add Phil Atwood : A and A Crafts

Specialty: “FANCIFUL METAL BIRDHOUSES” AND “ELEGANT METAL BIRDFEEDERS” The process for making the Fanciful Metal Birdhouses & Elegant Metal Birdfeeders begins with finding as many metal, glass and ceramic items as possible that can be recycled. The composition of each birdfeeder is approximately 99% recycled materials, while the birdhouses may include a small amount of “new” materials. To find the necessary recyclable items, many trips are made to thrift shops, yard sales, antique stores, junk shops and occasionally even “trash” by the side of the road. Once a fair amount of materials is assembled, the placing of objects together begins. There is no plan to each of the birdhouses and birdfeeders, and each may change in form a number of times prior to final assembly. The crafter’s objective is to design each of the items to have a “personality” of its own. Some of the birdhouses and birdfeeders are composed of only metal items, while others incorporate metal, glass and/or ceramics. Once the objects have been placed together in a manner the crafter is trying to achieve, each element of the birdhouse or birdfeeder is then cleaned, polished, burnished or otherwise treated to achieve a specific look. (The polishing of the old brass, silver and copper is the most time consuming of the assembly process.) The birdhouse or birdfeeder then goes through the final assembly process. Each birdhouse is then signed and each birdfeeder is signed and numbered by the crafter. The finished birdhouses and birdfeeders are both decorative and functional. Should you place your birdhouse or birdfeeder outside, it will “weather” and the brass, copper, silver, etc will develop a patina. In any event, it is the purpose of the crafter to bring a smile to the face of the people who see and enjoy the Fanciful Metal Birdhouses or Elegant Metal Birdfeeders. Phil Atwood Barnardsville, NC (828) 273-8646 www.AandACrafts.com philatwood@tds.net