Once upon a time, there was a Minneapolis lawyer who dreamed of doing something more creative. So he moved to New York, took a sales job with ornament designer Christopher Radko, started designing baubles himself, then launched his own line (www. davidstranddesigns.com) last year.
Strand's glass ornaments, sold locally at Ampersand and the General Store of Minnetonka, range from traditional yuletide themes (Santas and snowmen), to fairy tales, to the offbeat (a collection inspired by the Village People of '70s disco fame). "When I presented those sketches to the workshop in Italy, they said, 'Are you serious? Will anyone buy those?'" Strand recalled. "But they do very well."
Q You've said you started designing Christmas ornaments because you couldn't find the ones you wanted. What were you looking for?
A My own aesthetic: traditional, elegant yet clean and crisp. Not severe -- I try to retain some whimsy -- but I like a simpler look. I don't like a tree dripping with ornaments.
Q In your "It Takes a Village" collection, you've got the cop, the Indian, the construction worker and the cowboy -- but why no biker or soldier?
A I thought the whole assortment would be too out there, especially the biker. But retailers and collectors asked where they were. So next year I'm adding them.
Q What inspired "Lobster Roll" with Santa bearing lobsters?
A There's a lobster shack on Long Island called the Lobster Roll. I've always thought it was an interesting name, and I wanted a deep-sea Santa. I think of Santa as more of a concept, of joy and happiness in unexpected places.
