More often than I care to report, I am asked, “How did you think of that?” So, I’ve gotten quite good at identifying the precise series of peculiar events that ends in a make your own _____ (fill in the blank). As an example of this seemingly random series of peculiar events I will now share my Make Your Own Chimes. As is usual, it happens over a span of time…from minutes to days. This example happened over a series of days…maybe even weeks.
Oh, be aware that I have an inside voice. An internal dialogue of thoughts. Some thoughts just mosey through, others pop in with a bang, and some are so soft that I have to close my eyes to listen.
Now, about the chimes:
a) Our gazebo needs chimes. My inside voice: “Wait until the clearance sales on summer stuff…or make your own.”
b) Our gazebo needs some plants that won’t wilt and wither in the upcoming heat of July and August. My inside voice: “Succulents. Use succulents.”
c) What planters will I use for the succulents? My inside voice: “Use what you have. What do I have? I don’t know but find something cute. Something different.”
d) My daughter brought part of our shared collection of milk glass back to my home recently. They will be reunited with the other milk glass collection and displayed on top of the kitchen cabinets. My inside voice: “Awww…all the milk glass will be together. That means removing stuff to make room. Oh, look, I can get rid of those three little teapots that have been collecting dust for years and years. Dang, I’ve had that one for more than 20 years. Holy cow. And, look, I made that one when I was doing pottery. Wonder where I even got that one? Hmmmm….”
p.s. I love milk glass. Love it. Here’s a sampling of mine.
e) Then, one day when I opened that over-filled, “save this for the grand kids” craft drawer I spied the fifty or so 1 in. ceramic color chips leftover from my “kiln days”. (Pottery: another hobby, another story, another time.) My inside voice: “Why do I still have these? I need to either make something with them or throw them out.”
So, last week bought the succulents, succulent potting soil (did you know they even make that?), gathered my teapots, and asked Hoot (my hubby) to drill holes in the bottom of the teapots for drainage. Before long the teapots were sporting a whole new, fun look. I promise to post pics soon.
Today, I gathered the teapot lids and the ceramic paint chips, some fishing line, a metal 6 inch ring, some wire and went to work. Now I have a new set of chimes!
Fine print: We bought a ceramic bit and drilled a hole in each one of the ceramic paint chips and the teapot lids. I threaded fishing wire into the holes and tied a double knot. I tied each one to the metal ring. I wrapped wire in three places and laced through the large button at the top. Then I braided the wire and made a loop.