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“All of the critters in this stocking are pets I’ve personally known and loved. The bird is my beloved cockatiel Opie, who lived to the ripe old age of 25. The hamster is Wiley, a friendly little hammie I had in college. The dog was inspired by my sister’s feisty schnauzer, Russell. The kitten has the same sweet face as my niece’s cat, Nala. And as a child, I had a bunny named Thumper that looked just like the bunny in the stocking!”

Nina Aubé’s family didn’t have a fireplace mantel when she was growing up but that didn’t stop them from hanging Christmas stockings. They simply improvised and hung them on their buffet drawer handles! So, creating this first in the Stocking Stuffers series brought back great memories for Nina.

“Upon awakening at the crack of dawn, it was tradition for my two sisters and me to make a beeline for our stockings. We’d immediately start gobbling up the candy inside. There was always a small gift in each stocking, in my case usually a small animal figurine or doll. I adored tiny toys and objects and still do, so perhaps that inspired me to put cute little animals in this ornament. Plus, I love animals, of course!”

Nina hopes the personal connections that inspired her design of this ornament will bring you fond memories of your own traditions that you’ll share those memories with loved ones.

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2022 SNEAK PEEK

You can look forward to a different Keepsake artist creating a new Stocking Stuffers ornament for this series every year, adding to the meaning and memories behind each design. Anita Marra Rogers will bring you the second in the series in 2022.

Terri Steiger has always loved snow. Growing up in Cleveland, she remembers sitting by the window outside the bedroom just waiting for the snow to begin.

“I would get so excited to see the first flakes! I looked forward to walking to school in the snow and remember my red mittens having frozen clumps of snow on them and my fingers being numb from the cold. But that didn’t stop my siblings and me from playing in the snow for hours. I would catch snowflakes and wish they would never melt because they were so pretty.”

That love of snow was the perfect inspiration for the third in her Noble Nutcrackers series, the Duke of Winter. Terry says, “I wanted to portray him as king of all things icy, frosty and snowy, as my homage to my favorite part of the season.”

She also became intrigued by nutcrackers when she visited a German gift shop while in college. “I would go in there and look at all the nutcrackers, and I was fascinated by them. I bought one, which was a stretch on my art students budget, but I was drawn to the design and quality of the wooden guy.”

For Terry, this design is all about wonder.

“I hope you’ll like the icy, glittery feel of the nutcracker. I wanted the dense glitter around the shoulders to look like snow falling and the design to give a nod to the beauty and intricacy of each snowflake. My hope is that his crowd will capture that moment in time for you when a single snowflake can evoke a sense of amazement.”

It’s a feeling that Terry still anticipates each winter as she waits for the first magical snowflakes to fall.

“Duke of Winter.” Behind the Designs. 8-9

Introducing Gregor Benedetti’s new series, Gnome for Christmas! Featuring playful pals good Gnaughty and Gnice, the series highlights their mischievous antics and festive fun.

“My initial inspiration was to come up with my own unique brand of good storytelling with a little humor sprinkled in. These two characters celebrate Christmas in different but complementary ways. And although all their future festive misadventures, at the end of the day they’ll always know how to sit back, relax and have a good laugh just like all the best, odd couples.”

Gregor also credits members of the Keepsake Ornament Club for inspiring him. “I had my first opportunity to meet the amazing Keepsake fans at the 2019 KOC Convention. Chatting with them and seeing their passion for ornaments influenced me greatly!”

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2022 SNEAK PEEK

Here’s a little sneak peek at Gregor’s second ornament in the series, available in 2022.

“It’s my love letter to the fans and club members that I met at the Keepsake event. And keep a look out because coming up with new ideas for this series will be mostly inspired by you in years to come!”

Tammy Haddix loves to put as much storytelling as she can into her ornaments, and her Holiday Parade series is a great example of how she brings those stories to life. Each vehicle in the parade tells a mini-story about a fellow Keepsake artist!

The third ornament in the series joins the parade this year, featuring Robert’s snow removal truck. “This design is inspired by Robert Hurlburt and the fact that he lives in the country, over an hour away from Hallmark headquarters. Several times he has gotten trapped and was unable to make it into work because of flooding or snowstorms. I thought Robert definitely needed his own snow plow, so he can clear his own path!”

As she began this series, Tammy found inspiration in the quaint, small-town feel of North Kansas City. “My husband and I love taking our boys to the Snake Saturday Parade in North Kansas City. I also love how the town decorates for Christmas, so I thought a parade in a cute little Christmas Town would be a fun idea, using trucks as a way to tie it all together.

Tammy hopes having a glimpse into the stories of each artist she features will be a fun way of getting to know them all.

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2022 SNEAK PEEK

Here’s a sneak peek of the next ornament in the parade, inspired by Kristina Gaughran!

“The Christmas tree is a fairy house, and there are lots of little touches to tell Kristina’s story that you’ll hear later!”