German Wax Ornaments

I've been frantically putting out our Christmas decorations since Monday, and have fallen into bed worn out every night.  I decided to take a little break today, and I wanted to share with you some of our favorite ornaments.

 If you're interested in German wax ornaments, you can Google them and find information on how they're made and where to buy them online.  We purchased our ornaments from a German lady, Sophie Lehle, at the Craftsmen's Christmas Classic Art and Craft Festival in Greensboro, NC, in the early years of our marriage.  We've had most of these ornaments for close to 30 years.  We attended the craft show every November for years, and almost every year, Sophie and her husband, Rudolph, were there selling her beautiful wax ornaments and angels.

I love the detail in all the faces, and she did an impressive job of painting these, too.  Aren't these wonderful Santa faces?

Sophie was very friendly, and she remembered us from year to year because we almost always had our young son with us, and we would talk with her for a few minutes about her craft.  She told us she learned how to make these ornaments from the nuns at the convent in the German village where she grew up.  They certainly taught her well.

This ornament has so much detail, and I would think it required a lot of patience to paint.  Over the years, we gave so many of these as gifts to family, friends, pre-school teachers, etc.  They were very reasonably priced and not something you can find in the local stores here.

My husband bought the ornament above for me one year -- it's a real treasure.

I love this angel with her silver hair and gold glitter on her horn.  The last year that we saw Sophie at the Craftsmen's Classic, she told us she was retiring.  She had been battling breast cancer, and she said it was just too hard to travel the southeast to participate in all the craft shows.  She and her husband lived in Roaring Gap, NC, and we go through there every year to get our Christmas tree.  I always think of her and wonder if she beat the cancer -- I sure hope so.

Each year when I hang these ornaments on our tree, I'm so thankful to have them.  My in-laws traveled to Germany several years ago, where they visited the Christkindl Market in Nuremberg.  My mother-in-law said these ornaments we purchased from Sophie were prettier than any she saw at the Christmas markets in Germany.

Blessings to you, Sophie, wherever you may be, and Merry Christmas.

My father has been in the hospital since Monday and is supposed to be going home today.  He has been dealing with serious health problems for several years now, and it's hard on him and my mom.  I'm trying to get my things done here at home and finish my shopping so that I can help them out next week if they need me to.  I'm praying that we can all have a good Christmas together this year.

Thank you so much for your visit -- it means more to me than I can express.  I hope you're having a good week, and I wish you Merry and Bright.

I'm linking to the following:
Foodie Friday and Everything Else at Rattlebridge Farm
What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants

Hugs,

Denise