Painting seems to be Thomas's medium of choice with her Luverne home's walls graced with framed canvases. She also paints ceramics with Christmas as her standard theme. That theme includes numerous Santas, four complete villages and so many ornaments that her tree is decorated only with her own.
"Some are quite plain, and others are fancy," Thomas said of her Santa collection.
The Santa Claus figurines are represented by almost every country she can think of - including Native American, Spanish and Eastern European versions.
Thomas purchases the Santas as greenware (she likes the brand Kimple) and paints them after they've been fired. Each project is then sealed and often becomes a Christmas gift for one of her six children. One daughter recently counted 14 Santas from Thomas.
She started painting 30 years ago under the influence of her older sister. As her own talent blossomed, she included unique art throughout her home - famous artist Mary Renfro painted a lattice and flower mural in her dining room before murals returned to popularity.
"I enjoy doing it," Thomas said. "I like to see them turn out."
Standard versions of Christmas decorations aren't quite what Thomas has in mind when starting a project. "Some people like to have everything matching, but I guess I'm kind of different," she said.
As a stay-at-home mom, Thomas said her children kept her busy, but when they were playing with neighborhood kids, she found time to improve her skills and build a collection.
The hobby keeps Thomas busy year-round. With a stash of unpainted ceramics handy and six children who appreciate her craft, she said she's not stopping anytime soon.
"They're so different. You can use your imagination with the colors - and besides that, they're pretty," Thomas said.