Thomas Leiblein

Sometimes you start something without even knowing it... 

Our personal and company story actually started when my wife Silvie, my newborn son Amiel, and I lived on 444 Bergen St. in Brooklyn, NY. We were resettling back in Brooklyn, our hometown, after Paris, France left us broke. Our financial situation was still rough after coming home, and we became worried since now we were both first-time parents. One day, Silvie came home and brought a salt shaker bottle, a pack of sculpy, and some wooden modeling tools. She said, “Do something with it; we need more income!” Since I was considered the artist in the family, I had no choice other  than to think something up.  I started by sculpting a cow, a horse, and a pig - all animals I knew from growing up in Germany's country side. That's how it began. As a family business, it continued for a couple of years, before Silvie fell ill with cancer. That’s when we moved to New Mexico, the "Land of Enchantment". Unfortuantely, in 2001, Silvie passed away. Even while I write this, I realize how deeply am I still affected by it. On the bright side, my son Amiel looks a lot like Silvie, so I am reminded of her every time I see him.