Ornament Spotlight: Gnome for Christmas
Gnome for Christmas
Created by Gregor Benedetti
Available at Ornament Debut
Gnome for Christmas
1st in the Series.
Introducing Gregor Benedetti’s new series, Gnome for Christmas! Featuring playful pals good Gnaughty and Gnice, the series highlights their mischievous antics and festive fun.
“My initial inspiration was to come up with my own unique brand of good storytelling with a little humor sprinkled in. These two characters celebrate Christmas in different but complementary ways. And although all their future festive misadventures, at the end of the day they’ll always know how to sit back, relax and have a good laugh just like all the best, odd couples.”
Gregor also credits members of the Keepsake Ornament Club for inspiring him. “I had my first opportunity to meet the amazing Keepsake fans at the 2019 KOC Convention. Chatting with them and seeing their passion for ornaments influenced me greatly!”
2022 SNEAK PEEK
Gnome for Christmas
2nd in the series.
Here’s a little sneak peek at Gregor’s second ornament in the series, available in 2022.
“It’s my love letter to the fans and club members that I met at the Keepsake event. And keep a look out because coming up with new ideas for this series will be mostly inspired by you in years to come!”
“Gnome for Christmas.” Behind the Designs. 10-11
Ornament Spotlight: Holiday Parade
Holiday Parade
Created by Tammy Haddix
Available at Ornament Premiere
Holiday Parade
3rd in the series.
Tammy Haddix loves to put as much storytelling as she can into her ornaments, and her Holiday Parade series is a great example of how she brings those stories to life. Each vehicle in the parade tells a mini-story about a fellow Keepsake artist!
The third ornament in the series joins the parade this year, featuring Robert’s snow removal truck. “This design is inspired by Robert Hurlburt and the fact that he lives in the country, over an hour away from Hallmark headquarters. Several times he has gotten trapped and was unable to make it into work because of flooding or snowstorms. I thought Robert definitely needed his own snow plow, so he can clear his own path!”
As she began this series, Tammy found inspiration in the quaint, small-town feel of North Kansas City. “My husband and I love taking our boys to the Snake Saturday Parade in North Kansas City. I also love how the town decorates for Christmas, so I thought a parade in a cute little Christmas Town would be a fun idea, using trucks as a way to tie it all together.
Tammy hopes having a glimpse into the stories of each artist she features will be a fun way of getting to know them all.
2022 SNEAK PEEK
Holiday Parade
4th in the series.
Here’s a sneak peek of the next ornament in the parade, inspired by Kristina Gaughran!
“The Christmas tree is a fairy house, and there are lots of little touches to tell Kristina’s story that you’ll hear later!”
“Holiday Parade #3.” Behind the Designs. 12-13
Ornament Spotlight: Beer Stein
Beer Stein
Created by Tom Best
Available at Ornament Debut
Beer Stein
10th in the unofficial series.
Believe it or not, Tom Best says he “floundered” a bit when beginning the design for his 2021 Bear Stein ornament. But he explains “it was only because I had so many things I wanted to include on it! I had piles of research and ideas and truly struggled to edit them down to what would actually fit on an ornament.”
That research is something Tom considers a personal pleasure. “I love history, and beer steins by their very nature are old-world, and harken back to centuries gone by.”
“For this American-themed ornament. I started with the iconic Lady Liberty and James Montgomery Flagg’s famous illustration of Uncle Sam as the hinge character. I put the purple mountain majesty on the back side with amber waves of grain as the handle and design elements. And I used noble North American mammals, an eagle, stars and bars to cover the rest.
The unofficial series has gained a lot of popularity through the years, and Tom says he views it as “one for the fellas.” He also explains, I’m of mostly German heritage and I’m a beer lover, so I come by this series honestly.”
Tom also comes by his love of Christmas honestly and shares his favorite part of it all.
“I love the last week that leads up to Christmas with all its excitement. That said, it’s the quiet, wee hours of Christmas Eve that come to mind. It’s me who ‘lets Santa in’ once everyone is asleep, including the dog. I quietly gather the gifts from their hiding places and arrange them under the heavily ornamented tree. That done, I sit with a glass of spirits with only the tree lights on and Christmas music on low. Cheers and Merry Christmas to all!”
2022 SNEAK PEEK
Beer Stein
11th in the unofficial series.
Cheers to a sneak peek of Tom’s 2022 ornament!
“Beer Stein.” Behind the Designs. 14-17
Ornament Spotlight: Grandbaby’s First Christmas
Grandbaby’s First Christmas
Created by Debra Nielsen
Available at Ornament Premiere
Grandbaby’s First Christmas
Debra Nielsen has a love for retro hard plastic ride-on ponies from the 1960s. “They were so cute with her full wavy manes and tails. I wanted to lean into that a bit for this ornament but make the design cleaner with a bit more modern look.”
A special wooden rocking horse also inspired her as she worked. “We gave my daughter Mallory a wooden rocking horse for her second Christmas, and she just adored him! He was one of the childhood treasures that we saved for possible future grandchildren. We were blessed with that grandson, Henry, in 2011. I polished up that old rocking horse and made him a new yarn mane and tail so that a new generation could enjoy him.”
Passing memories and traditions down to children and grandchildren has always been important to Deb. “I still love decorating my home for Christmas and love sharing the wonderful memories of past celebrations as I unbox ornaments and decorations.”
It’s no secret that Deb thinks grandchildren are one of life’s best gifts, and she shares this message just for club members.
“I love that this ornament celebrates the great gift of a new grandchild, and I hope this pony will bring you reminders of happy childhood days of your own as you celebrate grandbaby’s first Christmas.”
“Grandbaby’s First Christmas.” Behind the Designs. 18-19
Ornament Spotlight: Playful Penguins
Playful Penguins
Created by Kristins Gaughran
Available at Ornament Debut
Playful Penguins
If you’re familiar with Kris Gaughran’s work, you probably know and love her adorable Playful Penguins. This time, they’re throwing snowballs around their snowman pal.
It brings back memories for Kris of her growning-up years in Iowa, where winters brought lots of snow. “I loved going out to play in the snow, building snowmen, going sledding and having occasional snowball fights.”
Those memories provided just the right inspiration for this scene. Kris says, “When I’m working on these penguins, I’m always thinking back to my childhood. Kids have some of the most creative imaginations, and I see these three penguins, being very much the same. Their adventures seem so exciting!”
And with its magic features, the excitement gets even better on this ornament. Press the button to see it light up, hear it play music from “Let it Snow,” and see the penguins playing!
Kris shares, “I hope it brings you smiles and maybe even sparks a memory you might have from years past. Because for me, Christmas is all about spending time with family and making lasting memories.”
“Playful Penguins.” Behind the Designs. 20-21
Ornament Spotlight: Cookie Cutter Christmas
Cookie Cutter Christmas
Created by Nina Aubé
Available at Ornament Premiere
Cookie Cutter Christmas
10th in the series.
Nina Aubé’s Cookie Cutter Christmas series turns 10 this year, and she has warm memories of what started at all.
“I’ve always loved baking and decorating Christmas cookies for the holidays. I have all of my grandmother’s aluminum cookie cutters that I used as a child, and I still use them. Their nostalgic look and shapes were my inspiration for the series.
As for the little skier in this year’s ornament, Nina says, “I thought it would be fun to have the mouse using skis that look like taffy, which was another childhood favorite of mine. In fact, most of the candy that the mouse uses as everyday objects is inspired by my childhood faves, especially the ‘penny candy’ I loved as a kid. I also have fond memories of learning how to ski in Wisconsin as a child and taking subsequent trips to Colorado as an adult.”
Sweets always figure prominently as props in the series and Nina enjoys researching and buying candy and cookie-shaped treats. And the best part of all that planning?
“Well,” smiles Nina, “I get to eat my research when I’m finished!”
“The snowman silhouette, with it’s vertical shape, worked well as a vehicle to contain the ski scene. Sometimes it’s challenging coming up with a shape that will fit all the design elements I want to include in a particular story, but this one worked really well!”
2022 SNEAK PEEK
Cookie Cutter Christmas
11th in the series.
Nina’s excited about what’s coming next in this series, too.
“For the 2022 ornament, the cookie cutter will be in the shape of a present, and the inside scene will show the little mouse opening gifts on Christmas morning.”
“Cookie Cutter Christmas.” Behind the Designs. 22-23
2021 Wish List
2021 Wish List
Your Wish List, come true – Create a list of Keepsake Ornaments you’re most excited about. You can send it to a Hallmark store, and they’ll call you when they arrive.
Download a PDF of the 2021 Wish List
Wish List – A request form listing each ornament in the Dream Book by page number. The wish list enables customers to specify in advance which ornaments they want to purchase. It is important to understand that this is a request form, not an order form. Completing the wish list does not guarantee a customer will receive each of the ornaments requested.
The 2021 Dream Book is Here!
Drum roll please… Here it is! the 2021 KOC exclusive Dream Book!!!!
Now’s the time to imagine. Now’s the time to dream.
2021 Dream Book, KOC Edition
Have your Wish List ready and scroll through the pages of the catalog to see all of this year’s Keepsake Ornament collection.
From your favorite ornament series and Christmas characters to licensed favorites and gifts for everyone on your list, the catalog has it all.
Reminder: The contents of the KOC Dream Book and the in-store Dream Book are exactly the same, so the Wish Lists are exactly the same as well!
ENJOY!
Download a PDF of the Dream Book
Dream Book – An annual publication that features a majority of the Keepsake collection for a given year.
2021 Sneak Peek: Classic Christmas Style
Christmas Magic Comes to Life
From classic favorites to magical innovations and fun surprises, so many holiday wonders await.
Pull-String Moose
Sprightly Santa
A Beautiful Year
Santa’s Sleigh
Club Exclusive
Cozy Birch Snowman
Austria
Limited Edition
Santa Claus
Christmas Commemorative
9th in the series.
“i’ve always loved the flickering pillar candles you can put on your mantel, so I wanted to use our new technology to create a realistic flickering flame in this ornament. It was definitely a team effort., and a lot of credit goes to our engineer, Jean Newton!”
– Joanne Wright, Keepsake Artist
Angelic Candlelight
Stunning Snowflake
Vintage Snowman
Snow Angel
Heirloom Angels
6th in the series.
2021 Snowflake
2021 Collection: Sound, Light and Keepsake Wonder
Inspired to innovate
Our Keepsake Studio works closely with writers engineers, and even experts around the world to bring innovation to Keepsake Ornaments every year. That collaboration has brought us new technologies for magic ornaments, including light, sound, motion, interactive storytelling and more. We’re always striving to come up with exciting new ways to help you add wonder to your tree, so as you gather loved ones around it at Christmastime, you know it will be an entertaining and magical experience.
Deck the Gingerbread House
All Aboard!
Tangled Up in Christmas
Holiday Lighthouse
10th in the series.
Soft Serve Surprise
North Pole Village
Playful Penguins
Rock Candy Express
Christmas Carnival
4th in the series.
Sweet Santa
Merry Chris-Moose
Nothing “Butter”
The Perfect Pairing
Spinning Santa
Elf on Ice
The Elf on the Shelf™
Holiday Happiness
Elf on Ice
The Elf on the Shelf®
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmass