Reveal: 2018 Hallmark Employee Gift
Shopping Santa
Hallmark Employee Gift
Hallmark retailers will once again have the opportunity to purchase a Special Edition Keepsake ornament to use to thank their employees for their dedication.
Featured Artist: Matt Johnson
Title:
Hallmark Designer
Started at Hallmark:
2012
Started at Keepsakes:
2012
Hometown:
Fresno, California
.
From action figures to family scenes to the elegant beauty of Hallmark Heritage, Matt is an artist of many moods and scenes. What’s at the center of it all? A love of all things holiday, and the wonder it instills in all of us, child and adult alike.
Matt has designed for companies all over the United States, but his appreciation of toys has stuck with him since childhood. Toys play an especially important role in Christmas, a holiday that gives Matt the inspiration he needs when it comes to crafting tree-worthy trimmings in the Keepsake Studio. He admits “there’s just so many people around here that make it feel like Christmas all the time!”
Matt graduated with an Industrial Design degree from the University of Kansas, and continues to be a student of product design as he follows his passion for ornaments, toys and games. As someone who appreciates fun, creative and offbeat entertainment for kids, the Keepsake Studio was just the place for Matt to work, but an opening wasn’t so easy to come by. After a few years of working in the Midwest and along the East Coast, Matt made the move back to Kansas City with his family—and, as luck would have it, an opening in Keepsakes was waiting for him.
The work of a Keepsakes designer is a challenge, but Matt is happy to see his designs inspire wonder for kids and kids at heart.
November Keepsake Wallpaper
Remember the numerous times you have seen the classic TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas with this month’s free desktop or mobile device wallpapers featuring Hallmark’s A Charlie Brown Christmas Storyteller Collection.
Among the many Keepsake Ornaments found in this free wallpaper are the five Storyteller ornaments that perform the classic TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Storytellers Collection
Ornament Spotlight: Robin
Robin
The Beauty of Birds
14th in the series.
The Legend of the Christmas Robin
On that first Christmas, it is said, the night was wrapped in a bitter chill. The small fire in the stable was nearly out, and the Mother Mary worried that her baby would be cold. She turned to the animals about her and asked them for help.
“Could you blow on the embers,” she asked the ox, “so the fire might continue to keep my son warm?”
But the ox lay sound asleep on the stable floor and did not hear her. Next, Mary asked the donkey to breathe life back into the fire, but the sleeping donkey did not hear Mary either. Nor did the horse or sheep. She wondered what to do.
Suddenly, Mary heard a fluttering of little wings. Looking up, she saw a plain, brown-colored little robin fly into the stall. This robin had heard Mary calling to the animals and had come to help her himself. He went over to the dying fire and flapped his wings hard.
His wings were like little bellows, huffing and puffing air onto the embers, until they glowed bright red again. He continued to fan the fire, singing all the while, until the ashes began to kindle.
With his beak, the robin picked up some fresh, dry sticks and tossed them into the fire. As he did, a flame suddenly burst forth and burned the little bird’s breast a bright red. But the robin simply continued to fan the fire until it crackled brightly and warmed the entire stable. The Baby Jesus slept happily.
Mary thanked and praised the robin for all he had done. She looked tenderly at his red breast, burned by the flame, and said “From now on, let your red breast be a blessed reminder of your noble deed.”
And to this day, the robin’s red breast covers his humble heart.
-From “A Christmas Stocking” by Louise Betts Egan
Reveal: 2018 World Series Keepsake Ornament
Boston Red Socks™ 2018 World Series™ Champions
Special Edition
Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox for winning the 2018 World Series™!
Remember the home runs, the leaping catches, and all the heroics of Boston’s thrilling victory and ninth World Series championship! But don’t wait long—supplies are limited.
PREORDER NOW
Available at participating Hallmark Gold Crown Stores and on Hallmark.com
2019 Sneak Peek: Sarahs Hallmark In-Store Artist Signing Event
In conjunction with the Sarah’s Hallmark Friday night dinner in Johnston, IA, Hallmark Master Designer Joanne Eschrich shared a sneak peek of some of the designs she is working on for the 2019 Keepsake ornament line.
Glistening Lantern
Wings of Splendor
Contributors to post: Diana & Janet
2019 Sneak Peek: Sarah’s Hallmark In-Store Artist Signing Event
In conjunction with the Sarah’s Hallmark Friday night dinner in Johnston, IA, Hallmark Master Designer Joanne Eschrich shared a sneak peek of some of the designs she is working on for the 2019 Keepsake ornament line.
by Joanne Eschrich
Glistening Lantern
Keepsake Power Cord
Wings of Splendor
Contributors to post: Diana & Janet
2019 Sneak Peek: Ho Ho Club of Orange County In-Store Artist Signing Event
In conjunction with the Ho Ho Club of Orange County In-Store Artist Signing event in Fountain Valley, CA, Hallmark Artist Tracy Larsen shared a sneak peek of some of the designs he is working on for the 2019 Keepsake ornament line.
by Tracy Larsen
Holiday Lighthouse
8th in the series.
North Pole Public Radio
2018 In-Store Artist Appearance Events
Hallmark has announced they will be hosting 2 Keepsake Artist Appearances later this year in conjunction with the Gift of Memories weekend event.
During these appearances Keepsake Artists Tom Best, Joanne Eschrich, & Tammy Haddix will be showing their craft, signing ornaments*, taking photos with fans, and chatting with attendees!
Tom Best
Joanne Eschrich
Tammy Haddix
Congratulations to the winning stores. Here is the information for the two Artist Appearances.
Friday, November 30
(3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
The Party Shop
Lakes Village Shopping Center
3418 Lake City Hwy.
Warsaw, IN 46580-3935
(574) 267-8787
Artists: Tom Best, Joanne Eschrich, & Tammy Haddix
Sunday, December 2
(12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
Amy’s Hallmark Shop
Summit Woods Crossing
1732 Nw Chipman Rd
Lees Summit, MO 64081-3936
(816) 347-8355
Artists: Tom Best, Joanne Eschrich, & Tammy Haddix
*NOTE: Artists will only sign ornaments purchased during the event and the “Father Christmas” and “Let’s Build a Snowman!” Member Exclusive ornaments included in the 2018 Dream Box.
Artist Journal: Tammy Haddix
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
From the sketchbook of Keepsake Senior Artist, Tammy Haddix.
This first sketch is of my DREAM Noah’s Ark if there were no limits. It would have movement and even lights or music, and there would be two of every animal—it would be completely over-the-top! The sketch is shown next to the ark I actually created in 2007, which was a simplified version of the sketch, but still one of my favorite ornaments!
The second grouping of sketches were drawn during my time at Hallmark Live around St. Patrick’s Day. I like to sit and sketch while I wait for visitors to come through the Hallmark Visitors Center in Kansas City.
As many of you know, I am a gnome fanatic! They make me very happy—I just love them! These last sketches are of a couple of ideas I have for wall clocks. I would love to find the time to create one of these for myself someday.