Did you know Sharon Visker’s Festive Octopus ornament features sound and motion? Simply press the button on the ornament to hear a FUN version of “Jingle Bells” and see the Octopus drum along.

Hallmark: We love that this ornament spreads sea-son’s greetings 😉 with Sharon’s colorful design featuring a crab and octopus that merrily drums along to a calypso version of “Jingle Bells.” And we wanted to hear more about it, so we sat down with Sharon Visker to learn more!

Of her inspiration, Sharon said, “I’ve been fortunate to travel to Tahiti over the past few years and spend a lot of time building sand sculptures of various creatures. It’s become a new hobby of mine, but I don’t get much practice with real beach sand living in Kansas! I have a new appreciation for the beauty of the ocean and beaches even though I’ve never lived close enough to enjoy them on a regular basis. When I started to paint this ornament, I wanted to go after an island/Caribbean color vibe, so I chose a brighter fun palette that reflects island life.”

Who thinks we need a group trip to Tahiti with Sharon? Purely for research purposes, of course!

Hallmark: Because this ornament has magic (sound and motion), we asked Sharon to share more about working with the editorial and engineering teams. She said, “the editorial/sound team came up with an awesome song that has that bongo drum beat with a carefree, fun Christmassy island feel. Then, our engineering team came up with the movement. Four legs of the octopus actually move! They drum to the beat of the song.” Check out a video of the ornament in action here. Scroll through all the pictures until you get to the video. Press the play button to see it in action!

When it came to the styling of the octopus, Sharon had a real-life experience to pull inspiration from! She said, “When I was in Tahiti, I saw a baby octopus up close…that was a pretty cool experience!” More reason for that group trip to Tahiti next time, right?

What do you think? Is this one on your list this year? We know so many of you have beach-themed trees and décor. We think this ornament would fit in perfectly! Pick it up at Ornament Debut in October online or in your local Hallmark Gold Crown store.

Festive Octopus

Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments. “Behind the scenes with Sharon Visker and her Festive Octopus ornament!” Keepsake Ornament Club Facebook Page, September 21, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/groups/KOCMembers/permalink/3233922350181100