Welcome
The Birds of Wisdom Are Here to Play
Imagine a world of whimsical birds—musical, hat-loving, and always up for an unusual celebration. At its heart is a traveling band with practical advice and delightful affirmations tucked under their wings, spreading joy wherever they land.
Meet the flock below and discover their endearing stories.
Get to Know the Birds
Click a bird to discover their story
How It All Began
The Birds of Wisdom are a flock of enchanting, artistic birds who wear fun hats, love music, read a lot and travel all over. They have taken up residence in my Paper & Whimsy world and have lots of stories to share.
They began many years ago with one funky little handmade bird that kept appearing on my handcrafted greeting cards. I loved that bird and imagined an entire flock forming a band, traveling from place to place, and putting smiles on people’s faces.
The idea sat quietly in the back of my mind — nesting, you might say — for more than nine years.
Then, finally, the Birds of Wisdom began to take flight, and today the flock includes singers, musicians, travelers, readers, photographers, a navigator, a style icon, a chef/baker, and several other birds whose exact purpose may not have revealed itself yet. Today, the flock has grown to 41 wonderfully whimsical birds! Apparently, once these birds start hatching, they are difficult to stop.
So, the Birds of Wisdom have become an ever-evolving Paper & Whimsy story. On any given day, the flock might be:
- Rehearsing with the band.
- Preparing for a world tour.
- Reading.
- Baking backstage.
- Visiting the Hats of Wonder shop.
- Drinking wine.
- And whatever adventure they dream up next.
You'll find them gracing handcrafted greeting cards, postcards, tags, journals, stickers, magnets and bookmarks. Throughout the year, the flock will celebrate some very unusual and obscure "holidays" — because apparently the world contains far more reasons to make somebody a card than I ever realized. You may find them celebrating Thinking of You Week, Mad Hatter Day, World Postcard Day and whatever delightfully odd occasion catches our attention next. They'll share some Words of Wisdom, and hopefully create some wonder and joy.
What matters most is that each piece feels like a little unexpected gift — something created to make another person smile.
Their adventures continue to evolve, largely because I keep having ideas.
Want to see where the Birds of Wisdom turn up next? Follow along on Instagram or Pinterest—new birds, new hats and the occasional random act of art, delivered straight to your feed.
The Birds of Wisdom band and some very special guests from the flock.
How the Birds Come to Life
The Birds of Wisdom are part handmade art, part digital collaboration, and part whatever strange idea occurs to me next.
For many years I’ve made greeting cards, painted papers, collages, journals, tags, bookmarks and all sorts of other paper creations. I used that work — along with my own visual style, favorite colors, sense of humor, handmade papers, old bird designs and creative preferences — to develop the Birds of Wisdom with AI as a creative partner. I like to say that I taught AI to think a little more like Wendy. 😉
Together, we developed the visual language of the flock: collage-like bodies, patterned papers, enormous expressive eyes, quirky proportions and, of course, their very important hats.
But the digital imagery is only the beginning. I print, cut, layer, glue, emboss, stitch, tear, tuck, fold and embellish the images with real papers, fibers, ribbons, tags, pockets, tickets and anything else that seems like it belongs. The finished artwork is a hybrid of digital creativity and traditional handmade paper art — which means many of these projects find their way back to my art table with scissors and glue, exactly where I like it.
Looking to purchase or commission a piece?
I'm open for custom and personalized cards. Email me at WendyG@paperandwhimsy.com or DM me on Instagram—I'd love to hear what you have in mind. The Birds of Wisdom illustrations build their story world. My handmade cards and paper pieces are one-of-a-kind interpretations of that world, created in my own paper and collage style. Please visit the Card Gallery to get a sense for that style.
Henri, the artist bird from the Birds of Wisdom collection.
The Birds, Made by Hand
Looking to purchase cards?
Thanks for your interest in my cards. I am open for commissions. You can request custom and personalized cards. Please email me at WendyG@paperandwhimsy.com or fill out a quick form for more info.