Jean, Ted & Roxann Chalfant & Donna Guest

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Ted and Jean Chalfant started making glass bottle wind chimes in 1970.  They had no artist background.  They started making chimes because they loved the freedom it gave them in life.  They raised three children at art shows, and now two of them – Donna and Roxann – have come to work at the wind chime factory.  Roxann Chalfant holds a BFA from the university of Georgia, and is the new creative mind at Bottle Benders.  All of their work is completely handmade.  Most of the bottles are found at local dumps.  They design all their own tops – sometimes from driftwood, sometimes handmade glass, and sometimes simple maple boards.  They cut and melt all their own glass for the components of the chimes and each one is hung individually, one piece at a time.  They’ve been in the business for 40 years and pride themselves on making a quality, handcrafted product.