For almost 40 years, Master Crystal Cutter Pepi Herrmann has produced exquisite items that have graced many homes and businesses throughout the Lakes Region and New Hampshire.

This week, however, the Laconia resident and his wife, Katharina, had a "once-in-a-lifetime" moment when an ornament made by Herrmann was placed on the Blue Room Christmas Tree at the White House during a ceremony presided over by First Lady Laura Bush.

"We just came back last night," Herrmann said Thursday. "It was really incredible, really fantastic," he said, to have been chosen to make an ornament for the tree, adding that, "to me, it was quite an honor just to be asked."

Sen. John Sununu's office contacted Herrmann about the opportunity back in June and Herrmann readily agreed, but the effort was kept under wraps until November when Mrs. Bush formally announced it.

According to the White House, all congressmen and senators were asked to designate an artist from their home state or district to make an ornament for the Blue Room Christmas Tree. The artists included an eight-year-old girl from Virginia who put the cardinal, the state bird of Virginia, on her ornament and a 90-year-old man from New York who painted Teddy Roosevelt on his.

New Hampshire's District 1 Congresswoman, Carol Shea-Porter, chose Michelle Fennel of Exeter to make an ornament, while District 2 Congressman Paul Hodes chose Catherine T. Kaplan.

Pepi Herrmann holds an image of the ornament he created for the White House Christmas tree. He was honored Tuesday at the White House, along with artists from throughout the United States, as First Lady Laura Bush congratulated them for being selected by their respective state senators to create the one-of-a-kind ornaments. (DARYL CARLSON/CITIZEN PHOTO) Click here to view Foster's prints for sale

All of the ornaments on the Blue Room Christmas Tree can be seen at www.whitehouse.gov/holiday/2008/ornamentsbystate/index.html.

Herrmann — who came to the Lakes Region in 1968 from his native Austria — took his inspiration from the larger theme of "A Red, White and Blue Christmas" at the White House.

"We are grateful to the White House Executive Residence staff, artists from around the country and many volunteers for decorating the White House red, white and blue," said President George W. Bush and Mrs. Bush in a message on the White House website.

"Thanks to their creativity and hard work, this year's holiday decorations reflect the best of the American spirit," the Bushes said.

One of a small number of master crystal-cutters in the U.S., Herrmann is a proponent of the so-called "lost art" of Brilliant cut crystal.

His White House ornament included cut crystals but only insofar that he then affixed them onto the blank, plastic ornament he was provided.

"Everyone could paint it or whatever. I laminated it with hand-cut crystal. The theme was red, white and blue, so I added some red, blue and clear crystal to form snowflakes and stars and blue bars representing the Stars and Stripes."

The ornament, which took Herrmann almost a week and a half to make, received a final overlay of gold leaf.

"It was a fairly complicated thing. It's a priceless piece, really, and it can never be duplicated. There was a stipulation that this will be a one-of-a-kind and it will never be duplicated — and I wouldn't want to because it was too much work," joked Herrmann.

While this was the first time he has made an ornament for the White House Christmas tree, Herrmann is no stranger to making crystal items for American presidents.

Pepi Herrmann crystal works have been presented to Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan as well as to the current President Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush.

Asked why there were no Democrats among his recipients, Herrmann replied, "It's funny. I've never been asked. All the others came about because someone asked me," and they just happened to go to Republicans.