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He couldn't be more charming - Wendt and Kühn's Boy with an Easter Egg

Posted on March 24, 2016 | 0 Comments

New for 2016, Wendt and Kühn's Boy with an Easter Egg on a Pole is simply said - wonderful...

A delightful addition to your Spring Parade.

You will want to discover Wendt and Kühn's new for 2016 collection - some are here, some are coming.  All are fabulous!

 

Posted in Easter, Erzgebirge, German Folk Art, Spring, Wendt and Kühn

The Ultimate Storage for Your Wendt & Kühn Christmas Ornaments

Posted on December 26, 2015 | 0 Comments

This Year - new for 2015 - Wendt and Kühn has introduced a second Slumber Vault (the first being a Slumber Vault to house your Angel Musicians)  - storage box - tailor-made for the safekeeping of your Wendt & Kühn Grunhainichen Angel Christmas Ornaments

Sealed at the factory - the ornament vault measures 18 inches wide x 12 inches deep and 4 inches high and is made of presentation-quality cardboard. 30 compartments house your Grunhainichen Angel ornament collection. The Angel ornaments are pictured on all four sides of the vault.

An exquisite answer for storing and protecting your prized Wendt and Kuhn Christmas ornaments year-in-year-out.  

Posted in Angels, Erzgebirge, German Christmas, German Folk Art, Wendt and Kühn

My Growing Traditions Sends You Warmest Wishes for a Very Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 24, 2015 | 0 Comments

The Legend of the Christmas Spider - the Tradition of Tinsel

Posted on December 18, 2015 | 0 Comments

The story of the Christmas Spider appears in many different versions throughout central and eastern Europe. In all of them the spiders' webs, spun on Christmas Eve, turn to silver and are seen as the beginning of the beautiful tradition of hanging sparkling tinsel on your Christmas tree. The tinsel symbolizes a Christmas miracle from long ago. 

And, the Christmas Spider legend beckons us to give thanks to the industrious spiders by hanging a spider ornament in a special place on our trees.

     

In Germany, the legend has it that a poor woman was unable to provide the traditional decorations for the Christmas holiday. A spider, who had narrowly escaped the dust mop, made his home in her tree and began to spin beautiful webs. On Christmas morning, the first light of the day struck the cobwebs, turning them to silver. When the woman awoke, she found the tree covered with silver treasure - the spider had brought good fortune! And the tradition of hanging tinsel on one's Christmas tree was begun.

This Christmas, pair the Christmas Spider ornament from Inge-Glas with one of these two delightful children's books as a charming addition to your Christmas traditions.

Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel by Shirley Cimo with illustrations by Jane Manning - 

and

The Spider's Gift: A Ukrainian Christmas Story by retold by Eric A. Kimmel with illustrations by Katya Krenina 

There is nothing more special than adding a touch of folklore with a piece of Inge-Glas folk art to your Christmas.

Enjoy our Pinterest Board on Inge-Glas - here

 

Posted in Christmas Legends, Christmas Traditions, German Christmas, German Traditions, Inge-Glas

Christian Ulbricht Ornament Sampler - A Delightful Gift or a Little Something Special for You

Posted on December 13, 2015 | 0 Comments

When it comes to adding something new to your Christmas tree this year, you can't top our Christian Ulbricht Ornament Sampler

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.

The Sampler comes in a My Growing Traditions box and includes-
Toy Soldier - 3-1/2"
Teddy Bear - 2-3/4"
Snowman - 1-1/4"
Mushroom - 1"
Santa on a Comet - 3-3/4" long
Christian Ulbricht - handcrafted in the Erzgebirge, Germany since 1928

A wonderful gift!

Posted in Christian Ulbricht, Erzgebirge, German Christmas, German Folk Art, Santa

The Helbig Workshop Nativity - Your Way

Posted on December 09, 2015 | 0 Comments

The nativity set from the Emil Helbig Workshop, the oldest wood-carving work shop in the Erzgebirge (Germany's Christmas Capital), is without a doubt one of, if not the, finest hand-carved German nativity sets.

The joy of the Emil Helbig Workshop nativity is all the possibilities - rejoice in the complete set (above).

Choose a Helbig Nativity with a Bavarian stable (below) and a selection of nativity figures plus Bavarian accessories.

Choose the simplicity (below) of the Helbig Mary, Joseph, and Jesus with a hand-carved tree and a tree platform (both from the Erzgebirge).

or choose a set of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus (below)

When and if you want to add additional Helbig figures to your selection, we now offer all of them separately -

     the three kings

     the ox

     the donkey

     the sheep     

     the shepherds   

     and the camels     

We feel privileged to be able to offer the Emil Helbig nativity figures to you.  To find them in our shop - click here or on any of the photographs above.

______________________

Emil Helbig Workshop - since 1933
Grunhainichen - A Toy Makers Village
Oldest Woodcarving Workshop in the Erzgebirge
Three generations strong - Celebrating the native Linden Tree
Winner of the 2007 Erzgebirge Craftsman and Toy Makers Association
Award for Outstanding Care in  Preserving the Erzgebirge Tradition
Unique - Original - Elegant

Posted in Christmas Traditions, Emil Helbig, Erzgebirge, German Christmas, German Folk Art, German Traditions, Nativities

A Spectacular 16" Spanbaum with Bird Feeder Nestled Inside Its Branches

Posted on December 05, 2015 | 0 Comments

We have added to our ever popular Wood-Shaved Trees - Spanbaum - with this very special 16" tree with a bird feeder nestled inside its branches. 

Meticulously hand-crafted in the Erzgebirge, Germany, they have many names - Spanbaum, span trees, wood shaved trees, chip or chipped trees, twilled trees, and curled trees. They were first created by Spanbaumstecherei (carvers of Spanbaum trees) in the 1930s and are created with the wood of a linden tree - the trunk lathed, and then each branch carved from that trunk, curl by curl. 

Click here to shop and enjoy a video of how these elegant trees are crafted.

Tall and sturdy - this 16" beauty is a must for your Folk Art collection!

Posted in Erzgebirge, German Folk Art, Trees

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