2019 KOC Convention: Experience the Magic (UPDATE)
August 8-10, 2019
Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center and Westin Crown Center Hotel
Kansas City, MO
Don Palmiter is no longer able to participate in the Retired Artists Signings and has been replaced with Sue Tague.
Press Release: Hallmark to make May the 4th a day long remembered
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 30, 2019) — Celebrating with Star Wars fans, Hallmark announces plans to launch new products and deals in Hallmark Gold Crown® stores and online on Star Wars Day on May the 4th.
“Celebrating Star Wars Day annually with fans has become a Hallmark tradition,” Christine Taylor, Hallmark Licensing explains. “We’ve been creating Star Wars products at Hallmark for 25 years, and being huge fans of the franchise, we love continually reinventing new ways to help friends, fans, and families to connect through their shared love of the creatures, the characters, the ships, and all the memorable moments and quotes.”
Medal of Yavin
Star Wars™: A New Hope™
The newest items to join the Hallmark galaxy of Star Wars products include a Star Wars Day exclusive Hallmark Keepsake Ornament of the iconic Star Wars Medal of Yavin. Other items including Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments will be available for preordering.
Offers and Promotions
Hallmark Gold Crown stores will be offering in-store promotions for the celebration of Star Wars Day, including a free limited-edition four-piece pin set with a purchase of $15 or more on Star Wars merchandise. Fans shopping in stores and online at Hallmark.com will also receive “a fourth off” select Hallmark-branded Star Wars gifts.
More Star Wars Products Coming Soon
The 2019 Hallmark Keepsake Ornament line, which features Star Wars characters and starships, was just unveiled in the Dream Book and will be available starting in July in Hallmark Gold Crown stores and online. This year’s collection features the final starships in the Star Wars Storytellers series.
The complete selection of Star Wars items can be found in Hallmark Gold Crown stores and online at Hallmark.com.
Excerpted from April 30, 2019 Hallmark Press Release, “Hallmark to make May the 4th a day long remembered.”
Throwback: Frosty Friends
Inspired by a Hallmark card illustration, the Frosty Friends phenomenon officially started in 1980 with the introduction of a new Keepsake Ornament series. Beloved by fans and cherished by collectors, Frosty Friends is now the most successful and longest-running series in Keepsake Ornament history. So, as the spring season is just around the corner, let’s take a look back at this popular winter series’ history.
Illustration by Ruth Moorehead
Stylist Ed Seale is the sculptor most associated with Frosty Friends, but it was Designer/Supervisor Jim Mahon who introduced the concept. Jim was inspired by Master Artist Ruth Morehead’s Christmas cards – featuring two Eskimos rubbing noses together – and began toying with the idea of bringing her illustrations to life.
The series began in 1980, about the time Keepsake’s dedicated art studio was being formed, and Ed Seale joined its small, exclusive group of sculptors. Ed sculpted his first Frosty Friends ornament in 1982, shortly after Jim retired, and created all but a few of the series’ ornaments until his own retirement in 2003.
The characters in Frosty Friends usually include an Eskimo child – whether the child is a boy or girl has always been up for debate – and a charismatic group of animal friends – polar bears, huskies, penguins, reindeer, seals or other enchanting arctic animals.
The ornaments’ artistic style is simple and whimsical, and the theme is always the same – the warmth of fun and friendship in an icy, cold place. It’s something Ed can relate to. “We lived on a farm in Canada,” he recalled. “And the pond was the biggest source of entertainment. When the air was still and the water froze fast, you’d get this clear, perfectly smooth ice. And that was the best.”
Frosty Friends
3rd in the series.
But sculpting ornaments to look like ice didn’t start out so smoothly. The first Frosty Friends ornament Ed made in 1982 shows the Eskimo kid scaling a big icicle. Back then, everything was sculpted from brown clay. “It was really hard to look at the hard brown clay and visualize an icicle,” Ed laughed. “It was all but impossible to work in the subtle little details to make it look like ice.” But craftsmanship means solving problems. Ed solved this one by having a plaster cast made in the rough shape he wanted. And from the plaster, he was able to sculpt the icicle’s details.
After his first Frosty Friends success, Ed would go on to sculpt a lot more. He credits his active boyhood for many of the ideas that kept the series going – though he admits it’s often hard to tell where good ideas come from. “An idea can start anywhere,” Ed said. “Part of it can come from walking through a hardware store. I might match that up with an old memory from childhood. The freshest ideas seem to come from several sources, and you just put it all together.” (more…)
Holiday Magic Begins Here: Nutcracker Sweet, Sugar Plum Fairy
Keepsake Master Artist Edythe Kegrize gets a once in a lifetime opportunity while researching for her Exclusive Nutcracker Sweet Sugar Plum Fairy.
The end result is a sweet fairy that’s sure to leave sugar plums dancing in your head!
2020 Sneak Peek: Noble Nutcrackers
Keepsake Artist Terri Steiger shared pictures of the storyboard she created for her new Noble Nutcrackers series. Included in one of the pictures is a sketch of an unreleased design. Is this maybe a sneak peek of what’s to come in 2020?
Confectionery King (2020)
Noble Nutcrackers
2nd in the series.
Prince of the Forest (2019)
Noble Nutcrackers
1st in the series.
NOTE: Each ornament in this new series will represent a unique nutcracker kingdom.
Artist Journal: Terri Steiger (Noble Nutcrackers)
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Keepsake Artist Terri Steiger’s new series “Noble Nutcrackers” debuts in 2019—perfect for nutcracker fans of all ages. What many ornament enthusiasts don’t realize is that months of work go in to creating a new series fans will love. Not only do artists come up with the idea for the first in series, they also gather inspiration and sometimes even sketch ideas for several ornaments to come in the series—making sure each ornament will surprise and delight fans long term.
“I like to start with gathering things for inspiration,” says Terri. “In this case, that meant looking at lots of different materials and colors when I was starting to sketch.”
Terri shared pictures of her storyboard for the series, where you’ll see inspiration for this year’s first in series “Prince of the Forest,” and maybe even a sneak peek or two of what’s to come later in the series!
Noble Nutcrackers
2019 Sneak Peek: Snowmen Bell Choir (UPDATED)
Snowmen Bell Choir
Interactive Collection
Here is a sneak peek of the Snowmen Bell Choir, this years interactive, wireless collection. Each of the five porcelain bells in this set depicts a different snowman atop a punctured-style snowflake bell. Features both light and sound.
NOTE: This collection will only be sold as a boxed set. (Individual bells will not be sold separately.)
UPDATE (10.5.19) – It has been reported that the Snowmen Bell Choir, interactive, wireless collection is showing up on store shelves with two different box designs, one is bright red and the other is burgundy/maroon.
The burgundy/maroon box sets are retail store display units. Most stores received 2. The retail sets are packaged in bright red boxes. Other than the packaging, there are no other differences between the two sets.
UPDATE (10.14.19) – The Snowman Bell Choir will be featured in the Hallmark movie, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” airing Dec. 21.
2019 Reveal: Late additions (not included in 2019 Dream Book)
Three Keepsake Ornament designs were not ready in time to be photographed and included in 2019 Dream Book.
Making the Play, Patrick Mahomes II
Kansas City Chiefs
Mookie Betts
Boston Red Sox
Welcome Christmas
Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas!™
Feelin’ Beachy
UPDATE (05.07.19) – Added Feelin’ Beachy, a fourth late addition Keepsake Ornament.
For Keeps: Volume 18, Issue 1 Spring 2019
See a behind-the-scenes story about a day in the life of Ken Crow, take a look inside the making of the Keepsake Calendar, and get KOC Convention updates and so much more!
- A day in the life
- First & final in series
- 18 months of ornaments
- What’s on your wish list?
- Jake Angell
- Kristina Gaughran
- Tammy Haddix
- Tracy Larsen
- Anita Marra Rogers
- Sharon Visker
- Come join the fun at this year’s KOC Convention!
- Save the date
For Keeps – The Official Newsletter of the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club.
2019 Reveal: Fan Conventions Exclusives
Here are the exclusive pop culture Keepsake Ornaments Hallmark will have at some of the biggest conventions of the year.
Star Wars™ Celebration
Chicago , IL. | April 11-15
Comic-Con® International and New York Comic Con
Three ornament designs will be offered in limited quantities at Comic-Con® International, to be held July 18-21, 2019 in San Diego, CA, and at New York Comic Con, set for October 3-6, 2019 in New York City.
Ralph McQuarrie C-3PO™ and R2-D2™
Star Wars™
A Wild Ride on Endor™
Star Wars™: Return of the Jedi™
I.S.S. Enterprise™*
STAR TREK™
*NOTE: Will also be available at The Official STAR TREK™ Convention to be held July 31 – August 4 in Las Vegas,
Iron Spider
2019 National Barbie® Doll Collectors Convention
Kansas City, MO. | July 31 – August 3
D23 EXPO
Anaheim, CA. | August 23-25
Shoe-sational!
Barbie™ Ornament
The Dognapper
Disney Mickey Mouse