Inky Paws

It’s time for another Company Spotlight!!!

Today I will be talking about High Hopes Rubber Stamps. I have had the pleasure of being part of their Design Team for the last year or so.

I love their images.

High Hopes stamps are wonderfully deep etched red rubber. They can be used for clay as well as paper. They are sold as bare rubber, unmounted with cling foam, or wood mounted. Whimsical and fun designs and a huge catalog of images!

High Hopes has a fun new blog with weekly challenges and High Hopes news. You can find it —> HERE

A little about Tina - Owner of High Hopes:

Tina and her mother co-owned “Tinker’s Inker’s Stamps and Stuff” in Silver Creek, Wa. from 1993-2003. High Hopes began when Tina was presented with the opportunity to purchase “For Me and My House” rubber stamps in May of 2004. She chose the name “High Hopes” for the company as it expressed our faith, and excitement in this new venture. They chose the logo of the Ant carrying the over sized rubber tree plant as we felt it depicted perseverance, and conviction.

Tina is also a Mom to 7 children!

I asked Christine Armstrong (Design Team Coordinator and Illustrator for High Hopes) a couple questions like how she got started with High Hopes and where her inspiration comes from. As you’ll see from her response it’s very obvious that Tina (owner of High Hopes) is a wonderful “boss lady”.

From Crissy:

I had been stamping for about three months when I joined a stamping
group on Yahoo to make friends with other stampers and learn the
craft from them. Tina, the proprietor of High Hopes Stamps was
already a member. One day on the message board, she posted that she
was looking for an artist who would design stamps for her. The first
time I read it, I thought nothing of it. But the next week, she had
posted it again, and this second time I read it, I felt a nudge from
Heaven and thought, “I could do this”!

I pulled out some of my drawings, scanned them, and sent them to her in an e-mail so she could see that I could
actually draw (heh-heh). She phoned me and we talked for like three hours! We found we had so much in common, and were really excited that we had found each other. I started drawing for her right away and have been drawing
for her ever since. That was March 2005.

Tina already had a huge inventory of stamps that were drawn by the
company’s previous owner, Tony DeMarco, and quite a few that she
herself had drawn. But it was her desire to have only one artist
drawing for the new designs.

Tina truly is the creative genius behind all the stamps. I truly
would not know where to move my pen across the paper if it wasn’t for
her. She comes up with the ideas verbally, and I see them in picture
form in my mind. But if it wasn’t for her imaginative suggestions, I
would have nothing to draw! In that respect (and in many other ways!)
we make a great team. I think I have only come up with a handful of
designs “all on my own”. Every other design has been sparked by an
idea that she has handed to me! Actually, some of the Divas have seeded my imagination too, as
well as customers who make requests. I think the key for me is to be
like a child again, and let my imagination run with the beauty I
connected with back then. I can still can touch that whimsical
beauty now as an adult if I allow myself to. If I start giggling as
I’m drawing, I know I’m in the right place!

Tina is an amazing person, probably one of the most generous
people on the planet, and very much a lover of people. I know that
she has won many customers over just by virtue of the fact that she
makes them all into friends, and draws them in to her heart. It
really is extraordinary, how loving and kind she is and everyone who
meets her or has any sort of contact with her soon sees how true that
is! She has never, in the three years I have worked with her, ever
been critical or negative. Rather, she is positive and encouraging,
always. She’s completely reliable and dependable. And funny! That
woman can make people laugh! Her mind is constantly creating and
coming up with new ideas, which is why the list of fifty images I
started with in 05 has grown to about ninety!! It seems the more I
draw, the more ideas she gets as spin offs of my art. I don’t know
if I’ll ever get the list down to zero at this rate, but hey, that’s
job security for ya! (heh-heh).

I love what I do for Tina and for High Hopes. She stuck with me,
even though the images I did at first were less than stellar. She
believed in me and encouraged me to where I am today. Meeting her
basically changed my daily life and made my dream of becoming a
working artist a reality. But not only did my daily schedule change
because of Tina, but also, because of her moral example, I have
changed on the inside too. I want to make others feel good about
themselves with encouragement and kindness, just like she showers on
me. I will ever be grateful to God for bringing us together!
A fun fact not many know is, we have never been face to face!
Through the magic of modern technology, we have done all our work
together through the internet or by phone. I sure would love to see
her one day and give her the biggest hug!

Hugs,
Crissy

Here are a couple samples made with High Hopes stamps:

The first one uses Elmer Elephant (a personal favorite!) and Tons of Love.

My next sample uses Christmas Treat.

Now a little about the blog candy…..

I have 3 fabulous High Hopes images to give away to someone who comments on this post. I will choose a random winner Monday morning at 8:30 CT. *** Update*** A winner has been chosen!!!!

Psssssss… someone on the High Hopes Design Team also has Blog Candy! Hunt around the girl’s blogs and see if you can find it!

Click HERE for links to the Diva’s blogs.

 **Update -Blog Candy winners list can be found HERE!

This week I’d like to tell you a little about Gina K. Designs …

...and give away some Gina K Blog Candy!!!!

I had the opportunity to work with Gina as a Guest Designer and let me tell you, she is one smart cookie! She has a way of keeping one step ahead of the stamp company pack. Her customer service is excellent and she just as sweet as can be.

A little about Gina (from her site):

It started with a pig, a cow and a chicken. Then came the silly crab and Gina Krupsky became Gina K. of Gina K. Designs. Gina designs stamps that range from whimsical to elegant and little bit of everything in between. From her “Tickle your Funny Bone” line that will give you a chuckle, to her “Stamps for a Cause” - stamps that raise money for different charities, Gina K. has created not only a fun line a stamps but a stamp company that makes a difference.

Gina’s stamp sets are packaged two ways. The larger sets come in an indexed bag and the other sets come in nifty DVD tins. There are all some images available as singles.

The stamps come to you as a red rubber sheet premounted on EZMount. Once cut they are ready to use with your clear blocks.

Gina has a variety of artists with different styles. Among them you can find whimsical, humorous, classic art images and some jaw dropping floral images.

Gina’s illustrators:

Gina Krupsky

Alicia Krupsky (Gina’s super talented daughter!)

Asela Hopkins

Carolyn King

Melanie Muenchinger

Rupa Shevde

Jason Sampson

My first card features the Botanical Dreams set by Asela Hopkins. The flowers were stamped on Shimmer paper with Aged Mohogany ink. I took a paintbrush and added some color to the petals with Aged Mohogany ink. I sponged a little Vintage Photo and Tea Dye ink randomly onto the cardstock. I realigned the flower images and stamped the flowers again in Age Mohogany ink.

My next sample uses images from the Owl Always Love You set. I stamped and colored the owls with Copic markers. I created a mask by cutting a circle from copy paper with a Circle Nestabilities die. I positioned the open part of the circle where I wanted the moon and sponged with Scattered Straw ink. I then positioned the cut out circle over the moon (and owls) and sponged Faded Jeans ink to make the night sky.

I’m adding an extra sample this week because I wanted to show you a special Gina K Designs “Stamps for a Cause” set called Whimsical Autumn which was created by Carolyn King to benefit the Alzheimer Association. All proceeds from this set will be donated. It’s a win win deal! Carolyn has created a beautiful set and your purchase will help a wonderful cause.

The pumpkin and leaves were colored with Copic markers on white cardstock. The pumpkin image circle was cut and embossed with a Circle Nestabilities die and then sponged with Aged Mohogany ink before removing it from the die. The leaf panel was sponged with Aged Mohogany and Vintage Photo ink.

Gina has been kind enough to donate some blog candy! I have singles to give away winners and an Owl Always Love You set! So there will be FOUR WINNERS!!!! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post to be entered into the random drawing for the prizes. I will be picking a winner Wednesday September 24th at 8:30 AM CT. Good Luck!!!

After you are done leaving a comment here to enter for my Blog Candy please visit Carolyn King’s blog she has a HUGE giveaway!!!

This week’s featured company - Unity Stamp Co.!!!

Unity Stamp Co. first orders were shipped in May of this year. They have come a long way in a short time. Owners Angela and Chris Magnuson have done an awesome job of launching this new company. I had the pleasure of meeting the Unity girls at in Chicago at CHA in July. Picture a group of super models in brown polka dot tops and tiaras… I wanted to hate them, but they were just too darn cute.

In the past month I’ve had the chance to get to know the girls at their Company Forum on Splitcoast. They are as just as nice and funny as they are beautiful. Thursday’s are Hip Hop Day in the Unity Forum with a Design Team Blog Hop and all kinds of chatter, challenges and prizes.

Unity Stamp Co. offers a unique variety of images, everything from cute little penguins to beautiful large stand alone phrases. I would describe Unity images as stylish, funky and just plain fun to play with. The images are perfect for both cardmakers and scrapbookers. Unity has several illustrators, and each one lets their unique styles shine through.

The Unity artists:

• Lynn Warner
• Jessica Rose
• Lori Ryan Designs
• Kristine Bents
• Adriana Marie
• Amy Baas
• Cassie Medema

Unity Stamp Co. images are deeply etched red rubber that is sold both pre-mounted on EZ Mount cling for use on clear blocks and wood mounted on their special extra thin blocks that can be used with their very nifty and innovative handle system that can be used with their thin wood mounted or unmounted images. A video can be found HERE about the handle system. Unity stamps are sold in Stamp Kits (sets) and as Singles. HERE is a link to how Unity stamps are sold and packaged. There is also a Kit of the Month program where you can get a fun sampling of exclusive Unity stamps sent directly to your home each month. *********************************************************

My first card was made using images from the Have a Diva Day and Diva-Lish sets. I stamped the phrase directly onto the pattern paper ( Black Market - Lucky in Love). I used a Black and Taken With Teal markers to ink up the letters. I nipped the corners of the images using a Ticket Corner punch and then sponged Walnut Stain Ranger Distress ink around all the edges. The crown was stamped with VersaMark ink and the heat embossed with Gold embossing powder.

For my next sample I sponged Cool Caribbean and Pacific Point ink onto watercolor paper (I used watercolor paper because I like the texture). I then took the border Stamp from Together Forever and stamped randomly onto the panel with Pacific Point ink. On some of the areas I stamped without reinking to get a lighter shade. After all the ink was dry I stamped the Believe sentiment in White pigment ink and heat embossed with White Embossing powder. I stiched around the image panel with the sewing machine. White Opal Liquid Pearls was added to the flowers.

The background was created by taking the flower image from Together Forever and first inking it in Cool Caribbean and then sponging some Pacific Point ink on the edges of the stamp.

I have some blog candy for THREE lucky winners! Unity Stamp co. was kind enough to donate a My! What a Beautiful Tree single, a Bitty Christmas Kit and a Simple Pleasures Kit. I will be picking three random winners (each person will get one of the prizes) on Wednesday September 17th at 9am CT from everyone who leaves a comment on this post.

Good luck!!!

Update - Winners have been chosen!!!