Post Christmas Rush Coast Chimes

 

Although it never quite got to this point, sometimes the

Christmas rush felt like this.

For the past few years, Coast Chimes (my wind chime company) has been steadily busy year round. But the month or so before Christmas is crazy busy. Now, with the 2023 Christmas rush over, it's time to breathe and to do essential chores.

The chores include restocking. Everything I do is completely handmade, and takes time to make. I don't have time during the rush season, so stock gets depleted. It is with eagerness that I approach having time to immerse myself in the creative process, and get my hands dirty again. That said, while I will be making a lot of nice, new things, it may be a some time before many of those start to appear on my website (Coast Chimes), and on Etsy. This is because for the next several months we have a grey sky, drooping rotting plants in the garden, and rain-- not ideal for product photographs. Some new creations will appear, but many may wait for bluer skies.

The chores also includes website improvements. I've already speeded the site up somewhat, improved certain under-the-hood features, and generally worked, and will continue to work, to provide a very nice experience for my customers. There is always more to do, but it is a nice site and seems to function well.

Finally, I definitely will take a little more time than usual for myself. All year, everyday, I take an hour (sometimes longer) from each day to hike, bike, or read on the beach. Right now I will enjoy a bit more 'time to breathe' and, just maybe, even take a short holiday.

Thanks very much, all you supporters of handmade quality, enjoyers of art wind chimes. Best wishes for 2024!

Coast Chimes Fantastic Christmas Gifts

Kaleidoscope Wind Chime, Coast Chimes

Time flies, and now there is probably just a week left for shipping in time for the 25th. Maybe 10 days, with luck. The good news is that there still is time. More good news, there is still a great selection to choose from.

From Zen natural beach stone wind chimes to lovely sea glass chimes, there is something for every lover of beauty. All handmade in Canada with the highest quality materials, all with free, fast, expert shipping.

So head on over to Coast Chimes now, and pick up special things for your special people

 

Coast Chimes — Great Selection

Why Copper Wind Chimes

7 Copper Chimes 

All Copper Hardware

Beach Stone Clapper

$195 incl. postage at Coast Chimes

Investing in a copper wind chime is a great way to bring a touch of nature and elegance to your home. Copper is a durable and beautiful material that's perfect for a wind chime, and it will last for years, becoming even more beautiful as it ages.

The soothing sound of a well-made wind chime can promote relaxation and peace, making it an excellent way to enjoy the outdoors. Copper is an increasingly popular choice for wind chimes because it produces a pleasant tone that is sure to please anyone who hears it. 

Not only will a copper wind chime enhance your outdoor space, but it's also a wise investment. It is the one design metal that looks better over time.Visit Coast Chimes for the most beautiful real copper wind chimes.

Exceptional Christmas Gifts: Coast Chimes

Several of the many one-of-a-kind handcrafted wind chimes available at Coast Chimes. Free, fast, expert shipping to the USA and Canada.

Natural Beach Stones Zen Copper Wind Chime

See Beach Stone Wind Chimes

Kaleidoscope Chime

See Kaleidoscope Wind Chimes

Assorted Coast Chimes Wind Chimes

Visit Coast Chimes

One-of-a-kind Gifts, Designed to Last: Coast Chimes

 Kaleidoscope Copper Wind Chime

Artist-made Sea Glass

Available at Coast Chimes with Free Shipping

An abundance of unique, beautiful, handcrafted wind chimes at Coast Chimes, it's a great place to shop for all those on your list, but especially for those who seem to 'have everything'.

The best thing is that all the works are not just beautiful, but also extremely well made: designed to last. This is where you will find handmade copper hardware: no string or fishing line. 

attention to detail and quality, built into every piece

Below, a few examples of the diverse works available right now. Visit Coast Chimes to see many more.

Zen Natural Beach Stone Copper Wind Chime

see more natural beach stone creations

Driftwood Large Copper Wind Chime

see more driftwood wind chimes

Christmas: Give the Beautiful, the Unexpected, the Durable

 

Kaleidoscope Wind Chime, Artist-made Sea Glass, 5 or 7 Copper Chimes

Available at Coast Chimes

I like Christmas. I like the treats, the getting together, the pretty lights. I do not like the massive impulsive consumption. It's easy to get caught up in it. Easy to grab stuff just because stuff needs to be given. So much packaging, so much junk that is landfill bound in the near future. One thing about Coast Chimes: everything is designed to last and last.

Just one example. See the connections on the chimes in the detail section of the above picture? Those are handmade copper rings: no string, no fishing line, no anything that wears out or breaks. Your chimes will not fall off, ever, promise.

And one more example. See the chimes? Real copper. A metal that looks better and better over time. Almost all 'copper' chimes are powder coated aluminum, and, like all paint, that finish will wear off. Real copper will never wear off.

Consider giving something original, beautiful, and that will not be landfill bound in the near future. Visit Coast Chimes to see a wide selection for all budgets.

Rectangular Kaleidoscope Wind Chime 

Available with 5 or 7 Copper Chimes at Coast Chimes

Wind Chimes for Christmas

 

Natural Beach Stone Wind Chime

$200 including shipping 

Coast Chimes

Impossible that a Christmas Holiday Season is already fast approaching, again! I guess time does fly when you are having fun, and busy. It has been crazy busy going on two years for Coast Chimes, and so it is with somewhat reduced stock that I announce holiday shipping has commenced. It's okay, there are a lot of nice works (everything I make is nice!). I do recommend not putting off choosing, if a Coast Chimes wind chime is on your list.

From beach stone wind chimes to artist-made sea glass, there is something for everyone, and a wide range of prices. All are designed to last, and to be beautiful. Visit Coast Chimes and choose something that will amaze and bring enjoyment.

Kaleidoscope Wind Chime

$235 including shipping

Coast Chimes 

2022, Coast Chimes

 We enjoyed a rare white Christmas here on the Sunshine Coast, BC. That only happens about once a decade. And usually when it snows here, it quickly changes to rain and washes away. This time it has stuck around for over two weeks! Loving my daily hikes: snow changes everything! That said, it is certainly a little trickier getting around without falling hard!

2021 was an absolutely fantastic year for Coast Chimes, and I wish to thank all my customers for supporting small business, art. Daily now I am enjoying thank you emails from people who love their wind chime Christmas gifts-- very heartwarming!

Stock at Coast Chimes is a bit low (still plenty of beautiful works to choose from, just not quite as much as usual). After taking a bit of time to breathe, I am back making nice things. Hopefully I will have a nice line up to photograph, once the snow melts.

Best wishes for 2022! Tim, Coast Chimes

Cobalt Glass with Black Beach Stones

$95, Free Shipping, Coast Chimes

Something Beautiful, Something Durable: Gifts That Last

 

Too many gifts provide fleeting pleasure and end up soon discarded, broken, in the landfill. What a shame.

This year, consider a well designed, low impact, long lasting gift. Coast Chimes uses recycled / upcycled materials, natural materials, and materials that are valued by the recycling industry. 

Best of all, each item has been carefully designed to last a long time. For example, the large wind chimes have only copper (even handmade copper hardware), and a small amount of weather resistant cedar. There are customers still enjoying their wind chimes after 20 years!

Shop Coast Chimes for long lasting, beautiful, meaningful gifts.

Full Moon Glass and Copper Outdoor Wind Chime

 Heavy, thick, frosted glass full moon wind chime with 7 handcrafted polished copper chimes: so cool!

When my friend offered me this giant circle of glass, I knew immediately what I would do with it. And it turned out just as I envisioned.

Visit this full moon wind chime at Coast Chimes to learn more, or to purchase.

Full Moon, 7 Copper Wind Chimes

Edge View, 1 Inch Thick

Exceptional Christmas Gifts

Coast Chimes has a selection of high-quality beautiful wind chimes guaranteed to please everyone on your shopping list.

These skillfully designed one-of-a-kind works of art are built to last. It's a crime, all the junk that gives momentary pleasure only to end up in a landfill far too quickly. Not Coast Chimes. The large chimes have all handmade copper hardware (no nylon, string, cord) providing many, many years of enjoyment.

Visit Coast Chimes. Free, fast, expert shipping to the USA and Canada.

Kaleidoscope Copper Wind Chime

Cobalt Glass Beach Stone Chime

Glass and Copper Wind Chime

Copper Natural Beach Stone and Driftwood Wind Chimes

 

Driftwood and beach stones just go very nicely with Coast Chimes copper wind chimes. And they fit so nicely into any landscape: a gorgeous focal point!

It is a bonus that part of my job is to hike local beaches looking for exceptional driftwood and the perfect stones. This involves a lot of long walks, but they are so enjoyable, especially when I find good materials to work with!

To see all the original wind chimes, and to learn more, visit Coast Chimes now.

Everyone Loves Copper — Beautiful Gift!

The thing about copper is that it is beautiful. Other metals are often treated with paint or a powder coating to make them look nice, but that is a temporary finish that will flake off, fade, crack. Over time, copper just looks better and better. That's one reason Coast Chimes' wind chimes are a great choice. They won't be headed for the landfill in a few years.

Coast Chimes' wind chimes are designed for beauty, for sound, and for durability. All the hardware is handmade from copper: the rings that attach the chimes to the cedar roundel, the hooklets, even the wire that holds the beach stone clapper.

When looking for the perfect gift, consider something that will last, that is unique, that is clearly built with attention to detail and great care.

Go to Coast Chimes to see the selection. As of today, there are 113 items, but that count will be going down fast, and production is pretty much finished for 2021. For the best selection, don't delay.

Natural Pacific Zen Beach Stone Wind Chime

Kaleidoscope Artist-made Sea Glass Wind Chime

Beach Zen Stone & Driftwood Wind Chime

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.

Zen Pacific Beach Stone Wind Chime, 7 Copper Chimes 

Wind Chimes, Beautiful and Built to Last

Beach stones make fantastic wind chimes. They are naturally smooth and rounded (such pleasant shapes!). They always look great, and then they look even better when it rains. When wet, they often get quite shiny, and more colours are revealed. So cool!

They are also durable, which is great, since my wind chimes are designed to last, and last, and...

All handcrafted copper hardware, no string, no nylon, no wearing out or breaking down from UV. They take a lot more time and skill to make than simply tying a knot in fishing line, but we should all push back against the throw-away society. You know, buy cheap, use a short time, toss to the landfill. Spend a little more, buy quality, enjoy for years.

See all my large copper wind chimes at Coast Chimes.

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 Pacific Beach Stone Wind Chime

$87 at Coast Chimes

Free Shipping

Kaleidoscope Wind Chime

$97 at Coast Chimes

Free Shipping

Happy New Year, from Coast Chimes

Looking Forward Towards Brighter Days
Sunshine Coast BC Forest Hike
December 28, 2020

Happy New Year, and a BIG thank you to all the friends and fans of Coast Chimes for making 2020 a pretty darn great year, despite all the challenges.

It was super frustrating and sad to cancel the annual Art Craw in October. The Sunshine Coast Art Crawl became a major high-point with so many people visiting and inflating my ego, but I simply could not see it working well for Coast Chimes in the midst of a pandemic. On a bright note, online sales jumped dramatically, and it was fantastic to see so many returning and new customers. Deeply appreciated!

The new year starts; time to reflect, take extra-long hikes, and rebuild stock that took a major hit. I've already made good progress-- the hugely popular anniversary copper wind chimes are now back in stock, as shown in the picture below. Soon I will focus on kaleidoscope wind chimes and free standing kaleidoscope suncatchers... maybe  have some by the end of the month.

Best wishes for 2021!

 

Christmas Gifts Shop Early Warning

 

Warning: coming up to Christmas, and this year is different. In the past, customers could shop up until about the 15th of December, and still have a good selection, still expect to get their order in time. Now the post office is much, much busier, shipping times are already delayed: this will get worse. Covid-19 has caused online shopping to take off like crazy, and Coast Chimes has struggled to keep up, and to keep stock.

Some popular items are already sold out (like diamond-shaped freestanding kaleidoscope suncatchers). Stock is limited, and becoming more limited. There is currently a wonderful selection of awesome wind chimes and suncatchers, but it may be slim pickings by early December. I am hoping to have time to still make more works, but that all depends on how much packing / shipping I am doing. So no guarantee.

In short, to avoid disappointment shop early.

Sunshine Coast Art Crawl, 2020, Coast Chimes

 Kaleidoscope Wind Chime

by Coast Chimes

It's always been an exciting part of the year: the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl. And Coast Chimes has always attracted a lot of visitors. Despite Covid 19, the Crawl is still happening this year, albeit in a much reduced and limited way, with various safety measures in place.

I decided to skip this year, as I could too easily envision things getting out of hand (Coast Chimes has traditionally been a very popular place to visit). It's a shame, as I so much enjoy showing my work, and my process, and people seemed to enjoy visiting and shopping. But safety first.

The good news is that my entire stock, everything you would have seen in person, is available with pictures on both my website-- Coast Chimes -- and in my Etsy store. Free shipping anywhere in Canada and the USA, and you can also shop and have me ship to your friends and family. If you wish me to enclose a personal gift message card, I am happy to do that.

Coast Chimes Inspiration, Design

 Copper Wind Chime

$145 Free Shipping

at Coast Chimes

If you listen, customers can be a wonderful source for ideas. Thirty years ago, it was a customer who first gave me the idea for making wind chimes! From way back then to now, my designs have been inspired by nature, by trial and error, by dreaming, and by customers.

Most recently, a potential customer emailed to ask if I could make a round wood windsail for her, instead of the antiqued hammered copper diamond I use. I put that together for her, and, I must say, I like it!

When I get caught up on my fairly long to-do list, I will probably make more of these, and offer some of my wind chimes with that round windsail. I like to offer my customers as many options as possible, but whatever I offer has to be high-quality and beautiful.

See all my current stock at Coast Chimes.