I moved to the Oregon coast in 2006, after way too many years of living in the Portland Metro area. I was already making wind chimes in Portland, prior to moving to the coast. Then I started dating Suzanne (already living at the coast) and we started making wind chimes a little more earnestly. I pick up the stuff on the beach and clean it. We both drill and sort the materials. Then she does the designing and I do the stringing, knot tying and marketing.
The doctor told me that I needed 30 minutes of exercise every day, so I told Suzanne that I was under doctor’s orders – I had to go to the beach! She countered with “you could work in the garage or the garden.” “He didn’t say “work”, he said “exercise” and I pay this guy lot of money to say the right things!” So when the weather is right, I head for the beach to see what other treasures I can find.
I have people tell me that they could make these chimes themselves. Probably true, but they don’t realize how many miles I walk to find this stuff, or how many times I need to bend over to pick it up, or how much stuff we have in inventory, driftwood, shell and glass. Or that all of this gets drilled prior to us beginning to make a chime. It is rather labor-intensive business thought we enjoy it. Nothing says Oregon Coast like one of our wind chimes.
Living on the Oregon Coast, we have ready access to quite a variety of natural materials that Suzanne and I have turned into some very unique “ beach art”. Driftwood plies up on some of the beaches during the winter storms and broken sea shells can be found virtually year round. In addition, we buy scrap glass for the local glass blowers to be incorporated into our pieces. We also utilize scrap cathedral glass, as the two types of glass have different tones. To our knowledge, we are the only wind chimes artisans that use the scrap glass with the driftwood and shall in the assembly of our chimes, making them very colorful and with such a melodic tone. Due to the uniqueness of our materials. We cannot make exact duplicates of any of our products. Pictures shown are merely representative of our products. We can customize to your desires as to color, size and style.
Weather along the Oregon coast is made up of sometimes rather small mini-climates, fog in one area, and bright sunshine just a short distance away. Oregonians will tell you that the weather often depends on which side of the rock you are standing! Our beaches are much the same way. Each one can have much different treasures washing ashore then the one immediately around the next headland. Some beaches can have virtually nothing worth picking up, while others can have a abundance of seashell, and the very next a trove of driftwood, but very little shell. Even the driftwood beaches vary, with one having mostly small pieces of worm-riddled wood and the next sporting huge pieces too heavy to move. But you never know what you are going to find beachcombing. Sometimes I find unusual, like a Gumshoe Chiton, a mermaids Purse or a Keyhole Limpet. And that is what keeps me going back to the beach.
"Besides having out chimes in galleries and gift shops from Newport to Seaside, Oregon,we can be found every Saturday thru October 10th at the Lincoln City Farmer's & Crafter's Market
on Oar Street, outside the Community Center. Market hours are from 10:00 A.M. to 2 P.M.
Drop by and see our wares if you're in the neighborhood."
