Tannenbaum Ceramics is a family business created by Ida Leonhard and her son Heinrich in 1982. They worked together for twenty years, traveling to craftshows together all across the midwest. Each ornament is hand-crafted from mold to finished product, and each one is unique.
2011 Bell
All of Heinrich's ornaments are initialed and dated. Because each piece is hand-painted individually by him, the designs can vary year to year - or even bell to bell.
Bubble Fish
The use of under-glaze lends itself well to fish because the colors bright and the clear top coat of glaze makes the fish shine. Heinrich uses watercolor-like technique to get beautiful washes on these pieces.
Snowman
Heinrich's Christmas ornaments range from bells with reindeer to Santa bells. He tends to craft a special new piece holiday every few years, usually a special Santa bell, although he recently made a gingerbread house bell with a gingerbread man as a clapper. This snowman is created using actual twigs for his arms!
Snowflake Faerie Bell
People Bells were one of the very first things Heinrich and his mother Ida made when they started the family business. They have evolved over the years, and each one has its own personality.