| Author | Content |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
10:54 AM Post #4128699
| Recently we created a dragonfly for Diane aka Diamond D. Here is a link to the thread where she was created. [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
In addition to the dragonfly, Diane asked us to create a wind mirror for her. The inspiration for this wind mirror came from visiting with a fellow DGer in Houston, RjuddHarrison aka Randy or RJ. Randy has at least a half a dozen hanging wind mirrors around his jungle that when the sun reflects on them, create dancing lights all around the area. He referred to them as Sparkly Hour. Randy sent a couple of these wind mirrors to Connie and she shared one of them with me. Both Connie and I loved them so much, we decided to create our own Sparkly Hour wind mirrors. They add so much pizzazz to the gardens. I told my grandbabies that the lights were little Tinkerbells and they love to chase them around the yard trying to capture the lights in their hands.
Knowing the Sparkly Hour would be hung close to the dragonfly we created, we kept that in mind and reserved enough coordinating beads from the dragonfly to create the wind mirror.
At the end of this post, I will post a link to a small movie that I made of Diane’s Sparkly Hour.
Here is the Sparkly Hour wind mirror we created for Diane.
This message was edited Nov 9, 2007 8:03 PM
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
10:54 AM Post #4128700
| The greenhouse where Diane will hang both the dragonfly and the wind mirror. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
10:55 AM Post #4128702
| Here is where the Sparkly Hour Wind Mirror will hang. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
10:56 AM Post #4128706
| The wind mirrors that Connie and I created for ourselves have a total of 5 strands of beads, 1 in the center, and 2 on each end that spiral opposite each other. Each strand is approximately 12 inches long. There are actually 3 copper tubes on ours so that it’s perfectly balanced.
This is my Sparkly Hour wind mirror so you can understand what I just said. :-)
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
10:57 AM Post #4128712
| Diane requested that her wind mirror only have 2 strands and that the strands be about 24 inches. Connie and I discussed what we’d use for a “swivel” so that the strands would pivot properly. We thought about using a brass fishing swivel, but decided against it. Connie said that if we had a copper wire, through the tubing, with beads above and below it, it should swivel on itself.
We began by using a copper tube, bending it in an arc, and drilling 3 holes through the tube. Connie made “head pins” from copper wire for each end by putting little “blobs” of solder on the ends of the wires that would be above the big tubing. The purpose of these headpins is to hold on to the strands of beads so they need to be extra strong.
Connie made an S hook to hold the center strand so we’d be able to work on it while hanging. We use an IV pole as a hanger in the shop. She wire wrapped a decorative 6 inch strand for the center.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
10:58 AM Post #4128714
| While she was working on the tubing, I was stringing the beads and mirrors. We decided to use monofilament fishing line so that the beads would hang freely and spin in the wind. Little mirrors (about 1 inch in diameter) are glued back to back on the line, between the beads, so that no matter which way the strand is spinning, the lights will be reflected.
Here are the 2 strands of beads and mirrors right after I glued the mirrors on. I used Alene’s glass and bead glue for adhesive.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
10:58 AM Post #4128715
| Close up shots of the beads used. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
10:59 AM Post #4128717
| More beads in the strands 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
10:59 AM Post #4128722
| Even More beads in the strands 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:00 AM Post #4128730
| And still more 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:01 AM Post #4128736
| And 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:02 AM Post #4128758
| Once I got these strands done, they had to sit to be sure the glue was completely dry. I didn’t have the dmails exchanged between Diane and myself there at Connie’s shop. I remembered 18 inch strands instead of 24 inch strands. :-/ While they sat with the glue drying, I realized that the strands weren’t the requested 24 inches. We knew the strands would be attached to the tubing, so I decided to increase the length by wire wrapping chains of beads from the tubing to the mono filament.
We hung it up on the IV pole outside to “test it out”. The day was extremely windy and we were thankful that the Lord was cooperating with our project. Lights were dancing all over the driveway at Connie’s shop. I’m sure I had a silly grin on my face!
We didn’t like the way the red center beads were rubbing against the tubing. It seemed that the edges of the beads were preventing it from turning as freely we wanted it to. Those beads were changed out several times until we found some spun freely.
Once we found the right combination, we decided that we needed a chain to hang it from so that the copper tubing would be completely away from the bent hook that it will be hung from. So we wire wrapped a 10 inch chain to the top.
Here is the finished Sparkly Hour wind mirror we created for Diane.
Edited for clarity
This message was edited Oct 28, 2007 6:04 AM
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:03 AM Post #4128776
| Close ups of the strands 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:04 AM Post #4128779
| More Closeups of the strands 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:05 AM Post #4128786
| More Closeups of the strands 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:06 AM Post #4128790
| More Closeups of the strands 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:07 AM Post #4128791
| Center strand 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:07 AM Post #4128792
| Top Chain 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:08 AM Post #4128794
| From a distance 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:08 AM Post #4128796
| Overall length of the Sparkly Hour from S chain to bottom is 38”. |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:10 AM Post #4128801
| We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing how we created this UniQue Treasure.
Janet & Connie
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
11:29 AM Post #4128858
| We sure have had a good time with this project. Thank you again Diane for giving us this opportunity to create something just for you.
Janet & Connie |
DiamondD
Baton Rouge, LA
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
12:11 PM Post #4128979
| Oh my! I can't wait! The Sparkly is awsome. I'll have the classiest greenhouse in town with my Dragon Fly taking center stage and have the light glimmers to welcome me in. |
balvenie
Marysville, WA
(Zone 7a)
October 27, 2007
12:19 PM Post #4128999
| WOW, you and Connie have done it again. Those sparkly, twinkly hanger downers are beautiful. |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
12:41 PM Post #4129054
| I'm so glad that you like what you see Diane. We've tried so hard to keep in mind the way it will be hung and created it so that it won't bump into the hanger. We'd appreciate if you'd take some photos to share with us once your package arrives.
Robert, I do love that description. I couldn't have said it better myself! HAHAHAHA (although I have to admit that usually when I think of a "hangy downer", I'm thinking of that thing in the back of my throat cause I never can remember what it's called! HAHAHAHA)
Seeing your responses makes me have a grin as big as the screen on my monitor! Thanks!
Janet
This message was edited Oct 27, 2007 11:41 AM |
balvenie
Marysville, WA
(Zone 7a)
October 27, 2007
1:27 PM Post #4129185
| Uvula, that's what they call the hangy downy thing in the back of the throat. Now what do they call the stiky outy thing on the front of the face ? A nose of course. I'm just full of technical anatomy kinda stuff this morning. |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 27, 2007
1:53 PM Post #4129233
| In the back of my mind, I knew what it was called. Pronouncing it is a whole 'nother thing all together! HAHAHAHA Hangy down thingy is just so much easier to remember.
I was just replying to Imapigeon in another thread in Garden Art about these mirrors and thought I'd copy and paste what I'd written there, here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was really much easier to do than it looks. The hardest part is waiting on the mirrors to dry. The mirrors can be found at Hobby Lobby or any other craft store. They come in packages of 24 and come either square or round. We found that the round mirrors work better for us.
On my own Sparkly Hour, we molded no bake clay around some of the mirrors and let them air dry. That didn't work as well as we hoped it would and one day I found the mirrors that hang on the bottom on the ground. :-( We will try that again some day with the stuff that needs to be baked. We just haven't tested out baking it with the mirror inside of the clay yet.
(Knowing Ima does her own clay) You do your own clay, so I can only imagine how much fun you'd have creating something like this. The sky is the limit! Of course, you have to test it out in your kiln to make sure the mirrors wouldn't crack with all of that heat. The molding clay that we bought at HL said to bake it for 15 minutes on a low temp of (I think) 170. Could have been 270 but I don't think so. Directions for baking are on the package over at Connie's Shop.
The lights dancing around the yard as the sun reflects on them are really cool to watch. Everybody needs this in their garden!
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maidentheshade
Beaumont, TX
October 27, 2007
9:44 PM Post #4130650
| oooooooooo I'm grinning too! Great pics !Love the movie Janet! I could hear you say "I love it!" on the background. hahaha
Thanks balvenie and DD Can't wait for you to see them in person!
Connie |
zenpotter
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4b)
October 31, 2007
8:25 AM Post #4142552
| I had some time so I was checking things out and stopped here. The mirror idea is really great. I can't get the links to open, but will try again another time.
I really love your step-by-step photos. Every time you post them it is so instructive. |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 31, 2007
8:52 AM Post #4142668
| Thanks Pauline for stopping by. I'm not sure why the links weren't working. I just checked and they worked for me.
One thing I noticed on the movies is that it's best to let them load up (they seem a bit squirrely when loading up) THEN click on play. It plays in real time the second time.
The slide shows can be changed by moving the mouse. Some controls will show up and you can change how soon the next photo will come up.
We have a lot of fun when we are making things. Sometimes I remember to take photos as we go along. Other times I forget my camera at home and take photos from all angles after the fact. Sometimes it's impossible to get photos because we need so many hands to hold things while they are being welded. We're glad that you enjoy the threads. We hope that anyone that is contemplating working with copper will be encouraged to begin. It's a lot of fun and very rewarding to see the components come together. The finished piece always makes us both get smiles a mile wide. :-)
Janet |
zenpotter
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4b)
October 31, 2007
9:10 AM Post #4142733
| Janet, I tried again and the movie popped right up and the second link didn't. Guess I can only get one at a time.
I have thought about doing a few copper things for my garden, but haven't done it. We live on a corner and don't have/want a fence. Our yard is very exposed and with copper being such a hot commodity I figure it wouldn't stay around very long. I probably shouldn't worry because none of my sculptures have gone missing I just don't want to tempt fate.
Pauline |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 31, 2007
9:19 AM Post #4142770
| I know what you mean Pauline. I don't have it in my front yard. I know better than to tempt the unsavory folks that might wander by.
Recently, there were a couple of folks caught stealing copper. Evidently the scrap yards are having to issue some type of receipt for the items they bring in. The folks who'd stolen the copper were arrested. I doubt that will discourage others from trying to cash in on other people's copper though. Sadly, there will always be thieves among us.
My own sculptures are in the back yard where I can enjoy them. The only ones that ever comes to my back yard (uninvited) are the meter readers. There is a 7 ft. privacy fence all the way around the yard.
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zenpotter
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4b)
October 31, 2007
10:07 AM Post #4142936
| Janet, We have the same problem here and the scrap yards must ask for an id and provided a receipt.
We don't have a fence and I won't at least not for a long time. We have lived in some countries where we were behind walls for protection and I don't want that feeling again. Thailand, Tunisia, and Venezuela. We also had guards. |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
October 31, 2007
10:27 AM Post #4143007
| I don't think I'd like that kind of living at all. I would like more space though. A couple of acres in the country would suit me just fine! :-)
Janet |
WUVIE
Hulbert, OK
(Zone 7a)
November 11, 2007
6:07 PM Post #4183019
| What a fun project!
Indeed one to put on the 'must make' list. Many thanks
for sharing the pictures, very neat!
Karen Marie
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
November 11, 2007
9:23 PM Post #4183808
| I'm glad you liked it KM. It was a lot of fun to make. You'll have to show us your project when you get it done.
We've missed you lately in the artisans Cafe. I hope you'll come by and post more of your beautiful work. You're a treasure!
Janet |
imapigeon
Gilroy, CA
(Zone 9a)
November 12, 2007
5:08 PM Post #4186231
| Janet, I recently found at our local Cost Plus in the Christmas decor some containers of 1" disco balls. I love the tacky things and have them in all sizesall over my yard and stuck in containers. I hadn't seen these tiny ones before, and thought I should let you know. They might be fun to add to your sparkly hour strands somehow... |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
November 12, 2007
5:49 PM Post #4186333
| That does sound like something that would definitely put out the sparkle. We don't have a Cost Plus here and I don't have a Sam's Club card. But I'll keep my eyes open at Hobby Lobby and Michaels for them. Thanks for the heads up. :-)
Hey, maybe you oughta to make one for yourself and let us see. :-) |
imapigeon
Gilroy, CA
(Zone 9a)
November 12, 2007
6:10 PM Post #4186394
| Yeah...it's on my list... They might have them at the Dollar Stores, too. I got some 2" ones there a couple of years ago. |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
November 12, 2007
6:16 PM Post #4186406
| At a garage sale this weekend, I found 2 mirrors that are about 4 inches around. They were hand held mirrors at one time. I can tell because one is a magnifying mirror. :-) I was thinking about dressing them up with some costume jewelry and making them the top of a wind mirror. Then hanging the smaller mirrors below with beads and more costume jewelry. I think I will make that one for my mother.
Over the summer, one of our Upscale stores The White House was closing down. They had hand tuned wind chimes ridiculously cheap. I ended up buying 2 of them. One was shorter and one was longer. They both have churchbell sounds. Really great chimes. Hubby asked me why in the world we needed 2 of them. With a bit of quick thinking, I said that I got one of them for Mom for Christmas and that I was just test driving it for her to be sure she'd like it. I mentioned it to Mom in an email while she was in Virginia and asked if she wanted me to ship it there, or to wait until she got back to San Antonio. She said that Auntie, who's living in Mom's house in VA now, has them all over the place and she hates them. They make so much noise! hmmm... guess I'll have to keep them both afterall! HAHAHAHAHA Now, the wind mirrors make no noise, so I think she would enjoy something like that much better. |
imapigeon
Gilroy, CA
(Zone 9a)
November 12, 2007
6:25 PM Post #4186427
| I LOVE windchimes. I found a couple of websites where I could actually listen to the .wav files and hear the sounds. I wanted a deep-pitched one (neighbor got one, and I was suffering from serious w-c envy) so I blew about half a day listening to the silly things----got one for DH for Father's Day (or so I said). I was really glad I took the time to listen to all of them! Some of them, tho I liked the pitch, would have just put ear-worms into my head while I was working in the yard. I used to have one that sounded like "Help Me Rhonda". Now, I didn't totally hate that song when it was popular, but it certainly wasn't one of my favorites. There was another one that played "Winchester Cathedral". Didn't care much for that either. Ended up with a chime that doesn't "play" anything, and I like it a lot better. I have a hard enough time when the popsicle truck comes around playing "Turkey in the Straw"---I don't need anything else munged up with that in my head...LOL!!!! |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
November 12, 2007
6:32 PM Post #4186455
| HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I know just what you mean. One of these plays Shenandoah, the other plays A Sea Chanty (or something like that) It's very rare that I actually hear the "song". Usually just a note here and there. The other day, I was out watering the plants and actually hear the whole scale. Well 5 or 6 notes of it anyway. It was really pretty. |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
November 12, 2007
10:01 PM Post #4187241
| Hi Janet!! Great job on the windchime!! I have 3 currently in the house and one outside. i love them!! |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
November 12, 2007
10:22 PM Post #4187332
| Thanks Pepper! I love them too. I have several out in the yards. 2 in the front, including a waybigo hand tuned chime. And 3-4 in the back, including "Mom's" hand tuned chime. When the weather starts getting cooler, I'll most likely bring those inside the house to store. I want them to last for many years. |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
November 12, 2007
10:43 PM Post #4187407
| I am thinking about getting one of those big wood chimes that have that deep sound. I like those. |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
November 12, 2007
10:49 PM Post #4187428
| This is the chime I bought for "Mom". It's not as big as the one in the front yard. I really lucked out on these because this one had been $75 and I got it for $35. A week later, I bought the other one, which was originally $120 and it had been marked down even further to about $40 if I remember right. I know I didn't need 2 of them. But at that price, and for that quality. Well. Need I say more! I have them both now!
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
November 12, 2007
10:53 PM Post #4187439
| Those are the exact chimes I am wanting to get except the ones at work have the wood chimes instead of copper. I have to wait til I work an event though so I can get them at cost. Only a few weeks. lol |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
November 12, 2007
10:54 PM Post #4187447
| I haven't heard the wooden chimes. I bet they sound nice. We're talking in the Artisans Cafe about making some from Bamboo. I've got several nice pieces of Bamboo in a variety of colors and sizes. Bamboo sounds great. Connie has a bird that the chimes are bamboo. |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
November 12, 2007
11:03 PM Post #4187482
| Hmmm...my dad has some bamboo downstairs that he has no use for. I might mention trying to make chimes to him. He might like that idea if I can provide a place for them. |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
November 12, 2007
11:47 PM Post #4187611
| Talk to Mibus ( in the Cafe or in the Texas forum). She has already made some and had some good ideas. I think it was either in page 6 or 7B of the cafe threads. |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
November 12, 2007
11:51 PM Post #4187620
| I just went to the cafe and found her posting this [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
Unbelievable, but this is the 3rd or 4th place in the past hour that I've heard talking about chimes. :-) |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
November 13, 2007
1:03 PM Post #4189015
| Those look pretty cool. I will find that bamboo and check it out. |
DiamondD
Baton Rouge, LA
(Zone 8b)
November 13, 2007
6:26 PM Post #4189965
| Ms. Sparkly is a must have! This morning there was a light breeze and the 'light fairies' danced all around. I'm so very pleased with them. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
November 13, 2007
7:03 PM Post #4190090
| She looks great Diane. That was the perfect place for her too! Thanks for sharing her with the rest of the world here. Wish you could see my waybigo grin!
Janet |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
November 13, 2007
10:46 PM Post #4190801
| That looks great there and the draonfly looks great in her spot too!!! |
DiamondD
Baton Rouge, LA
(Zone 8b)
November 14, 2007
6:58 PM Post #4193540
| Thank you. I sent Janet and Connie photos and they put their ideas to reality. The sparkly is wonderful, little dances of light flickering around the yard, just enough to catch your eye and wonder what I just saw. I love Ms. Sparkly and Her [the dragon fly]. |
