Emma Leturgez-Smith
Hallmark Artist

The Keepsake Studio caught up with Hallmark Artist Emma Leturgez-Smith to talk about what’s ahead in 2026 and to share a look at an ornament she designed for this year.

Emma: “I started out as a freelancer, sculpting by hand with hard wax and heat tools. In between working those freelance jobs, I taught myself how to use digital sculpting software so I could get even more ornaments to work on. Freelancing gave me a lot of good practice for the full Keepsake sculptor experience! I officially joined the studio in 2020.”

Emma: “I do have a funny Valentine’s Day memory from when I was a teenager. I was a rather typical teenager and obsessed with my friend group, so I had made a huge batch of treats to share with them. I gave my family express instructions that the treats were off limits. While I wasn’t paying attention, my dad and sister hid about 2/3 of my masterpieces, making it look like they had eaten them. Thankfully, they didn’t actually eat them.”

Snowball and Tuxedo
26th in the series.

Emma: “Snowball and Tuxedo! This is my first ornament since I took over the series. While I was working on it, I had years of old Dream Books opened on my floor so I could study past designs all at once. The sweet and happy expressions on their little faces were my favorite part to work on. I’m excited to have inherited this series and to keep on creating it.”