The Keepsake Studio spoke with Hallmark Artist Matt Johnson about himself and shared a glimpse of an ornament he created for 2025.

Matt: “I’ve been at Hallmark for 13 years now. I moved here from central California and studied industrial design at the University of Kansas. I worked a variety of different design positions, including at a toy company and an exhibit design company. Then one day around Halloween, my mom ran into someone in the neighborhood who worked at Hallmark. Because of that meeting, I was able to meet some Hallmarkers and interviewed for a few different jobs—but then a Keepsake position opened up and it was just perfect. I’ve been in the Keepsake Studio for my entire time at Hallmark.”

Matt: “We love getting outdoors once the weather cools off. We’re planning a vacation to go hiking and see the leaves change. It’s good to have time with friends and family, doing everything from apple picking to pumpkin carving and taking in some scary movies. I can’t wait!”

Matt: “This was originally Tracy Larsen’s idea, and he had pulled some reference images and cartoon inspiration. I thought it was a fun concept, so I looked at a lot of mug shots in pop culture and movies, like The Usual Suspects, Raising Arizona and Barbie™. The mug shot is something that really fascinates a lot of people.

When I was designing the ornament, I wasn’t sure how tall to make the reindeer, so I made him about my height. I like to think Grandma was fine, and she decided not to press charges, so luckily, all the reindeer will be back at the North Pole in time for Christmas deliveries.”

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer