31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 8 Sad Day for One Anthony Costanza Santa

I did an update on my post (Day 3) when an Anthony Costanza Santa that I won on eBay arrived in the mail broken.

I was so excited about receiving this Santa. He was about two inches taller than the tallest on I have already. Most of my Costanzas are about ten inches or less. 

But today, I had to take him to the post office to file a claim. They had to keep him and told me he would be tossed in the trash once the claim and been accepted. This made me terribly sad. I doubt I will ever find this exact one from the same "generation" as the other pieces in my collection that is actually signed by the artist, nor will I be able to find one at that price.

Perhaps the Lord did no mean for me to have him.

Yet still, I have been searching eBay for Costanzas that I can afford and I found this one. 

He was manufactured by Enesco, but I think he will go well with my other Costanza Ded Moroz by Enesco.

The Costanzas I purchased in the 90's (Silvestri) have a different face and artistic style. This one is very similar, but if you compare the other faces, I think you'll notice the difference.

I almost always paint my Santas with blue eyes. Most of the Costanza Santas I have collected have brown eyes, with the exception of Ded Moroz.

This next Costanza Santa in the chimney is from around the same time frame as my original collection and was a product of Silvestri as well.

As you can see, he is also signed by the artist and he will look great with my other traditional Santa by Costanza.

I am still waiting for these to arrive in the mail. Lets hope they make it intact.

I just love the way Anthony Costanza carves his Santa's faces!

And then there is this guy. He's only about 6.5" tall. At first the seller was asking a lot for the opening bid. The seller claimed it was wood, but I sent them a message to explain that since it is marked Silvestri on the bottom, and numbered, then this piece is actually made of resin. 

I also asked them (since the auction ended without a bid) if they would please re-list this Santa with an option to make an offer. They did, and when I made a very reasonable offer, they accepted. So, as of now, I am still expecting him to come in the mail.

All photos from this blog were pulled from their original eBay posts. Once I get all my Santas in, I will add them to my collection for a wonderful group photo to share with you.

I did not get to craft any of my own Santas today because I was substitute teaching art for grades Kindergarten through fifth. Teachers who work multiple grades every day must feel as though they have a split personality due to the way they must adjust their teaching and classroom management skills to every level.

But I just loved meeting all the new Kindergarten students and seeing how much my other students have grown and changed over the summer. The best part of being a substitute is that I get to "spoil" the students, like a grandmother, then give them back.

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 7 Finding a Santa Claus in Anything

Creating a Santa from anything and everything is the trend. I know, because I've found Santa in a number of unusual things including two Kalhua bottles.

I recently purchased these three Santas from an estate sale because I will buy just about handcrafted Santa I find. I have to applaud this artist for "finding" the Santas in these two pieces of dried cypress (I think) and a seashell. I've seen a lot of oyster shell and starfish Santas (I've even painted some myself) and sand dollar, and driftwood...etc., but I really like this artist's take on the spindle shell.

I just love the way this artist found the cape in this piece of weathered wood and the way Santa is pointing at something. The star of Bethlehem perhaps?

During my years of Santa crafting and attending shows, I have heard many, many times that is was all about the face, especially the eyes, that appeal to collectors.

This artist did not put a lot of effort into the face, but the shell and smaller piece of cypress do have quite a comical expression. Unfortunately, the larger on looks a bit deranged.

Even though I am VERY tempted to touch it up...I will respect the artist's vision.

Speaking of artist...for heaven's sake...SIGN AND DATE YOUR WORK!

All I have for this artist is his/her initials on the bottom of the largest one.

So, if anyone knows a Santa Claus crafter back in 1996 whose initials are B.G., please let me know.

Here are some Santa ornaments I crafted from slices of a cypress knee. I found these in a one gallon bag at a garage sale and probably only paid a dollar or two.

I've been painting this style of ornament since 1993.

Most of these cypress slice Santas were sold at the 2013 Holiday Arts Tour in Ruston, LA. And yes, they are signed and dated.

Now, I must get dressed and ready for my day. There is nothing like working in your pajamas but it is time to put on carpentry wardrobe because I am still working on my lake house while my husband is off.

We have owned this lake front property in a nice neighborhood on Lake Bistineau, LA for two years and we are still working on it. It's a long story and involves a criminal case...but what renovation doesn't? Believe me, this adventure deserves a blog of its own!

So, I have attached a photo of the house at some point in the remodeling process. This was out Christmas photo two years ago. That is how long this process it taking.

However, we do have one of the bedrooms completed and the bathroom. What else could we possibly need?

I'm looking forward to my husband returning to his real job so that I can get back to work on my Santas!

Sorry, Honey.

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 6 Bill Evans One of a Kind Woodcarvings

Another day of working on the lake house, so no Santa crafting for me, plus I have to keep this short! I only have until my husband finished his second cup of coffee and his breakfast yogurt to get this post finished before I'm off to work.

However, I do want to tell you a bit about my collection and the amazing woodcarvings by Bill Evans. Without going into a lot of details about Mr. Evans (you can find that on his website at http://christmaswhispers.com), I want to talk about why I began collecting his work.

Santas aren't the only thing I collect. The shelves on each end and the brass candle holder with the red candle are Ross Lindblad originals. He once had a studio in Ruston, LA and created lovely cabinets, furniture, lamps, and decorating accessories. I actually have a collection of his work that includes four table lamps. 

I used to live in San Antonio and Del Rio, TX and in November or December I would visit Wimberley, TX during their Market Days on the first Saturday of the month. This was when the vendors started bringing out their vintage Santas, bottle brush trees, and ornaments. I just love it, and the weather is usually wonderful that time of year.

For a few years, there was an adorable little shop within walking distance of the market. It was a Christmas themed shop that sold Anthony Costanza, Paul Bolinger, Lyn Haney, and other hand crafted originals.

The one to the left is carved
from a cypress knee

Unfortunately, the store didn't make it, but during its heyday, I was able to purchase some pricey pieces by some of the lesser known artist, but I will get to that later. The point to this digression is PRICE. I'm talking hundreds to thousands for original hand carved pieces.

So, in 2000, I found Bill Evans carved Santas on eBay at very reasonable starting bids. Mr. Evans has definitely created his own style and has given his Santas a serious expression. At the time I bought my first pieces, I can't remember if he had a website or not, but now his work can be seen all year long and it is still very affordable (approximately $7/inch) PLUS he does custom orders!

I encourage everyone take a look at his website and add one of his beautiful works of art to your holiday decor or Santa Claus collection.

Happy SANTA CLAUS crafting and collecting!

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 5 Ded Moroz

I had to work at the lake house today so I wasn't able to craft any Santas. Instead, I unpacked some glasses and dishes to put in our new kitchen cabinets.

So, today I want to tell you about my Russian Santas. Actually, the Russian "Santa" is named Ded Moroz which translated to "Old Man Frost" or "Father Frost". He is similar to Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas in that he brings gifts, but where Santa likes to sneak in the house, Ded Moroz prefers making a grand appearance in his lavishly decorated coat and thick round hat to hand out his gifts in person.

But did you know that where St. Nicholas got his claim to fame for his generosity, Ded Moroz (who is no Saint) is the descendant of and evil character named Morozka who froze parents and stole their children? Then the parents had to give HIM gifts. That sounds like a pretty good arrangement to me. The parents get a few days away from the kids, they get to shopping together, then go pick up their kids. I don't see a problem with that.

Anyway, now that Ded Moroz has cleaned up his act, he brings his own granddaughter, Snegurochka also known as The Snow Maiden along, perhaps to improve his once dark image. She is always dressed in white and wears a decorative crown. Even though Disney's "Frozen" featured a similar version of The Snow Maiden, poor Snequrochka has a cold heart that only true love can melt, but her version of the story does not always have a happy ending.

Now, why did I decide to collect Ded Moroz when he really isn't Santa?

Well, I first saw him in a magazine, and I just loved his face and his beautiful coat. Each Ded Moroz is hand carved and painted by skilled craftsman in Russia instead of being mass produced in China.  Now, to be fair, some of the smaller ones are reproduced, much like the nesting dolls, but many are one of kind and come with quite an impressive price tag.

These works of art inspired my Santa Claus gourds in that I wanted to find a way to add more dimension to my gourds and that I wanted to incorporate more detail and designs into their coat.

Here are some of my Santas from last year's Holiday Arts Tour juried show in Ruston, LA. My Santa gourds have a variety of expressions, but most are happy. My techniques with combining paint and colored pencil, papier mache' fur, and heavily textured and carved beards add dimension to my copyrighted gourds.

This is my first Ded Moroz. He is only about 5" and I found him on eBay for next to nothing. I've had him for many years, and for many years he's been alone, until if found him a girlfriend. It wasn't Snegurochka, but someone more colorful. Right now she's hanging out with some angels on my staircase wall.

My collection is small, and I mean that in number and size, but I was fortunate to find a larger one (10") at an estate sale for $4.

Say it with me now, "If the Lord meant for me to have it, I would find it at an estate sale." He is missing his magic staff, but I'll whittle him one out once I get some of my other projects under control.

So, This inspired me to look for more good deals and even though I could not beat $4, I found some more smaller ones that usually run around $30 each and I was able win them all on eBay for what one would have cost.




















I was able to find some that represented different styles and the work of different artist. You sure don't see many Ded Moroz playing the accordion.

So, there they are, and for now, I will probably just keep this collection small. Unless...I find some at a garage sale!

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 4 House of Hatten, Beeswax, and other Collectibles

I had no time to create Santas today because my artistic skills were required elsewhere. I helped my husband install a new counter top at our lake house.

The cool thing that I just had to blog about was that I received two packages in the mail yesterday from eeeeeeeBAAAAAAY!  

Well, not eBay specifically, but from eBay sellers who were actually putting collectible Santas up for action at reasonable starting bids. 

So...

"If the Lord wanted me to have something, I'd win it on eBay." See how that expression works with everything! Thank you, Lord, for all the blessings you bestow upon me...and my new Santas!

Anyway...

The smaller box contained a small vintage (?) Santa ornament (bright red) made in Japan who is composed of either hard plastic or a thin ceramic. He's only about 3" tall and has such a sweet face. He'll look great with my other vintage Santas I display on my kitchen hutch at Christmas. 

The second is papier mache' and is probably just a mass produced item but he will still look good on my "bought" Santa ornament tree. I also have a tree that is decorated with Santa ornaments that I made. I have over 300 on that one alone. The "bought" Santas are probably less in number, but it looks as though they are quickly catching up.

The two darker Santas at the bottom left corner are actually made of beeswax cast in an antique chocolate mold. These are the first two beeswax Santa figures I've ever purchased but I have always admired them when I found them at juried shows and antique stores.  

The flash is making them look lighter than they
are in real life.

Beeswax melts at a higher temperature than Gulf wax (or whatever they call petroleum wax these days). I've used Beeswax combined with Gulf wax for creating batiks. It is a very creamy and workable wax, not stiff like the petroleum waxes. But the best thing about beeswax is that it gives the Santas a beautifully translucent skin tone.  

I've seen a few beeswax pieces where the artist stamped the bottom of their piece or actually carved into it to sign it. These two do not have any marks. That doesn't matter to me, I'm just glad to have them and I couldn't wait to tuck them in my display cabinet with my other chalkware and chocolate mold Santas. 

Perhaps I'll try my hand at casting a few this year with my smaller chocolate molds. Beeswax is significantly more expensive that petroleum (Gee, I wonder why?) So, I just might make a few for myself. I have no idea what type of paint they use, I guess I'll research a few wax artist's blogs!

Now, back to the other Santas in the first box!

The Santa ornament in the bottom center no longer has a tag but I believe it is a Silvestri piece because I have another similar ornament. I just love his vintage looking bottle brush wreath he's holding.

And then there is the House of Hatten elf. I generally don't collect elves or Mrs. Claus, but I do have a few reindeer, a vintage elf on a shelf, and a few other vintage elves. But this is a House of Hatten elf, and I love House of Hatten! I already have several pieces, but due to space, the Santas have to be packed away during the rest of the year. But come November, they join the rest of the gang decorating my home. 

Speaking of House of Hatten!

It looks like I'll have a much larger group this year.

The Santa with the tree (ornament) and the sitting Santa, and the one in the sleigh are all new to my collection. I already have the Santa on the moon, the Santa with the goose and I also have a the one with the star on his head, but I think mine might be smaller.

Back in the eighties, I worked in retail, so at Christmas I saw a lot of Santas. I could not afford to collect any nice Santas back then. You know, with rent, food, utilities, gas, plus the clothes I needed for work, I couldn't afford such luxuries as collecting Santas no matter how adorable they were.

There was a store in the mall where I worked that carried House of Hatten (AKA: H of H) and I fell in love with them. In 1988, I purchased my first three Santas at the after Christmas 75% off sale and have treasured them ever since.

I'll most likely have to sell a few of my duplicates this year closer to Christmas, to help pay for the ones I've just bought.

I will keep the little bunny angel ornament because I once had a wonderful New Zealand white rabbit named Mr. Lily. He was an after Easter return to a pet shop and, if they didn't find a home for him, he'd be sold as snake food. Not that I have anything against snakes eating, this particular baby bunny had a lot of personality. He actually stood up on his haunches when I reached in his box and let me pet him and pick him up. Since I had a guinea pig rescue, I thought having a a cute little Easter bunny couldn't be much more trouble, plus we already had another rescued rabbit. He was very large, rather old, and his name was Noo-Noo (pronounced with the long U sound). Yes, he was named after the Teletubbies vacuum cleaner and Noo-Noo is also the term we use when we want the dogs to clean up something spilled on the floor; however, we can't take credit for naming the rabbit. 

When Noo-Noo passed away, we rescued another friend for Mr. Lily named Duzo. Duzo was a supporting actor in the play "The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds" where I played the leading role. He was a scene stealer.

We let our rabbits run in the yard, hang out in the house during days when the weather was bad (even though Duzo pooped everywhere), then we'd put them back in their hutch at night. They were both very affectionate and were like cats in that they'd come to you, but only if they wanted something. The neighbor's dogs never bothered them. That is until one neighbor, who lived about a half mile down the street, got a new (adult) Jack Russell terrier and, within a couple of days, my bunnies were no more.

I actually have a chalkware rabbit in honor of Duzo, so now I have an H of H bunny angel for my sweet Mr. Lily.

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 3 Anthony Costanza Collectibles

My favorite place to shop in Ruston, LA is Rolling Hills Ministry Thrift Store. Fortunately for me (but not so much for my husband), it is only a couple of miles from my home. I always say, "If the Lord meant for me to have it, I'd find it at Rolling Hills." Funny how that same saying applies to Salvation Army, Goodwill, Garage Sales, etc.

So, I purchased a bag of ornaments for $2.55 that had one particular ornament I wanted and several others I didn't. Those will most likely be donated back to RH. Also in this bag, was a set of seven wooden star shaped Santas that I decided to keep.

I had an idea to put my own spin on these hand made yet mass produced Santas, but since I was substitute teaching high school art today, I decided bringing carving tools to school might not be the best plan because sharp items such as carving tools are not permitted on campus with no exceptions.

I knew that the art supply closet had a box with a wood burning tool so I decided to use it instead. I own my on wood burning tools and points and, apparently I forgot why I don't enjoy using them. The smell is toxic and the tool gets so hot you have to wear a glove, and then there is the whole starting a fire on your project part.

My first attempt ended up with a few slips that I tried to work into the design of the coat and hat. The second, well, I pretty much burnt his face off.


Okay then, on to plan B. I've decided to reproduce the Santa starfish I crafted last year but instead of the serious face, I'll sculpt something more cheerful.

Photos to follow.

Now, about collecting.

I have been hitting eBay pretty hard lately searching for Anthony Costanza reproductions of his hand carved Santas similar to the ones I purchased twenty years ago.

Then I happened upon one and made an offer on it and it was accepted. It was much smaller than my other Costanzas but he definitely had the look that I liked.

Then I got into a bidding war with someone on eBay but ended up victorious and purchased this piece signed by Costanza for a very reasonable price and I am anxiously awaiting his arrival.

UPDATED October 7th, 2014

Well, I received this much anticipated Costanza reproduction in the mail and wouldn't you know it...the seller had not securely wrapped the him and placed him in a box that was too small. When I picked up the box, I heard a rattle and I immediately got that sinking feeling.

So, of course, he was broken.

I took this photo before I unwrapped anything. The base was just rolling around loose. There is also a crack that goes halfway down the base.

The worst part is, I don't feel he can be repaired because, even if glued together well,, the compromised base may fail due to the amount of weight it has to bear.

I was so looking forward to adding him to my collection. He would have been the tallest Costanza in my collection. Plus, he would have gone so well with my other pieces.

I believe it was 1991 when Better Homes and Gardens came out with a special interest publication titled "Santa Claus", and it featured classic Santa crafts and in 1999 BH&G published a series in hardback entitled Santa Claus Collection that focused more on Santa artists. To this day, most of my collection and creations are inspired by these series that only were published for about seven to nine years. I highly recommend that anyone who loves and/or collects Santas purchase ALL the volumes.

I am looking up photos and links to help you find publications.

A work in progress:

Santa Claus 1991

Santa Claus 1992

 Santa Claus 2000 

Santa Claus Collection Vol. 1

Santa Claus Collection Vol. 5