Ornament Review: Colonial Church 2 - Candlelight Services #7 - 2004 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great sculpt and glow with the right touch of glitter

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

It was done before

But this Colonial Church

Is the better one

The Second Attempt at a Colonial Church Improves on the First

The seventh ornament in the Candlelight Services Hallmark Ornament series marks the debut of a new artist.  Tracy Larsen would design all the ornaments in the second half of the series.  This half of the series has some great pieces, and it starts with the Colonial Church.

This is the second ornament in the series to be called Colonial.  The first time they tried to do a Colonial church I liked the ornament, but didn't think the name was truly appropriate.  Here, I love everything about the ornament.

For starters, this looks like what I picture when I hear Colonial Church.  The plastic if molded to look like white slats of wood.  This is a very white ornament between the white walls, white snow, and white fence out front.  The door and the tiles on the roof are green.  Out front, there is a billboard sign that reads 2004 for the year the ornament was released.

The church is basically a long rectangle until you get to the bell tower.  There is more detail in this tower than there has been in the past ornaments.  For example, there's a clock in the front with the time reading 10 o'clock.  You can actually see a little bell near the top, and something that is supposed to be a weather vane sits on the very top.

One new touch with this ornament is the glitter.  Now I'm often ambivalent about glitter on ornaments.  It can look nice, but it can also stick to your hands and fall all over the floor.  That doesn't seem to be the case here.  The glitter pretty much stays on the roof, the base and other "top" surfaces since it is supposed to be part of the snow.  It really catches the light, making it look like the snow is sparkling.  It's a nice added touch.

The church has a large base, making it perfect for displaying on a shelf or mantle.  The base isn't too much bigger than the church, but there is enough room in the back for Tracy to put his initials.  They aren't nearly as big as the previous artist put his, but it's a fun touch.  Interestingly, the base is only slightly opaque, so light can come through if you hang the ornament.  And yes, the seven in a Christmas tree, denoting that it is the seventh in a series, and a copyright date are down there.

The brass hook for hanging the ornament is hidden just behind the belfry.  It's just to the front of center.  It should have been moved back a little since the ornament does tip forward slightly.

Like the others in the series, this ornament is designed to be attached to a light string.  There's a hole in the back to insert the light, and all the windows glow.  I'm talking about the windows on the side, a couple small ones in front, and the small ones in what represents the attic.  The windows are mostly yellow with a small green border that matches the roof.  The colors are subtle, which really gives it a nice, soft glow.  I love it.

I'm glad that Candlelight Services went back and tackled the Colonial Church a second time because this time they got it right.  I love this version; it's easily my favorite in the series.

Be sure to check out the other ornaments in the Candlelight Services series.

Original Price: $18.95