Latest News: Characters & Interests

In with the old
Keepsake Artist Matt Johnson and Hallmark Archivist Samantha Bradbeer Stephens give historic art a new life in the Vintage Greetings series.

“If there’s one thing our founder J.C. Hall believed in, it was the importance of creativity. That’s why, in the 1950s, he began creating a historical collection of artwork to help inspire artists and writers. That collection grew and grew, and today the Hallmark Archives is home to over 500,000 pieces, some dating all the way back to the 17th Century.

Just like J.C. intended, Hallmarkers still search the archives for inspiration. But they’re also able to reimagine art in entirely new ways, thanks to partnership with our resident archivist and historian, Samantha Bradbeer Stephens.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with dozens of artists over the past 13 years to create a wide range of vintage-inspired products,” says Samantha. “I love sharing Hallmark’s long, rich heritage and passion for connection, creativity and craftsmanship.”

For the first ornament in the new, club-exclusive Vintage Greetings series, Matt Johnson began by looking through hundreds of vintage cards stored in the archives.

Santa card by Vivian Smith

“I found a beautiful Santa card by an artist named Vivian Smith, who worked at Hallmark from 1924–1970, and that became our starting point,” Matt says.

According to Samantha, Vivian began her Hallmark career as a colorist, meaning she added color to others’ artwork, rather than creating her own. But soon after starting, she won a contest to become Hallmark’s very first artist trainee.

“From cute children and lighthearted animals to stylish couples and jolly Santa Clauses, Vivian could do it all,” Samantha says. “She also holds the distinction of being the first Hallmark artist allowed to add a signature to her work.”

Vintage Greetings
1st in the series.

Matt was honored to give Vivian’s artwork new life and share her legacy with the next generation of fans, but he also knew how important it was to get every detail just right when transforming the design from 2D to 3D. But just like Santa himself, Matt delivered!

“Matt is a wonder at both modernizing and transforming vintage designs, while honoring the original artist’s intention,” Samantha says. “His process makes these designs truly timeless.”

Sugar & spice
Meet Ginger, a new limited-quantity ornament and the third merry member of the gnome sisters.

Gnaughty and Gnice, sugar and spice—that’s what Gnome for Christmas is made of.

“When I found out Gnaughty and Gnice were going to be the stars of the show in the Gnome for Christmas series, I was like, wait, these two fellas need an amazing support system, like I’ve had with my own sisters,” Keepsake Artist Gregor Benedetti says. “The five Spice sisters love partaking in their brothers’ Christmas shenanigans and don’t mind being the center of attention every now and then.”

Gregor says he began the design process by brainstorming different ways that the sisters’ storylines could match the adorable antics of their big brothers.

Ginger’s Favorite Gift

“Ginger being Gnaughty’s little helper, happily holding her Christmas bauble ready to pitch in and help decorate Gnice for the holidays, made perfect sense for the 2024 ornament,” Gregor says. “Another fun design element is that each of the sisters have their own special charm dangle attached to the top of their long, pointed hats. Ginger’s is an acorn.”

After he settled on the idea, Gregor says he pulled out a notepad and pencil and got to sketching. From there, he scanned the drawings into his computer and filled in the festive details, colors and patterns. The result is as cute as can be and, luckily, Gregor says there’s more sweetness where that came from.

“Peppermint is making her debut in 2025. Dare I say she might just be my favorite?”

Memories for the making
This Christmas, you’re invited to our historic Kansas City home for the first-ever Hallmark Christmas Experience.

Christmas is our favorite time of year and we know it’s yours, too. So we can’t wait to get together and make some memories at the ultimate ho-ho-holiday celebration: Hallmark Christmas Experience, every weekend November 29–December 23.

This year’s inaugural event is an extension of the rich history of Christmas at Kansas City’s Crown Center, the home to Hallmark’s headquarters. Did you know the Crown Center shopping center was first envisioned in the early 1960s by Hallmark’s founder, J.C. Hall, and his son, Donald J. Hall? And for more than 50 years, Crown Center Square has been home to the Mayor’s Christmas Tree—a real, towering tree that stands proudly in the square and marks the start of the holiday season for our city. (Last year’s tree was 100 feet tall!)

“With the mayor’s tree and all the decorations, Crown Center is the perfect setting to come together,” says Keepsake Artist Jake Angell. “I also get to set up as a crafter and can’t wait to share my personal artwork, too!”

That’s right—our very own Keepsake artists will be among the vendors at the event. We’ve hosted Hallmarket for years as an insiders-only craft fair where Hallmark artists sell their homegrown handiwork, but this year we’re bringing it to the public as a special Holiday Hallmarket. That’s where you’ll find the event-exclusive ornament, too.

Along with the market, visitors will enjoy a food hall, ice skating, a Holiday Light Walk and more. The club-exclusive events, December 5–7, feature artist signings and artist chats. But if you can’t make the exclusive weekend, the other activities will be available every weekend, all season long. And anyone can visit the square for free—no ticket required. The more, the merrier!

“Everyone in the entire building is so excited to share what has been in the works,” says Artist Emma Leturgez-Smith. “I can’t wait to see the concept art of the outdoor market and our huge tree come to life and transform our home into a beautiful Christmas market!”

Hallmark Christmas Experience ornament
Limited Edition

Don’t miss this event-exclusive ornament! I sculpted this sweet little Santa in wax before adding a pom-pom to his hat and a bow made out of ribbon to his gift. I just love adding extra details that help bring the ornament to life.

—Tammy Haddix