31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 28 Check out April Cummins One of a Kind Primitive Santa Claus Figures and Snowmen

So, I just found out what OOAK stands for...One Of A Kind.

If I had all the room and money in the world, there are many Santa Claus figures I would love to collect, and at least one of April Cummins adorable 24" tall, one of kind Santas would definitely grace my home.

I blogged before about the Timeless Collectibles being so affordable right now,  especially for the quality of their craftsmanship. April Cummins Santas are available now on eBay at very reasonable starting bids and shipping costs.

Now, I've never seen her pieces in person so please read her descriptions and contact her with any questions.

I'll keep this blog brief, because as they say, "A picture speaks a thousand words."

Primitive Santa Claus Raggedy Ann

Primitive Santa Claus Patriotic Antique Quilt

Primitive Santa Flocked Sheep Antique Coverlet

Primitive Handmade Old Red Santa Claus Primitive Sheep

Primitive Santa Claus Rocking Horse Raggedy Ann Quilt

Primitive Santa Claus Antique Ornament, Book, Sheep

Primitive Santa Claus Vintage Fabric

Primitive Santa Claus Pull Toy Sheep

Plus MANY, MANY more Santas, Snowmen, and Dolls.

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 27 We CAN Rebuild Him. We Have the Technology...and a glue gun!

Two days ago, I wrote a post on the diminishing popularity and decreased value of a once very expensive line of Santa figures called Timeless Collectibles created by Carol Bouquet Enterprises, Inc. in Kellogg, MN.

Photos from eBay listing

Today I received one of these Santas that I purchased off eBay.  I was concerned that it would not be as nice as my original Santa because the seller did not offer much in the way of a description. With minutes left on the auction, I took a chance and was thrilled when my Santa arrived. He has real fox or raccoon fur and the trademark Tibetan lamb hair beard.


















And he is huge, at almost 20" tall.

In the photo from the eBay listing, I noticed something was not right about his face.

His beard was not attached symmetrically and that really bugged me.





























So, when he arrived, the first thing I did (after taking his photo) was to...you guess it...rip his beard off his face!

AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Really? I am a crafter and I have a pretty sound grip on the material, so I did it without fear because I knew I could make him better.















I used a hair dryer to soften the glue and pulled the extra piece away from his face.

There was excess pelt on one side of his face, so I tore it off the 3/4" or so piece off the beard along with another small piece that tore off when I was removing the beard.






I was able to soften the glue with the hair dryer and reattach the beard and the small pieces of hair.

However, I do plan to reinforce it with my glue gun which is out in my studio and I never got around to going out and getting it.

So much for the title of this post!



Basically, his mustache just needs to be finger combed into place. NEVER put glue ON your hair. It will yellow or turn brown.

Now, isn't that better?

The point is...if something is not right about your Santa and it CAN be fixed...then FIX it! 

I'm not talking about an artist original. If there is a problem with those, ask the artist if they will repair it.

So, don't let a crossed eye or missing limb hamper the enjoyment of you Santa; FIX IT!

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 26 A Simple Way to Make Your Own Heirloom Santa

I hate to sew.

Well, maybe I don't really hate sewing, I just have a really cheap Brother sewing machine that takes all the fun out of it.

I am the assistant of theatrical costumer, and she probably hates sewing more than I do, so she does all the fun stuff like draping, and I end up cutting and sewing.

But give me something to embellish, and I am a happy camper!

This is why I have been combing eBay for inexpensive Santas who have great costumes. I can always replace the head and beards, replace the fake fur with real, add some embellishments, then make this Santa my own Heirloom Santa.

I am always collecting toys, trees, and other accouterments to add to my Santas. I search garages sales, estate sales, and thrift shops for clothing made from vintage fabric, leather, suede, and fur.

Most people would not think to "tamper" with an original, and I would not if it were an original piece. I am talking about the mass produced versions that you would pick up at chain store.

Compared to some of the $300-$500 Santas, you could create your own Heirloom Santa for less than $100

For example:

This Santa has nice "bone structure" but his eyes look a little dead.

I would start by removing the beard and hat and giving this Santa a new paint job adding a few lines to accent his wrinkles and give him a more "gleeful" look. 

Another trick is to actually make the pupils larger than these using a pale blue acrylic, add irises and a couple of highlights. Gray eyelashes would give him a more realistic look.

On small faces, I use a wooden toothpick dipped into the paint. I also like to use a glassy acrylic sealer to give the eyes that extra sparkle. 

A trick I used from a Santa Claus artist is to add a single piece of glitter to each eye. It is harder than is sounds but the effect is awesome.

This $1200 Santa on eBay is a good example of how to paint your Santa's face to give it more character.

Bard's of Illinois Display 

I also would replace the artificial beard with Tibetan Lamb Hair like the Bard Santa.  You should be able to use the original beard as your patter

Available on eBay or Amaz

This "Tree Topper" Santa does not have legs, instead the costume is draped over a plastic or cardboard cone with added padding to soften the form.

However, you can find or make a muslin doll boy to fit this particular costume, or use an armature and wrap it in batting.




I chose this particular Santa because I felt it had a well constructed costume, but don't be surprised if the Santa your buy is constructed mostly from a hot glue gun.





This frayed end of this knot could easily be clipped. You can add fray check or even super glue to the end to prevent further unraveling.












There are so many things you can do to embellish this hat. I would add gold braid to this hat or at the minimum, sew a gold jingle bell or tassel on the end.

Now if you go with the armature, he'll need some pants, even if they are covered up by the robe. I just prefer a more finished look.

And don't forget the boots. Boots can be a challenge to sew but you can always buy a pair.

Porcelain Santa Boots

Something that bothers me is a Santa without mittens or gloves. If he is dressed in a heavy fur lined robe...wouldn't his hands get really cold and chapped?

Now what this Santa needs is accessories!

I would take his bag and empty out the stuffing because it looks too light and does't hang as if it really has something (other than stuffing) on the inside.

Shopping for toys and accessories can be an ongoing thing and in my opinion, the more the merrier.

My advice, find or make wrapped gifts, miniature books, toys, bells, a sleigh, a wreath, and a tree that is in proportion to your Santa.

Doll house miniatures are just too small for this Santa so look for something more on a three inches equals one foot scale.  I find a lot of ornaments in the appropriate size.

3" Jointed Teddy Bear

3.5" Rag Doll

4" Tall Nutcracker Ornaments

Have fun putting together your own Heirloom Santa! And when you're done, please send me a photo of it in the comment section.

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 25 Whatever happened to Timeless Collectable Santas from Carol Bouquet Enterprise, Inc?

There is nothing like trying to write a cheerful blot about the Jolly Ol' Elf when you are feeling rather ill. But I will press on, because i am determined to provide you with 31 days of my entertaining and informative prose!

In the early nineties, a series of limited edition Santa Claus figures started popping up in upscale gift shops. These fine fellows were approximately 20" tall (or long depending on their  position) with real fur lining their well constructed finery and silky beards made from Tibetan sheep hair.

Believe me, this was not Santa for a Vegan or Animal Rights Activist.

Their faces, all similar in style which made them very recognizable to collectors, was very simple in design and I believe they were composition if not bisque.

I'm saying "I believe" because I can find little information on these Santas. Even the ones listed on eBay and WorthPoint Santa Carol Bouquet Enterprises Numbered Ltd Ed MIB

I recall seeing these Santas for my first time in Monroe, LA at a store named The Pillars which went out of business in the late nineties.

My mother picked up a couple during their going out of business sale and gave me one for Christmas. I seem to recall that even at %50 off, this Santa cost around $150-$165. Remember how I said that if someone gave me a Santa as a gift, it usually wasn't one of the styles that I collected AND I prefer Santa doing Santa-like things as in carrying toys and trees, etc.? Well, I think this one is definitely an exception.

Mine is tucked away in my Christmas closet, but the good news is that I borrowed this image from eBay. I seem to recall my Santa also having a coat that you could hang on the coat rack. Hmmmm

Oh, and I added a small vintage handmade paintbrush to my Santa that fits in his hand holding the paint pallet.

The bad news...the Santa in the photo sold on eBay for only $10. TEN BUCKS!!!!

If you've been perusing eBay lately for Santas, you'll find that even junky Santas (yeah...I said junky Santas) have starting bids set at twice this price! Of course, I don't know what the shipping costs were on this listing, but on a previous listing it was set at $18.72.  

That is really sad.

As far as decorate Santas go, I think these pieces by Carol Bouquet Enterprises, Inc (Kellogg, MN) are rich with detail, come with interesting "accessories" and are worth WAY more than what they are going for on eBay.  Which could be to a collectors advantage.

Currently there are several Timeless Collectible Santas by Carol Bouquet Enterprises, Inc. available on eBay.

Check them out now while the starting bids are still low, perhaps you can get a good deal so that when the word gets out about them, their popularity and their value will increase.

Happy Shopping!

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 24 Dee Gann Santas...How can I resist?

Do you recall in my recent post Buying Collectible Santas Through Online Auctions PART DEUX Another Bad Experience, I told about a seller, unhappy that his auction sold for their low starting bid, cancelled out our transactions and resist the items that I had won fair and square.

I also mentioned in that blog how fortunate I was in retrospect to have found such a beautiful Santa for less than what I would have paid for just the padded shipping of those auctions.

Then, I was searching eBay for Santa's in auctions that were ending soon, and with less than three minutes left, I came across this handsome fellow. 

The starting bid was very reasonable, and I was so tempted to bid on him but I really don't collect Santas doing things other than delivering toys, etc. So, I decided to let him go to someone who would love to have him i their kitchen. Come to think about it, maybe I WOULD love to have him in my kitchen! Hmmmm

Anyway...

With him comes this card that says he was designed by Dee Gann.

I was not familiar with the artist, so I did a little Google search and was I delighted when images of gorgeous Santas filled my screen. Dee Gann is truly and artist extraordinaire whose work is highly collectible and her designs are sought after by companies like House of Hatten and Raz.

I know what your thinking...Dee Gann was a designer for House of Hatten and Geri did not know about her? 

Well, I usually collect the Denise Calla and other ornaments. Early this year, I acquired my first H of H Santa figure and recently I purchased another through eBay.

If you love beautiful Santas with incredible attention to detail, I suggest you visit Dee Cann's website and LIKE her Facebook page at Dee Gann Santas. Her one of kind Santas are fashionable dressed and loaded with antique or custom made toys.

Finally, I'd like to add this. I was curious about the Santa I'd purchased (the one pictured at the beginning of the blog) and I saw where Dee has a Guest Book on her website and I sent her a message asking if my Santa was one of her designs and about another one I had purchased. 

She replied on the same day and said that my Santa was one that she had designed but the other Santa I asked about was not.  

I can really appreciate the effort and passion she puts into her work and I am so pleased that she found the time to respond when I know how busy she is this close to Christmas. 

She also sent this photo for me to post on my blog.

If you are looking for a spectacular gift or family heirloom, I suggest you visit Dee Gann's website and consider one of her Santas. I read a comment from a very pleased customer who was complementing Dee for the Santas she had dressed in her daughter's coat. Talk about heirlooms!

If there was ever a Santa artist I'd wish to aspire to, it would be Dee. I have been collecting toys and vintage fabrics for years. With my recent purchase of fresh Cernit and cold porcelain to work with...and don't forget the eyes...I'm looking forward to some serious Santa crafting!

The only problem, I don't know how I could part with them.

If you want to read another blogs about Dee Gann's Santas, check out Saturday Arts Save: Dee Gann Santas and 5th and state: Dee Gann's Santa's

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 23 I Can't Let This Day Go By Without Blogging About Santas

Santa have taken over my living room and dining room. As I sit here, two are watching me type perched on a table beside my chair.  I feel as if I have bitten off more than I can chew today.

I received my big purchase of Santas that I blogged about on the 15th and not only are they taking over every horizontal surface, their box and bubble wrap is still in a heap on the floor.

I have to ask, "Why doesn't the bubble wrap fit back into the box even when the Santas were removed?"

Anyway, I've got work tomorrow and I'm just too tired to type.

31 DAYS of SANTA CLAUS Day 22 Saving Santas

Often I find damaged, mass produced, or just plain unattractive Santas on my hunt and I want to collectors and crafters to consider this.

Don't look at what is wrong with it, look at what is right.

I just found this handsome Santa figure on eBay and offered a reasonable amount which was accepted  just minutes before the item closed out.

His little paint scuffed face just said, "Save me!" so I decided I would try.

Look past that he is on a tree topper stand and that he has no body, his scraggly yellow beard, fake fur, and the fact that one had is damaged and the other is missing.

Notice that he does have a nice wardrobe with a lot of detail, and a sculpted face with a lot of personality. His beard is natural sheep's wool (or lamb hair) so there is a lot I can do for him. Of course, he has to come in the mail first.

I will update this post when he does and I have worked on him.  

Repairing/replacing his hands should be easy; however, I want to maintain the decorative pieces. Adding toys, a wreath, or tree will help as well.

Because I have crafted Santas for years, I usually have some lamb hair in my studio that I can fill in his beard with. He will need to have his mustache removed because the glue has yellowed so badly, but there are glues that work well and do not yellow that I will use to replace a new mustache.

He has a few skinned places on this nose that looks like a repaint will fix, plus I think he needs a bit more blush being that he is out in the cold. i can not tell if he has eyelashes, but I can always add some.

The fake fur trim around his coat can be easily replaced with real rabbit fur, are bits from an old mink coat. If I decide to use his original fake fur, I can mist it with water and fluff up any crushed areas.

Don't give up on your well worn Santas. It is best that you try to repair them or send them to someone who can, especially if they are sentimental.

Check back daily, there is more to come, along with updates on older posts.