Featured Artist – Julie Forsyth
Julie Forsyth
Sculptor V
Julie Forsyth is a sculptor, dancer and lover of pink. If you’ve caught her delicate designs in the past, you’ll love what she’s got in store for 2013. Get a sneak peek of three of Julie’s ornaments right here.
Ballerina Dreams
“It’s always fun to do ballerinas because I have a background in dance. My mother had been a dancer, I danced when I was a kid and my daughter had ten years of dance experience. So, having sat through a lot of ballet classes, I’m kind of fussy about poses and how they’re depicted.
It’s a beautiful art and I enjoy sculpting the ballerinas.
This ballerina has a skirt, so I had to make sure that the fabric we chose was soft enough to drape properly and not stick straight up like it was hooked to a hula-hoop!”
Cinderelly! Cinderelly!
“This was a traditional sculpt that I did with wax. I had images, research and color palettes for this ornament from Disney—but of course I watched the movie for inspiration, too.
I had to know which mice were doing what, what they were wearing and how many of them there were! There is also a little bit of fabric ribbon to add more detail.
I raised kids, I was a kid myself, and I’ve got grand-kids, so Disney’s a part of our family.”
Beautiful Ballerina
“I went with a traditional ornament shape for collectors who like a traditional tree with glass ornaments, ball ornaments or finial ornaments.
It was fun! I worked with an engineer who helped design the finial ornament shape itself. It’s much faster to work in partnership with someone who knows what they’re doing when it comes to the technical stuff. I added paint, glitter—as much bling on there as I could.
I make sure my daughter gets all of my ornaments. She has a special tree for all her dancers and favorite ornaments!”
KOC Membership Processing NOW Available Online
Individuals in the U.S. now have a new option when either joining the Keepsake Ornament Club or renewing their KOC membership – online processing.
To process your membership online, simply click on either the ‘SIGN IN / BECOME A MEMBER’ or ‘JOIN OR RENEW ONLINE’ buttons located in the Keepsake Ornament section of Hallmark’s main website; or the ‘RENEW MEMBERSHIP’ button located in the sites KOC section. After clicking on a button, you will be guided through a very simple process that takes you through all your choices and allows you to either enter or review your personal information. At the end you click submit and your done.
And the best thing of all is… there’s no waiting!
2014 In-Store Signing Events Local Club Challenge
In 2014, the Keepsake Studio Artists will once again be visiting Hallmark Gold Crown stores around the country. If you would like to have a signing event at your local store, here’s what you need to do:
- Tell Hallmark why your local club and store deserve to host an in-store signing event.
- What makes your local club and Gold Crown store unique?
- How are you making a difference in your community?
There will be a total of 16 in-store signing events. Fourteen existing local clubs (started before January 1, 2013) and two new local clubs (started between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013) will win a signing event with a current Keepsake Studio Artist.
Mail submissions to:
Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club
Local Club Challenge
P.O. Box 419580 MD #166
Kansas City, MO 64141
Challenge runs from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013 with winners announced in early 2014.
2013 KOC Dream Book Scheduled to Arrive in late March!
The 2013 KOC, 40th Anniversary, Edition Dream Book* will be mailed to KOC members March 25 to arrive in homes in late March!
In preparation for this year’s Dream Book party, the In-Store version will begin shipping to Hallmark Gold Crown stores on April 8.
* Once again this special edition Dream Book, will have some club exclusive features that you won’t get anywhere else.
Local Clubs Receive First Mailing for 2013
The first of FOUR mailings 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 February 2013 issue of Collectively Speaking, The local club newsletter for the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club, and two Silver Frosty Astronaut ornaments.
This repaint of the 2012 Frosty Astronaut Mystery Ornament was previously only available as a part of an in-store register-to-win drawing held in conjunction with last years Swap Party events.
Silver Astronaut Frosty
Special Edition
New Keepsake Studio Contributing Artist
Matt has designed for companies all over the United States, but his appreciation of toys has stuck with him since childhood. Toys play an especially important role in Christmas, a holiday that gives Matt the inspiration he needs when it comes to crafting tree-worthy trimmings in the Keepsake Studio. He admits “there’s just so many people around here that make it feel like Christmas all the time!”
Mat Johnson
Contributing Artist, Product Designer
Matt graduated with an Industrial Design degree from the University of Kansas, and continues to be a student of product design as he follows his passion for toys and games. As someone who appreciates fun, creative and offbeat entertainment for kids, the Keepsake Studio was just the place for Matt to work, but an opening wasn’t so easy to come by. After a few years of working in the Midwest and along the East Coast, Matt made the move to KC with his family-and, as luck would have it, an opening in Keepsakes was waiting for him.
The work of a Keepsakes designer is a challenge, but Matt is happy to see his designs inspire wonder for kids and kids at heart. Hobbies at home continue to challenge Matt creatively. As he puts it, “I try to keep up with my drawing—and my two-year-old.”
2013 (Susan G. Komen For the Cure) Ornament
Features a snow angel with a wire halo and wings (beaded with pink and clear beads). The signature pink breast cancer awareness ribbon has been knitted into a scarf and placed around the angel’s neck. Base captioned with inspirational words and sayings including: INSPIRING, surrounded by love, warm, and COURAGE.
$2 from the sale of this ornament will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® to support breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment programs.
Surrounded by Caring
For breast cancer information, visit www.komen.org.
2013 Dream Book Party
Join in the excitement!
Be part of the official launch of this, the fortieth Anniversary season of Keepsake Ornaments, by attending a Dream Book party, at you local retailer on May 4th, 2013. In addition to an early preview of the 2013 Keepsake Ornament Club exclusive ornaments, KOC members, who turn in a Wish List at the event, will receive a FREE 8″ x 10″ limited-edition Mary Hamilton print.
A Spring Surprise
Mary Hamilton Print
Features the artwork that inspired ‘A Spring Surprise’, the Keepsake Ornament that is being released in conjunction with the Dream Book Party event. KOC members will receive this 8″ x10″ Mary Hamilton print for FREE when they turn in a Wish List at the Dream Book Party event. LPR3385
*NOTE: ‘A Spring Surprise’ is not a KOC exclusive as previously announced.
2103 Graduation Keepsake Ornament
Available beginning April 1, 2013.
Our Grad
Photo Holder
2013 Reveal: Mother’s Day
For only the second time in Keepsake’s forty year history, and for the first time in thirty years, Hallmark is releasing Keepsake ornaments for Mother’s Day.
Look for “Mother and Child” (QHG5623), a re-issue (in a different medium) of the 2012 ornament “Mother and Child” (QXG3541) by Joanne Eschrich and “My Mother is Love” (QHG5622) by Terri Steiger beginning April 1.
Mother and Child
My Mommy is Love
ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL INFORMATION
In 1983, “A Mother’s Love” (MDQ3407) was released as the first Mother’s Day Keepsake ornament.