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.”
Featured Artist – Don Palmiter
Don Palmiter
Senior Sculptor
Don Palmiter was just 2 years old when his parents snapped a picture of him sitting proudly behind the wheel of his older brother’s pedal car.
“It was a 1948 Steel Craft Pontiac® station wagon. Burgundy with crème trim,” he says with the warmth and emotion usually relegated to describing an old flame. It’s a passion that has earned him the reputation around Hallmark and with ornament enthusiasts as “The Car Guy.”
Palmiter says growing up he loved art, but it wasn’t until his senior year of high school in 1967 that he knew he’d make art his career. At that time, Hallmark actively recruited seniors. One week after graduation, Palmiter was producing and embossing greeting cards. By the mid 1970s, he made the jump to sculpting.
Then, in 1987 Palmiter was thrilled to make the move to the Keepsake Ornament division. He quickly realized there were few men among the avid ornament enthusiasts. The reason? There was nothing masculine in the offering. Palmiter began to wonder what men would be enthusiastic enough about to start collecting. He needed to look no further than his own first love: cars.
Three years after presenting his idea, the American Classic Car Series was launched with tremendous success. Palmiter decided that he needed to pay homage to his first car, a 1948 Steel Craft Pontiac® station wagon pedal car. So in 1991, Kiddie Car Classics was launched. ”
I travel to signing events all over the country,” Palmiter says. “People will show me pictures of the pedal cars they had as children and then have me sign that exact replica. They are thrilled that I have created an ornament from ‘their’ car. I can’t tell you how much I thoroughly enjoy that.”
Stately Victorian
30th in the Nostalgic Houses & Shops series
“I try to incorporate a personal story or surprise into every Keepsake Ornament that I create, whether it’s an Italian restaurant named after a dear friend or a piece of furniture based on one of my own antiques.
This ornament has its own story that I think collectors will really appreciate. If you look inside, there is a tiny replica of the very first ornament from the Nostalgic Houses and Shops series—a brightly painted Victorian House tucked right underneath the Christmas tree.
There is a lot to be excited about in 2013 for fans of this series, but I don’t want to spoil any surprises just yet!”
New Faces in Keepsakes
Jake Angell
Multimedia Designer III
Jake, a Kansas City, Missouri native, has worked for Hallmark since 2000. After studying Graphic Design in college, and working at Hallmark with packaging and game design for various products including Asteroid Andy, he joined the Keepsake studio in 2012.
Look for several of his designs in the 2013 Keepsake ornament line including his debut ornament, a little skeleton guy (his own character design) and a few other pop culture pieces from LucasFilm Ltd., Marvel and Disney/Pixar.
Jim Kemme
Contributing Artist, Sculptor
Jim received a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in 1966 and originally joined Hallmark the very same year. Since then he has enjoyed a long and varied creative career both within Hallmark and as an independent artisan.
Over the years he has sculpted a wide range of products including the ever-popular, fun-loving Peanuts characters and the beautifully detailed Nature’s Sketchbook Collection by Marjolein Bastin.
To this day Jim continues to enjoy sculpting a wide variety of unique and new products for Hallmark. And as a special part of his artistic work, Jim is very pleased to share his creative contributions to the Keepsake Ornament offering for 2013.
Snow Buddies Error Confirmed
A few days ago, when we updated our “2012 Ornament Premiere Limited-quantity Ornaments” post to include additional information, it was brought to our attention that the sentiment (date) on this years Snow Buddies, 15th Anniversary, Special Edition ornament was incorrect. At that time a message was sent to Tammy Haddix, the Keepsake artist that creates this popular series, to alert her of the possible mistake.
Here is her response:
“….Unfortunately, mistakes happen! You guys always keep me on my toes and keep better track of my series that I do! For that I thank you! Yes, you are right the date on the ornament is technically incorrect. It says “Snow Buddies since 1997″ and the 1st in series was released in 1998. When we did the math 2012 – 15 years = 1997; it made sense to say 1997. We didn’t realize that simple math doesn’t work when figuring out the release year, the calculator let us down! Unfortunately, at this point in time it is too late to change the ornament; but if you think about it I actually created the concept and the sculpt of the 1st in series in 1997, so it isn’t all wrong. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.”
Snow Buddies
15th Anniversary
Special Edition
Features a snowman wearing a light yellow sweater, green scarf and Santa hat standing next to a bird feeder with a pail of bird seed in front of him.
A blue bird is perched on his outstretched arm while a second bird, a cardinal, stands on the bird feeder.
On ornament: Snow Buddies since 199
Keepsake Artist Katrina Bricker Retires
Katrina Bricker
After working for Hallmark for 17 years, 16 of which were in Keepsakes, Keepsake Artist Katrina Bricker has retired from her full time role (last Summer) in order to devote more time to her family.
Although Katrina is officially retired, she will continue to create future Keepsake ornaments, as her schedule allows.