In style

Some beautiful Christmas decorations come to us from Jim Shore designs. The Santa Claus figurines are out of this world, but this is the only penguin ornament I’ve seen from them. And other than the eggshell ornaments from the previous post, it was the only penguin ornament I wanted in the Annapolis gift shop where I found it. There were a number of other penguin ornaments, but I already had all of them.

Plaster or ceramic penguin that looks like carved wood with blue brocade design on front, red bow tie and checkered coat, Jim Shore Heartwood Creek design

Acquired: October 30, 2011, Gregory Guzzi Gifts, Annapolis, Md.

Number: 0838

Size: 5 inches tall

Price: $19.99

Eggsellent

I don’t expect these ornaments to last very long. I didn’t even think they would make it home intact, but the shop where I bought them each packed in two segments of an egg carton that had been cut into individual cups. I have the ornaments carefully stored, each one in its own soft tissue nest. Keep your fingers crossed until next Christmas and we'll see how they do. I've photographed each from two sides, but the big one in the middle with the two pictures below it are three views of one egg.

Four painted eggshells, made in Autstria, with various winter scenes

Acquired: October 30, 2010, Gregory Guzzi Gifts, Annapolis, Md.

Number: 0834 0835 0836 0837

Size: 2.25 inches

Price: $14.99 each

Little gem

After my conference in Virginia I was able to spend some time with my friends Steve and SallyAnn in Maryland and my niece Becky, who came up from Roanoke. SallyAnn made this little gem of an ornament for me. The penguin is actually a glass bead, which SallyAnn embellished with a few more tiny glass danglers. You can get an idea how small this ornament is if you look at the thickness of its wire hanging hook or at the tree light at the bottom center of the photo. SallyAnn does wonderful things with beads. You can see some examples here: http://www.etsy.com/people/bluegatorjewelry

Glass bead

Acquired: October 28, 2010, gift from SallyAnn Rogers, Mt. Rainier, Md.

Number: 0832

Size: 2 inches tall

Last, but not least

Here is one last ornament from St. Michael’s, Md., and another really good one. It was difficult choosing a penguin to be No. 800, and this one was definitely a contender.

Heavy small, pudgy penguin with Santa hat, blue scarf, holding holly wreath with big red bow

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 0808

Size: 2.75 inches tall

Price: $5.95

Baby dolls

These two ornaments look like they would be just at home dangling over a baby’s cradle as they would hanging on a Christmas tree. 

Coyne’s & Company plush baby toys with green and pink scarves and present and star arches

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 0806 0807

Size: 6.55 inches tall

Price: $3 each

Bell on its toes

This round ceramic penguin ornament is a bell. Its two dangling feet are the clappers.

Round ceramic ball with feet clapper, buggy eyes, red earmuffs and red and green scarf

Round ceramic ball with feet clapper, buggy eyes, red earmuffs and red and green scarf

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 0805

Size: 3 inches tall

Little star

Oh, yeah, I like this little glass star-shaped penguin. Out of all the excellent ornaments I bought in St. Michael’s, I picked this one to be No. 800.

Small glass star-shaped penguin with red scarf with white polka dots and rainbow striped hat

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 0800

Size: 3.5 inches tall

Price: $6.95

Red revisited

Here’s yet another in the series of black and red penguins I posted in October, and now I know more about these ornaments. They are the work of Stephanie Stouffer, a Vermont artist whose designs can be found on cards, stoneware, textiles and cards. I noticed "07Stouffer" stamped on the back side of this Santa on a motorcycle, which led me to the sites on the colored links. It turns out the other black and red ornaments have the same stamp on them. I still don't know how many more of these nifty ornaments might still be out there for me to discover, but I found a couple of my other ornaments are also Stouffer designs in a different style.

Stouffer 07 black and red Santa on a motorcycle

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 0799

Size: 3.5 inches tall and wide

Price: $2 (originally $6.95)

Silver beauties

My visit to The Christmas Shop in St. Michael’s, Md., yielded an unusual number of silver penguins. I was so happy with the blue penguin tree last year that I might try a silver or silver and gold tree next year.

Frosty silver and white penguins with black feet and beaks

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 0797 0798

Size: 3 and 3.25 inches tall

Price: $6.95 each

Four penguins with long silver stocking hats

Black polka dot ball

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 801

Size: 3.25 inches tall

Price: $7.50

Silver tree

Number: 0802

Size: 3.5 inches tall

Price: $6.95

Long silver box

Number: 0803

Size: 4 inches wide

Price: $6.95

Silver candy cane

Number: 0804

Size: 3.5 inches tall

Price: $7.50

Small glass silver penguin and chick with white frosty bellies

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 0809

Size: 4.75 inches tall

Price: $8.95

Painted penguin

On the way home from Rehoboth Beach, Del., St. Michael’s, Md., seemed like it would be a good place to stop for lunch. It also turned out to be a good place to stop for penuin Christmas tree ornaments. This penguin looks a little cross-eyed here, but it’s a beautiful ornament with a distinctive style. Wait ‘til you see the others I found.

Antique wood look ceramic penguin with holly and “Love” on front

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 0796

Size: 2.75 inches tall

Price: $7.50