Thanks to all of you who joined us for the 2012 Catalog Blog Hop with the Hero Hostesses last week. We greatly appreciate your participation, feedback and sweet comments!

Now it’s time to announce our blog hop prize winners!! Three lucky winners were randomly chosen from ALL blog hop comments during the week and they are…

• Pammejo - from Kathy Racoosin’s blog (January 12, 2012 11:27am)
• Savannah O’Gwynn - from Donna Mikasa’s blog (January 11, 2012)
• cheiron - from Hero Arts blog, day 2 (January 10th, 2012 at 8:59 am)

Congratulations ladies — you’ve won a prize pack that includes new stamps from the 2012 Catalog! Please send us an email at winner@heroarts.com to claim your prize and we’ll get your goodies sent out to you!

Today’s the day! We are beyond excited to let you know that the 2012 Catalog is HERE in the Hero Arts Online Store! And, did you know that orders placed in the Hero Arts Online Store are fulfilled by local stamp stores? Yes, it’s true! Please note that Frame Cuts, the new Mid-Tone inks, and some accessories are available as pre-order so that stores have a chance to get them in stock, and as soon as they do they will start shipping.

Happy shopping!

And now for even more good news — it’s time to announce our Catalog Debut Photo Contest winners!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the contest and shared so many great “fan photos” from Catalog Debut events across the globe. We sure enjoyed looking at them!

Now onto our randomly selected giveaway winners! Drumroll…

Three winners will receive prize bundles that include 3 clear + 3 cling +3 wood stamps from the 2012 Catalog:

• Jessica Hess (December 10th, 2011 at 10:35 am)
• Chari Moss (December 12th, 2011 at 9:47 am)
• nancyljk (December 16th, 2011 at 9:14 pm)

And ten more winners will receive copies of the 2012 Hero Arts Catalog:

• Dixie (December 10th, 2011 at 7:50 p)
• Anne Gaal (December 10th, 2011 at 3:09 pm)
• Cynthia Koh (January 2nd, 2012 at 6:55 am)
• Linda W. (December 11th, 2011 at 9:38 am)
• Debstamps (December 11th, 2011 at 1:13 pm)
• shelley (December 11th, 2011 at 3:27 pm)
• Lin said (December 10th, 2011 at 12:21 pm)
• Mitzi Vogel (December 11th, 2011 at 10:49 pm)
• wowzer98 Wendy W (December 10th, 2011 at 8:28 pm)
• ivy (December 17th, 2011 at 11:57 pm)

Congratulations, ladies! Please drop us an email at winner@heroarts.com and we’ll get those prizes out to you.

Have a great day, everyone! We’ll be back tomorrow with our December round 2 contest winners. See you then!

Thank you for all of your comments on the Clean & Simple Card Making class giveaway!

Congratulations to the following winners, picked by random.org to win a spot in class!

• Stacy Molter (comment #147 on Dec. 30, 2011 at 8:53am): “The card is so gorgeous! I just love the butterfly!!! Thank you for the chance to win a spot in this amazing class!”

• Marilize (comment #191 on Dec. 30, 2011 at 11:35am): “Oh wow - this class sounds fantastic. I would really love a chance to know how to go minimal, but still have high impact. Thank you for a chance to win.”

• Ann I. (comment #348 at Dec. 31, 2011 at 6:13am): “Beautiful card! Would love to win a spot in the class, what a great way to start off the New Year!”

Ladies, please email us at winner@heroarts.com and we’ll pass your names and contact information along to Online Card Classes. They’ll get you all set up with your class registration. Clean & Simple Card Making begins next Monday, January 9th. Enjoy!!

Wishing you all the warmth and happiness that this beautiful season brings. May your celebrations be full of love, laughter and cheer!

Happy holidays to you and yours,

P.S. - Hero Arts will be closed for the holiday on Monday. We’ll return to blogging on Tuesday.

Hi everyone! We are excited to announce that the Hero Arts 2012 Catalog is now live in digital format so that you can see all the NEW stampy goodness! Woo hoo!

So grab a cup of hot chocolate (with marshmallows, of course!) and drink it all in right HERE. Looking for a stamp in the catalog? Well, the pre-release stamps are available at participating stores — find one near you! And, the full catalog will be available in the Hero Arts Online Store starting January 5th. Until then, you can order your own copy of the catalog or a kit right HERE! (And don’t forget, orders placed in the Hero Arts Online Store are fulfilled by local stores — yay!)

And that’s not all for today: Sally is here with some great ideas! Take it away, Sally…

It’s Sally and I’m back to give you a last minute hostess gift idea!  In this busy season we are constantly being invited to gatherings and often come bearing gifts.  Here’s a quick way to make a hanging tag for a bottle of wine, olive oil, sparkling soda, bubble bath or any other bottle of goodness you may be gifting someone with! It’s simply a 2 1/2 x 8 inch strip of paper that is folded at 2 1/2 inches and punched with a 1 3/4 inch circle!  Then decorate the tag anyway you wish!

Tags by Sally Traidman. Click here for suggested supplies & instructions.

Here’s an embellishment idea you may not have tried - the thread tree - it’s my latest obsession!  I love creating objects from thread. There is a stamped tree underneath for a guide, and then you simply ball up thread scraps and glue.  Or if you’re feeling fancy shmancy, try the wire tag.  It’s just long piece of wire with random beads and curls, and a message attached on a die cut shape.  See how simple??

See you after Christmas!  Happy Holidays to all of you!!

We’re excited to share some good news this afternoon — Hero Arts has won the Governor’s Environmental and Energy Leadership Award (GEELA) for our Climate Change leadership in the state of California!

What’s a GEELA, you may be wondering? Read all about it in the official press release below!

Hero Arts A Winner of 2011 Top Environmental Leadership Award

SACRAMENTO - Today, Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced that Hero Arts, Inc. of Richmond, CA has won a 2011 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for its Climate Change leadership.

GEELA is California’s highest and most prestigious environmental honor. The award program recognizes individuals, organizations and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership for voluntary achievements in conserving California’s resources, protecting and enhancing the environment, and building public-private partnerships.

“Hero Arts is a true leader,” said Secretary for Environmental Protection Matt Rodriquez. “They prove that you can support and promote environmental values without sacrificing your business objectives. They understand that going green can be a successful economic strategy that can also lead to sustainable growth and development.”

Hero Arts approach to sustainability has produced measurable results that include solar-powered operations, energy efficiency, CO2 emission reductions, toxin elimination and the absence of all air and water pollution. As CEO Aaron Leventhal, says, “The power and innovation of business has produced results that are good for profits, good for the community, and good for the environment. Most of all, it is about the personal touch we bring to our products and customers. We make our products and run our business in a manner that makes a small difference every day in everything we do. Add that all up, and you have something significant.”

GEELA award recipients are chosen in 12 different categories based on their strength in eight specific areas including results, transferability, environmental impact, resource conservation, economic progress, innovation and uniqueness, pollution prevention, and environmental justice. Hero Arts was joined by Bayer, Albertson’s, Anheuser-Busch, and 11 other businesses that won this year’s GEELA.

ABOUT GEELA
The Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards program was established in 1993. The award program is administered by the California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Natural Resources Agency in collaboration with the State and Consumer Services Agency; the Department of Food and Agriculture; Labor and Workforce Development Agency; the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency; and, the Health and Human Services Agency.

ABOUT HERO ARTS
Hero Arts is a 37-year old family-run small manufacturing company, started by Jackie Leventhal and currently run by her son Aaron Leventhal. Hero Arts produces handmade stamps for the craft and stationery markets, selling to retail stores in the U.S. and overseas. Hero Arts is a certified green business in Contra Costa County through the Bay Area Green Business Program, and won a 2011 Small Business of the Year Award through CoolCalifornia.org, prior to winning the GEELA this year.

Go to www.heroarts.com for more information about Hero Arts. For more information on GEELA and this year’s award recipients, visit the Cal/EPA Web site: http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Awards/GEELA/.

Hello and welcome to the Hero Arts 2012 Catalog Blog Hop! We’re so glad you’re here!

This is the first of 20 stops on the hop that will give you inspiring previews of brand-new-for-2012 clear, cling, and woodblock stamps. The new stamps debut at Hero Arts Catalog Preview Parties around the world starting tomorrow, December 10th, continuing through January 5th when the new catalog is released! Wondering if there’s a Preview Party near you? Visit our party page for a list of locations. (P.S. — Don’t forget your camera. There’s a Catalog Debut Photo Contest with BIG prizes!)

So, are you ready to sample some 2012 Catalog goodness? Let’s hop right to it!

Our own Hero Artist Sally Traidman is here to get the party started. Sally says, “I am honored to be kicking off the hop with one of my favorite new clear sets, CL586 XO. The giant XOXO was one that I requested since I am always sending off giant ‘hugs’ cards! Of course, I could not pass up my signature pink and orange! I used our new bright ‘Bubblegum’ pad and our Poppy Chalk Ink.”

“I could easily use this set about 12 different ways, but today we only have time for one! The large XO looks great stamped tone on tone on envelopes too!”

Did you catch that hint about new inkpads? We’re so excited about them! “Bubblegum” is just the tip of the iceberg — there are more great colors coming your way that you’ll be seeing very soon!

Before you hop off to see the rest of the blogs, let’s talk about PRIZES!!

• We will be giving away 5 prize packs that include a fabulous assortment of the newest Hero Arts stamps — those from the 2012 Catalog, of course!
• How can you win? Simply comment on the blog hop stops (starting with this one!) The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win! *Limit one comment per blog, please.* ALL comments posted by midnight PST on Monday, December 12^th will be included in the random prize drawing. The 5 winners will be announced on the Hero Arts blog no later than Friday, December 16th.
  
• There may be additional prizes offered somewhere along the way, so be sure to follow the blogger’s instructions for a chance to win those goodies as well!
  

Just in case you encounter any broken links throughout your journey, here’s a complete list of the participating designers. You can always return to this post and click on the next blog to get back on track:

Shari Carroll
Ali Edwards
Tim Holtz
Jennifer McGuire
Kelly Purkey
Lisa Spangler
Julie Ebersole
Joy Taylor
Tami Hartley
Cristina Kowalczyk
Operation Write Home
Kelly Goree
BasicGrey
Kelly Rasmussen
Maile Belles
Kristina Werner
Mariana Grigsby
Nichol Magouirk

(…plus one more!)

Now, it’s time to hop onward and see those new 2012 Catalog stamps in action! Shari Carroll is your next stop — click over to her blog to see what she’s created!

We hope you enjoy the new stamp previews and the creative inspiration along the way. Happy hopping, everyone!

Happy Friday! Our 2012 Catalog Blog Hop is all set to kick off right here on the blog at 10am EST. We’re so excited!! Be sure to stop back soon to preview loads of new 2012 Catalog stamps and enter to win great prizes! To get warmed up for the hop, we wanted to share two pieces of good news with you.

First, the new 2012 Hero Arts Catalog is now available and shipping from the Hero Arts Online Store, paired with stamps! You can choose from five different kits, pictured below. Each kit includes one stamp (or set) plus a copy of the brand new catalog, hot off the press!

Click on the image above to find the kits in the store and see the stamps up close!

These orders are fulfilled by local stores participating in the Catalog Debut…the first stores to receive the new 2012 stamps!

Speaking of the Catalog Debut, don’t forget that preview parties begin tomorrow, December 10th! Check the party page here to find a location near you.

Now for even more good news, we have some winners to announce! We want to thank each and every one of you who helped spread the word about the Catalog Preview Parties by telling stores and friends, displaying blinkies, and tweeting. It is truly appreciated! We randomly selected five winners from all of the eligible comments from the contest, and they are…

• Mary Witter (#63)
• Carol Casavant (#69)
• Kathy Rosecrans (#115)
• Nicky Hsu (#135)
• Katie K (#144)

Woohoo! Winners, please send an email to winner@heroarts.com to claim your Hero Arts gift certificates.

That’s all for now. See you soon for the blog hop!!

The 2012 Catalog Preview Parties have begun! We’re so excited we’re nearly bursting at the seams!! And you know, when we are excited about something, we love to share our excitement with you!! And that means a contest!

Many great stores around the country, and around the world, are participating - click our Preview Party page to find one near you, then call the store for more details on dates and times! Stores will be celebrating with giveaways, make and takes, treats and more!  Will you be attending a party? We would LOVE to hear about the Preview Party you attend! And specifically, we’d love to see your photos!  They can be of the party you attended, the store, the stamps you bought, the stamps you saw, the make and takes you made, anything!! Get creative and have fun with it!

There are tons of ways to share your photos and enter the contest:

1. Post on your own Facebook wall
2. Share on the Hero Arts Facebook wall
3. Upload your photo to the Hero Arts Flickr Group and include the tag 2012Debut
   
4. Tweet a photo
5. Blog about it!

Basically, any way you want to share via social media is fair game! You just need to come back and provide a link to the photo in the comment section of this blog post. And by the way, all of you wonderful stores celebrating with us? You are welcome to share and enter the contest as well!

Oh, did we mention the prizes?? Of course there will be PRIZES!!  We will be giving away (3) prize bundles that each include 3 clear + 3 cling +3 wood stamps from the 2012 Catalog!! There will also be (10) runner up prizes of 2012 catalogs!

The contest begins on Saturday, December 10, 2011 (when the parties start!) and continues through Wednesday, January 4, 2012. All winners will be selected randomly and announced on the blog on Thursday, January 5, 2012.

Wee!! We are just giddy to see what you share with us!! And speaking of sharing, tomorrow is the day of our new release blog hop, with even MORE prizes to be had!! We’ll see you back here tomorrow to start hopping!

Come join us this Friday, December 9th, for a blog hop! The Hero Arts artists will be hopping together with friends — including Tim Holtz, Ali Edwards, Operation Write Home, BasicGrey, and many many more!

They’ll be giving you a little preview of the NEW 2012 Catalog stamps debuting at Preview Parties all around the world starting on Saturday, December 10th! (Find a party near you!)

And of course, there will be PRIZES during the hop, too! It all starts Friday, December 9th right here on the blog!

See you there,