Artist Journal: Kristina Gaughran (Reimagining Fairy Messengers)
Friday, July 6, 2018
My inspiration for this project was my love of fairy gardens and fairy houses. When I found this little rectangle box display at a discount store, I thought it would make a cute fairy display. I hadn’t quite visualized what the fairies would look like yet, but I’ve always loved clothespin dolls and knew I wanted to re-image my Fairy Messengers into that format.
I love the freedom this (#My5Days) project gave me to explore other possibilities. There was not right or wrong answer, I could go wherever my imagination led me!
Fairy Messengers Reimagined
#My5Days – A program Hallmark began in 2016 that gives creative employees five work days per year to explore any creative project that inspires them.
2018 Ornament Spotlight: 2245P Texas Special Locomotive
2245P Texas Special Locomotive
LIONEL® Trains
23rd in the series.
The 23rd installment of the LIONEL® Trains collector’s series is the 2245P Texas Special Locomotive. Made of die-cast metal and painted sharply in red and white, this ornament commemorates the many popular electric cars used in the 1950s. The 2245P Keepsake Ornament also features wheels that turn and is sold alongside coordinating LIONEL® Train ornaments, 2245C and 2436.
Featured Artist: Robert Hurlburt
Title:
Hallmark Production Designer
Started at Hallmark:
November 1978
Started at Keepsakes:
November 2004
Hometown:
Holden, Missouri
.
Over thirty years ago, Robert Hurlburt began his Hallmark career as an engraver. Even as he pursued accuracy in his work, Robert’s move to the Keepsake Studio in 2004 offered an opportunity to tell stories in meaningful, magical new ways. Now he enjoys crafting Keepsake Ornaments inspired by both real-world and magical sources, all in precise detail.
Get it right is Robert Hurlburt’s mantra. Even as a child, Robert took a scientific approach to his art. No purple suns in his boyhood pictures. He enjoyed sketching celebrities from photographs. “I wanted to see how close I could get,” he says. With that kind of mindset and determination, it’s no surprise that when he was hired at Hallmark more than 30 years ago, Robert excelled in the detail-focused engraving department.
In late 2004, he brought his talents to the Keepsake department, which he calls “a whole new game.” Just a month into his job, Robert was asked to design. His first ornament, a Star Wars™ piece, was available in 2006.
As the Keepsake Artists continue to collaborate, Robert is challenged with finding ways to keep the creative process simple and the sculpture detailed. Robert is hooked on working with three-dimensional product, and his scientific mind continues to question how to take his artwork further. The daily one-hour commute to Hallmark gives him plenty of time to think about ornament design. When home, Robert and his wife, Lori, are constantly tinkering on projects at the farm and sharing their 40-acre homestead with horses, chickens, cats and dogs.
July Keepsake Wallpaper
Celebrate the upcoming July 14 release of the 2018 Keepsake Ornament line and get excited for Ornament Premiere with this month’s free desktop or mobile device wallpapers featuring the beloved Disney friends showing the true spirit of the season.
Disney Christmas Carolers
Collector’s Set
Limited Edition
2018 Reveal: Additional QVC Exclusives
Hallmark has released four additional QVC Exclusive Keepsake Ornaments as part of QVC’s Christmas in July Sale. All ten ornaments are NOW available and can be purchased by either calling: 1 (888) 345-5788 or by going online to QVC.com and doing a search for “Hallmark.”
Hallmark Keepsake Magic Lantern Ornaments
Tinsel and popcorn have nothing on the magical glow of these musical lantern ornaments.
Winter Lantern
QVC Exclusive
Santa’s Magic Lantern
Christmas Cardinal
QVC Exclusive
Christmas Cardinal
NOTE: To access the Red Cardinal ornament, click on the Hallmark Keepsake Magic Lantern Ornament picture and then go to the the “Option” header. (located on the right side of the screen under QVC price) and click on the name of the desired ornament.
Hallmark Keepsake North Pole Ornament
Here comes Santa Claus, wishing a Merry Christmas to all as he flies over the snowy scene in this Keepsake Ornament.
Merry Christmas to All
QVC Exclusives
Merry Christmas to All!
Hallmark Keepsake Santa’s Workshop Ornament
Take a peek into Santa’s Workshop with this magical keepsake ornament. Watch as Santa controls a model train through a snow-covered tunnel in this seasonal scene.
Santa’s Christmas Train
QVC Exclusive
Santa’s Magic Train
For Keeps: Volume 17, Issue 3 Summer 2018
Read the stories behind the ornaments, see a couple of 2019 sneak peeks, take a look inside the Keepsake Studio, and discover three local club Keepsake Artist signing event contest winning entries.
- A note from the Keepsake Studio
- Joanne Eschrich
- Tammy Haddix
- Tom Best
- Tracy Larsen
- Ornament Premiere is finally here!
- Magic Doesn’t Get Any Sweeter
- Mischievous Kittens Reaches Milestone
- Start A New Series!
- The Stories behind the ornaments
- Must-Haves For Star Wars™ Fans
- Mary’s Angels Lives On
- Up And Away!
- A Magical Christmas Lantern
- Keepsake artist explore new creative ventures
- Sharon Visker, From cardboard to costume
- Kristina Gaughran, Reimagining Fairy Messengers
- A look inside the Keepsake Studio
- Local clubs win Keepsake Signing Events
- Murphy’s North Pole Collector’s Club – Nashville, Tennessee
- Madison Area Hallmark Collector’s Club – Madison, Wisconsin
- Renaissance Ornament Collectors Club – Ridgeland, Mississippi
For Keeps – The Official Newsletter of the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club.
Ornament Spotlight: Christmas Lantern
Ken found his inspiration for the tabletop Christmas Lantern in an antique store when he happened upon a vintage carousel music box that stored items about the size of a lipstick. With the push of a button, the piece would play music, spin and doors would open so the items could be removed. With Ken’s lantern, you’ll see even more magic. When you push the button, the doors open, the tree spins, colorful lighting effects are activated and snowflakes are even projected on to the table around you! There are also animated toys surrounding the tree.
2019 Sneak Peek: Local Club Ornament
Available at Ornament Premiere, the miniature Up and Away ornament created by Anita Marra Rogers, features Santa himself on the hot air balloon. Hallmark liked it so much they created a companion ornament featuring Mrs. Claus, and it will be the 2019 KOC local club free gif! Make sure you pick up this year’s ornament so you can unite the happy couple next year with your companion ornament.
Up and Away (2019)
Member Exclusive
Miniature
Up and Away
Miniature
*NOTE: Design is still in the planning stages and may change.
2019 Sneak Peek: Mischievous Kittens
Mischievous Kittens
21st in the series.
In honor of the 20th Anniversary of the Mischievous Kittens series, Nina Aubé has shared a sneak peek sketch of what the 2019 Mischievous Kittens will be up to.
*NOTE: Design is still in the planning stages and may change.
Ornament Spotlight: Santa’s Sweet Snow Plow
Santa’s Sweet Snow Plow
Tammy Haddix’s Santa’s Sweet Ride series may have retired, but Santa’s making another appearance this year and he’s bringing magic along for the ride! Push the button on Santa’s Sweet Snow Plow to see it light up and play music from “A Marshmallow World” and “Jolly Old St. Nicholas.” Tammy is a master at working sweet at working sweet treats into an ornament, and this one is no exception. She says, The tires are chocolate-covered cake donuts with sprinkles. The bed is made of chocolate bars and peppermint sticks and filled with sugar. The truck is made of iced sugar cookies, and the running boards are pink wafer cookies. It’s so much fun trying to squeeze in as many sweets as possible into the design! It’s a fun challenge for someone with a sweet tooth!”