Hi everyone!  It’s Lisa here, and I’m super excited to bring you a very special blog week: a FULL week of 2010 Catalog sneak peeks — with giveaways galore! I’ll show a tasty, tiny peek to whet your appetite in the mornings, like so:

Then later in the SAME evenings I’ll be back to reveal the FULL peeks, including the NEW stamps!  Woo hoo!  So, be sure to check back here this evening at 6:00 PM PST for the BIG reveal!

See that sweet girl in the peek?  Have you seen her somewhere else?  Yep, she’s over there in the blog sidebar!  If you haven’t seen her blinking away yet, I have exciting news to share — you’re invited to a 2010 Catalog Preview Party, December 18-20th! Click HERE to find a party near you.   Stores have super fun events planned, and you’ll be the first to see the NEW stamps, as well as the 2010 Catalog!  YEAH!

We at Hero Arts LOVE our independent retailers, and I’ll be highlighting random stores having 2010 Catalog Preview Parties throughout the week, starting today with Wiggles & Giggles, in Wethersfield, CT!

Just look at what Darlene at Wiggles and Giggles has planned for their Preview Party on Sunday December 20th from noon-3 pm:

At Wiggles & Giggles we know that the best day of a stamper’s year is the day the new Hero Arts Catalog is unveiled!  So come get your stamping ‘groove on’ and join us in kicking off the Hero Arts New Year.  There will be several free make and take card projects, chances to win Hero Arts door prizes every hour, not to mention the live viewing of EVERY NEW Hero stamp in the catalog.  We will have plenty of the new Hero Arts catalogs on hand because we know it isn’t just a catalog ~ it is an amazing idea book and you will want to take one home.  The regular cost is $10 but with a qualifying purchase, you can get yours at a discount or even FREE!  We are offering special purchase promotions and are looking forward to a great day of creating fun!! Santa is even rumored to be in the kitchen baking up some holiday treats to serve as well.  After all, sweet treats always enhance our creativity.  Stop in for a break from the holiday craziness and join us for our Hero Arts Preview Party ~ A true Christmas treat!

Wow, what that sounds like so much FUN, Darlene!  All you stampers near Wethersfield, CT, click on over HERE for store info.  Not near Wiggles and Giggles?  Click on over HERE to find a preview party near you.

Now, I know I mentioned GIVEAWAYS!  Let’s start off with THREE week-long contests!

CONTEST #1: Leave a comment on ANY post this week, and you’ll be entered to win a prize package of NEW stamps plus the 2010 Hero Arts Catalog!  The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to WIN!  The lucky random winner will be announced on Friday.

CONTEST #2: A new blinkie contest! We have two new blinkies for you to bling up your blog and join in the 2010 Catalog excitement!   For all the techy details and to enter the blinkie challenge, just click on over HERE. Check out the fun blinkies — one featuring the first five sneaks, and the other inviting everyone to the 2010 Catalog Preview Parties:

CONTEST #3: Stamp a project using at least one Hero Arts stamp or digital kit inspired by ANY of the sneaks! You can use anything you see in the sneaks as your inspiration, such as a color combo, shape, or design — the sky’s the limit!  Upload your entry to the Hero Arts Flickr Group by 11:59 PM PST on Sunday, December 13th and tag it with the code word 2010inspiration.  Be sure to add what peek(s) inspired you in the description.

By entering, you could win a shopping spree of your choice of Hero Arts products from the Hero Arts Online Store! (Shipping charges apply.) Winners will also receive a 2010 Hero Arts catalog, sent separately. The prize amounts are as follows:

• Fresh Face Winner (someone who has not yet won a contest): $50
• Digital Winner (create something using a Hero Arts Digital Kit): $50
• 1st Place: $50
• 2nd Place: $25
• 3rd Place: $15

Winners will be announced on Thursday, December 17th. Need a recap of the peeks so far?  Just click HERE!

See you right back here this evening with the BIG REVEAL of today’s sneak peek! Can’t wait until you see it.

Until then, have fun getting started on the THREE week-long contests,

We’re having a new blinkie contest! To win a great prize package featuring a 2010 Catalog and NEW 2010 stamps, add either of these two blinkies to your blog by Thursday, December 10th at 11:59 PM PST and leave a comment on THIS POST. The lucky random winner will be announced on Friday, December 11th. The first blinkie is this snazzy little number featuring the first five 2010 Catalog sneak peeks:

Love them! Here’s the URL to link it to: http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/tag/2010-catalog/

Next, did you know that you’re invited to a 2010 Catalog Preview Party, December 18-20th? Yep, it’s true! Click HERE to find a store near you, then invite all your friends with this fun blinkie:

Here’s the URL to link it to: http://www.heroarts.com/landing/2010CatalogDebut.cfm

Here’s some tips on adding a blinkie to your blog:

Instructions for WordPress

There’s a great article for adding images to your blog sidebar right HERE.

Instructions for Typepad

Typepad has an article for how to do this HERE. Just follow along, and change the “.jpg” to “.gif”.

Instructions for Blogger

Blogger has an article that covers how to add lots of nifty things to your blog sidebar, including images, right HERE. Follow the instructions for adding an element and then select “Picture.” Note that you will have to upload the image to Photobucket or a similar service, as blogger does not accept gifs.

Image too wide?

If the image is too wide, you can change the width in the <img> tag by adding

width=”123″

where “123″ is the width that you would like. So it would look like

<img width=”123″ src =”blinkie goes here” />

Need some help? Post your Q’s over HERE on the Hero Flickr Group — there’s a great thread going on with lots of questions already answered — thanks so much everyone — BIG hugs.  If you’ve never been to our group before, grab a cup of cocoa and stay awhile — there’s so many fabulous creations, and a super fun community of stampers!

Can’t wait to see the blinkies on your blog, so be sure to leave a link!

Hi everyone! Here’s Sneak Peek #5 — feast your eyes on this floral fun:

The Hero Arts 2010 Catalog will be arriving at participating stores on December 18th — use our store locator and look for the Debut Icon to find a participating store near you!  Many stores have special events and parties — don’t miss the fun!  If your local store isn’t participating, have them contact Lay in customer service at 1-800-822-HERO.  (1-800-822-4376 or 1-510-232-4200 for international inquiries.)

And that’s not all!   We have something BIG planned for next week:  starting right here on the blog on Monday, Lisa will share a little peek in the mornings, and then the FULL reveal in the evenings!  There will be lots of great prizes, too — including NEW 2010 Catalog stamps!

See you then,

Here it is, Sneak Peek #4 of the Hero Arts 2010 Catalog:

Stores participating in the Catalog Debut will receive their stamps by December 18th!  Check our Store Locator HERE to see if your store is participating.  There’s still plenty of time for stores to sign-up, so encourage your favorite store to join in the fun!

Here it is — Sneak Peek #3 of the Hero Arts 2010 Catalog!

Enjoy,

We’re back with another sneak peek of the 2010 Hero Arts catalog!

Want to see the full peek?  Visit your local stamp store today!  The 2010 Hero Arts Catalog will debut at participating stores on December 18th.

Did you miss the first sneak peek?  It’s right HERE.

We’ll be back on Monday with another sneak peek,

We’ve been hard at work on the Hero Arts 2010 Catalog, and today we are excited share just a little sneak peek of what’s to come! Feast your eyes:

To see the full peek, visit your local Hero Arts Retailer today!  Or, visit a participating store when the catalog debuts on December 18th. Stores are signing up to participate now, and we will soon have a list of participating stores for you so that you can make your plans.  Many stores are having special Catalog Debut parties and events!

Watch the blog for more peeks, coming soon!