2014 Christmas Commemorative
The 2nd in Keepsake Artist Terri Steiger’s Christmas Commemorative series will be an exquisite blue glass ornament featuring intricate sand-blasted surface detail.
2014 Christmas Commemorative
2nd in the series
Keepsake Engineer Ron Carlson Retires
Learn about Ron’s 34-year career bringing some of Hallmark’s most popular Keepsake Ornaments to life.
Engineer Ron Carlson retires from Keepsake studio
When Ron Carlson joined Hallmark in July 1978 as a tool design engineer, it wasn’t long before he lent his expertise to new decorative processes for a handful of Keepsake Ornaments. Fast-forward to 2012, and Ron’s duties led him to play a part in creating more than 150 ornaments a year—almost half of the entire line.
“I’ve always looked at this job as teamwork,” says Ron, who retired from Hallmark in October 2012. “The designers and I go back and forth with ideas until something gels. Keepsake engineers work with designers to work through technical issues and make sure an ornament will do what they really would like it to do. Sometimes it will take a few compromises, and there’s a bit of push-pull there.”
Valued collaboration
No one acknowledges that relationship more than Keepsake Artist Ken Crow, who worked with Ron on dozens of ornaments since Ron came full-time to the Keepsake studio in 1995.
“He improved me, and I will always be thankful that I knew and worked with Ron, and I can tell you that it wasn’t always that way,” says Ken with a laugh. “When I first worked with him, it was oil and water. He was the guy who would tell me what I couldn’t do. But I learned that he was right, and not only that, but I learned he had lots of ideas for improving things.”
Ron also counts his work with Ken as his most memorable in the studio, particularly their first Magic ornament in 1997. Santa’s Showboat features a turning paddle wheel, glowing portholes and running lights, flickering light in the steamboat’s twin chimneys and it plays “Jingle Bells.”
“Ken’s objective was to make ornaments as small as possible. The only way to do that was to use computer-assisted drafting to accomplish the magic,” says Ron. “We set our chairs together at one computer. I handled the mouse because I knew the software and he just told me what to do. Now that’s collaboration. And today, Ken is a lot farther ahead in using that software than just about anyone in the country.”
Steamboat Junction
Motors, mentorship and memories
Ron went on to develop smaller, quieter motors for Magic ornaments, programming capabilities for synchronizing light and sound and countless other innovations to help Keepsake Ornaments capture memories. With his background in injection molding, he assisted with decorative processes on scores of non-Magic ornaments each year of his career. Ron also mentored and trained a number of young engineers who went on to work for the Keepsake studio and elsewhere in Hallmark.
Next, Ron intends to spend time with family at his home that he designed in Idaho’s Teton Valley. He says he suspects he won’t be totally finished with Keepsake Ornaments—especially if Ken has any say in the matter.
Ken says, “People have asked me what I’m going to do without Ron. I say that I am better because I knew Ron Carlson, and I can do my job even better now. He’s a mentor and a leader and didn’t mind me challenging him, which is a great thing in an artist working with an engineer. He was working for the best as I was working for the best.”
2013 Reveal: Mystery Ornaments
It’s time for the BIG REVEAL! – After numerous clues and two months of guessing, here it is! The moment you all have been waiting for, the 2013 Keepsake Ornament reveal. To see these much-anticipated ornament designs place your cursor over the flip boxes.
Reveal Ornament #1
You voted and the results are in.Gnome for Christmas is the latest in Hallmarks collector-influenced Keepsake Ornaments.
Gnome for Christmas
Collector-influenced ornament*
Reveal Ornament #2
John Deere 624J Loader
Reveal Ornament #3
Disco Ball Mike
Disney•Pixar Monsters University
Reveal Ornament #4
Mockingjay
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire™
Reveal Ornament – An ornament whose identity is not revealed until it is available for purchase during an in-store event.
Gnome for Christmas
Collector-influenced ornament*
John Deere 624J Loader
Disco Ball Mike
Disney•Pixar Monsters University
Mockingjay
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire™
Mischievous Kittens 15th Anniversary Ornament Inspection (UPDATED)
A portion of the September Keepsake Ornament Club (KOC) exclusive Mischievous Kittens 15th Anniversary (QXC5072) ornaments have non-toxic mold on them. Although it is undetermined as to what has caused this, it is speculated that it may have been caused by the product being packaged prior to the paint or resin drying fully.
Stores have been asked to inspect their remaining inventory, pull any affected pieces and accept customer returns relating to this issue. The stores have also been asked to report (prior to September 20) the number of affected ornaments they have so that replacement product can be sent to them.
Replacement ornaments are scheduled to arrive in mid-November.
Mischievous Kittens
15th Anniversary
Special Edition
UPDATE (11/9/2013): The replacement Mischievous Kittens 15th Anniversary ornaments are starting to arrive at local retailers.
Featured Artist: Ken Crow
Title:
Hallmark Senior Artist
Started at Hallmark:
August 1979
Started at Keepsakes:
November 1983
Hometown:
Long Beach, California
.
Inspired by artist Ken Crow’s love of Ol’ Saint Nick, Santa’s Magic Cuckoo Clock is filled with magic, just like Santa! Read more about what led this true believer to create this spectacle of light and sound.
Most of us doodled in our notebooks during high school, but Ken Crow’s drawings were a real learning experience. In his 11th grade history class, he discovered that his pictures were worth a thousand words. History teacher, Mr. Ciriello, began letting Ken use creative illustration instead of taking class notes.
During a Civil War lesson, Ken drew battle scenes. When Ciriello explained how an economy works, Ken sketched his teacher running a treadmill turning the cogs of an economic engine.
Ken calls Mr. Ciriello’s encouragement the “green light” for his ability to express his artistic sensibility. Ken always understood the power of communicating ideas through art, and he became an editorial cartoonist for a newspaper. Now he conveys a sense of history and emotion in the expressive and complex work he does with Keepsake Ornaments.
But how did Ken go from drawing to becoming an expert in mechanical Christmas ornaments? As a child, he tore apart every toy he ever had to see how it worked. He even made other toys out of the spare parts. For Ken, Keepsake Ornaments will forever keep him connected with that inquisitive kid inside.
2013 Ornament Debut Reveal – Ornament 3 (Clue #2)
Four Keepsake Ornaments remain to be revealed for 2013.
Come back each week for a new clue. The big reveal is September 16. Available in stores during Ornament Debut Weekend, October 5 & 6. Let the guessing begin!
Click on the image below to play the video.
This little guy’s no stranger
to hanging around
So a home
on your tree
should be
easily found
His personality
is monstrous…
his voice
Crystal clear
And he’s always got an eye out for holiday cheer
Does this clue further confirm your initial guess or have you changed your mind? Share your thoughts in the comment section of this post.
.:*:. Spooktacular 2nd in series for 2014 .:*:.
Keepsake artist Anita Marra Rogers continues to mash up two of her favorite holidays with her 2nd in series Happy Halloween! ornament.
The character selected for this ornament should not surprise anyone. After all, who better to bring a hauntingly good time to your tree than a ghost!
‘Pete,’ the name Anita’s given to this iconic Halloween character, is an adaptation from “Ghost with Candy Corn” (QFM9014), a Merry Miniature she created in 1992.
Naturally, Anita thought, this ghost would be most at home in a haunted house, which is where you’ll find ‘Pete’ comfortably seated. Sepia tones, cobwebs and melting candles add to the eeriness of this haunted house.
This ornament will be ready to haunt homes everywhere in July 2014.
Happy Halloween
2nd in the series
Local Clubs Receive Third Mailing for 2013
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 2013 issue of Collectively Speaking – The local club newsletter for the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club.
- Keepsake Ornament Club – Artist Spotlights – A DVD with exclusive interviews from three of the Keepsake Studio Artists including: Anita Marra Rogers talking about the inspiration behind her Happy Halloween, 1st in the series ornament; Don Palmiter speaking about Stately Victorian, 30th in the Nostalgic Houses and Shops series; and Jim Kemme sharing a few details about the new PEANUTS’ year long series.
Anita Marra Rogers — Happy Halloween
Don Palmiter — Stately Victorian
Jim Kemme — Happiness is PEANUTS
2013 Ornament Debut Reveal – Ornament 2 (Clue #2)
Come back each week for a new clue. The big reveal is September 16. Available in stores during Ornament Debut Weekend, October 5 & 6. Let the guessing begin!
Click on the image below to play the video.
TO SOME IT MAY LOOK LIKE A BUCKET LOAD OF FUN
BUT IT’S A SERIOUS WORKER THAT GETS THE JOB DONE
IT TAKES A SMOOTH OPERATOR TO USE THE REAL DEAL
BUT AS AN ORNAMENT, IT HAS UNIVERSAL APPEAL
Does this clue further confirm your initial guess or have you changed your mind? Share your thoughts in the comment section of this post.
Year-round Keepsake Program and Expansion
What’s next for Keepsakes? How about a selection of everyday ornament offerings that would be available all year-round. Although this new program started with the introduction of the PEANUTS Series-in-a-Year set this Summer, there’s even more to come. Beginning in January, Hallmark will introduce an assortment of “milestones and memories” Keepsake ornaments for year-round gift-giving. This group, will include 13 memory-keeping life occasion type Keepsake Ornaments that normally wouldn’t be released until later in the year. Some of the designs will be popular captions that are already part of the Keepsakes line like “New Home,” “Baby’s First Christmas” and “Our Wedding;” others will be new themed designs appropriate for birthdays, graduation, retirement and other life events.
The ornaments will be displayed adjacent to the other gift collections on a Keepsake-branded display that highlights the ornaments and shows how they make memorable gifts. The remaining Series-in-a-Year ornaments will also be included on the display. All of the ornaments will move to the main Keepsake Ornament wall display when it is converted for Ornament Debut in October.
Keepsake Expansion in 2014
But there’s even more Keepsake news. In 2014 Hallmark will be expanding the regular Keepsake Ornament line by approximately 40 additional ornaments. The additional designs will build on the captions that are already popular including: family, wheels, pop culture, sports and a few others.