Frosty Friend Chronicles: 40+ Years of Friendship, Fun, and Frost

When you’re new to collecting Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, it’s easy to be dazzled by the variety—shimmering Santas, movie moments, and glittering trees. But nestled among them all is a quiet, cozy series that’s been capturing hearts for more than four decades.

It’s called Frosty Friends.

And behind its soft colors, wintry scenes, and sweet simplicity is a legacy of warmth, wonder, and connection that continues to grow with each passing year.

The Sculptor Who Made It Snow

Two years after the series debuted, a young sculptor named Ed Seale joined the Hallmark Keepsake studio. He would go on to sculpt nearly every Frosty Friends ornament for more than 20 years.

For Ed, the series was personal. He grew up on a Canadian farm, where long winters were filled with sledding, skating, and the kind of deep, icy stillness that only a northern winter can bring. That childhood wonder made its way into every sculpt he created—reflected in the glistening ice blocks, the smiling animals, the joyful energy of every snowy scene.

Ed once shared that sculpting ice from hard brown clay (the studio standard at the time) was a true challenge. “It was really hard to look at that brown clay and visualize an icicle,” he laughed. His solution? Carve a rough form in plaster, then bring the sparkle to life with careful sculpting—a process that required as much heart as it did hands.

A Story of Friendship and Fantasy

Over the years, Frosty Friends has welcomed an ever-growing cast of characters: playful penguins, cuddly polar bears, husky pups, and more. While purists might note that penguins and polar bears live at opposite ends of the globe, the series has always lived in a space between fantasy and memory—where artistic license takes the place of scientific precision.

That freedom allows each ornament to tell its own unique story. In 1996, for example, Ed imagined the characters playing pool—“Cool Pool,” as he called it—on a table carved from ice, using icicles as cue sticks. The scene was inspired by a moment near Hallmark’s Crown Center rink in Kansas City, mixed with a bit of childhood nostalgia and a flair for storytelling.

That’s how most of the ornaments were born—from a spark, a memory, and a little winter magic.

Sailing into the Sunset

When Ed sculpted his final Frosty Friends ornament in 2003, he sent the characters off on a block of ice shaped like a sailboat, drifting toward a rising sun. It was more than a scene—it was a farewell. A gentle thank-you to the collectors who had followed the series year after year, and to the characters he had lovingly shaped with his hands and heart.

But the story didn’t end there. New artists have taken the torch, continuing the tradition while keeping the spirit of the series alive. The colors have changed. The techniques have evolved. Yet the feeling remains the same: the joy of friendship, the beauty of winter, and the magic of quiet moments shared.

Why New Collectors Fall in Love

If you’re just starting your Keepsake Ornament journey, Frosty Friends is one of the best places to begin. There’s something about the series that speaks to every generation. The annual releases are numbered, making it easy to track—and deeply satisfying to collect. Some collectors aim to complete the entire series. Others choose pieces that reflect a favorite winter memory: sledding down a snowy hill, ice fishing with Dad, or that first snowfall you watched from the window as a child.

Each ornament becomes more than just a decoration. It becomes a memory holder. A gentle reminder of the people, places, and seasons that shaped you.

A Tradition That Grows with You

Today, Frosty Friends continues to release new ornaments every year. Whether you fall in love with the earliest pieces or start with this year’s charming new design, you’re joining a tradition that spans generations. Each ornament is a page in a storybook—a snowy chapter of laughter, love, and friendship.