On the Wings of Spring: A Little Birdie Swap

Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird,

She sings as she flies.
She brings us good tidings,
She tells us no lies.

She drinks from white blossoms
For to keep her voice clear,
And the more she sings cuckoo
The summer draws near.
-- Traditional Folk Song

In our garden we have two nesting boxes. Every year from mid-April through mid-May a family of chickadees takes up residence in the box hanging among the oaks, while a family of titmice nests in the box hanging from a pine tree up on the hill. I love birds. I've always loved birds...

With birds nesting in my garden and choruses of goldfinches warbling in the trees, spring is an especially good time to love birds... And so I've decided to host a little birdie swap. What a perfect time of year to create some new feathered friends to join spring and summer nature tables! If you are in the southern hemisphere, please don't feel left out... birds need food and shelter all through the winter; and even in the dark of winter, you might look to the return of birds as harbingers of spring.

(White Doves created by Marie of Softearth's World)

Won't you join me in celebrating the beauty of birds?

(Created by Laura Singewald of Spool)

I have envisioned this swap to be mainly needle and fiber-craft birds, however, if you have a special talent for woodworking or ceramics those could be options as well. Paper crafts are *not* an option for this swap. (Note: You will find separate information for a children's swap at the end of this post, so please continue reading if you think your children might be interested in participating, too...)

(Created by Rae of the blog Morning Sun Rae)

For this swap each participant will be in a swap-group of 3 (so each participant will send and receive 2 birds.) Once swap-groups are allocated, you may mail the birds you create directly to your swap partners and they will be sending birds directly to you. This swap is open to all who are interested. The main requirement is that the birds you send should be handmade by you with love and care. Feel free to put other bird or spring related items in the packages you send, however, please keep in mind, the requirement for this swap is to create a hand-made bird for your swap-mates. Also, don't forget to include a note about the inspiration, story or symbolic meaning behind the creation of your birds!

The swap opens today, May 1st, 2011. Sign-ups will close in one week (May 8th) and ideally birds will be put in the post by May 23rd. Partners will be allocated as soon as sign-ups close, however if you are concerned about having enough time to create your birds, you may start creating right away!

If you would like to participate, please send an email to me: margaret(at)flyingteapot(dot) com. In your email please be sure to include your name, your home mailing address, email address & blog URL (if you have one.) Even if I already have your information from a previous swap, I will need all of this info. in one email so I can easily cut-&-paste it into a database for the new swap.

*I am honored that you might want to re-post this invitation on your own blog, but please ask before you do so.

(Created by Shannon of Rhythm & Rhyme)

Now for the children's swap! The children's swap will be exclusively paper crafts (note: again, paper crafts are *not* an option for the adult-swap.) If your child would like to participate in a paper-craft bird-swap, please email me your child's name and age (along with your address, email & blog information, of course.)

Tomorrow: Inspirational photos and links to little birdy tutorials!

* ADDENDUM: May 9th, 2011, Sign-ups for this swap are now closed. *

Early each day, to the steps of St. Pauls
The little old bird woman comes.
In her own special way, to the people she calls:
"Come buy my bags full of crumbs...

Come feed the little birds, show them you care,
And you'll be glad if you do.
The young ones are hungry, their nests are so bare,
All it takes is a tuppence from you."

"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag,
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag."
"Feed the birds," that's what she cries,
While overhead her birds fill the skies.

All around the cathedral, the saints and apostles
Look down as she sells her wares.
Although you can't see it, you know they are smiling
Each time someone shows that he cares.

Though her words are simple and few,
Listen, listen, she's calling to you.
Feed the birds, tuppence a bag,
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag."