RE-LAUNCH OF ETSY SHOP

As I promised, my Etsy shop opened back up on February 1, 2012.  You can see my shop here.  I am excited to bring quality hand crafted bird toys to my customers.  The toy above is for sale in my Etsy shop and is a great toy for little birds.

I use zinc free hardware, Paulie rope that is hollow and will not trap toes, Supreme Cotton rope, vegetable tanned leather, bird safe plastic chain, along with colored wood pieces made with human grade food coloring.  I do everything I can to keep my toys as safe as possible.

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My birds, although not in contact with the toys I sell, get the toys I make to see how they like the materials and designs.  Timothy goes through toys like nobodies business, and hasn't had a store manufactured toy in years.  He relishes the toys I create and is making great strides in using the toys as an outlet for his energy instead of his feathers.

So stop by and visit my Etsy shop and see if there is anything there that would be perfect for your feathered baby.  I will be putting more toys in the shop all the time and there will be more information on toys here on my blog as they become available.

COME ALONG WITH ME

A good Monday morning to you. I am beginning a new journey (from an old one) and I invite you to come along. I started an Esty shop back in 2008 with a few of the toys I made for my birds. For the last few years I have been dragging my feet and only dabbling with my Etsy shop. I put my heart into making the toys, but as for the running of a business, I lacked dreadfully. But I have grown a lot in these years of dabbling and am now ready to put 100% into my Etsy shop. My toys sell very successfully here in my town at a local bird shop, so I know I have a product that sells.
I picked up this book on Amazon.com and it has captured me from the word "go." I approached this book with the attitude of starting over, like I had never had an Etsy shop before. This attitude has served me well, as Etsy has made significant changes over the past couple years. I have finished the first section of the book and am now ready to start re-building my shop. Also, I have been refining my toys, tweaking them to better serve my feathered clients. It has been over this refining process that I have fallen even more in love with birds and their mental well being.

Here is a picture of one of most popular selling toys.  It will be available for purchase in my Etsy shop starting February 1, 2012.  All the details for this toy will be on the site, including all the parts I use to make the toy.  I will also be featuring one of my toys per week on my blog.  It will contain detailed information on the designing and making of the toy.  The toy of the week will also be on sale in my Etsy shop.  Stay tuned for this exciting adventure to unfold!

FIESTA FESTIVAL

My inventory was getting a bit sparse, as sales have been good.  I promised myself a while ago that I was going to share my creative process and highlight a few of my best selling toys.  I am learning how to be more efficient in my workspace in order to put out as many toys in one sitting that I can.  Since I am the only creator and assembler of these toys, fine tuning my work time was of utmost importance.

I like to layer my pieces so that in the end, the toy is full and fabulous and just waiting for an eager beak or two. 

Step by step, piece by piece, the toy begins to take shape.  I labor over each toy to make sure it is of high quality and craftsmanship.  As I create, I imagine the different kinds of birds that might one day be playing with one of my creations.  I am humbled and honored to be helping the mental health of the avian community.

Color is important, as birds have a fuller spectrum of hues they see, that we don't.  Have you ever seen your birds pupils dilate and contract?  That is called "pinning" and it means they are excited.  Excitement can mean a variety of things to a bird, so it is not the most opportune time to get your fingers near them.  My birds' eyes pin when I hand them one of these toys.  It's a tactile sensation and they can't wait to dig in!

Here you have the finished product.  There are layers upon layers of munching, tearing, and shredding fun.  My Etsy site will be up and running again soon.  And this delicious beauty will be waiting for that special winged wonder........could it be your bird?

NEW ART

I have always loved being artistic, but like many people, had to put more practical matters before indulging in some artsy play.  Over time, I lost touch with that creative side, but after a great eye opening message from our pastor, I decided to say YES to my artistic side.  So I embarked on a new project that I will share with you now...even though it's not finished.

 Naturally, since I am passionate about birds, I would pick a project with a bird theme.  Owls have fascinated me for a long time and I am thrilled that owls seem to be making a comeback in many different forms.

 Using paper, I layered pieces to make the shape of an owl.  Then I added dimension like buttons for the eyes and chip board for the flower.  All the stitching I did by hand. 

Adding textured paper gave the body of the owl more character.  I imagined wind blowing through feathers and felt that the swirls in this paper replicated that image very nicely.  I will finish this piece off by framing it.  I hope to have this and/or similar things ready for sale in my Etsy shop soon.  I will be doing pieces with a parrot theme also.  My mind is swirling with ideas and I'm bursting at the seams with excitement for this new adventure!

Hope you all are well and that you love on your birds daily.  Blessings to you and yours!