Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

ISGB.org – Time for The Gathering Again

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It’s that time of year…The Gathering of The International Society of Bead Makers. This year it will be in Rochester, NY on July 29 through August 1. If you haven’t gone to a Gathering and you’re  a bead maker, you must go. It’s short notice for this one unless you’re on the east coast. Ive been to a few and have learned some amazing things as well as had a fantastic time. Alas, I will not be at this one. I’m opening my glass studio called The Glass Studio next month (but that’s a whole other blog post!) and have a big bead show the same weekend. But I guarantee I’ll be at next years.

So what happens at one of these Gatherings? Lectures and demos and parties and a Bead Bazaar and tools and supply buying and all kinds of great times! The theme this year is the Origins and Influence of the Glass Bead. Sounds good to me. So check out their site and the booklet and try to get over there if you can.

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Tropical Bird Crafts and Learning Activities

I don’t know why tropical animals feel like something you should learn about in the summer, because these tropical bird crafts and activities are great to do any time of year. Let’s take a look. 

Homeschool Giveaways has a printable tropical birds copywork book kids can use to practice cursive or print writing. They also have links to more fun printable activities, mostly about parrots, toucans and cockatoos.

Homeschool Share has a printable lapbook all about parrots. This one is a lot of fun because it includes things like the pros and cons of owning a pet parrot and some parrot jokes alongside information about where parrots live, why they have hooked beaks and their lifespan, among other things. 

Use colorful bird puzzles to reinforce number order with this free printable puzzle collection from Craft Play Learn. It includes five different bird puzzles that are each eight pieces. 

And if you want to look at toucans in particular, check out this toucan study guide aimed at elementary students from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus. This isn’t a free resource but it’s 31 pages all about toucans, their life cycle, anatomy, what they eat, role in the rainforest ecosystem, activities and more well worth the cost. 

How about some tropical bird crafts? This 3D macaw parrot from The Craft Train is a great one, also not free but super cute and easy to make with the printables. 

I Heart Crafty Things has a super cute parrot made with cardboard and card stock. If you hang it from the ceiling it will even spin.

Or try the cute cardboard tube parrots from Kids Craft Room, which kids will love to decorate (you could even use feathers if you have some). You can also make a parrot (or whatever other tropical bird you like) from a paper plate with these instructions from Crafts on Sea.