2025 Sneak Peek: Twelve Days of Christmas

On the second day of Christmas
Gregor Benedetti brings us Two Turtle Doves!

In 2024, the Twelve Days of Christmas. Papercraft series made its debut and became a new favorite among so many of our ornament fans. So, when Gregor told us he could finally share a sneak peek at his second ornament in the series, that was music to our ears! Featuring two lilac turtle doves nested among glistening gold accents and greenery. this latest ornament is filled with beautiful details sure to make every spirit bright.

Twelve Days of Christmas
2nd in the series.

“Certain details in the series will remain the same each year like the overall shape, number at the top and printed song verse on the back. But I’m giving each new ornament a unique decorative archway border on the front and its own color palette that will make the layered paper scene inside really shine,” Gregor says. “These distinctive features will give series collectors something special to point out about each of the ornaments when they’re displayed.”

After Gregor brainstormed the sketch and initial design, he began digitally sculpting the ornament, playing with textures and color until the team was happy with the final look. Then, it was time to call in the engineers!

“Gregor and I got together and discussed how we could break the artwork into different layers to create more depth in the pieces and bring in bough of finely cut greenery to frame the doves,” says Christina Ferguson, a senior design engineer in the Keepsake Studio. “I worked with him to suggest places the greenery could be placed so they would be securely glued to the wood frames and provide specification for the thickness of the scalloped top that holds the ribbon hanger, making sure it was sturdy and would hold up over time.”

Kristina says Gregor also came to her with the idea to add windows to the back and sides of the piece to let more light peek in and brighten the artwork.

“Gregor is so easy to work with and has a great eye for paper sculptures.” Kristina says, “I love any time I get to spend with the artists! Our process in the Keepsake Studio is very collaborative and everyone’s opinion counts, which makes our pieces a real team effort.”

Speaking of team, another person who helped bring the series to life is Senior Designer Technician R.J. Stebbens After Gregor and Kristina nailed down the design, R.J. used a laser to create a prototype of the ornament.

“This is the most exciting part for me is when you can finally see the ornament take shape,” Gregor says, “Another fun fact is that we’re achieving the original paper mockups from this series in the Christmas Ornament vault. My hopes is they can be part of a future public display somewhere down the road. They’re also so beautiful!”

The collaboration across the studio has made creating such an intricate series smooth so far, Gregor says, “But ask me again when we get to Ten Lords a -Leaping!”