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Artist Insights: Soft Serve Surprise

Hallmark sat down (virtually!) with Nello Williams to discuss his Soft Serve Surprise. Enjoy!

Nello was inspired by a former Keepsake artist! Nello: “the biggest inspiration for this ornament is the soft serve ice cream machine that former Keepsake artist Chis Webb used to bring into the studio for special occasions. He had a number of food service machines like that.” How fun!

Nello went on to say, “I think that I mentioned his popcorn machine as inspiration for the Nellco popcorn machine which I did a few years ago. The design itself is pretty typical of what I’ve been doing for all of my Nellco ornaments, the retro look. I’m so glad that I’ve been able to use that look as my “signature” style for Keepsake Ornaments. I do really like that style. Chris had a whole bunch of food service machines, so this might not be the last Nellco ornament to be inspired by something of them. I’m not sure what kind of ornament design I can do with a nacho cheese sauce dispenser, but I’m willing to try.” Yum!

”

Nello: “though I sculpted traditionally when I first came to Keepsakes, I’ve pretty much completely moved over to sculpting digitally. For the Nellco ornaments, I mostly use a 3D CAD program. That program lets me share files with the engineer (in this case, Keepsake Engineer Jean Newton). We can make sure the mechanics will fit and such.”

From there, Nello says “usually we do a 3D print of the ornament to make sure it’s the right size and actually looks correct. Sometimes, we catch things that we didn’t notice or just looked different on screen. Several digital artists in the studio have their own 3D printers at home. The rest of us want one.” Cool!

Soft Serve Surprise

February 27th, 2021|0 Comments

For Keeps: Volume 20, Issue 1 Spring 2021

Get a closer look the KOC exclusives. Read about what goes into approving licensed Keepsake Ornaments. And Meet the Keepsake Studio Creative Director.


  • A closer look at your 2021 member-exclusive ornaments
    • Santa’s Sleigh
    • Christmas Window, 19th in the series.
  • Meet Jim Tronoski, Keepsake Studio Creative Director
  • Magical Memories Collectors Club
  • Inside our licensing world
  • Join your members-only Facebook page
  • Save the Date

Download a PDF of the Issue

Read the Cover Letter


For Keeps – The Official Newsletter of the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Club.

February 20th, 2021|1 Comment

Ornament Spotlight: Ornament Premiere Member Exclusives

A Closer Look at Your 2021 Member-exclusive Ornaments
Created and designed with you in mind.


April will be here before we know it, and that’s when Dream Boxes will begin shipping—with your 2021 Dream Book inside. Until then, enjoy an up-close look at the ornament designs available only to club members—and make a note to put them on your Wish List!

Santa’s Sleigh
Member Exclusive

Santa’s Sleigh
Member Exclusive

“For this ornament, I was very much inspired by my Snowtop Lodge Series for the sleigh. The storytelling scene and details around the sleigh are my favorite parts. I was honored to create this piece especially for our KOC members, who I like to think of as our KOC family.”

– Joanne Wright

A

Christmas Window 2021
19th in the series.
Member Exclusive

Christmas Window 2021
19th in the series.
Member Exclusive

“As most KOC members know, I usually try to be inspired by my boys and what they are into. Although they were never into comic books, I found out that fellow Keepsake Artist Jake Angell’s son, Rylan, is really into them. My first idea was to have Rylan design a comic book for me to use in this piece. He was going to do it, but right after talking to Jake about it, it was discovered that Rylan’s cancer had come back and he was going to need treatment. Rylan was diagnosed in 2015 with a tumor on the nerve of his eye. He has been such a brave boy, and I see him as a super hero. Since he wasn’t able to create a cover for me, I designed the comic the little boy is reading to be about Rylan and his dog, Sadie. I also sculpted the little boy’s face to look like Rylan.”

– Tammy Haddix

“A closer look at your 2021 member-exclusive ornaments .” For Keeps 20 Spring 2021: 2-3

February 20th, 2021|0 Comments

Meet the Hallmark Keepsake Artists: Jake Angell

Meet Keepsake Artist…Jake Angell. For nearly a decade, Keepsake collectors have been looking forward to Jake’s new designs year after year! From Star Trek™ to Star Wars™ to LEGO® ornaments and everything in between, Jake always brings sci-fi, gaming and pop-culture fun to his ornaments. Jake enjoys trying out new design programs and dreaming of his favorite characters, something he is also able to share with his kiddos. Jake said, “I’ve got two kids and it’s really amazing to see my little boy discover all these great characters that I grew up loving, too.“
Jake’s designs
February 18th, 2021|0 Comments
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