Christian Ulbricht Ornament Sampler - A Delightful Gift or a Little Something Special for You
When it comes to adding something new to your Christmas tree this year, you can't top our Christian Ulbricht Ornament Sampler -Â
Save a little money and enjoy these classic wooden, matte finish, with primary colors, ornaments from the Erzgebirge (the Ore Mountains) - Germany's Christmas folk art center.
A wonderful gift!
The Glückspilz (Lucky Mushroom) Tradition
My Growing Traditions offers a selection of German Christmas ornaments depicting the Amanita muscaria Mushroom with its white-spotted bright red cap. Amanita muscaria (common name fly mushroom, or fly agaric), a toadstool, is toxic - dangerously poisonous - and should NEVER be tasted.
But, it should be enjoyed on your Christmas tree.
In the German and other European cultures, the mushroom is seen as a good-luck symbol - Glückpilz (Lucky Mushroom - colloquial "Lucky Duck, Dog, Devil, etc.") - and is "The Mushroom" of Christmas and the New Year, especially as a symbol of a blessing at the turn of the New Year. It honors a reverence of nature and the beauty of the forest - if you find one it is believed to bring you good fortune. It is acknowledged to be the most recognized mushroom on earth. This famous mushroom abounds in Christmas decorations, children's story books, and fairy tales.
As a good-luck symbol and a symbol respecting the beauty of nature the Amanita muscaria mushroom is a traditional ornament on German Christmas trees.
The Christian Ulbricht Workshop from the Erzgebirge, Germany - since 1928 - brings us this dear wooden ornament with an Amanita muscaria:
    
And, Inge-Glas of Germany brings us several Amanita muscaria glass Christmas ornaments Â
      
Flat-top Mushroom      
Add a little Glückpilz - Lucky Mushroom to your Christmas!
Marching Toy Soldiers - Inge-Glas and Christian Ulbricht Ornaments and an Advent Calendar
New for 2013, Marching Toys (Inge-Glas No. 1-048-13, 4-1/2" tall) is a charming and playful Christmas ornament.
Marching Toys, available in either red or yellow, brings to mind the young boys in our family who spent hours with traditional British tin soldiers - Britains Soldiers (Toy Soldier Specialists) played with and collected by young and old alike.
Romanticized by Walt Disney in the Babes of Toyland and the Rockettes of New York City Music Hall with their Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, My Growing Traditions also offers a delightful Toy Soldier Advent Calendar
and a classic wooden ornament by Christian Ulbricht of Germany
Inge-Glas' Snow Tweet with her Christian Ulbricht Cardinal
New for 2013, Snow Tweet (Inge-Glas no. 1-009-13, 4-1/4" tall) is a Limited Edition of 999 pieces, with Presentation Box, and most especially is in collaboration with the German wooden ornament workshop of Christian Ulbricht. Ulbricht has crafted the wooden bird - a Cardinal - in her hand.
Special in so many ways, Snow Tweet is a Snow Baby, or Snow Kinder, a Christmas decoration that has been around since 1905. As Wikipedia explains the original Snow Babies were "involved in some aspect of the Christmas holidays or of winter sports. The traditional snow baby is made of unglazed porcelain (bisque) and shows a child dressed in a snowsuit; the suit itself is covered in small pieces of crushed bisque, giving the appearance of fallen snowflakes."  Inge-Glas replicates the porcelain figures in their Snow Kinder (Kinder is the German word for "child") glass ornaments, creating a fuzzy, snow-crystal like finish on these fun, active little children.
Snow Tweet carries a red bird, or Northern Cardinal, made of wood by the Ulbricht studios in Germany.  The Northern Cardinal is long beloved as a symbol of Christmas cheer and is considered America's "Christmas bird."
My Growing Traditions offers an Inge-Glas Northern Cardinal
and we carry several Christian Ulbricht Christmas birds - a Cardinal on a bird feeder
and two simple little Ulbricht birds, which are not all red, but which are ever so much fun. One is 1-1/2" tall
and the other is 1/2" high 
Happy Childhood
New for 2013, Happy Childhood (Inge-Glas no. 1-005-13, 4-1/2" tall) is a Limited Edition of 999 pieces, with Presentation Box, and most especially is in collaboration with the German wooden ornament workshop of Christian Ulbricht. Ulbricht has crafted the wooden rocking horse in her hand.
This sweet little girl reminds one of a child in a Victorian playroom, as seen in this Bruck and Sohn advent calendar offered by My Growing Traditions.
We must admit we scooped Happy Childhood up immediately as well as Snow Tweet - both being in collaboration with Christian Ulbricht. Â We have loved Ulbricht's simple and elegant Christmas ornaments and carry them proudly at My Growing Traditions.Â
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Toy Shop Advent Calendar and Christian Ulbricht Christmas Toys and Ornaments
This is the first year we have offered the Toy Shop Advent Calendar -
an old-fashioned toy store filled with teddy bears, cars, books, a baby buggy, dolls, rocking horses, the Three Kings with their camel, an elephant, and page, blocks, a Shepherd with his sheep, trees, a wonderful Bavarian Angel, a Christmas Pyramid, birds, etc., etc. It is simply charming. Glitter-dusted. 11" x 12" and Made in Germany. A delightful way to count-down to Christmas.
Many of Christian Ulbricht's classic Christmas ornaments from Seiffen, the Christmas Capital of Germany, are of toys.Â
Supreme among Ulbricht's Christmas toys is a Santa, available both as an ornament and a toy alone - a roly poly toy to be wobbled like a weeble on a table top - the Wackelmensch.
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We had so much fun playing with him last year, we decided to carry him specifically, plus Ulbricht's Santa Wobbly Ornament and his Mushroom Wobbly Ornament.
We also offer Ulbricht's simple and classic Christmas ornaments - natural wood - primary colors -Â
Toy Train
  his Teddy Bear 
and his Toy Soldier
The toys of Christmas from the Toy Shop to your Christmas tree. Â Enjoy!Â
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