.?). To use it on the Touch, you need to buy earphones with a mic— about $30 from Apple.


There are around a dozen other apps I use frequently. Everything from movie reviews and trailers (Flixster) to shopping lists (ShopShop).


Aside from all those cool apps, after a several year hiatus the iPod Touch is turning me back onto music. There are many fabulous podcasts (free), for example I have become quite addicted to the NPR Live Concert series.


Also, I have found that I can borrow audio library books online~ pretty sweet!


One final real benefit of the iPod Touch. I love watching films, however I do not like going to the video store, especially to return videos. For quite a while I have been renting videos online. Previously this meant lugging my iMac downstairs and watching on its barely adequate 20 inch screen. Now I just transfer them over to my iPod and plug it into our large tv (requires an adopter). The picture quality, by the way, is great.


My iPod Touch? One word: Awesome.


Friday, April 24, 2009

Suncatcher, Beach Glass inspired, Hanging

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suncatcher, kaleidoscope, beach glass
Suncatcher, Beach Glass Inspired Window Hanging
Visit my website for more information, or to buy.

It's been busy. Putting together a fairly large wholesale order always takes more time and work than I anticipate. The thing is, while I put together something like that, I also build some stock for my website.

For example, the wholesale order included two hanging suncatchers. While I was building those, I built another three for my website, too. In the end, that's a more efficient way of doing things. They all came out really well, as you can see from the one pictured above. You can view the three extras on my website right now.

I feel lucky today. My son came home from University the other day, and asked if he could take my car to drive to Kamloops, BC, to visit a friend of his. How funny. I had just been getting into some serious head scratching over how to ship my huge driftwood birdbath to the customer. Well, she lives in Kamloops! This works for everyone. I can ship pain-free, my son gets his gas paid for, and the customer gets her birdbath express delivered to her doorstep. Sometime things just work out.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Suncatcher Chime Fancy, Inspiration

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suncatcher, stained glass, cold forged copper, chimes
Suncatcher Chime, beach glass inspired, cold forged
hammered copper diamond connectors. Three handcrafted copper chimes.
To learn more, or to purchase, visit the website by Click Here.

After all these years of making suncatchers, I still come up with new ideas. Having left over heavy copper sheeting from the patching I had to do on the hammered copper sink for the birdbath I made, it occurred to me that I could use this to make some neat new decoration on my suncatchers and wind chimes. Above, the results: the hammered cold forged copper diamonds between the glass pieces.

Inspiration is a funny thing. I find it has to come to me, that I can not go to it. It comes in a flash, from (as far as I can tell) nowhere. It seems most often to be triggered by materials: a piece of stone on the beach, a stick, a scrap of metal. Sometimes, it comes from a question someone asked (i.e, 'can you make a birdbath?'). Where ever, and what ever, I feel grateful that I do get ideas, and that often those ideas do seem to work out.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Wind Chime, Freestanding, Beach Stone and Copper

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wind chime, freestanding, large, beach stone with copper
Wind chime, Freestanding
Natural Pacific Beach Stone with Copper

I have a passion for beautiful smooth rounded beach stones, and for copper. So it is only natural that I love creating freestanding wind chimes from these materials. I just finished making the one pictured above, and consider it a real success. It's an organic, lovely piece.

The only problem with these is that they are large, and heavy. That's a problem because I not only make them, but I ship them; trust me, they are not so much fun to pack and the postage is not so much fun to pay.

Whenever I get a notice that one sold, first my heart soars with the thrill of another sale, and then sinks with the realization of the task ahead. But over the years I have perfected the art of packing these, and it's not all that bad anymore. Bad, but not that bad.

And from the enthusiastic emails customers send after receiving this style, the effort is worth it.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Bird Feeder Art Wind Chime Makeover

Click on the pictures, to see it larger
Deluxe Bird Feeder Wind Chime
Delicious

I've made a lot of deluxe art bird feeder wind chimes over the years. They are without a doubt one of the most labor intensive creations I make. So many precision saw cuts! About a year ago, when I made several, I thought that I had perfected the design beyond further improvement. Wrong.

I'm not sure that the room for improvement ever completely vanishes. While the look is almost the same, this latest design incorporates several significant enhancements.

For example, instead of resting on top, the cover now actually fits over the feeder. This is not only more secure, but also more water tight, and more attractive. The perches are a little longer, and I am sure the birds will be sending plenty of thank you notes for that one. Also, the seed bin is larger. So my 'perfect' design got a considerable makeover, and is that much closer to actually being perfect.

You can find the feeder for sale on my website, right here: Feeder

It is also available with impressive iron chimes, right here: Feeder Iron Chimes

You can also buy this amazing feeder without any chimes at all, if you like. Just scroll down the website page, and there is that option on the PayPal submit form.


Saturday, March 14, 2009

Another Birdbath

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Above, reflection in the bath. Look at that beautiful old copper!

Below, the medium-size birdbath.

My last posting showing the large driftwood birdbath drew a number of enthusiastic comments. So I though I would go ahead and post a couple of pictures of my other birdbath creation.

I like them both, but if I had to choose I would pick the great big old fellow. This smaller one is neat, though, in that there is a big stainless steel threaded fitting up into the wood, and then right through a big natural beach stone. It's bolted to the stone. So you just bury the stone in your garden, and that's a nice stable bath.

The big root bath is now featured on the special order page of my website.

And that reminds me! I just invested in a sparkling new template for my website, and after working many hours I've now uploaded everything. New, and hopefully improved. You probably will not notice too much difference in appearance, but things should work even more smoothly. Why not check it out? Besides, I lowered a bunch of prices!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Birdbath

Click on the pictures to see them larger.

Pacific Root Driftwood
With a Large Old Copper Sink
Birdbath


I mentioned a while back that I was working on a birdbath, as a potential custom order. I'd never made one before-- the idea had never even occurred to me. And when a customer asked if I could make a birdbath, my initial thought was to say no. However, I suddenly remembered a big old pounded copper sink someone had given me last summer, and realized that maybe this could be the bath.

Driftwood is always a passion of mine, and so that aspect of the bath was a natural. It was not so simple or quick to find the piece of wood that matched my plans. Then, all the technical aspects of fitting the bath into the wood, and securing the wood to the earth.

I'm happy with the results, though. Perhaps I will be adding birdbaths to my lineup of home and garden designs. In the meantime, check out my website for all the neat things I already offer. You can always visit my Special Order page, too, to read about requesting something different.

The night after taking the photographs above, it snowed. So here is a fun image of the same feeder snow covered.



Tuesday, March 03, 2009

New Snazzy Wind Chime Windsails!

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windsail, copper, windchime, wind chime, hammered copper
New snazzy windsail design: Hammered copper

I constantly strive to improve my designs, and to dream up new ideas. Innovation often arrives through indirect routes.

Recently a customer asked if I could make a birdbath for her. Never having made one before, my initial reaction was to decline. But then I recalled an acquaintance had long ago given me a very large, beautiful old round copper sink. After much thought, I decided this could be a very cool birdbath, using a huge, upside down driftwood root. More on all that in another post. The thing is, I had to buy some thick copper to patch the drain hole in the sink. That in turn led to my inspiration for a new windsail design.

The new windsails add, I feel, an elegant twist to my wind chimes. My chimes are still mostly going to be offered with the tung nut oiled red cedar sails, but there is now the option (for a small fee) to upgrade to this new copper style.

For those who have previously purchased a wind chime from Coast Chimes, there is also the opportunity to order just a windsail (or a replacement cedar sail, if yours has gotten worn over the years).

Check out my the Windsail Page on my website.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Wholesale Wind Chimes and Art

Left, center and right, several of my suncatchers hanging in the window of the Full Moon and Candle Company, in Sequim Washington.

Recently I improved the Wholesale Ordering page on my website. Now not only can you custom order for your store or gallery, but I have also put together some Easy Order bundles. These are especially suitable for the first time order, when you want to try out fairly small selections of items. So now you can instantly order a selection of suncatchers, or a selection of wind chimes.

Some of these easy order selections are even suitable for individuals, who may want to order a larger selection for their home, yard or garden, or as gifts. There is even an easy order cold forged copper earring page, which would be a great way to get all your friends something unique, beautiful, and for an amazing price.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Neat Suncatchers

New!
Beach Glass inpspired
Suncatchers
Click on the pictures to see them larger
Freestanding suncatcher above and
hanging version below.

I've just added several really nice beach glass inspired kaleidoscope suncatchers to my website.

There is a hanging style, and a freestanding style. These are really fine for any sunny window. As the sun shines through the glass, the colors come alive producing a beautiful display.

Despite being extremely well made with eco-friendly tung nut oiled red cedar box frames and extra-thick plate glass, I have decided to place these in my Under $75 section— and the price includes postage and insurance for the USA and Canada!

Why not have a look now? Click Here to visit them on my website. Enjoy!



Friday, February 06, 2009

Bosch Table Saw Dead

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wind chime, beach glass, copperBeach glass inspired kaleidoscope wind chime
On sale for $127.50 instead of $177.50!
Visit the Kaleidoscope Carousel Gallery of my Website.

I just bought 200 pieces of 3 1/2 X 11 inch thick plate glass, and I was looking forward to getting to work making a lot of neat wind chimes and freestanding suncatchers when...
my Bosch 4000 table saw broke— again. It's dead.

Several years ago, just shortly after the warranty expired, the bearings burnt out and I had to ship it to Vancouver, wait about two months, and pay a small fortune to have it repaired. Since then, it has worked pretty well. But now it does not even hum when I turn it one. Ominous.

I'm going to look at it today, to see if I can figure out what is going on. But most likely I will end up getting a new saw. This time, it will be a DeWalt. That will be cost about $700, so I will be looking to sell quite a few items in the next few weeks, which means great deals for you!

I just lowered the sale price of my kaleidoscope wind chime to $127.50, including Expedited postage to the USA or Canada (other countries, email for a reduced postage quote). I also have a super beautiful flowing copper wind chime on sale.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Beautiful Blue ~ Beach Glass Inspired Scultped Wind Chime

Click on the picture to see it larger
wind chime, sculpted cedar with cobalt blue beach style glass, copper chimesSculpted red cedar with blue glass and copper. Beautiful. For more information, or to purchase, visit my website.

I love red cedar, especially when treated with my eco-friendly tung nut oil finish. It's smooth, soft, smells good, and looks great! I think it compliments my glass and the copper very nicely. So I really like this wind chime!

Finally, most of the snow is gone. This is great, as taking pictures with a snowy background is a real drag-- messes up brightness and contrast. However, a lot of my supplies are still buried under deep snow behind the house, so it will be a while before certain project can be tackled. I'm looking so forward to spring, and especially summer!

Monday, February 02, 2009

SD Cards Jump in Technology

Before long, these will be available up to 2 terabytes~Enough memory for over 165,000 images

My first digital camera had some small SD card that I would constantly fill, have to empty into my computer, and go back to taking pictures of my stuff. Then I got something like a 512 MB card, and things were easier, But I would once and a while still fill it during one session (I take a lot of pictures of my work!). So just recently I saw the price on 2GB cards, and bought one right away-- less than $30!

Well, recently announced, in the near future there will be 2 terabyte cards (SDX) available. 2 terabytes? 2000 megabytes! Enough memory in a postage stamp size card to hold 600-1000 HD movies. Or over 160,000 images. Guess I wouldn't be running out of memory with one of those puppies! It boggles the mind (at least my mind) that so much data could be stored in such a small thing.

The first of the new cards should be out later this year, but these will be 64GB.

My guess? Watch for a change in how your local video store rents movies.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Barbecued Dog

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dog, barbecuedThese cold days, the wood stove is nice and toasty, but Yukon proves falling asleep in front of it is not a good idea.

We've had such a long, cold winter. The ol' wood stove has been working hard to heat our home.

We all like to spend some moments in front of it, warming our back and front sides. No one likes this more than Yukon. Last night we were all upstairs when suddenly we smelt something burning. Turned out to be dog fur. The hound had been sleeping a little too close, for a little too long, and he started to toast. I guess his heavy fur coat insulates pretty well, and he never felt how hot it was, until it was too late. Talk about a 'golden' retriever! I noticed he is not sleeping in front of the stove this morning, so maybe he's figured that out.


Monday, January 26, 2009

Beach Glass Inspired Kaleidoscope Wind Chimes!

Click on the image to see it larger
wind chime, copper, stained glassBeach glass inspired kaleidoscope wind chime
Now on sale on my website!

Despite the cold, irregardless of the snow, I have finally managed to complete a few of my popular kaleidoscope art wind chimes. There are four stunningly beautiful new ones on my website, and I even put one of them on sale for only $137.50, instead of the usual $177.50. The price even includes shipping (USA and Canada)!

It does indeed continue to be unusually cold here on the Sunshine Coast. Last night it was minus 6C, and the forecast is for snow tonight and tomorrow. Unbelievable. We still have snow on the ground from before Christmas. This makes for very pretty hikes up on the mountain, but uncomfortable days working on my projects. Thank goodness for my somewhat heated workshop-- the first year I have this luxury. Still, there is a lot of stuff that has to be done right out in the open, and I can hardly wait for spring!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Cool Freestanding Suncatchers

Click on the image to see it larger
Freestanding Beach Glass Inspired
Suncatcher Chime
Natural Pacific Beach Stone ~ Naturally Beautiful!

Busy times here on the Sunshine Coast. The Christmas rush, and then several wholesale orders, made a BIG dent in my stock. So I am working full speed to make new things.

I've just completed a series of freestanding natural beach stone sculptures, some with handcrafted copper chimes, some with double sets of chimes, and othres with glass and no chimes. These are truly unique. The glass and copper go so nicely with the natural stone and the tung nut oiled wood. Very peaceful.

To see the full series, visit the Gallery Page of my website. You can learn all about them, and, if you wish, buy one. Even though these are large and heavy to ship, there is no postage or handling charge on my website prices for the USA or Canada. If you are in Canada, you may wish to ask for an invoice in Canadian funds. Enjoy.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

New Reverse Painted Double-sided Wind Chimes Series


I've finally completed a new series of my original reverse painted double-sided art wind chimes. These are cool. All the color is on the inside, well sealed between two plates of very thick glass, so they are just fine outdoors in all seasons, all weather.

This series I made somewhat more complex than in the past, more glass, and a bit larger, too.

Here are detail pictures of the glass from each of the three sets of wind chimes. These wind chimes have a different painting on each side, so it's almost like getting two wind chimes! You can see full pictures and read more information on my website Gallery page, by clicking here.

Click on the images to see them larger



Thursday, January 15, 2009

Earrings Now Offered Wholesale

Click on the picture to see it larger, or, better yet, visit the 'Earring Wholesale Page"on my website.

Recently I expanded and simplified the wholesale ordering page of my website. Feedback has been great! Now I have added in a wholesale earring page, as well. My cold forged copper earrings are always popular, and reportedly very comfortable to wear as well!

So if you have a store and would like to sell these cool, handcrafted copper earrings, this is a simple way to order wholesale.

Hey! This would also be a great way to order fabulous (but inexpensive) gifts for a party, or some friends. They need never know what a great deal you got!

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Wind Chime in a Customer's Yard

Coast Chimes all Glass and Copper Wind Chime
At its new home in Arizona

It's so nice when customers are excited and proud enough to take a picture of their new wind chime, and email it to me. I enjoy seeing my work in different places, different states, provinces, and countries. It's a little odd seeing my work in places I have never visited.

I particularly like the way this customer has hung the chime. I've seen these large black forged hooks before around here, and even thought about buying some and selling them along with my chimes. But they are just too large to ship. Besides, I believe they are widely available and very reasonably priced at around $15. That's less than I could ship them for. They are certainly well suited for my work. She got this just right, with the sun behind the glass.

See more of my wind chimes and other work on my website.



Sunday, January 04, 2009

Wholesale Packages Now Available, Coast Chimes

Three different wholesale sample packages
now being offered at Coast Chimes!
Visit the Wholesale Page for Details

There have been more and more wholesale enquires for Coast Chimes designs, and it has always been a little complicated sorting out what stores and galleries want. After having completed quite a few of these orders, I got a clear enough idea of what people usually want.

Thus is born the quick and easy wholesale packages that I now offer. There is a small sample package for trying my work out, or for a small shop, a medium one, and a large package which includes two large wind chimes.

This is an easy way to try Coast Chimes out in your store or gallery. It is also a good starting point for those who want to add in some other items. If you own a retail space, why not check out Coast Chimes' new and improved wholesale shopping section?