Archive for the ‘Holiday Decorating’ Category

~* American Made Gift Ideas *~

Friday, December 9th, 2011

At Sturbridge Yankee Workshop, we know our customers value quality, American made products. Below we have gathered some of our favorite made in the USA products that might be just the gift this holiday season that you’ve been searching for. Supporting artisans and manufacturers that handcraft or produce items here in the states will make you feel good, especially this time of year. To browse all of our Made in the USA products click here: here.


Each year and sometimes each season we add more Woolys® to our collection and perhaps it gives you the opportunity to do so as well. But these adorable little, 100% wool snowmen also make the perfect gift this holiday season. Perhaps for that someone who is difficult to buy for, a small gift to swap at your friend’s or work party or what will be the most talked about teacher gift. Seen here to the left we have our All Tangled Up Wooly®, new for the Holiday 2011 catalog. This poor little Wooly, has gotten himself all tangled up, while hanging bulbs on the Christmas Tree. Wrapped in a variety of multi-colored bulbs, he has also managed to grab a tree branch and tuck it under his arm. With matching hat and scarf this friendly Wooly needs your help! Click here to meet all of our collectible snowman friends.


At Sturbridge we have a nice selection of American made games and even one that features our great nation, as seen here to the right in the America-opoly Game. Offering a spin-off of the classic game, here you can buy properties such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Route 66, the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls. Collect Homes and trade them in for Estates. Land on the Fourth of July and scoop up the cash from the center of the board. Or you might consider something smaller like our Football Vintage Tin, which offers a portable game board. Players roll dice and use the enclosed chart to determine plays, including touchdowns, gains, sacks, incompletes, interceptions, fumbles and penalties. This attractive collector’s box makes a great stocking stuffer! Click here to see all of American made games.


Candles are nice any time of year but having candles like these around, will truly make your home feel warm and cozy; and make it smell scrumptious too. New for this season, is our Candle Baker, seen here to the left. A unique gift idea for anyone on your list, our Candle Bakers offer an impressive 130 hours of average burn time. Made with real soy and infused with pure beeswax, candles like this one boast clean burning and healthy living. The stoneware crock with engraved solid wood lid that the candle sits in, doubles as a 32ounce baking dish after use. It is entirely oven, microwave and dishwasher safe! In your choice of an array of delicious smelling scent options, we know you’ll find one you love. Other soy based candles you might be interested in are our Farmhouse Jar Candle or for a bit of nostalgia, our Milk Bottle Jar Candle.


Amazingly tasty, all of our gourmet treats are proudly made here in the USA. Our Maple Basil Roasted Almonds will be a real delight for whoever receives them in their stocking or as a small gift. Presented in a compact, green package, these nuts contain all natural ingredients with no added preservatives. Other gourmet goodies include different flavored nuts like the ones mentioned above, baking mixes for desserts and breads, like our Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Mix and our new line of sauces, salsas, dip oils, and drizzles, such as our Sun Dried Tomato & Roasted Garlic Dip Oil and certainly not least, our jelly and jams, like the yummy Strawberry Rhubarb Jam. Consider combining your favorites together in a gift basket for the perfect foodie gift.

We hope this mini gift guide of American made products will help you in your holiday shopping and inspire you to share the idea of supporting nationally crafted items with your friends and family this year.


Winter Accents

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

At Sturbridge Yankee Workshop we are proud to offer many decorative products to help you with your home decor this season. It’s not always about the red and green however, below we have gathered some items we feel would be great for the holidays but also appropriate throughout the entire winter season. Consider smaller themes of Peace on Earth, Snowflakes, Sleigh Rides or Snowmen for your home today. For a complete look at all of our holiday and winter themed products click here.


Peace on Earth

“Peace on Earth,” a message usually heard only around the holidays is a theme that will continue to highlight your home throughout the winter. Seen here to the left is our Peace on Earth Wall Plaque. A white dove extending a holly bough, brings us the popular sentiment designed by artist Lisa Hilliker. The plaque went through a twelve step process to adhere the image to wood, giving it a ‘canvas painting’ appearance. Feel peaceful with other Sturbridge items such as our Peace Star Pillow or our Peace Angel Ornament. Our Peace Star Pillow is crafted of wool felt material to appear cozy and warm wherever you decide to place this small and charming pillow. The Peace Angel Ornament is reminiscent of the snow angels we made as a child. Simply designed and dressed in ivory wool to highlight her magnificent wings, you’ll love this handcrafted, 100% natural wool ornament; you don’t need a tree to hang this beauty!

Snowflakes

Winter is synonymous with snowfall and snowflakes (even if you live where it never snows) and a great way to celebrate the season is to decorate with them! Again, although great for the holidays, any of these items mentioned here can be used throughout the winter months. Pictured here to the right is our Snowflake Pillow. The bright red background (or green if you prefer), contrasts gorgeously with the white falling snowflake in the center. The hand hooked wool technique showcases all the details. To match, consider our Snowflake Chair Pad.

Another idea when thinking snowflakes this winter is our Glitter Lace Table Topper and coordinating Glitter Lace Valance; both proudly made in the USA. The Glitter Lace Collection at Sturbridge is designed with an intricate pattern of snowflakes, scalloped edges and a touch of glitter weaved into the polyester lace material. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

 

A Winter Sleigh Ride

Featured here to the left is our beautiful Sleigh Ride Print, by an unknown artist. At Sturbridge Yankee Workshop we are proud to say that this print is a five star rated item. A Victorian winter couple on a holiday ride in the snow, captures the feel of the brisk winter air all around us. As long as there’s snow, there can be sleigh rides and that’s why decorating your home with sleigh ride themed items works all winter long.

Other sleigh rides you and your family might consider taking are found in our ever popular Grandmother’s House Print or our Winter Again Print; both featuring fast paced sleigh rides over a landscape of snowy hills. If it’s just the sleigh itself you’re looking for, consider our Sleigh Pillar Holder. A rustic red with exposed metal, touches of gold and a distressed finish give this sleigh a very antique appearance. It will look great displayed with pillar style candles on top of your mantle. Tie it all together with our Sleigh Rides & Hot Cocoa Sign, made from pinewood in the USA.

Cheerful Snowmen

At Sturbridge Yankee Workshop we have a large variety of snowman themed decor, but here are just a few that we know you’ll love. Pictured here to the right is our Snowman Candy Dish, which is proudly handcrafted from a hard shell gourd here in the USA. Display peppermints, candy canes, nuts, and other winter candies inside the snowman’s belly. This jolly fellow, dressed in a red scarf and matching earmuffs, will be a welcoming site as you come in from the cold. A snowman item that your children or grandchildren might love, is our Snowman Night Light. Adding a sweet touch to your winter and snowy themed decorating, this night light is made of pretty stained glass and nickel plating to ensure this light will be shiny for years to come. If you really love snowman and want to perhaps have one in every room, consider any of our Snowman Woolys and collect them all!

For more snowman themed decorating ideas, check out an article from our website here.

Breathtaking Winter Scenes by Artist Fred Swan

Monday, November 28th, 2011

If you’re searching for the perfect gift for the art enthusiast or collector on your list this season, then consider artwork by Vermont artist Fred Swan. At Sturbridge Yankee Workshop we offer a couple of beautiful prints by this artist that are perfect to display during this time of year. Read all about our distinguished artist and his work at Sturbridge below.


Fred Swan

Fred Swan, unlike many of our artists at Sturbridge Yankee Workshop, did not begin painting professionally until later in life. A graduate of the US Naval Academy, Fred actually is a self taught artist. He worked as a mathematics teacher at Spaulding High School in Barre, Vermont; where he still lives and works in his studio today. Upon retirement in 2000, Fred seriously took to painting full time. He is the past winner of The Saturday Evening Post Cover Contest in 1979; perhaps the first time others learned of Fred’s artistic talents.

Soon after and up to the present day, Fred has been featured in a variety of publications, such as Yankee Magazine and Vermont Life Magazine. Fred Swan has become known as an accomplished landscape artist and an artist who has as many say, an “immediately recognizable style.” He draws inspiration from the rustic beauty that surrounds him on a daily basis. Currently, his work is displayed in numerous private and corporate collections, like Johnson and Johnson, the estate of Malcolm Forbes and the Vermont Council of the Arts. Many of his paintings have been adapted for calendars and jig-saw puzzles.

Snowy Scenes

Fred paints beautiful landscapes and house/barn scenes for all seasons, though his depiction of winter is breathtaking. Somehow he is able to portray warmth and nostalgia amongst the beds of snow and dark nights. Two examples of his winter scenes are found above and offered here at Sturbridge. To the left we have our Night Run Fox Print, where a mischievous red fox is seen in the foreground, almost peering back to check if he has any followers. A happy New England village is inviting you back inside to get warm; instilling the feeling of being nestled in by a fire. Shown below is our December Night Print; a similar theme though a bit more peaceful. A wooden barn, snow covered path, wire fence and the trees whose leaves have all been long gone, highlight the white house with lights aglow.


The realism in both of his paintings featured above is exceptional and beautifully framed with a double mat border, under glass. Working exclusively in acrylic paints, his meticulous attention to detail is supported by a very patient hand. Some of his original paintings can take an average of 500 hours to produce. The length of time to create these works of art forces him to consistently limit the number made of each publication; this is to ensure he has time to work on new paintings. Artist Fred Swan exposes rural country life so well because he truly has a passion for it and you can clearly see this love in all of his work over the past 30 years.

~Thank you Fred for sharing your talents with Sturbridge Yankee Workshop!