Keepsake Artist Tammy Haddix was asked to share a little more about her Keepsake Ornaments. Here’s what she had to say!

Tammy: Traditional sculpting is an all-consuming and satisfying activity. What I mean by that is when I am sculpting, I become so focused that I’m almost a part of my piece. It is like carrying on a conversation. Sometimes I even find myself actually talking to my sculpt. Especially if it is a cute little character! I put my heart and soul into each of my ornaments, so when they are special to a collector it means so very much to me.

Tammy: I think of my style as cute and whimsical, with an emotional tug on your heart. I always want my work to touch your heart and evoke an emotion. If I can do that, I have done my job!

Tammy: My love of glitter comes from my mom! She would put edible glitter on our birthday cakes and it made them so special. Glitter brings a touch of magic to my ornaments and glitter just makes me happy!

Tammy: First, I talk with the engineer and art director to see what I can afford to do and then we work up a plan for the ornament.

Santa’s Sweet Surprise

Tammy: I always wanted to put magic into my Santa’s Sweet Ride series. After the series ended, I had the chance to reimagine it with light and sound! The ice cream truck was the first and perfect for magic. It really brought it to life! I wish I could go back and put magic in each ornament from the series.

Tammy: I have loved snowmen since I was a child! I always loved the first snow of the season that was wet enough to make a snowman. I passed my love of snowmen on to my two sons. One year they built five snowmen that represented each of us—even the dog! They used just about every bit of snow in our backyard! It is so much fun to bring a snowman to life in my ornaments—giving them personality and emotion is what I love to do.

Sweet and Sassy Sisters

Tammy: The song “It’s a Marshmallow World,” which is in Santa’s Sweet Snow Plow, is my favorite Christmas song! The Shining Snow Angel is so covered in glitter, that I hope there is somewhere on it for me to sign. I didn’t think that through all the way! My Sweet & Sassy Sisters ornament is inspired by my amazing sister, Pam. She can sculpt such cute characters out of fondant. I was thinking of her when I sculpted this ornament.