Press Release: Crown Center & Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments Unveil 2018 Mayor’s Christmas Tree Ornament
Season of Giving & Celebration Begins with One of Kansas City’s Most Iconic Holiday Traditions for Charity
KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 1, 2018 – The Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund, Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments and Crown Center will debut the 38th edition of the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Ornament, “All Aboard,” which was designed this year by Hallmark Keepsake Artist Matt Johnson. Made with recycled wood from last year’s tree, the ornament goes on sale November 23 and gives back to the Kansas City community with all proceeds donated to the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund.
Collectors and gift-givers can attend an ornament signing event with Matt Johnson at the Crown Center Atrium on November 28 between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Matt will only be signing the 2018 Mayor’s Christmas Tree Ornament during this special event.
All Aboard
38th in the series.
This year’s ornament, All Aboard, joins the collection of 31 other ornaments that have been recycled from previous trees to benefit the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund, a charitable foundation whose mission is to provide assistance to the less fortunate in Kansas City during the holiday season and benefits senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and underprivileged children. This unique and sustainable gift is available for $13.95 + tax and will be available for purchase at Crown Center Customer Service (located on Level 2 of the Crown Center Shops), along with ornaments from previous years. The All Aboard ornament is available for pre-sale online now. For more information, visit the Crown Center website and watch this video detailing the annual tradition and 2018 ornament.
“We are thrilled to work with Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments for the 2018 Christmas ornament, and give back to the less fortunate of Kansas City through the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund with the sale of these ornaments. For decades, the annual ornament has served as a symbol of Kansas City’s charitable spirit and a time-honored tradition offering friends and families an opportunity to embrace the magic of the holiday season,” said Stacey Paine, president of Crown Center Redevelopment Corporation.
The Mayor’s Christmas Tree has stood at Crown Center as a symbol of the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund since 1973. The 100-foot-tall Mayor’s Christmas Tree, one of the tallest in the nation, is the centerpiece of holiday celebrations at Crown Center. The tree will arrive after a 2,000-mile journey through six states at 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 1 and be placed into its stand at approximately 10 a.m. on Friday, November 2.
For more information about the Arrival of the Mayor’s Christmas Tree and additional Crown Center holiday events and activities, please visit www.crowncenter.com.
Featured Artist: Jake Angell
Title:
Hallmark Production Designer
Started at Hallmark:
2000
Started at Keepsakes:
2012
Hometown:
Kansas City, Missouri
.
As a Keepsake Artist, Jake is known for crafting pop culture figures in ways that bring out their character in big ways. What’s more, Jake is a whiz at creating ornaments that capture childhood milestones, and hold on to their meaning for years to come.
Jake Angell has lived in Kansas City his entire life, surrounded by the likes of G.I. Joe and He-Man as favored playmates in his childhood. It didn’t take long for Jake to pick up drawing as a hobby, teaching himself illustration between lessons. “In school, classwork was self-paced, so I’d finish my work and just draw all day long.”
He studied graphic design in college, eventually learning illustration techniques in his own time that strengthened his passion for art. He’s worked for Hallmark for over a decade, but 2013 was his first year designing Keepsake Ornaments. “After working with packaging and game design for Asteroid Andy and various other products, I kept using and teaching 3-D programs on the side. Finally, I bugged the Keepsake Ornament team long enough for them to say: ok, we’d really like to get Jake up here to try it out!”
Today Jake is stilling trying out new things and dreaming of his favorite characters.
“I’ve got two kids and it’s really amazing to see my little boy discover all these great characters that I grew up loving, too.”
October Keepsake Wallpaper
Create some frightful fun with this month’s free desktop or mobile device wallpapers featuring Hallmark’s Miniature Keepsake Ornament Tree decorated with a few of this years mini Halloween-themed Keepsake ornaments.
Among the many Keepsake Ornaments found in this free wallpaper are a Halloween tree featuring a smiling jack-o’-lantern base with posable glittery purple branches, a sparkly sugar skull, Snoopy dressed as a wizard, and a little bat wearing a bow tie and party hat.
Featured Keepsake Ornaments
Reveal: Celebrating 15th Years, Snowpeople Puzzle
It Takes One To Snow One!
Puzzle
Fifteen years of singing and dancing snowpeople means it’s time to celebrate. With the release of a different snowman, snowwoman, or snowchild each year, the world of snowpeople, filled with snowfamilies, has grown. How many more years of snowpeople will there be? Snowbody knows.
1000 interlocking pieces
30″ w. x 24″ h.
$19.95 USA
Reveal: 2018 Keepsake Collector’s Puzzle
Mary’s Angels
Keepsake Collector’s Puzzle
Inspired by 60-year Hallmark Master Artist Mary Hamilton’s paintings of cherubic angels, the Mary’s Angels Keepsake Ornament series is one of our most popular. The very first Mary’s Angels Keepsake Ornament was released in 1988 and this collector’s puzzle celebrates 30 years of adorable and heavenly ornaments.
550 interlocking pieces
24″ w. x 18″ h.
$14.99 USA
2019 Sneak Peek: Madison Area Hallmark Collectors Club’s In-Store Artist Signing Event
In conjunction with the Madison Area Hallmark Collectors Club’s Local Club Dinner in Madison, WI, Hallmark Artist Robert Chad and Hallmark Production Designer Robert Hurlburt shared a sneak peek of some of the designs they are working on for the 2019 Keepsake ornament line.
by Robert Chad
by Robert Hurlburt
Hyacinth
Mary’s Angels
32nd in the series.
Snowman Dome
Heritage Collection
Contributors to post: marylynn and HeatherinWI
2019 Sneak Peek: The Paper Store of Framingham’s In-Store Artist Signing Event
In conjunction with The Paper Store of Framingham Friday night dinner in Framingham, MA, 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
Father Christmas
16th in the series.
Nautical Santa
Heritage Collection
Contributors to post: SamIam
For Keeps: Volume 17, Issue 4 Fall 2018
We hope you enjoy this issue of For Keeps. It is loaded with behind-the-scenes stories about the making of the Keepsake videos, Hallmarks trip to Poland, 2019 sneak peeks and so much more!
- From the Keepsake Studio
- Ornament Debut is almost here!
- A Touch Of The Tropics
- A Yearly Special In Your Home
- A Very Costal Christmas
- From your TV to your tree
- Order Up!
- Bringing A Classic To The Small Screen
- Bringing you something special from across the ocean
- Telling the artist’s story
- A little peek at 2019 club ornaments
- A Trip To The Ballet
- We All Scream For Ice Cream
- Clubs built on caring:
- The Keepsake Keepers – Olathe, Kansas
- The Capital Collectors – Charleston, West Virginia
- Tis The Season For Making Memories Ornament Club – Akron, Ohio
- Save the date
For Keeps – The Official Newsletter of the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club.
2019 Sneak Peek: Member Exclusives
Two of the Member Exclusive offerings for 2019 have been revealed.
Sugar Plum Fairy
Nutcracker Sweet
1st in the series.
Sugar Plum Fairy (2019)
1st in the Nutcracker Sweet series.
For her new limited-series ornament collection, Edythe Kegrize delved into her memories watching the ballet. “I went to this ballet several times as a child and loved the colorful, elaborate costumes and creative set designs. I still enjoy the music each Christmas,” Edythe recalls. Each ornament in her new Nutcracker Sweet series will feature a character from the famous ballet. Edythe describes them as “sweet, simple forms and inspired by clothespin dolls and simple wooden ornaments from Germany. The colorful costumes will have fabric, crystals and other attachments for a more handcrafted quality.”
Christmas Window 2019
(North Pole Creamery)
17th in the Christmas Windows series.
Christmas Window 2019
Christmas Windows
17th in the series.
For the next ornament in her Christmas Window series (17th), Tammy Haddix didn’t have to look far for inspiration. “My window ornaments are always inspired by my boys and the things they like,” Tammy says. And the watchful observer just might recognize an old friend on next year’s ornament. “Since my pet shop window ornament, I’ve always included a little spaniel dog. And I’ve always wanted to create the scene of a boy getting a small ice cream cone for the dog! This sweet dog is his best friend, just like my Baxter, our labradoodle, is for my boys.” Tammy hopes next year’s window brings back fond memories of the ice cream shops of yesteryear. “I sure know I was craving ice cream as I sculpted it!”
Excerpted from: “A little peek at 2019 club ornaments,” For Keeps: Volume 17, Issue 4, Fall 2018”
Artist Journal: Joanne Eschrich (Christmas Angels series original concept & process)
Monday, September 24, 2018
I thought I’d share with you my original concept that started my Angel Series.
I first created my concept sheet to sell my idea. Then once it was excepted, I had my daughter pose for me so that my proportions were correct. I then researched different hairstyles with braids, then chose my color palette for skin. At this time I also went out and gathered fabrics that fit my idea both in color and texture. I normally research and gather as much information as I can before i start sculpting on something. It makes it easier and more finished in the end.
