2017 Reveal: Series Finals (UPDATED)
Don’t miss the 2017 series finals.
1968 FLH Electra Glide®
Harley-Davidson® Motorcycle Milestones
19th and Final in the series.
While working on the final ornament in this series, Robert thought of his father-in-law, who was a second dad to him and loved all things Harley. Though he’s gone now, Robert says “he would have really loved this bike because it has everything he loved most in a Harley.”
Dug
Disney.Pixar Up
Disney.Pixar Legends
7th and Final in the series.
The final ornament of this series brings sound and light together, which is a first for the series. You’ll hear some of Dug’s most memorable moments from the movie, and his collar lights up, too.
Santa Certified
5th and Final in the series.
You know the very best toys are handcrafted by Santa himself, and only those get the “Santa Certified” seal. Well, this time Santa needed a little help with the crafting, so who else would he call but Ken Crow?
“Don’t miss the 2017 series firsts…and finals.” For Keeps 16 Spring 2017: 2
2017 Sneak Peek: So Much to Celebrate
Not only is 2017 the 30th anniversary of the Keepsake Ornament Club, it’s also the 30th anniversary for a few of the Keepsake Studio artists and a very special series, too.
Robert Chad
Robert Chad began his career at Hallmark with the start of Mary’s Angels, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, too. “This job has gone way beyond any job I could have ever imagined. When I started, I was one of the youngest people in the studio and now I’m the oldest male,” says Robert. Through the years, he has always strived to make each ornament something special.
Honeysuckle
Mary’s Angels
30th in the series.
Baker Snoopy
Spotlight on Snoopy
20th in the series.
Tracy Larsen
As a preschooler, Tracy spent a lot of time with cartoons—but instead of just watching them, he studied them. He spent his childhood drawing characters from The Flintstones™ and Peanuts® and sculpting them. His second year in the Keepsake Studio, he started sculpting the Spotlight on Snoopy series and has been ever since. “This series has been a good friend of mine. It’s the one ornament I do every year that I am absolutely confident people will love,” says Tracy.
Anita Marra Rogers
Thirty years ago, Anita was invited by a fellow artist to see what Hallmark artists were working on. She tried her hand at one, and as soon as her friend saw it, he told her that her career had begun. “My 30 years with Hallmark have been the best years of my life. Not only do I love my job, but I also love my Hallmark family. So many of my coworkers, and also collectors whom I have met over the years, have become family to me,” says Anita.
Siberian Husky
Puppy Love
27th in the series.
“So much to celebrate.” For Keeps 16 Winter 2017: 4
2017 Sneak Peek: Scare Up Halloween Fun
Miniature Keepsake Ornament Tree
The Great Pumpkin Rises
The PEANUTS® Gang
Teensy Weensy Ghost
Pint-Sized Pumpkin
Wee Little Owl
Sweet Trick-or-Treater
2nd in the unofficial series.
Ravishing Raven
Complements The Beauty of Birds series.
Happy Halloween!
5th in the series.
Mysterious Manor
2017 Sneak Peek: The World of Frosty Friends
Fun and Games
The World of Frosty Friends
Here’s a sneak peek of Fun and Games, an upcoming addition to The World of Frosty Friends. It features a delightful winter scene with Frosty, broom in hand, and his arctic penguin pal curling with peppermint candy curling stones on an icy curling sheet.
Featured Series – Once Upon a Christmas
This month’s featured series, Once Upon a Christmas celebrates its 6th year in 2016.
Santa Takes Flight
6th in the series
This series is a real team effort in the Keepsake Studio. Artists who have worked on the ornaments in this series include Robert Chad, Ken Crow, Anita Marra Rogers, Nello Williams, Orville Wilson, Tom Best, Julie Forsyth, Jim Kemme, and Joanne Eschrich.
This was the first series to introduce the Magic Cord, which allows Keepsake Ornaments to synchronize light and sound shows with other ornaments connected to the cord. According to many fans, the light and sound shows this series features are among the very best.
Once Upon a Christmas tells the story of Santa preparing to go on his Christmas Eve flight, from checking his list to making toys to packing those toys and taking flight! So far, that is. What do you think Santa will be doing in next year?
2017 Sneak Peek: Making Memories
Garland Giggles
Making Memories
10th in the series.
Here is a sneak peek of the 10th in the Making Memories series by Keepsake Ornament Artist Tammy Haddix.
Featured Series – Cookie Cutter Christmas
This month’s featured series, Cookie Cutter Christmas by Nina Aubé celebrates its 5th year in 2016.
Cookie Cutter Christmas
5th in the series
Ever since she was a little girl, Nina Aubé has loved tiny things like little animals and dolls. She even began creating small fantasy worlds for them as a child. She also loves to bake and has held on to her grandmother’s old aluminum cookie cutters.
Inspired by both, Nina had the idea of creating a little world inside a cookie cutter, and the Cookie Cutter Christmas series was born. 2016 marks the fifth ornament in the series for the little mouse that gets a new adventure each year.
Cookie Cutter Christmas
5th in the series
Look for a new ornament release each month from January through June both at Hallmark Gold Crown stores and online.
The cookie cutters will each be shaped to represent a monthly holiday or event and are perfect for gifts or collecting!
Featured Series: Happy Halloween!
This month’s featured series, Happy Halloween! by Anita Marra Rogers celebrates its 4th year in 2016.
Whether it’s her family members or her favorite Halloween icons, Anita Marra Rogers puts a lot of herself into the Happy Halloween! series.
The first ornament, which debuted in 2013, has a witch inside that was modeled after her daughter as a child.
“I gave her long brown hair and green eyes like my daughter,” Anita says. “She’s 24 now, but she was a witch a couple times for Halloween when she was little.”
The little zombie boy in the third ornament was modeled after her son—especially the mop of messy hair. He’s 22 now, but she says he still refuses to comb his hair.
This year her husband joined the series depicted as a vampire.
One secret: If you look closely behind the ghost in the second ornament, you’ll spot Anita’s own self-portrait. It’s just another piece of herself in this series.
She says it’s fun to pick a new character each year then coordinate both the inside of the pumpkin and the jack-o’-lantern’s face with the character. That’s why the zombie is in a green pumpkin and this year’s jack-o’-lantern has fangs.
Her own Halloween traditions include putting up a black tree decked out with this series and a few other Halloween favorites. She always carves a jack-o’-lantern, too. Her favorite part of Halloween? That would have to be the trick-or-treaters.
“When the kids were little, my husband took the kids out trick-or-treating and it was my job to stay home and pass out candy,” she says. “I love to see all the costumes.”
She even puts on an old Hallmark cassette tape of spooky sounds to set the mood for the neighborhood kids.
As we look forward to the Halloween season, we can also look forward to next year’s Happy Halloween! ornament. It’s a special one, Anita says.
“Next year I’m keeping ‘under wraps,’ and you can quote me on that.”
Featured Series: Season’s Treatings
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Season’s Treatings series.
This month’s featured series, Season’s Treatings, has been serving up an assortment of delicious homemade treats displayed in a festive holiday fashion since 2009.