Hallmark Ornaments by Nina Aubé

Nina Aubé’s reputation among Keepsake collectors rests on her ability to make small characters feel irresistibly alive. Encouraged by her sisters to draw and sculpt when she was young, Aubé was already creating miniature worlds before art became her profession. One childhood example captures both her imagination and affection for animals: she made a tiny felt vest and leash so her pet gerbil could accompany her outside.

Aubé joined the Keepsake Studio in 1994 and retired in 2023 after nearly three decades. The current catalog credits her with 429 distinct Hallmark ornament designs. Mischievous Kittens, begun in 1999, remains her best-known series; Cookie Cutter Christmas, Christmas Window, and Cozy Critters reveal her range in dimensional storytelling, architecture, and expressive animal sculpture.