Local Clubs Receive Third Mailing for 2014
The third of four mailing that the national Keepsake Ornament Club will be sending to Local Clubs this year is currently being delivered to Club Sponsors/Club Contacts.
The shipment contains:
- The August 2014 issue of Collectively Speaking – The local club newsletter for the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club.
- Keepsake Ornament Club – 2014 Artist Interviews – A DVD with exclusive interviews from three of the Keepsake Studio Artists including:Tom Best talking about the Frosty Friends series; Tracy Larsen speaking about Snow Fun Ferris Wheel; and Ken Crow sharing a few details about the Where Dreams Become Toys.
Frosty Friends
Tom Best
Snow Fun Ferris Wheel
Tracy Larsen
Where Dreams Become Toys
Ken Crow
2015 Sneak Peek
A golden idea for sure!
It was your favorite series at Keepsake Ornament Premiere, so a sneak peek at the 5th in the Twelve Days of Christmas series and a conversation with Edythe Kegrize was a must.
How is she going to make this ornament as exciting and beautiful as the first four? Five Golden Rings aren’t colorful like the other ornaments in the series have been. Or at least, that was the original concern. True to herself, Edythe was not going to create something less the fabulous.
Edythe shared, “This ornament was the most challenging in the series so far.” Making the ornament interesting, while incorporating the words and design motif, left Edythe reworking her plans multiple times over the course of the last five years. After much contemplation and with some concern, Edythe presented what she thought was the final design to the team.
The design was approved, but she continued to feel like she was settling and began researching alternative meanings of the verse. “I already had approval for another concept and was getting ready to begin the final piece, but I just was not excited about doing it. I was so happy when I stumbled upon one interpretation,” Edythe stated. This version suggested the meaning of the five golden rings on a pheasant’s neck. “This made sense to me,” she said. “The song itself was about the feasting and musical celebrations of the season.”
Edythe chose the golden pheasant for its vibrant colors and prominent branding on the neck. This choice helped her maintain the feel of the series and stay true to the coloring of the bird selected.
To Marry the interpretations of the song, Edythe decided to incorporate the more recognizable interlocking ring motif into the design. Five golden rings become ornamentation on the wings and back of the dangling charm.
Edythe is thrilled with the new design and so happy to continue with the bird theme for this series. Now for the next big challenge, year number eight…
Five Golden Rings
In-Store Artist Signing Local Club Host Gift
Members of the 16 local clubs that sponsor a 2014 Keepsake Artist Signing Event will receive a repainted version of the 5th ornament in the Frosty Fun Decade series.
Frosty Fun Decade
Special Edition
Rochester, MN Sneak Peek
At the Local Club Dinner event in Rochester, MN, Kristina talked about a couple of her series. While showing a picture of the first in her new “Kringle and Kris” series, she shared a personal insight about the design (Santa’s list) including the names of her husband, son and other family members. As a side note she mentioned, given the unusualness of her son’s name, this is the only way it would appear on a Keepsake ornament.
During her presentation, Kristina also talked about the Fairy Messengers being her favorite series and shared a Sneak Peek of a couple of new arrivals that are due in 2015.
Lotus and Poinsettia
1st in the Baby Fairy Messengers series
At the end of her presentation Kristina offered up a little riddle. “What is the size of a pea (now) and in February it will be the size of a Watermelon?”
She then went on to announce she is pregnant with her second child.
CONGRATULATIONS Kris!
Chesapeake, VA 2015 Sneak Peek
At the Local Club Dinner event in Chesapeake, VA Jake and Tammy each showed a picture of one of their favorite 2014 Keepsake ornaments while giving a personal insight into their respective designs.
Jake showed “I Want You to Want Me” and said, “as a newer artist it was one of my first ornaments that brought out my style.”
Tammy showed “Snip ‘N’ Clip Fun”, 7th in the Making Memories series. She went on to say she liked it because it reminded her of making paper snowflakes with her kids. As an interesting side note, she commented about making life-sized paper snowflakes and snowmen in order to get the scale right.
In addition to sharing pictures of their favorite 2014 ornaments, each artist also gave a Sneak Peek of one of the designs they created for the 2015 Keepsake ornament line and answered questions for approximately 30 minutes.
One piece of trivia that was revealed during the Q & A session was that this year’s “Sugar, Sugar” ornament was supposed to play “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard. As a result of not being able to obtain the rights to use this song, Hallmark had to change the music to “Sugar, Sugar.”
Girls Just Want to Have Fun!
Sweet Sisters
Keepsakes-Revealed! – A Home For A Gnome
Get a behind-the scene glimpse at the inspiration and creation of this year’s Reveal Ornaments from the artists themselves.
A Home for a Gnome
Reveal Keepsake Ornament #1
What was the inspiration for this ornament?
“I’ve been making terrariums for a couple of years now. Actually, the first ones I made were for Hallmarket*. I’ve always been a gnome fanatic…gnomes and mushrooms. I don’t know why. And then one year I started collecting cool jars, and I wondered what I could do with them—so I started making terrariums. I started collecting any kind of glass things I thought were cool that could become terrariums, and then I started putting little paper clay gnomes in them.”
How did that transition into an ornament?
“I had submitted the idea to include gnomes and mushrooms in Keepsakes back when I first started 18 years ago. One of the first ornaments I did that was kind of terrarium-like was one of the Keepsake Ornament Club ornaments. For it, I wanted to do the water-globe effect without the water, so I just did it with the loose snow in it, and everyone really liked it.”
What is it about making terrariums that appeals to you?
“I just love creating a little scene inside. It kind of draws you into it…makes it a little more precious.”
Any fun facts about the ornament itself?
“I don’t do any terrariums with living plants in them. I have a hard time keeping things alive, so I use this imitation mossy grass, and we were able to use the same stuff I use on my personal pieces in the ornament.”
Are you hoping to do more terrarium-influenced ornaments?
“At this point I think people are almost coming to expect them. If Keepsake fans continue to like them, I’m happy to continue designing them.”
*NOTE: Hallmarket – An annual event, open to the public, where Hallmark employees display and sell items they’ve created based on their personal interests.
What 2014 Limited-quantity Ornament Was the Hardest to Find during Ornament Premiere?
Although sell through vary by store, based on the available information, here is a list of this years Limited-quantity ornaments ranked according to the percentage of stores that sold out during Ornament Premiere Weekend.
#1 Winged Wonder
The Beauty of Birds
Special Edition
#2 Kisses for Kacey
Special Edition
#3 A Pony for Christmas
Special Edition
#4 Toymaker Santa
15th Anniversary
Special Edition
#5 Who Are You Callin’ Chicken?
Foghorn Leghorn—LOONEY TUNES
Special Edition
#6 Vina
STAR TREK™: The Original Series
Special Edition
#7 Chris Mouse
Special Edition
#8 Scarlett’s White Dress
Gone With the Wind™
Special Edition
#9 High-Flying Hero
Disney The Rocketeer
Special Edition
What Were The Top 10 Ornaments (by units sold) During 2014 Ornament Premiere?
Series ornaments were a big win for Keepsakes again this year. Simple Gifts by Marjolein Bastin was by far the top first-in-series release, followed by Tis the Seasoning!
Additionally, several series came out stronger than ever. Once again the popular Twelve Days of Christmas series by Edythe Kegrize, came in at number 1 with Four Calling Birds, 4th in the series being the highest selling ornament during Ornament Premiere.
For a complete list of the other ornaments that rounded off this years top ten please see below.
#1 Four Calling Birds
4th in the Twelve Days of Christmas series
#2 Hummingbird
10th in the Beauty of Birds series
#3 Winged Wonder
The Beauty of Birds
Special Edition
#4 Frosty Fun Decade
5th in the series
#5 Frosty Friends
35th in the series
#6 Cookie Cutter Christmas
3rd in the series
#7 Seasons Treatings
6th in the series
#8 A Springy Surprise
KOC Gift
#9 Dahlia
27th in the Mary’s Angels series
#10 Pennsylvania Torpedo Locomotive
19th in the LIONEL® Trains series
#11 Winter Fun With Snoopy
17th in the series
#12 Frosty Friends
Special 35th Anniversary Edition
2015 STAR TREK Ornaments Revealed
For the seventh year in a row, Hallmark is offering glimpses into the future (to Comic-Con International attendees) in the form of Sneak Peeks of Keepsake Ornaments set for release in 2015. This year amongst the ornaments being revealed are three STAR TREK ornaments.
Lieutenant Nyota Uhura™
6th and final in the STAR TREK™ Legends series
U.S.S. Enterprise™ NCC-1701-C™
STAR TREK: The Next Generation™
The Needs of the Many
STAR TREK: The Wrath of Khan™
2014 Reveal: Event-Exclusive Keepsake Ornaments and itty bittys®
Hallmark Reveals Plans, Exclusive Keepsake Ornaments for Comic-Con 2014
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (July 17, 2014) — Hallmark once again will showcase its creative products at Comic-Con International when it opens next week in San Diego.
This is the seventh year for Hallmark to exhibit at the largest comic book and popular arts convention in the world. Hallmark will provide more than 130,000 attendees access to event-exclusive Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments and a pair of itty bittys® plush collectibles. Other perks include visits with a Keepsake Ornament artist and sneak peeks of Hallmark products to be released in 2015.
Comic-Con Exclusives
During the convention, held July 24-27, 2014, Hallmark will sell limited quantities of the following Keepsake Ornaments:
Wampa™, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back™ – This Keepsake Ornament created especially for event sales depicts the ferocious horned predator that attacked Luke Skywalker on the ice planet Hoth as seen in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back™. In place of actual wampa fur, the ornament is covered in velvety flocking. Sales limited to 200 pieces per day as part of a total production run of 1,800 ($35 each).
Arkham’s Avenger, BATMAN™: Arkham City – Inspired by the 2011 video game Batman: Arkham City, Batman crouches on a rooftop gargoyle in this Keepsake Ornament created as an event exclusive. Sales limited to 175 pieces per day as part of a total production run of 1,575 ($35 each).
War Machine™, Iron Patriot™ – As featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this event exclusive is a repainted variant of last year’s Iron Patriot™ Keepsake Ornament. Sales limited to 150 pieces per day as part of a total production run of 1,350 ($25 each).
Since December 2012, iconic characters of film, comics and television have appeared as sweetly and uniquely styled plush itty bittys® exclusively in Hallmark Gold Crown® stores. In celebration of this fall’s addition of Star Wars™ characters to the itty bittys line, Hallmark is offering a two-pack of itty bittys styled after a Tusken Raider™ and a Bantha™ as seen in Star Wars: A New Hope™. Sales limited to 300 pieces per day as part of a total production run of 2,700 ($20 per pair).
Each of these event exclusives also will be available to attendees at New York Comic Con, Oct. 9-12, 2014.
Activities at the Hallmark Booth
“We’re very happy to be returning to Comic-Con this year to trade stories and share memories with our passionate fans,” said Beth Dorr, associate merchandise manager for Keepsake Ornaments. “We look forward to giving sneak peeks at our new Hallmark products in a creatively designed exhibit space. We’ll also have all the fun reasons for stopping by our space that Comic-Con goers have come to expect from us.”
Visitors to Hallmark’s booth in the Lucasfilm Pavilion will walk into a stylized version of the desert planet Tatooine, where they will see familiar characters, including some in Lucasfilm-owned costumes that provide a perfect photo opportunity. There will be additional opportunities for photos with costumed members of the 501st Legion daily throughout the convention.
Visitors also can collect a series of five buttons featuring Keepsake Ornaments that will be handed out for free while quantities last. The button series features Star Wars designs with a limited quantity of one design given away each day of the event.
Visitors to Hallmark’s booth will be able to meet and receive free autographs from Keepsake Ornament Artist Jake Angell, who will sign the War Machine™ ornament he sculpted.
Inside Hallmark’s booth, visitors will be treated to up-close looks at Hallmark products including many of the new 2014 Keepsake Ornaments such as Godzilla, the flying time machine of Back to the Future Part II and Cornelius of Planet of the Apes, while getting an early preview of what’s ahead for 2015.
An official schedule of all Hallmark fan activities at Comic-Con International will be available at the Hallmark booth in the Lucasfilm Pavilion, located at Booth 2913-H in the Exhibit Hall.
More Comic-Con Fun
Comic-Con goers will be encouraged to share a fan-favorite photo or moment they want to keepsake by using the hashtag #KeepsakeIt in social media and by entering online at Hallmark.com/KeepsakeIt. Submissions to the website will be entered to win weekly prizes and a grand prize of Keepsake Ornaments, plus $3,000 toward a #KeepsakeIt Family Vacation. Learn more at Hallmark.com/KeepsakeIt.
Starting July 21, before Comic-Con International begins, follow Hallmark on Twitter (@Hallmark) to learn more how to enter to win one of two Hallmark prize packages: 1) a set of the Comic-Con exclusive Keepsake Ornaments, or 2) a pair of the Comic-Con exclusive Star Wars itty bittys plush characters. This Twitter giveaway provides fans who may not make it to San Diego a chance to win Hallmark’s Comic-Con exclusive items.
Wampa™
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back™
Arkham’s Avenger
BATMAN™
War Machine™
Iron Patriot™
Bantha™ & Tusken Raider™
Star Wars: A New Hope™
itty bittys®
two-pack