Hippo Mojo Blog » Ornaments

Ballerina Hippo Ornament

Hippo Honcho — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:02:09 +0000

This darling ballerina hippo stretches her arms in exuberance as she leaps into the air, her blue tulle skirt flaring around her. She makes a delightful gift for dancers or hippo collectors.

Ballerina Hippo Ornament

Get her here!

Fancy HippoMiss Ornament with Pink Scarf

Hippo Honcho — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 01:34:31 +0000

Here is a delightfully silly hippo decorated in colorful paisley with a fluffy pink feathered boa wrapped around her neck. She wears blue dancing shoes and is overall a charming and whimsical piece.

Fancy HippoMiss With Pink Scarf

* Measures 4 1/2″ x 3″ x 2-1/2″
* Crafted of glass
* Created by December Diamonds

If you really need another hippo ornament (hey, who doesn’t?) click here to make this yours.

Horace the Hippo Comes To Hippo Mojo

Hippo Honcho — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 06:42:37 +0000

Horace the Hippo will be a fanciful addition to your holiday tree or hippopotamus ornament collection. He is from American designer Abigail Pfeffer from her exclusive collection at Tannenbaum Treasures. Horace is a handcrafted glass ornament, mouth blown and hand painted by European craftsmen. Horace measures about 5″ high and comes individually boxed, ready for gift giving. Horace is not the cheapest ornament around, but he’ll bring many years of happiness to your hippo friend or fanatic.

Horace the Hippo Glass Christmas Ornament (This photograph is copyrighted by Hippo Mojo LLC, 2010, and may not be used elsewhere for any purpose)

About Tannenbaum Treaures

Since their founding in 1983, Tannenbaum Treasures has been exclusively in the business of importing the finest holiday decorations from Europe. Their products are hand-made in Germany and Poland. Tannenbaum Treasures has developed an extraordinary collection of exclusive new designs. Created by American artists, these designs are sold under the name Abigail’s Collection®. These designs are influenced by the finest in European tradition but are also distinctly American in their appeal. They represent a young, fresh approach to the noble tradition of hand painted glass ornaments. Crafted by the best Polish artisans, Abigail’s Collection® ornaments have met with critical approval and are fast becoming among the most popular ornaments among serious collectors.

Buy your own Horace the Hippo ornament here.

Beaded Hippopotamus Ornament

Hippo Honcho — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 01:36:38 +0000

Hang our quizzical beaded hippo ornament from your holiday tree this year! Made from sequins and glass beads on satin, this sweet hippo is finished with silver cording and measures approximately 3” wide. Each is handmade by a talented self-help group of low-income, fair trade artisans in Agra, India, using traditional Zardozi embroidery techniques.

Beaded Hippopotamus Ornament

This special ornament is imported by WorldFinds, a fair trade company founded in 2000. Fair trade is an equitable, long-term relationship between trading partners, and a way to ensure low-income artisans are truly being helped out of poverty.

From the WorldFinds website:

Fair trade is a growing movement to help low-income artisans in developing countries move towards economic self-sufficiency. It promotes sustainability on all levels and creates opportunities to alleviate poverty. Artisans receive fair wages, education, financial and technical assistance, and have safe working conditions. Fair trade organizations like WorldFinds pre-pay 50% for their products upfront, and work closely with the artisans on design and quality. Fair trade is about respectful relationships and is having a positive impact on the lives of thousands of artisans. It is starting to make the world a better place. It is also a long-awaited alternative to traditional trade and a way to effect real social change!

WorldFinds ensures that we:

- pay a fair wage in the local context
- support safe, healthy & participatory workplaces
- provide 50% pre-payment for orders placed
- build long-term relationships
- provide ongoing education and training
- ensure environmental sustainability
- provide equal opportunities for all people, particularly the most disadvantaged
- respect cultural identity
- build long-term, direct relationships

There are 9 Principles of Fair Trade recently adopted by the Fair Trade Federation,
and soon there will be explicit practices on how those principles can be achieved.
All of this and a wealth of great information about fair trade can be found
at: www.fairtradefederation.org.

Buy yours here.

Ballerina Hippo Ornament

Hippo Honcho — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:02:42 +0000

Ballerina Hippo Ornament

This is, by far, the cutest hippo ornament I’ve seen in a long time. This silly gal has a fluffy green tutu decorated with roses and wears ballet shoes on all four feet! Every hippo lover will adore this ornament and look forward to unpacking it every year for the holiday season.

The Ballerina Hippo Ornament measures about 4 1/2″ long and comes ready to hang with a gold cord.

Grab one here!

Angelic Hippo Ornaments To Light Up Your Holiday Tree

Hippo Honcho — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:47:35 +0000

A few new hippo ornaments arrived at our warehouse over the weekend. They are made by Pilgrim Imports, a fair trade importer. All are of gleaming metal: silver, copper, and gold in color and decorated with glass beads, rivets, and swirls.

Flower Hippo Ornament

Copper Hippo Angel Ornament

Silver Hippo Angel Ornament

Mr. Happy Hippo Ornament

Our hippo ornaments make wonderful holiday gifts for friends, family, and coworkers, and can be stuffed into stockings or presented in a box or gift bag. Browse our selection of hippo ornaments here.

Bert Anderson Hippo Ornament

Hippo Honcho — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:14:59 +0000

Bert Anderson Hippo Ornament

We are so pleased to announce that we will now be carrying the hippo ornament from Bert Anderson’s collection of amazing sculptures. This cute hippo friend has dangly legs and a sweet, happy face and is a must have for any tree. Buy yours here.

While we will only be carrying the hippo ornaments (duh! this IS a hippo store!), Bert has a complete line of wonderful creations that you can see here.

And here’s some info on Bert from his website:

Bert Anderson has been sculpting ideas in clay since his school days. He’s worked with a variety of subject matter from old west figurines to whimsical gnomes. Although the overall look has been different with each project, the one thing that always seemed to show up in his work is humor. There have been obvious puns and gags as well as something simple like a subtle look that makes you smile – or laugh. Bert graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, not really knowing what he wanted to do. He had been sculpting pieces all this time for family and friends, but never considered that making figurines was a possible career move. After he had created a line of Christmas items, he heard about the process of resin casting. Once he found a method to reproduce his work, everything changed. He was able to produce a line of items of exceptional quality that could be enjoyed by everyone.

Before there can be a figurine or ornament, there must first be an idea. Bert gets his ideas from ‘all over’. Memories from childhood or a face in the crowd can spark an idea. “I never start with a finished image in mind,” Bert explains. “I like to let the clay have a say in what the final piece will look like. Sometimes the best ideas seem to jump out of the clay as I’m working. I’m always adding things and taking them away, trying different looks until I’m satisfied with the results. It’s my hope that this method of sculpting gives a feeling of spontaneity to the piece.”

Bert makes his original piece out of a polymer clay. When it is finished and fired, skilled artisans prepare a latex mold of the original that exacts every detail. Into this mold is poured a special resin mixture. After a curing period, the casting is removed from the mold. After all the seam lines have been cleaned, the piece is hand painted and antiqued. This antiquing brings out all of the detail while giving the piece an old-world look. Careful attention is paid during all phases of the production process so that each piece is true to the original. The final result is an exact copy of the original work that is ready for someone to enjoy.

“There are two aspects of this venture that make all the work worthwhile,” explains Bert. “The first is the thrill of seeing a personality emerge from a lump of clay. The second is that people enjoy my work enough that they take one of my pieces into their homes and make it a part of their lives. As an artist, that is the greatest compliment any could give me.”

New Hippos Join the Pod

Hippo Honcho — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:10:29 +0000

We are happy to welcome a selection of new hippos to the pod!

Hippo Head Magnet

Animal magnetism is present throughout the animal kingdom, so why not throughout your home or work, too – at least wherever there is metal for these magnetic sculptures to grab onto. Hippopotamus head is remarkably detailed in stone resin. (Buy now…)

Roaring Hippo Figurine

Our hand-painted stone resin hippo figurine is the next best thing to a safari or a visit to a wildlife park. From wild to domestic, the Amazon to the zoo, this collectible hippo is intricately detailed and will make a great addition to any hippo collection. (Buy now…)

Hippo Wine Bottle Stopper

Your favorite animal will be the toast of the town on these pewter-base, cork bottle stoppers, designed to fit any standard bottle. Ideal for gift giving! See them here.

Hippo Key Ring

Give your keys animal appeal with a cute hippo companion. Made of cold cast stone resin and beautifully hand painted. Buy one today…

Mini Hippo Figurine

Short on space but big on animals? Members of the animal kingdom come in many forms and sizes, and we’ve captured this hippo in precise detail. This highly collectible figurine will grace any shelf or surface with charm and interest. It makes a great stocking stuffer or party favor. (Buy now…)

Hippo with Scarf Ornament

They usually hang out only in their native habitat, but now you can change all that with these hanging ornaments. Made from a cold cast stone resin and beautifully hand painted, our hippo ornament wears a festive wreath and is ready for gift-giving. Click to purchase now!

Hippo Gift Box Ornament

A richly detailed hippopotamus figurine is nestled inside this blue gift box with a loop for hanging on your holiday tree, in front of a window, or wherever you like. The hippo is hand painted on stone resin and boxed. Buy one today for the hippo collector in your life!

Christmas in January???!!!

Hippo Honcho — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:17:07 +0000

Okay, we know, we know, nobody wants to buy Christmas tree ornaments in January! Nevertheless, we just received a large order of hippo ornaments. Crazy, we know, but that’s the way we do things here at Hippo Mojo. We also believe that hippo fans will buy hippo stuff all year-round, even holiday items! Prove us right by ordering your holiday ornaments today!

Hippo Christmas Ornaments

Handmade Metal Hippo Ornaments & Gifts

Hippo Honcho — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:03:19 +0000

We are pleased to announce the arrival of hippo book charms, ornaments, pin cards, and magnet frames from Pilgrim Imports, a Wisconsin wholesale importer. Two of the items are shown below and the rest appear on our shopping site.

Roller Skating Hippo Gift Card

Roller Skating Metal Hippo Ornament

Pilgrim Imports is committed to building and supporting communities of craftsmen while purchasing items at a fair wage. Read more about Pilgrim below.

Pilgrim Imports originated over 23 years ago in a village outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand. There, craftspeople and their families gather for an annual celebration that has become known as Pilgrim Family Day. The day features food, friends, and fun. Spirits are high as sports jerseys and t-shirts for the Pilgrim-sponsored teams are distributed along with special gifts and announcements.

You would barely guess that two decades ago this was a chronically poor area; families accustomed to closeness were commonly forced to separate for survival as children went to work in Bangkok’s factories and tourist trades. Traditional village life deteriorated in the face of poverty.

No longer do the villagers consider sending their kids away to the big city. Now, over 400 neighbors in this rural land work together to produce the art pieces Pilgrim buyers and customers love. They are able to remain in their homeland and utilize traditional metalworking skills.

Pilgrim continues to draw ever more members into its extended family. Just this year, two new master craftsmen and their families came on board, bringing the total of master artisans to fifteen.

This is how it should be, for there are many tasks that need to be completed on the Thai end to create Pilgrim’s adorable ornaments, pins, and jewelry. Fortunately, all of these jobs are honest, clean, and economical. No one thinks of dumping trash in rivers or landfills because the villagers work right where they live. No lead or any other dangerous chemicals are used in the products (although children should still take care when handling the pins and other sharp objects).

Besides generally improving quality of life for hundreds, the work Pilgrim offers set other improvements in motion. For instance, the village’s local grade school received a paved road, computers and clean drinking water. The Thai Department of Education cited this once destitute place of learning as a model for rural schooling.

The Thai villagers are glad for the opportunity to improve the lives of their children. These are people who cherish family, food, and friendship; they are welcoming and overflowing with unforgettable hospitality and kindness. Like us, they relish special occasions such as festivals, farmers markets, social gatherings, dinners, and sporting events.

More importantly, these Thai people are proud to preserve their village traditions and happy to be close to each other. They appreciate the work which sustains their way of life, and they are pleased to learn that others enjoy the projects they create. Look for the light of admirable people inside of every Pilgrim product, and we will keep “working together for good” to bring it to you.