Hi everyone, you read that right! Even if there’s still snow on the ground where you live, here at Hero Arts we’re blooming with new stamps for spring!

Shop from the Hero Arts Spring Catalog right HERE! It’s full of new Art of the Card, new cling, and new clear stamps.

And that’s not all! The Konnichiwa and Plumeria Collections from BasicGrey are available right HERE, including the wonderful 6×6 paper pads that coordinate perfectly with the stamps.

As always, orders placed in the Hero Arts Online Store are fulfilled by local stamp stores.

What are your favorites? We’d love to hear!

Hello! It’s time to announce our second lot of winners for our February contest! And once again, judging has been near impossible. With nearly 400 submissions uploaded to our Flickr pool for Round 2 alone, you can see why! But we studied hard, and here are seven of our favorites for this month.

Our Fresh Face is nedergaard - Denmark, who combined all three of our monthly themes to create this lovely card. Her interpretation of Sketch #2 is stunning, and we couldn’t love her color scheme more.

Our Digital winner this time is lbpost20 who used our Field Flowers Digikit to create this pretty pink friendship card. Look at the lovely dots of black and white in the center of each flower - such a cute detail.

And now our Fab Five, five of our favorite projects, presented in no particular order. Just like our Fresh Face and Digital winners, every member of the Fab Five will receive a $50 Hero Arts shopping spree.

First up, rhea1967 who created this stunning pair of colorful cards. We love the way she has popped the stamp from our Very Special set on the die cut, and her coloring is just fabulous.

Next we have eleiphart and her super fun Hello card.  The Zig Zag background creates the perfect backdrop for all the cleverly combined elements, and the rainbow colors work brilliantly. Fabulous!

Apricot Bubbles has combined the die cutting and Hello themes to create this gorgeous, multi-textured card. Our Flower Lady looks so glamorous combined with feathers, tissue paper and pearls.

Dotukas‘ sweet card features our Tree Trunk stamp - and we have never seen it looking so colorful. The lovely layered papers in the background and adorable pair of buttons really make this a stand out card!

And finally, Peppermint42 (Karin). We think this is the most beautiful masculine card we have ever seen! The combination of stamps from our Past Times set, with the Friendly Flags and Type lettering set is genius, and those mini clothespins are adorable!

Congratulations winners! Please contact us at winner@heroarts.com with your address and phone number, and also include your list of $50 worth of product by Thursday, March 8th. You can look through our online store to create your list. Please include “February2012B Winner” in the subject line. There are also blog blinkies available for all the winners - if you’d like one, please let us know in your email and we’ll send it along as well!

And, it’s the first of the month, which means it’s time to announce the details of our March contest!

This month, we’d love to see your cards and projects featuring flowers. We also have a color challenge to get your creative juices flowing, and our monthly technique is velveteen stamping. Shari Carroll’s March technique article & video will introduce you to this innovative stamping idea. Round 1 entries are due by 11:59pm PST on Thursday, March 15th. Please upload all entries to our Flickr pool and don’t forget to tag them with March2012A for the first round. You could win a $50 Hero Arts shopping spree! All of the contest details can be found here.

Good luck, and have fun!

We have something exciting to share with you today! Hero Hues Patterned Papers, offering original stamp designs on paper, are now in digital form and are launching today on Two Peas in a Bucket!

Take your pick from seven paper packs of eight designs each, sized for scrapbooking (12×12) and designed to work beautifully with the Hero Hues spectrum of papers and accessories.

You can take a look at the full line of digital patterned papers — including Blush, Sunshine, Foliage, Pool, Sea, Floral, and Earth collections — here at Two Peas in a Bucket.

Lucy Abrams has already been working her magic with the new digital papers and we’re delighted to share one of her lovely creations with you today! She selected one of the prints from the Sea Patterned Paper Kit for the background of her card, and paper pieced the Fleurettes stamp with a dainty polka dot print from the same kit. Isn’t it beautiful?

We hope you’ll find inspiration in these new paper collections! If you try them out, we invite you to share with us in the Hero Arts Flickr Group — we always love to see your beautiful creations!

*GIVEAWAY ALERT* How would you like a chance to win one of the digital paper kits? Head over to our Facebook page for a chance! Two randomly selected winners will receive their favorite kit. Good luck!!

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!