Ornament Spotlight: Stocking Stuffers
Stocking Stuffers
Created by Nina Aubé
Available at Ornament Premiere
Stocking Stuffers
1st in the series.
“All of the critters in this stocking are pets I’ve personally known and loved. The bird is my beloved cockatiel Opie, who lived to the ripe old age of 25. The hamster is Wiley, a friendly little hammie I had in college. The dog was inspired by my sister’s feisty schnauzer, Russell. The kitten has the same sweet face as my niece’s cat, Nala. And as a child, I had a bunny named Thumper that looked just like the bunny in the stocking!”
Nina Aubé’s family didn’t have a fireplace mantel when she was growing up but that didn’t stop them from hanging Christmas stockings. They simply improvised and hung them on their buffet drawer handles! So, creating this first in the Stocking Stuffers series brought back great memories for Nina.
“Upon awakening at the crack of dawn, it was tradition for my two sisters and me to make a beeline for our stockings. We’d immediately start gobbling up the candy inside. There was always a small gift in each stocking, in my case usually a small animal figurine or doll. I adored tiny toys and objects and still do, so perhaps that inspired me to put cute little animals in this ornament. Plus, I love animals, of course!”
Nina hopes the personal connections that inspired her design of this ornament will bring you fond memories of your own traditions that you’ll share those memories with loved ones.
2022 SNEAK PEEK
Stocking Stuffers
2nd in the series.
You can look forward to a different Keepsake artist creating a new Stocking Stuffers ornament for this series every year, adding to the meaning and memories behind each design. Anita Marra Rogers will bring you the second in the series in 2022.
“Stocking Stuffers.” Behind the Designs. 4-5
Ornament Spotlight: North Pole Village
North Pole Village
Created by Sharon Visker
Available at Ornament Premiere
North Pole Village
“This ornament was a huge collaboration between me, my design manager, our engineers, editor, and music studio. I had a vision of what I wanted it to be, and they all contributed to making the magic happen. The story comes to life with Santa’s voice, a light show, the elves, getting ready for Christmas and music from ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’.”
When you imagine all of the magic at the North Pole, what comes to mind? And how could you put so much magic into one ornament? That was Sharon Visker’s challenge, and she shared what inspired her creative vision.
“I grew up in Colorado, and we would visit the North Pole there at the foot of Pikes Peak. I would also write letters to Santa every year, and I remember putting them in a special Santa mailbox.”
“When I imagined what the North Pole might be like, those memories came back to me, along with all the stories I’ve heard about the North Pole and what happens there. I started designing with a vision of what it might look like if the North Pole was on a mountain. I knew I needed the elves’ workshop and the reindeer. Of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus would be there with Santa’s sleigh and everything he needs For his big night!”
All those memories came together in Sharon’s North Pole Village, and her love of Christmas comes through in each detail. “I love how Santa brings you into the world of the North Pole. It’s really magical, and I hope everyone enjoys the ornament as much as I enjoyed creating it!”
“North Pole Village.” Behind the Designs. 6-7
Ornament Spotlight: Duke of Winter
Duke of Winter
Created by Terri Steiger
Available at Ornament Debut
Duke of Winter
Noble Nutcrackers
3rd in the series
Terri Steiger has always loved snow. Growing up in Cleveland, she remembers sitting by the window outside the bedroom just waiting for the snow to begin.
“I would get so excited to see the first flakes! I looked forward to walking to school in the snow and remember my red mittens having frozen clumps of snow on them and my fingers being numb from the cold. But that didn’t stop my siblings and me from playing in the snow for hours. I would catch snowflakes and wish they would never melt because they were so pretty.”
That love of snow was the perfect inspiration for the third in her Noble Nutcrackers series, the Duke of Winter. Terry says, “I wanted to portray him as king of all things icy, frosty and snowy, as my homage to my favorite part of the season.”
She also became intrigued by nutcrackers when she visited a German gift shop while in college. “I would go in there and look at all the nutcrackers, and I was fascinated by them. I bought one, which was a stretch on my art students budget, but I was drawn to the design and quality of the wooden guy.”
For Terry, this design is all about wonder.
“I hope you’ll like the icy, glittery feel of the nutcracker. I wanted the dense glitter around the shoulders to look like snow falling and the design to give a nod to the beauty and intricacy of each snowflake. My hope is that his crowd will capture that moment in time for you when a single snowflake can evoke a sense of amazement.”
It’s a feeling that Terry still anticipates each winter as she waits for the first magical snowflakes to fall.
“Duke of Winter.” Behind the Designs. 8-9
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.