2015 KOC Dream Book Cover (UPDATED)
KOC members, get excited! The 2015 Keepsake Ornament Club Collectors Edition Dream Book will start shipping on Monday. That is in only SIX DAYS!
The cover of the KOC Dream Book showcases the 16th in the Toymaker Santa series. By Ken Crow. Which features Santa wearing a baseball cap while riding on a toy tractor.
If you look closely, Toymaker Santa’s hat has a crow on it. When Ken Crow was a little boy, he remembers watching his grandpa write letters on special stationery. Every letter had an image of a crow in a side view silhouette. Ken has always identified with that image and even takes a little crow figurine with him on trips and signing events.
UPDATE: (4.8.15) Keep an eye on your mailbox as the 2015 Keepsake Ornament Club Collectors Edition Dream Book has started to ship and has repordly been received by a few lucky KOC members.
ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Although the first booklet containing a pictorial review of the then current Keepsake ornament line was released in ’79, it wasn’t until ’90 that the “Dream Book” name was first included on the cover of the annual Keepsake Ornament catalog.
Featured Artist: Ruth Donikowski
Title:
Hallmark Senior Artist
(Retired)
Started at Hallmark:
October 1987
Started at Keepsakes:
January 2008
Hometown:
Born in
Paterson, New Jersey
Grew up in
Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Ruth Donikowski loves working with different kinds of materials—glass, metal, porcelain, fabric—you name it. Learn about the materials she used for some of her favorites in this year’s Hallmark Keepsake Ornament collection, and how the artist’s previous career as a baker helped prepare her.
In 1976, Ruth Donikowski and her husband, who worked for Macy’s, moved to Kansas City from Montclair, New Jersey, where Ruth had been an art teacher. At the time, Ruth took a job making food miniatures in a shop at Crown Center, across from Hallmark headquarters.
She used salt dough to make tiny, collectible replicas of hot dogs and hamburgers, creating dozens at a time. She then sealed the dough with varnish so the little novelty items would be moisture-proof. At the time, Ruth had no way of knowing that skill would come in handy again someday.
“I always wanted to work for Hallmark and thought it would be a distinct possibility,” Ruth said. Shortly after that, she started freelancing for Hallmark and was hired full-time in 1987. She officially became a Keepsake artist in 2008.
One of Ruth’s recent projects afforded her the opportunity to put her culinary skills to work once again, creating miniature treats for the tree this time.
Petite Treat
1 of the Extra Exclusives you can buy with a 2015 Keepsake Ornament Club membership.
Although this one’s made from styrene instead of dough, it still took Ruth on a trip down memory lane. “Just seeing that little cupcake as a miniature—it made me so happy,” she said.
This 2015 KOC exclusive ornament has an added bonus, it is a mini replica of the Christmas Cupcake series ornament to be released in 2016! In the final version of the full-size series piece, the peppermint you see on top will actually be made from two pieces of fabric rolled together and sliced. And what looks more like frosting on this ornament will become individual pieces of “coconut” on the series ornament.
Tasty Tannenbaum
6th in the Christmas Cupcake series
How do you get fabric to look like frosting? Well, this year’s Christmas Cupcake series ornament features a layering technique called “ruching.”
Ruth described it this way: “You run the stitching this way and that way, diagonally, and then there’s a running, gathering stitch straight down through the diagonal lines. And when you pull all of that, it takes it all up, and the fabric ruches.” The technique sounds fairly complex, but that’s just another day in the office for Ruth, who has tremendous skill as a seamstress to go along with her many other design talents.
Like every cupcake in the series, the base or “wrapper” is made of styrene and then painted to coordinate. Then as a finishing touch she added tiny plastic hearts and chunky glitter as the “sprinkles.”
Radiant Cross
One of the things that Ruth loves best about her job is that she gets to work with so many different kinds of materials. And there’s no better proof of that than this elegant cross.
A combination of glass and metal, the cross was inspired by Ruth’s fondness for camphor glass, a material used in a lot of vintage necklaces, pins and other antique jewelry. Ruth actually collects camphor jewelry, so she had plenty of research material to get her started on the project.
She used a vintage camphor piece for inspiration and crafted digital drawings from various angles for the engineers and the manufacturer. The front of the glass is smooth and the back has cut lines that feel like ridges. The edging of the cross is metal. The middle piece is a crystal, and the corners feature metal filigree.
Always Remembered
Another material that Ruth is quite fond of: porcelain. So that was an easy choice for the nautilus shell. “Porcelain is just a beautiful medium,” she said. “It’s very elegant.”
The nautilus is a natural symbol of the infinite, which obviously ties in seamlessly with the intention of the ornament. In small gold lettering, it says: “The ones we’ve lost are found in our memories.”
The ocean theme of the piece also made her think of growing up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and spending summer days on the Jersey Shore, which she visited again just last summer.
“I’ve always had an attraction to the ocean,” Ruth said. “I just love the sea and all the things that come from it.”
She created the mockup from paper clay after researching shells as part of her personal craft projects. “I like to take vintage bottles and solder sea shells onto them,” Ruth said. “Just another tribute to the sea.”
LIONEL Toymaker Santa Express
Complete ready-to-run electric train set. Includes: locomotive (with a Toymaker Santa engineer) and tender, gondola (with presents and two elf passengers), boxcar and caboose, all painted red with images from the beloved Toymaker Santa series and white snowflake graphics.
Available beginning November 6th.
LIONEL® Toymaker Santa Express
2015 DREAM BOOK PARTY Keepsake Ornament Sneak Peek
Hallmark has put together a presentation for local retailers to use in conjunction with their May 16th Dream Book Party event. In addition to revealing six new 2015 ornaments (two of which are the first additions of new series), and sharing an updated image of the Mary Hamilton’s Bears First-in-series piece, the presentation also previews a limited-quantity piece designed to complement the anniversary of a popular series, the three 2016 KOC membership ornaments and eight 2016 continuing series pieces.
Reveal: Gone Fishin’
Here is a sneak of another 2015 ornament, Gone Fishin’ by Matt Johnson.
Gone Fishin’
Throwback: Goin’ To Kansas City
Read about the first-ever Collector’s Club convention held in 1991 and all the excitement that went into creating a truly memorable event.
K.C. Santa
Convention Gift
First-Ever Collector’s Club Convention Set for 1991
The first-ever Hallmark sponsored is only six months away, and Club members are busy planning for what is already being billed as the Keepsake Ornament collectors’ event of 1991.
The two and one half day Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Collector’s Club convention, open only to active Club members, will feature an ornament preview, artists’ signings, workshops and special guest speakers.
The event is set for June 20 to 22 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, near Hallmark’s headquarters in Kansas City.
“The Collector’s Club will be five years old next year,” says Rachel Perkal, manager of the Collector’s Club. “This seemed a good time to hold an event to bring a large number of our members together. We also thought the convention would be a way of letting our members know that we appreciate their loyalty.”
The agenda for the convention was put together after the Club surveyed a number of members about what they would like to see at a Club convention.
“Members from across the country played a big part in determining how this convention would be put together,” Perkal says.
The convention will give members a chance to meet representatives from the Collector’s Club and the Keepsakes department.
Artists and others who work behind the scenes to bring you Keepsake Ornaments will appear at the convention as well. Many of the Keepsake artists will be on hand to sign the ornaments they designed.
Clara Johnson Scroggins, a leading authority on Keepsake Ornaments and American Christmas ornaments, and many other guest speakers will appear at the event.
“Since this is the Collector’s Club’s first convention,” Perkal says, “we thought it was only appropriate to bring together some of the most important names in collecting Keepsake Ornaments.”
Events being planned for the first full day of the convention include an appearance by a surprise “celebrity” collector. Members who attend will also be among the first to see next year’s Keepsake Ornaments as we unveil the entire 1991 collection.
Members will have an opportunity to browse through displays showing some of Hallmark’s newest products, including collectibles, Merry Miniatures, cookie cutters, lapel pins, and much, much more.
Topics such as how Keepsake Ornaments are made, how to protect your ornament collection, and decorating with Keepsake Ornaments will be discussed by experts and in workshops. Members will also have a chance to ask questions about ornament collecting and Keepsake Ornaments during a special forum discussion on “What Collectors Think.” The forum panel will include members of the Keepsakes staff and representatives from the Club.
In the afternoon, members will be able to get their favorite Keepsake Ornaments signed during an artist autograph session. In addition, Clara Johnson Scroggins will be signing copies of her Keepsake Ornament Collector’s Guide at the special session.
“We want Club members to enjoy themselves, but we also want to give them the opportunity to learn more about Keepsake Ornaments and collecting them. We want the panel groups and other sessions to be as informative and educational as possible,” Perkal says.
Arrangements have been made for members to go on scenic tours of Kansas City on the second day of the convention. There will also be specially guided tours of the Hallmark facilities where Keepsake Ornaments are produced and distributed. Many of these tours are being arranged just for the convention. The day will end with an old-fashioned “Christmas at Home” banquet with prizes and other exciting surprises from the Collector’s Club.
One of the most important parts of the convention and one of the biggest reasons the Club decided to sponsor it won’t even be on the agenda, according to Perkal. And that’s to give members a chance to get together, meet each other and just get to know one another. The convention will also give members the chance to share stories about how they started collecting Keepsake Ornaments and about the size and contents of their collections.
“We’re really excited about bringing members from all across the country together and giving them the chance to share their interest in Keepsake Ornaments,” Perkal says.
Because of the large number of members who have already expressed an interest in attending the convention and the limited registration for the event, Perkal advises those wishing to attend to sign up as early as possible.
Every active member was mailed an information packet in late October with details on registration. If you did not receive your packet or if you have questions about the convention, contact the Club at 1-816-274-4000.
Reprint of: Collectors Agree: Goin’ To Kansas City
Collector’s Courier: Volume Four, Number Three 1990
Reveal: Limited Quantity Ornament
Here is a preview of one of the Limited Quantity ornaments available at Ornament Debut, Lady Tanager by Edythe Kegrize.
Lady Western Tanager
Limited Quantity
Complements The Beauty of Birds series
2014 Ornament Premiere/Ornament Debut Shopper Thank-you Gift
Hallmark Gold Crown Rewards customers, who purchase a Keepsake Ornament during Ornament Premiere Weekend (July 11-12, 2015) will get a coupon for a FREE Tippity-Tap Toy Soldier ornament for redemption with purchase of another Keepsake ornament beginning October 3, 2015.
Tippity-Tap Toy Solder
Special Edition
Throwback: Tin is In
In the 1800s, tin toys such as model trains and brightly painted soldiers were favorite Christmas presents of young and old alike. These tin toys were often displayed under the tree or on mantels or tables.
The Hallmark Keepsake Ornament line brought the idea of tin ornaments into the 20th century. Keepsakes senior designer Linda Sickman moved tin soldiers, drums, rocking horses and locomotives from their historic place under the tree to places of honor on the tree branches.
“There’s a nostalgic charm about tin ornaments,” says Linda Sickman. “Tin is lightweight. You can print beautiful colors and design details on it, and you can emboss it. Tin is one of my favorite materials for ornaments.”
The original tin toys celebrated the new age of motorized transportation. Appropriate enough, the first tin Keepsake Ornament celebrated a new mode of transportation as well—for Santa Claus!
Santa’s Flight
by Linda Sickman
The 1980 “Santa’s Flight” pressed tin design had Santa making Christmas deliveries via a dirigible. The garland on this design and straw look of the passenger basket reveal the high degree of detail that is possible when printing on tin. Movement is another feature of early tin transportation toys that has been retained in this ornament—the propeller twirls about!
In 1981, a nostalgic Santa Claus appeared in pressed tin. “St. Nicholas,” a traditional European design, is dressed in a long coat and holds a lantern to light his way on Christmas Eve. Sickman was inspired by her research in tin toys to create figures such as this Yuletide design.
In 1982, a proper “Tin Soldier” ornament joined the tin toy parade on the Christmas tree. This design is reminiscent of popular military tin figures of the past.
Of course, the biggest news in tin Keepsake Ornaments was the first edition of the “Tin Locomotive” series in 1982. This locomotive has the look of yesteryear’s Iron Horse. The wheels actually move, and a brass bell is ready to ring in the New Year. This attention to detail has continued throughout the ongoing “Tin Locomotive” series.
“Every year, when I’m ready to design the next ‘Tin Locomotive,’ I line up all the locomotives I’ve done before,” says Sickman. “I see what colors I’ve used previously and what new color combinations would be appealing.”
In following years, a variety of tin traditions have been interpreted in Keepsake Ornaments. A dappled gray “Tin Rocking Horse” pranced on the scene in 1983. In 1986, the “Favorite Tin Drum” reproduced another childhood classic. “Favorite Tin Drum” is the first Keepsake design crafted in litho-printed tin instead of pressed tin. In 1988, “Americana Drum” features a bright eagle design, and is also crafted of litho-printed tin.
What else is new in tin for 1988? Nautical toy Keepsake Ornaments! While nautical tin toys first appeared in the 1890s, “Sailing! Sailing!” and “Noah’s Ark” are the first nautical tin ornaments in the Keepsake family.
“Collectors really seem to like the tin ornaments that have wheels,” says Sickman. “You can display these designs on a table or mantel as well as on a Christmas tree. You might say I designed these ornaments from the wheels up!
“I also researched tin pull toys, especially boats. I have a lakeside cabin where I watch sailboats. I thought the gracefulness of a sailboat would make a good ornament. And the ‘Noah’s Ark’ is a classic toy design.”
After seven trains, two boats, two Santas, one solider, one rocking horse and two drums, Sickman feels that there are still new and exciting tin ornaments in the future of our Keepsake Ornament collectors.
“With tin, I can create ornaments that have all the color and detail ornament collectors desire,” says Sickman.
Reprint of: Collectors Agree: Tin is In
Collector’s Courier: Volume two, Number One 1988
Hallmark Introduces Event-Exclusive Products for Star Wars Celebration
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 25, 2015) — Hallmark is doubling up on excitement at this year’s Star Wars Celebration with a pair of Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments and a pair of the popular itty bittys® plush collectibles to be available exclusively at the fan event.
The two-packs will be sold in limited quantities each day of the event, scheduled April 16-19 at Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.
An Epic Vision is the name of the Keepsake Ornament two-pack that features Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader locked in a heated lightsaber duel as inspired by the styling of famed artist Ralph McQuarrie in preproduction art for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Nearly 40 years since their creation, McQuarrie’s original visions for the Star Wars galaxy of characters, craft and planets continues to inspire and delight fans. An Epic Vision has a total production run of 2,000 and sales will be limited to 500 per day ($40 per set).
An Epic Vision
Star Wars IV: A New Hope™
Set of 2 ornaments
Inspired by the styling of famed artist Ralph McQuarrie in preproduction
Sales limited to 500 sets per day for total production run of 2,000
Bossk and Dengar join Hallmark’s itty bittys line with a Celebration-exclusive two-pack of the fearsome bounty hunters seen in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
More than a dozen heroes, villains and creatures of Star Wars are now among the iconic characters of film, comics and television to appear as sweetly and uniquely styled plush itty bittys exclusively in Hallmark Gold Crown® stores and online at Hallmark.com.
This bounty hunter two-pack has a total production run of 2,200 and sales will be limited to 550 per day ($20 per set).
Bossk and Dengar
Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back™
Sales limited to 550 sets per day for total production run of 2,200