New Keepsake Studio Artist: Sam Bassett
The Keepsake Studio spoke with Hallmark Artist Sam Bassett.
Sam: “Thank you! I’m incredibly grateful for the chance to join the Keepsake Studio. It’s a team with such a rich legacy of craftsmanship and creativity. I don’t take that lightly. I’m especially excited to be part of something that becomes a meaningful tradition in peoples’ lives. Honestly, it’s kind of amazing that we get to do this for a living. We create things that spark joy and help people celebrate the memories that matter most—that’s a pretty great gig.”
Sam: “I started at Hallmark in the Greetings Studio in 2005, working on birthday, wedding, anniversary and baby cards. From there, I moved through several seasonal and everyday departments, gaining a broad perspective on the business. I later joined the expanded Trends Studio, where I focused on color strategy, style guides, collection building and microtrends. While there, I helped develop the publishing arm of the studio. After that, I transitioned to New Media Studios, where I worked on a variety of visual storytelling projects for Hallmark involving photography and video. Each role has shaped how I approach creative collaboration, and now I’m excited to bring that experience to the world of Keepsake Ornaments.”
Sam: “Outside of work, I love bicycling. It’s my favorite way to see the city, clear my head and stay active. I especially enjoy riding with my two sons, Oscar and George. It’s become one of our favorite ways to explore, spend time together and make new memories.“
Sam Bassett
Hallmark Artist
Artist Insight: In The Studio with Matt Johnson
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
Artist Insight: In The Studio with Lisa Vogel
The Keepsake Studio spoke with Hallmark Artist Lisa Vogel about herself and shared a glimpse of an ornament she created for 2025.
Lisa: “I have worked at Hallmark for 42 years. When I was 16, I did summer work in the Liberty (Missouri) Distribution Center. At 18 I moved to a warehouse, then to manufacturing at the Crown Center office. When I heard about an opening in the Keepsake Studio, I submitted artwork samples and was brought into the studio temporarily. After a short time, a new opportunity became available, and my role became permanent. Of my 42 years at Hallmark, 37of them have very luckily been in the Keepsake Studio!”
Lisa: “My favorite part of the holidays is setting aside time to spend and celebrate with my family. I love to put a step stool next to my tree and watch my grandbabies push the buttons over and over and giggle every time!”
Lisa: “If you didn’t know, this ornament has a matching plush! I really love the theme for the original plush and was so excited to turn it into a really cute ornament. Almost every family roasts marshmallows together, and it usually includes lots of excitement from the kids who can’t wait to eat them! I know my kids wanted to roast marshmallows every chance they got, and so do my grandchildren. And I think grownups get a kick out of teaching the kids how to roast the perfect marshmallow, too. I wanted to capture all those feelings of joy and fun in this ornament that stars two very sweet snowmen.“
Roasting Marshmallows will be available at Keepsake Ornament Debut in October!
Roasting Marshmallows
Artist Insight: In The Studio with Sharon Visker
The Keepsake Studio spoke with Hallmark Artist Sharon Visker about herself and shared a glimpse of an ornament she created for 2025.
Sharon: “I started at Hallmark straight out of college 41 years ago! I’ve never “officially” designed cards. For the first 15 years of my career, I designed partyware, gift wrap, albums, stickers and gifts until I found my home in the Keepsake Studio.”
Sharon: “I’m a grandma to six grandkids and I think it’s the best job ever! It’s been fun designing ornaments that I think they’ll love and then sending them every Christmas. I’ve heard the “ones with buttons” (meaning sound) are always their favorites! My kids might be cursing me for that, but it makes my heart happy!”
Sharon: “Travel is at the top of my list! I love to see and experience new places. When I’m home, I enjoy scrounging flea markets and antique malls, as well as going to the movies. I’ll do almost anything inside to stay cool!“
Sharon: “I’ve seen the popularity of charcuterie boards the last few years and thought it would be fun to use that as a theme. We used to get the Hickory Farms boxes at Christmas, and we loved sampling the cheese, crackers and salami. I’ve always loved cheese balls, so I had fun turning it into a reindeer to add a little character.“
Season’s Treatings, 17th in the series will be available at Keepsake Ornament Premiere in July!
Season’s Treatings
17th in the series.
Artist Insight: In The Studio with Simone Mariano
The Keepsake Studio spoke with Hallmark Artist Simone Mariano about herself and shared a glimpse of an ornament she created for 2025.
Simone: “I celebrated 5 years at Hallmark this past January! This was my first job out of college, and it’s been lovely getting to be a part of the Keepsake Ornament community. I went to school for illustration but there is something so nice about being able to work on a tangible 3D piece of art.”
Simone: “I have an annual girl’s trip with some of my besties from college, we haven’t decided where to go yet but so far, we’ve gone to Florida, New York and Texas so I can’t wait to see where we’ll go next!”
Simone: “I love cats so I was very excited when I was asked to do this ornament! I don’t have a cat yet (fingers crossed) but some of my favorite cat videos are them messing around with their person’s stuff and being just the cutest harbingers of chaos. I’m also really excited for this lenticular screen, that was a great idea brought to me by fellow artist Nello Williams, and I can’t wait to see it person.“
Mischievous Kittens, 27th in the series will be available at Keepsake Ornament Premiere in July!
Mischievous Kittens
27th in the series.