The aim of this project is to construct a wood, 2/3 scale Wandering Albatross, feathered with charity issued adhesive address labels.

Why?

I donate a small amount of money to a handful of charities throughout the year (and when I say small I'm not just being humble, the total really is tiny). But it seems that I give away just enough dough to keep my selected causes eager to keep me donating. It's also clear that many other vaguely similar organizations have gathered my personal info and are eager to dip into my pockets. And their collective means for currying my favour? They all send me address labels. Hundreds and hundreds of address labels.

A few years ago I had my identity stolen. It turned out to be not very serious, but it was seriously frightening. Since then I shred anything I receive that contains even the smallest amount of personal information. Guess what's really, really hard to shred. Yeah. You guessed it.

As I only use regular mail for 7 or 8 items every year, these address labels have quite literally become an "albatross around my neck" ( check your Coleridge ). So why not carry on with that literal interpretation and put them to some sort of use.
This is the use I've selected.

It's a work in progress. Stay tuned for regular updates.

Update May 2 2011

The bird is finished. Here are the final photos.