Tonya Kochan and Mark Elkovitch
Welcome To Albie’s Workshop Where Coastal Farmhouse
Meets Christmas!
Tonya Kochan, Mark Elkovitch and a spunky little guinea pig named Albie bring you custom designs from the shores of Lake Erie.
Tonya and Mark share a love for the water and the beach. They spent many hours on their boat dreaming about having their own business and a booth at Christmas in the Woods.
As guinea pig parents they found it hard to find Christmas ornaments and decorative items for their little family members. They decided to fill that niche and Albie’s Workshop was born! But how would they display their ornaments?
They kept seeing beautiful pieces of driftwood lying along the shores of Lake Erie. Driftwood Christmas trees, what a perfect fit! It is a perfect excuse for Mark to spend even more time at the lake and enjoy its beauty year-round. The driftwood is collected, cleaned and dried, then hand crafted into beautiful one of a kind sustainable trees. Their little business has filled our home with driftwood furniture, trees, wreaths, birdhouses, crosses, a variety of animals and even a goat for our local farm rescue’s art auction.
Christmas ornaments led to signs and porch leaners. The themes grew from small animals to all things Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virgina. They embraced their Eastern Europen roots and added traditional Christmas greetings like “Christos Razdajetsja” and “Christ is Born.” Tonya’s time in Pittsburgh led to “Merry Yinzmas” and making sure folks know that “He knows if Yinz been nebby.”
They are always adding new animals, themes and phrases. Have something you’d love to see on a sign or ornament, just stop in and let them know! If you are looking for something more special like a driftwood turkey or an ornament with your family’s name on it, they are happy to do custom work as well!
You can find Mark and Tonya at Christmas in the Woods in booth #109. Please stop in and see what’s new for 2023! We’re sorry but Albie will be at home in the workshop keeping the Albie’s Workshop Facebook page updated and filling orders from albies-workshop.square.site.
