John Hein Woodcarver

01/18/2025

When a cold spell is about to set in, you want to make sure you have plenty of things to carve. Have Loon bodies and heads cut-out? Yep, about 60 of each. What if you run out of those? Plenty of other cut-outs on hand.

01/07/2025

Keeping busy as there are only 324 days until the Christmas Market opens.

01/04/2025

January may just be beginning but in my dreams I am sitting by the lake, carving Loon ornament heads at our place up North.

01/03/2025

That feeling you get when you find out that the person (Partric Michelle), who saw and wanted to purchase one of your carvings on Whittling Club, turns out to be a scammer.

01/02/2025

And so begins 2025 with about 30 Chick-a-dee ornaments.

12/24/2024

To all of you who follow this page and those of you that we met at the 2024 German American Institute "Christmas in Germany" or the St Paul European Christmas Market, Karen and I wish you the merriest of Christmas' and all the best in the upcoming New Year.

12/13/2024

St Paul European Christmas Market tonight.https://www.facebook.com/share/1F8RE24hZC/

🎄👹 Get ready for a festive fright! Come to the European Christmas Market tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 13, and catch Krampus in action from 7:00 - 8:30 PM!
📍Union Depot, St. Paul, MN

12/11/2024

And so begins another batch of small Cardinals (approx 2 1/4" length, 1" thick). Aiming to have at least half of them finished today.

12/02/2024

The opening weekend of the St Paul European Christmas Market featured some low temperatures but was well attended. #1 selling item was our Loon ornament followed by our Cardinal pair at their bird house.

11/23/2024

The 2024 St Paul (MN) European Christmas Market starts next week-end. We will be among the 70 vendors on-site. We have the good fortune of being located just outside the depot on the 2nd floor nearby the Berr/Gluwien tent and a pretzel vendor.
The market gets busy so I recommend that you take advantage of a free Light Rail ride for you and the family. Follow the link below.
Stop by and say Hi! (If I am not in our hut, check the Beer Tent.

Enjoy Free rides to Union Depot Hub for the Holidays with Metro Transit! Download the free ride pass and take the Metro Transit Green Line right to the front doors...

11/09/2024

The vendors are set for this year's Christmas Market. Let's hope the weather is as pleasant as it was last year.

Vendors Enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of an authentic European Christmas Market while supporting our local crafters and artisans selling unique, handmade holiday gifts and delicious European and festive foods! Would you like to be a vendor at the 2025 European Christmas Market? Just fill out the fo...

11/04/2024

Please READ ME. Someone is "phishing' using my e-mail .account. Appears to effect only those who have purchased wood from me.

10/27/2024

Circa 1952 in the mountains above Los Angeles. My Mom loved to drive up to be in the snow. Bald tires, no chains, no gloves, no hats? Nothing would deter her. The little guy on the left is my brother Jim, whose birthday is today. On the right is my sister Dee Dee and brother Bobby. Jim is sporting a new jacket, as is my sister. Me? I'l l have one when Bobby outgrows his. Middle children understand this.

10/25/2024

Karen and I have been carving and painting our handmade ornaments since last year's market ended. While our Cardinals remain everyone's favorite we will have several new items available.

10/24/2024

Answering the important questions of whittling wood... is a 1"x1"x4" piece of wood scrap?

10/10/2024

This week from the archives we meet Alonso Varela (1568 - 1632), my 10th Great Grandfather. He arrived in Nueva España (present day Mexico) with and his brother, Pedro Varela, from Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain at the end of the 16th century. They presented themselves at Las Minas de Casco, Nueva Vizcaya, as soldiers prepared to travel to the far northern territory of La Nueva México in the army of Juan de Oñate.

The Onate Expedition completed the 700 mile march across the desert arriving in present day Santa Fe in 1598. The Varelas and are recorded among the Founders of Santa Fe. Nearby, it was in the area of La Ciénega that Alonso Varela, established his estancia in 1628. The Varela estancia was located in the general area of the modern-day living history museum of Las Golondrinas, southwest of Santa Fe.

My Grandfather would be born in La Cienega some 225 years later.

10/07/2024

Meagan joined 19,999 other runners in the Twin Cities Marathon. Here she is at the half-way mark.