Glass Christmas and Holiday Ornaments

Lisa Kelechava had a vision, or perhaps it was a dream, as she said the idea came to her in the middle of the night. The idea was to create beautiful glass ornaments. She has certainly succeeded in living her dream.

All of Joy to The World's ornaments are made by a factory in Poland that has grown along with the ornament company. Kelechava found a factory that is "crazy enough" to try making the most detailed molds and making them work.

Check out their Glitterazzi ornaments, fully glittered hand-blown designs in both traditional and "hot, popular" colors. The non-traditional look is especially appealing to the younger collector.

Also read:

• Joy to the World Company Profile
• Glitterazzi Ornaments
• Oklahoma Centennial Ornaments

Glass ornaments have experienced a rebirth of popularity in the last 10 - 15 years. A large part of that resurgence is because of Christopher Radko. Anyone who is familiar with Radko ornaments knows the oft-told tale of the demise of the family ornaments when the Christmas tree fell. When Radko started out looking for replacement ornaments, few were found. This lead to the formation of Radko, the glass ornament company. Today Radko is a household name, one even non-collectors are familiar with.

Also read:

• About Christopher Radko Ornaments
• Christopher Radko Ornaments, Volume 1
• eBay 2004 Exclusive

Sometimes moving to a completely new place is not enough of an adventure. Just ask Dr. Sarah Stanley, founder of Ornaments to Remember. A move to Hawaii was certainly an exciting change, but she wanted more excitement and glass ornaments with an aloha touch have filled the bill.

Also read:

• About Ornaments to Remember
• For the Love of Ornaments

There's no mistaking the inspiration for these fine art glass ornaments. Each one is itself, a miniature painting paying homage to the artist who created the masterpiece. Creating pieces such as these is more than a job, it requires a passion and dedication. A perfect description of Mia, the founder and driving force of the company.

Also read:

• Mia's Ornaments, Suitable for Framing
• Fine Art Ornaments
• Mia's New York City ornaments

In the early nineties, a cottage industry was born in Krakow, with products that have grown to be highly coveted and acclaimed by collectors. It was in two rooms and a bathtub that Patricia Breen Designs was started.

It's not uncommon to find collectors who fly across the country to attend Breen events just to buy a few glass ornaments. It's also not uncommon to order ornaments sight-unseen, a year before they will actually become available.

If you're new to collecting Patricia Breen ornaments, keep an eye on eBay. Many times the early years can be found at bargain prices. Although these simpler pieces will not have the glitz of later designs, it's always nice to have a few early works from an artist. Also Read:

• Patricia Breen Resources

Today Lady Liberty is depicted in just about every type of collectible and souvenir, but as a holiday collector -- ornaments are my favorites. It seems like every company has made or makes a Statue of Liberty ornament, so finding one is not difficult. The hard part is deciding which one to add to your collection or give as a gift. One good pick is buying from the Ellis Island Foundation, the proceeds go to the organization and the ornaments are beautiful!

David Strand's first collection was released in January 2007 with a selection of Polish, German and Italian glass ornaments. David Strand Designs is now currently showing their third collection and while ornaments are not limited in numbers, they are eventually retired after a few years.

The company is starting a collectors club and it's free! David decided to do something that is fun and informative, but also a way for him to write and tell the story about given designs and sharing relevant stories.

• David Strand Designs

Known for their beautiful glass ornaments, Sarabella Creations has taken a new direction. The company is now licenses by Kurt Adler. KSA is pro ducting the line and designs, but at a more affordable price.

• Sarabella Creations, Extravagant Ornaments for Your Tree
• Sarabella Creations Image Gallery

The difference is in the details. That's the best way to describe the glass ornaments from Gabriela Christoff. That was the good news.

The bad news is they are no longer being produced, but you might find them on the secondary market.

Also Read:

• Gabriela Christoff Ornaments

Larry Fraga creates all the glass ornaments by first sketching his ideas, coloring them and then sending it to one of the glass factories he uses in Europe. They create a plaster mold and then send it to Fraga for adjustments and refinements. These changes are then sent back once again to the factory, which now produces the glass prototypes and sends those to Larry to approve.

Also read:

• Larry Fraga, Growing Up With the Christmas Spirit

Originally the company would buy and import their glass ornaments from various manufacturers in Poland. But according to owner, Ewa Arreola "we quickly realized that the only way to go is to have our own, unique designs". And since she has always been involved in art, it was exciting to get into the new media of ornament design.

• Arreola Designs