Wedding Blog
I’m simultaneously hyperventilating and blogging at the moment because my friend Jenny Louuu-wheeeze (who also happens to be my DOC, sister of my MOH, Daughter of my officiant, a September 2008 bride and an all around kick-ass lady) just sent me her progress on my Ann Woods-Inspired cake topper she’s painstakingly hand making for me!
A little background…When Mrs. Gummibear received her huge shipment of Ann Wood’s Birds, I turned green with envy. I’d been tracking Ann’s Blog and Shop for a while, praying (seriously… like down on my knees every night) that she would resume selling (or at least taking orders for) her little birdies. I had shown Jenny Ann’s cake toppers, and my F-Step-MIL even hinted that if we were to hear back from Ann soon, Mr. Penguin and I might find the birds under the Christmas tree this year. About a month went by with no response, and no update to her shop, when Jenny stepped in and said she’d try to recreate the birdies just for us. She ran out to the craft store that night and kicked her childhood craft skills back into action!
Of course, as luck would have it, one week later Ann Wood had e-mailed me and let me know that she’d resumed her birdcrafting, but by then, Jenny had already began turning my bird dreams into reality! I’m SO SO SO thrilled to have one of my great friends make me some Ann-Inspired birdies of my own.
Here’s the story of the girl bird, as told by Jenny:
Hi! I learned something this weekend - these damn birds are harder than they look. But the girl is taking shape…
1. Thick floral wire strung through the body for the legs (My MOH’s idea!)
2. Legs before Feet!
3. Hot glue to make the legs more substantial and to glue on small pieces of wire for the feet (you can see her practice leg lying on the paper bag)
4. The legs and feet ready to be glittered
1. Glitter Legs are dry! She stands about 6 inches tall with her veil
2. Another View
3. Her dress goes on! It’s secured with a tiny fabric rose (and some hot glue…)
4. Another View
Now she has a face! She’s almost done. The eyes are a little too blue so I’m going to color the rhinestones with a black sharpie. She’s also pretty white so I’m going to shade her a little bit with some rose or tan eyeshadow (after practice on a dummy!) to make her look a little more “antique.”
Here she is! Rouge was added to her cheeks and belly and her eyes were colored black.
Ahh. SO SO SO cute. It’s good to have friends in crafty places. Now I’ve gotta run and get a paper bag to breathe into… all this excitement is about to make me pass out.
If you’d like some little birdies of your own, check out Ann Wood’s Shop
I’ll keep you updated on the boy-birdie progress in the months to come!
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Share this post: Cake Topper Progress
Aw so cute! I really liked the Ann Woods birds when I saw Gummibear post about them, but I think it’s so awesome that you have someone who knows and loves you making your birds for you. It makes it even more meaningful. 
So adorable!!! I love how her cheeks and tummy are lightly rouged. I can’t wait to see the boy bird. You’re so lucky to have such a talented friend
it looks so good and now you can use the 400 or so dollars on something else. that’s great of your friend!
oh! that’s awesome to have some step-by-step pictures, because I’m making Ann Wood birds for my cake toppers too! (my mother thinks I’m nuts - “dear, wouldn’t you like a nice bride and groom on your cake instead of …pidgeons? )
Aren’t you lucky to have such a sweet and crafty friend. Love the “blushing” tummy!
your friend is uber talented! I’m impressed with the outcome and I think it’ll be such a wonderful keepsake for you after the wedding because so much love was put into it.
Very impressive! The rouge is my favorite touch.
Very impressive and very cute, but ouch, sticker shock. Have you guys seen the birds here? http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=30437§ion_id=5123238
Very similar (if not cuter!), and much more reasonably priced =)
this is uber-impressive! make sure you let your friend know how jealous i am of her crafting skills. lol.
Amen to the etsy find, I’ve seen quite a few handmade birds on etsy that I love!
Your friend is so talented, I can’t wait to see your groom.
wow, $400 for a set of those birdie? oh my.
i agree, it’s so much more meaningful to have the birdie especially made for you by a loved one.
SO AWESOME that you can rip off these designs and make them your own! That’s super cool! I totally love that because then you don’t have to pay the artist ANYTHING and you can still use their name and stuff so people know you totally have something good on your cake and not something lame! GREAT!
Don’t wanna be a debbie downer, but did you check with Ann to see if it was OK to copy her design? Obviously you aren’t selling the birds, just using them for yourself, but just something I thought about. PS: the birdie bride looks super cute. I’m curious what your friend used for the beak?
Hi ladies,
I actually was worried about publishing this for the simple fact that indeed, the birds are copied. But I tried my best to relay the fact that I pursued Ann, her blog, and her shop for a while, really wanted her birds and was worried that I wouldnt be able to have them, or something similar for my own wedding. I thought I stated this pretty clearly. I know the birds take a long time to make, and so I started sweating it as the weeks went by with no response.
These birds are simply a gift from a friend, not for sale. Many elements of many peoples weddings, especially DIY weddings, are inspired by designs,
people, and art that we either do not have access to (in my case, Ann was not available to make birds at the time that I wanted them), or in most cases, we simply cannot afford.
I hoped that in mentioning Ann Wood several times in my blog, I would be able to give her the recognition she deserves. She is an incredible artist and a beautiful craftswoman.
Anyhow, I appreciate those of you who defend Ann and her work because indeed, it is fabulous. I didnt mention her name to try to USE her name,
but rather to drive traffic to her site and give her the recognition she so deserves.
If a friend of mine saw a beautiful quilt on display at an art show that was not for sale at the time, I would hope that she would go home and be
inspired to make her own similar quilt, rather than bow her head in defeat because she couldnt have one of her own. I hope you would agree.
Katie - thank you for your concern in a not-so-sarcastic tone :). I hope my above reasoning answers your question.
Also, she hacked off the tips of some golf tees and put glitter on them for the beaks.
(Ed’s note: this comment is not by Weddingbee’s Mrs. Spider)
Wow! What a lot of effort that must have taken your friend! That bird is sooo adorable - not at all “lame” like “virginia” said in her comment. I think “virginia” needs to get the sand out of her va-jay-jay….oops, did I just dip to her level? My apologies.
ms. penguin - just lookin’ out for you. the craft-world can get a little persnickety about this stuff sometimes. I think this falls under the “imitation is the best form of flattery” category. good for you (and your friend) for having the energy to take this on
I agree with katiethelady. Aren’t most of the things we hand-craft for our weddings often inspired by the work of others’? If anything, I believe your post will boost the popularity of Ann’s birds… both hers and yours are adorable, and have their unique elements as well. Your cake is going to be awesome!!
I agree with Mrs. Plumeria and katiethelady above. If I were Ann I would be most flattered. Not only did you give her a great acknowledgement, the work that your friend did is really impressive!
* Hi, I just wanted to note that the above comment by “Spider” (no.18) was not made by me - Mrs. Spider. Thanks.
I tried to reply yesterday during the comment outage, but honestly… your friend has done an awesome job!
I obviously find no harm in replicating a designer look… it’s been done for ages and as long as one doesn’t profit from their replication, then I think it’s quite the compliment.
I love the little blush that Jenny used! I did have a little concern like katiethelady though when I saw ann’s post on this subject: http://annwood.net/blog/2007/10/06/long-and-unpleasant and your cute little birdie on the same day.
I think that it is all a sticky subject. Because its not fair that someone makes a bird and no one else can do something similar ever again. Besides its a bird, birds are around us everyday. However Ann Woods post about that one company is valid because they are replicas, but this one is not an identical pattern and not for mass production or anything of the sort. In fact I think I prefer this one.
[...] my high school, and I remembered him from “back in the day.” My girlfriend Jenny (of my Cake Topper Fame) had recently gotten engaged, so I told her to check him out, as I heard his rates were great [...]
i am really mortified that you posted this. I read the “long and unpleasant” blog that ann did (mentioned in comment 25) a while ago, and being an artist myself, felt horrible for her. You are on a website viewed by people all over the world and though Jenny is doing something unbelievably nice, you are showing basically how to make duplicates of a design that ann came up with. it doesn’t matter if she didn’t get back to you or that she charges a certain amount of money for her creation. I am appalled that you would publish this blog.
I feel terribly sad and sorry for Ann Wood. You love her birds and cake toppers, that’s a point. But copying is another point… You absolutely didn’t have the right to copy her work, nor to ask someone else to do it for you, just because you love the originals by Ann Wood.
Sincerely, people like you just make us, artists, feel so down.
I just recently found out about the controversy of the Ann Woods Birds and Miss Penguin’s gift. While I’m sure Miss Woods has a particular pattern she uses and she admits that several other people are making them with non identical patterns. I don’t understand the controversy. Miss Penguin’s friend made the birds as a gift and not for sale. She did this because Miss Penguin was having trouble buying them. Her birds are not identical and have thier own individual twist to them. If Miss Woods is ok with the other crafters and thier individual styles of birds that are for sale that why would she have a problem with a pair of birds crafted as a gift. The birds are also not identical to her birds and she was given credit for the idea to begin with.
I just want to say one more thing. Miss Woods is not the first to make similar birds. My great grandmother used to make them and other similar animals. She and other ladies she new made them and tatted lace cloths on them to give to the children during the depression. They used various bits and pieces to create these lovely animals. She continued to make them for her great grandkids. Should in I say that my grandmother was ripped off?
If I saw a dress on the internet and found a similar material and made it for my bridesmaids would people be so upset? it is pretty much the same thing. I am copying something i saw pn the web for my purposes and not for profit.
@Ariel: Just for clarification, Ann has NEVER contacted me negatively! As you can see, its just a lot of other random people. I hope we all can understand that the artist herself has never, in any way, contacted me negatively.
@elle: I don’t see where she is showing how to make duplicates. I don’t see a step by step diagram on how to cut out the fabric or sew it together. What I see are photos showing the progress. I wish you would have read this blog thoroughly, because you would have seen what everyone else has seen and commented on: She tried to contact that artist about PURCHASING a bird. She is NOT SELLING them. She did a very good job at promoting the seller. *throws hands in the air* Gah!
Mrs. Peng, don’t listen to these blow-hards!
Did you ever finish the boy bird? If so, do you have pictures? How did you make the birds body? I am really interested and impressed! So cute! Thank you!
I love your cake toppers! What is the body of the bird made of?
You use your imagination and creative skills. A process of trial and error. How else do you think things get created from scratch?
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Mrs. Penguin, Northern California
Age and Occupation: 27, Weddingbee Editor in Chief
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Doctor of Physical Therapy
Engagement Date: January 29, 2007
Wedding Date: June 7, 2008
Blogging Since: September 14, 2007
Venue: Winery in the Gold Country
About Me: I love the Spice Girls, dogs with underbites, bean burritos, making messes, high fives, avoiding showers, crossword puzzles, blogs, weddings, and blogs about weddings!
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