It really *is* all about the packaging.  Shortly after I started CBT, I wanted to stand out from the crowd a little bit.  Create a little bit of excitement when our packages arrived.

What better way than in the packaging?  

Normally we have our famous Owl tissue paper, but our supplier was out of it when I went to pick up my supplies this past Saturday.  I brought a friend along who is creating goody bags for an event, so we decided on colourful tissue paper, of which I gave her a few set of to get her started - it was a BIG batch of tissue paper!  But no worries, I'll be popping back to my suppliers'

I picked up my boxes though...and stamped all 80 of them this morning!  They might last me a few months (more likely not at the rate we're going!).  I find the stamps make us stand out, and get customers excited when our orders arrive.  I also enjoy being able to provide a personal touch to every order (aside from the toys I create!)

I picked up this cute Feather Stamp from an Etsy seller - I'm all about supporting other Small Business owners, and this was the perfect stamp to add to my growing collection 

I also found a cute set of mini Owl & little bird themed stamps while picking up some supplies from the UPS in Ogdensburg, New York.  

It is a bit of a project, but after doing this for a few years, I just get into the stamping zone, and get them all done at once.  It's much easier for me to do big batches vs only a few.  

We won't go into how in the beginning I hand stamped Every. Single. Business Card/tag.  Thankfully Husband was kind enough to buy me business cards the first Christmas after I started CBT.  I could NOT keep up with stamping 

That's all for today for a bit more insight into the workings of Crystal's Bird Toys. 

Our Cockatiel (Stryder) and Caique (Rosco) LOVE their Jolly Ball - but not in its natural naked state.  They like it to be dressed up in CBT style!

My first Jolly Ball toy refill years ago was a bit of a catastrophe - I didn't know any better, and filled it with heavy spruce and other wood bits that were just ignored and pooped on.  Not to mention, the strands were about 6 feet in total (3 feet double strands x 4!), and even Husband could barely lift it.  Fearless Rosco was terrified to go near it.

So I cut them in half and eventually revamped them into a more shreddable toy for the boys. 

Most weekends, all I can hear from the bird room is "crunch, crunch, peep, peep" as Stryder takes over the Jolly Ball - it's his domain and I can pretty much guarantee he hangs out in and on it for most of the day while we're home.

One of our favourite customers and friends, Kirsten from Texts From Parrots (Facebook) was in dire need of toy replacements for Puck and Piper's Jolly Ball.  I'm always up to the challenge, so used their favourite parts and voila!

I figured others may be in the same situation - so we've added a few to our site to begin with, and more will be added as custom requests and time allows. 

They're easy to install to your Jolly Ball, as most come with O-Rings and Quick Links already, just insert the loop at the top onto the quick link, and there you go!  Some balls have three toy points, others have 4, so make sure you get enough toys to fill all toy points!

We have added the option of a single strand of toys or a double (double the toy bits per toy section).

Have a Jolly Fun Day!

We recently had an order for 20 bead balls. I think even the birds were helping out with this one, as this order was for a local breeder with Parrotlets ready to go home!

When I used to breed White-Faced cockatiels, I made them a few toys to give them a good start (and something familiar) to bring home to their new families.  So when I received this order, it just brought me back to the days of breeding.

The smell of baby parrots (especially greys, amazons, and macaws) sometimes hits me if I close my eyes and think back hard enough.  I really do miss working with birds all day long. The sense of accomplishment I felt on a daily basis - that I was able to bring families the type of happiness and memories that I've been able to share with our flock. I had clients come back years later with their bird for a clipping or to pick out a new toy, and have them thank me.  That, and handfeeding & playing with the parrots, Parrot Conferences, and adventurous trips to the airport just made it the most awesome job.

Unfortunately bills had to be paid, and I was really fatigued from working 3 jobs and teetering just at the poverty level, I had to move on.

On a happier note, I think it's an awesome idea for anyone who breeds on either a small scale or larger scale, to send their babies home with a little bit extra TLC.  For the additional minimal cost of a toy, it really does show the new owner that you, as the breeder, really does care about the well being of their feathered family member.