2015 Dates to Remember (Updated 1/8/15)
The following Hallmark Keepsake Ornament event dates have been announced for 2015:
Destination Keepsakes (2015 KOC Event)
Registration Begins
April 1, 2015
Hallmark Spring Open House
May 1-3, 2015
Dreambook Party
May 16, 2015
Ornament Premiere
July 11-19, 2015
Destination Keepsakes (2015 KOC Event)
August 7-8, 2015
September Release
September 5, 2015
Ornament Debut
October 3-11, 2015
Gift of Memories Weekend
December 4-6, 2015
This list will be updated as other events and their corresponding dates become available..
.:* 2015 Sneak Peek – Carefuly Carved Kringles *:.
Rustic Santas
(L-R) by Tracy Larsen, Anita Marra Rogers, and Robert Hurlburt
This set of three, Santa Keepsake Ornaments, got their beginnings as full size wood carvings following a 2013 workshop attended by Tracy Larsen, Anita Marra Rogers, Robert Hurlburt and other Keepsake Ornament artists. The artists are constantly developing and refining their craftsmanship skills and attended the workshop to do just that. At the time, they had no idea these pieces would make some collectors very happy and raise over $11,000 for a very good cause.
You see, the Keepsake Ornament team was in the midst of planning for the 2013 KOC Event and preparing items for the charity auction, benefiting CureSearch for Children’s Cancer. Once the team saw the amazing Santas that Tracy, Anita and Robert created, they just had to ask if the artists would be willing to part with them in support of the cause. Without hesitation all three artists agreed and, as mentioned, these life-size carvings (approximately 4-5 feet tall) went to new homes and helped a good cause.
Due to the popularity of the designs, the three carvings have been reworked by their artists into ornament size and will be available at the 2015 KOC Event in Kansas City. The artists preserved the original designs, but the lighter color palette is new for the ornament design. We were so happy these artists original sculpts brought so much joy and know the ornament versions will do the same.
Additions to POS List (11/07/2014)
As of November 3, twenty-four more Keepsake ornaments have been added to the permanently out-of-stock* list, bringing the total number of sell outs to 27.
Here is a list of the additional 2014 Keepsake ornaments that have sold out at the warehouse:
pg. 7
COMFY COZY SNOWMAN
By Terri Steiger.
QGO1573
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
pg. 11
WHOOOO’S WATCHING
By Sharon Visker.
QGO1226
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
pg. 15
A PRE-FLIGHT SNACK
4th in the Once Upon a Christmas series
By Robert Chad, Tom Best, Jim Kemme and Joanne Eschrich. QX9023
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
pg. 16
HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS!
By Ken Crow. QGO1686
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
pg. 26
CHRISTMAS ANGEL
By Joanne Eschrich.
QGO1323
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
pg. 29
AMAZING GRACE
By Nello Williams.
QSM7753
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
ANCHORED IN FAITH
By Debra Nielsen.
QGO1343
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
pg. 39
OLAF
Disney Frozen
By Kristina Gaughran.
QXD6153
BABY MINE
Disney Dumbo
By Kristina Gaughran.
QXD6113
pg. 44
GREAT GRANDSON
By Kristina Gaughran.
QGO1503
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
pg 58
DISNEY THE LITTLE MERMAID
25th Anniversary
By Katrina Bricker.
QXD6036
pg. 59
THE DARING PRINCESS
Disney The Princess and the Frog
QXD6043
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
pg. 63
ZEE SEASON FOR LOVE
Pepé Le Pew-LOONY TUNES
QXI2426
pg. 66
GREAT WHITE MENACE
Jaws
By Tracy Larsen. QXI2786
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
JUMPIN’ GENERAL LEE
The Dukes of Hazzard
By Steve Goslin. QXI2726
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
pg. 67
THE WALTONS
QXI2733
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
pg. 70
ROLLER RINK NIGHTS
By Matt Johnson. QGO1296
pg. 71
SIMON
Hasbro® Games
By Rodney Gentry. QXI2676
pg. 72
CAPTAIN AMERICA™
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
QXI2766
pg. 74
THE SORTING HAT
Harry Potter™
QXI2543
pg. 79
PEYTON MANNING
Denver Broncos
QXI2813
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
EARL THOMAS
Seattle Seahawks
QXI2833
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
pg. 88
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
By Ken Crow. QGO1516
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
Not Pictured:
LEGACY CORD
QXG1543
Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusive
* Permanently Out-of-Stock)/SOLD OUT List – A list of the ornaments that are no longer available for retailers to reorder. That said, keep in mind that any ornaments ordered prior to the sell out will be shipped to retailers. Depending on the quantities a retailer initially ordered, it may be faced with an early sell out. If you are looking to purchases any of these ornaments (especially those that are denoted as Hallmark Gold Crown Exclusives) you may want to do so early in the season.
2014 Local Club Ornament Fall Mailing
The last of the four mailings local clubs will receive from the national Keepsake Ornament Club for 2014 is currently being delivered to Club Sponsors/Club Contacts. The shipment contains: the November issue of Collectively Speaking, the 2015 Local Club Roster form and a very delightful ornament*, ‘A Merry Mailbox!’ by Tammy Haddix.
This repainted version of the 2014 ‘Santa Has Mail!’ ornament captures a favorite holiday scene-a mailbox full of holiday wishes.
A Merry Mailbox
Special Edition
If you are a member of our club (or indicated you would like to be a member of our club) and have a current KOC membership, you can obtain this local club ornament from us (limit one per KOC membership)** by simply emailing your request to us at digitalDREAMBOOK@Gmail.com. Although these ornament are free to our members, there is a nominal fee charged to cover the cost of the packing materials used and shipping charges (actual postage) incurred. Alternatively, individuals can obtain any of the local club ornaments we have available at no cost at any Hallmark sponsored event where we are in attendance.
Please note, in addition to the 2014 Local club ornament, we also have a limited supply of the 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2009 local club ornaments (limit one of each design per KOC membership)** available upon request.
Click here to view all of the Local Club Ornaments.
* Local Club Ornament – An exclusive gift, from the Keepsake Ornament Club, for local clubs members (with a current KOC membership) in appreciation for all the support they give to the national Club.
** If you have more than one KOC membership and would like multiple ornaments, please include all KOC membership numbers in your profile.
Featured Artist: Edythe Kegrize
Title:
Hallmark Master Designer
Started at Hallmark:
October 1979
Started at Keepsakes:
October 2002
Hometown:
Pennsylvania
See how Keepsake Artists Edythe Kegrize and Robert Hurlburt put a new twist on a classic Christmas tale.
Edythe Kegrize had an in-depth love of three-dimensional art ever since she was young. She remembers making all kinds of creations from scraps around the house, including a tiny paper television with pictures that rotated with the turn of a knob and a crèche fashioned out of laundry detergent and food coloring.
Edythe’s talents blossomed with the help of her loving family. Her grandmother saved tidbits of fabric, trims and pretty papers. Her mother never hindered her daughter’s creativity despite the risks of having holes cut in tablecloths or glue on the rug. From her father, Edythe inherited attention to detail, patience and mechanical curiosity that make her Keepsake designs so intricate.
While in college, Edythe majored in illustration, but also was inspired by ceramics and weaving classes. At Hallmark, she would often devise unique folding cards that brought an extra dimension to her designs. Edythe featured needlework and collages in her greeting cards and crafted several original dolls to be photographed for select card collections.
With nearly 25 years of experience illustrating greeting cards, Edythe cultivated an appreciation for a wide range of decorative surface designs, from traditional folk art to classic, elegant scroll-work. This is perhaps most evident in the details of her Santa’s Around the World unofficial series.
November Keepsake Wallpaper
This month’s Free Desktop Wallpaper, features Kristina Gaughran’s perky penguins busily packing their icy sleigh with packages.
Present-Packing Penguins
2014 Ornament Debut Top 5 Countdown
What were the most popular* ornaments during Ornament Debut?
#5 Ruby Slippers
The Wizard of OZ™
#4 Pennsylvania Torpedo Locomotive
LIONEL® Trains
Special Edition
#3 1965 Ford Mustang
#2 Very Merry Christmas Fairy
The Fairy Messengers
Special Edition
#1 Olaf
Disney Frozen
We knew this year’s Frozen movie characters would be popular, but no one guessed Olaf would sell as well or better than some of Hallmark’s historical best-sellers in the past. Olaf, the silly snowman from Frozen, sold 10 times the number of the average Keepsake Ornament at Ornament Debut.
* NOTE: based on the number of units sold during Ornament Debut.
October Keepsake Wallpaper
Let this spooky pumpkin-dweller from Anita Marra Rogers haunt your desktop with this month’s wallpaper.
Happy Halloween
A Sweet 2015 Sneak Peek
Here’s a preview of some fun in store for next year’s Halloween.
Keepsake artist Nina Aubé has created the first Cookie Cutter Halloween, a companion ornament to her popular Cookie Cutter Christmas series that began with a KOC event exclusive in 2011.
In Nina’s ornament, a mouse dressed as a witch makes her trick-or-treating rounds through a tiny neighborhood created within a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter.
“I love to create worlds that depict characters living in a big world” she says. I added sweet elements to the scene such as candy corn and cookies because I believe that’s part of the charm of the series.”
And the Halloween scene is a familiar one to the artist from her own youth. “Halloween is a favorite holiday of mine. I used to love dressing up and getting candy with my sisters while growing up in Chicago,” Nina says. “I still dress up for parties, but no more trick-or-treating for me. I pass out the candy rather than pick it up.”
Cookie Cutter Halloween
by Nina Aubé
Ornament Insights – “Mr. October”
Revisit the thrilling moment when baseball legend Reggie Jackson became “Mr. October” with Charles Young, Keepsake product development manager.
“With the sports ornaments, we always look for a signature pose or something historically significant. This captures that 3rd home run he hit in the final game of the 1977 World Series.
We wanted to take fans back to that moment in time where you’re wondering ‘Can he do it?’ And sure enough, he did.” — Charles Young, Keepsake Product Development Manager.
“Mr. October”
Reggie Jackson