50 Little Birds

I’ve got inventory under control and am actually working on display and a possible new product.

Little birds are little.  I really enjoy the ease of bringing in inventory and display items in just two trips.  I avoid a lot of the hassles of hand trucks, wagons, plastic containers, etc.  (By my very nature I try to avoid plastic.)

I’ve two goals in mind for the Bloomington Show.  One is to get everything in in one trip…including a table and a stool. I also want to get my tiny merchandise up to eye level.

For years I’ve carried an L.L. Bean Boat and Tote canvas bag.  By coincidence the wood box that my birds live in fits the inside of my bag perfectly.  I’ve ordered two more bags and found another wood box of the same dimensions.  By nesting the boxes I can safely transport all of my small carving safely.

In the past my birds are displayed on a shelf about four feet high and wide.  I picked it up at a yard sale and It’s ideal, but very difficult to fit into the trunk of my Focus.  I spotted a 3-tier “plant stand” at a local antique shop.  It wasn’t for sale, so I shot a few photos and designed my own folding version.

I chose to paint the shelf one of my favorite combinations…robin’s egg blue and bright red.  In my mind, it looks like something that might have been sound at a depression era department store.  The shelf is 20″ tall by 20″ wide and 10″ deep.  It holds over 20 birds and since it has no back, light penetrates it well.  They folk down to a bit smaller than a ukulele. (The ukulele is a standard of measurement in my family.)

As soon as I completed the first I had to build another.  They work well back-to-back, creating a circle and side by side.  By putting one at each end of my table and running light boards between the become an oval.  I’m excited (and a bit perplexed) by their flexibility.

My second innovation is not quite so original.  My workbenches are about 38″ tall.  I’ve some eyesight issues and like the work close to my face.  It’s no secret that retailers place items at eye level and I decided I needed to do the same.

My table stands 29″ tall and its legs are 1″ in diameter.  I bought a 4 foot section of 1″ PVC and cut it into 12″ lengths.  They slipped right over that table’s legs and raise it to a respectable 37″.  They’ll take up very little space in my bag.

My next challenge is to find a space to hand a 22″ bald eagle.

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