You can find my work at the following galleries:
Peters Valley School of Crafts, Layton, NJ
Guilford Art Center, Guilford, CT
The Creative Den, Glen Rock, NJ
Handworks Gallery, Blue Hill, ME
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Bellflower Chime Garden Stakes are a nice touch for the front of your border or in pots. Each piece is unique and has a soft, delicate handmade bell to bring a bit of sound to the garden. The 4-5" stake is inserted in the ground, and the piece then stands about 12" above the soil.
As plants do in the garden, these pieces will change over time. The leaves are given a dappled green patina which will contrast as the copper darkens and changes. This flower is made with jewelry wire which can be prone to change. Each has been given an ultraviolet protective coating. I recommend you place them in shaded, more sheltered spots to prolong their beauty.
If you choose to leave your stakes in the ground during the winter, you may find that snow weighs down the flowers. Stroke stem gently upwards from the leaf to bring it back up. Keep in mind that these creations don't mix well with leaf and snow blowers, or being hit with large shovelfuls of snow. Like thorns, edges may be sharp. Handle gently.
The idea for Bellflower Creations began when I was looking for something beautiful and unusual for my garden, something to move and change with the seasons, something to remind me of the people and places I love. I began to imagine a subtle sounding chime. After a year of learning and experimenting with copper, I had my first Bellflower Garden Stake, and since then, as the business grew, it has been my goal to provide unique and unusual handcrafted beauty at affordable prices.
These chimes are beautiful in all seasons, indoors or out. Hanging chimes, with a cap of snow and their cheery sound, are wonderful even when you are shoveling in a storm. Indoors, put a Bellflower Garden Stake or Simple Flower Stake in a pot or vase weighted with decorative pebbles. Mount a Spiral Bracket and a Hanging Bellflower Chime near your kitchen window, or above a radiator, where it will look beautiful and the breeze will make it chime lightly. Dress up your flower bouquets and holiday decorations with Forged Copper Leaves.
Lisa Pribanic
maker, artist
I begin each work with a sheet of bright copper. I color it by heat and forge it by hand to give it form and texture. Forged Copper leaves are made with these flamed colors. The leaves for stakes and hanging chimes are brushed lightly with a salt solution which gives a dappled green effect. The copper will become a richer chocolate color as it weathers, and the green contrasts beautifully with it.
The flowers are made with various types of wire. Copper wire is colored in several ways from a salt patina, to flame or an even heat. The colors are soft, beautiful, and as varied as the plants in your garden. Brighter colors are made with jewelry wire. The product pages in the shop will give you more information about each color and how you can expect it to change.
Unlike a larger bell, these chimes have an unusual, gentle sound. They are just enough to keep you company inside or out, but not likely to disturb neighbors.
From the flaming of the copper, wrapping of flowers and making of bells, to sending things on their way to you, I do all of the work in my home studio. It is something I love doing, and I hope you enjoy my Bellflower Creations.
You can find my work at the following galleries:
Peters Valley School of Crafts, Layton, NJ
Guilford Art Center, Guilford, CT
The Creative Den, Glen Rock, NJ
Handworks Gallery, Blue Hill, ME