A warm welcome to the new Divas

Hello High Hopes Fans!!

You can find the current challenge here.

And our most recent tutorial here.

I am sorry that it has taken so long to announce the new members of the High Hopes Design Team. There were sooo many wonderful applicants and it really was hard to decide. Then I was out of town for a week and wasn't able to announce the team before I left. 

But now I'm back and it's time to announce the new Divas...

Michelle O

http://donkeysmiles.blogspot.com/

Howdy from South Texas! My name is Michelle Oatman; many know me as "MichelleO" or the Donkey Smiles lady. I have been very happily married for almost 25 years to my best friend who is supportive of my obsession of crafting. We live in the country where we raise Miniature Donkeys, Dwarf Nigerian Goats and Toy Australian Shepherds. They are all my children, and are all spoiled rotten.

My crafting goes back to my childhood, days spent with my Grandma and then as I grew up watching my Dad, a professional graphic artist.  I dreamt of the day I could own my own grown-up markers. That may be why I adore my Copics so much.

Recently I lost my right eye to an accident. It has taught me a lot about myself, and the people around me. The support from everyone, both close to me and across blogging land,  has made me a stronger person. And while learning to deal with my new  vision I have learned to appreciate my crafting even more.

I am blessed in so many ways - my husband, my family and friends. The life I live on the farm with so many animals. A job that is a true joy and to have found a hobby that give me so much happiness. 

Here is a recent card Michelle created using the adorable Norman Goat...

************

Aaemie

http://aaemie.wordpress.com/

Hi everyone! I'm Aaemie, I have a wonderful hubby who supports my love of craft, two lovely children a two and a half year old daughter and a one year old son.  I've been a crafty person for as long as I remember, but began stamping and making cards about 5 years ago. I attribute my love of colouring to the endless days that I spent with my Nanny colouring in Barbie books with pencil crayons. I love my copics and have a little obsession with pattern paper and have a hard time limiting myself with embellishments. Most of all I'm so very excited to be a High Hopes Diva! 

Here is a fun card Aaemie created using the new Cat Trio...

**************

And last but not least, the former High Hopes Guest Diva...

Lynne in NI

http://ruby-dooby-dooscraftyspot.blogspot.co.uk/

I live in beautiful County Antrim in Northern Ireland with my partner Greg and our pooch, Ruby. I've been making cards for about 7 years - one my first investments was a High Hopes stamp and I've been hooked ever since! I've always loved playing along with the challenges here, so I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining the Divas!

And here is Lynne's latest High Hopes card using Spoutin' Off...

Please give a warm welcome to these wonderful ladies!

And we would like to say thank you to all of the fabulous entries to the Design Team Call. We wish we could have had everyone on the team, but unfortunately we could only choose 3.

Meet the Divas: Jeanne & Anna

Hello High Hopes Fans!

Click here for the current challenge.

It's time for a new Meet the Diva's!

This week we are heading down to the Loan Star State of Texas (USA)!

We have both the hilarious Jeanne Streiff and the "Sweet Miss Daisy" Anna Wight.

First up is Jeanne...

http://inkypaws.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/

1)How long have you been crafting? Did you start as a child? Did someone inspire your creativity?

I’ve been coloring since I picked up my first crayon.

2) When did you buy your first stamp? What were the circumstances surrounding that purchase?

Oh gosh, a long time ago. I started buying stamps regularly in 2005 though after going to a home party.

3) What is your favorite stamping medium? Waterproof ink, Embossing Ink/powder? Glitter?

Most of the time I stamp and color with markers. I use Momento inks and Neenah paper.

4) When in your local stamp shoppe or online stamping store, what is your guilty pleasure that you end up buying although you know you already have tons of? Ribbons/Papers/Inks/Pens... etc.?

Stamps… ;)

5) What coloring medium do you prefer? Prisma's, Tombow's, or Copic's? Other?

I use Shinhan Touch Twin markers. They are alcohol based and blend beautifully.

6) Future goals of things you want to learn to use with your stamping... or try.. .be it a technique or submitting to a magazine, or teaching classes, starting your own shoppe...etc..

I’d like to get back to drawing again. It’s been a while and I’ve missed it.

7) Other crafting you do? Job? Hobbies or interests?

I’ve very luck in that my jobs are all craft related. I coordinate artistic teams for Shinhan Art Materials (Touch Twin markers and other fine art supplies), The {Stamps} of Life and Discount Cardstock.com. On my off time I watch bunches of movies and read.

8) Share with us your favorite project, and the techniques you used.

- Cuuuute image, marker coloring, Flower Soft and fun twine!

Here are some more of Jeanne's adorable cards...

And now it's time for the fabulous "Sweet Miss Daisy" - Anna Wight...

http://sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com/

1)How long have you been crafting? Did you start as a child? Did someone inspire your creativity?
My family is very crafty, and some of my oldest memories are of me and Mom coloring in coloring books at Grandma's house. Mom is a wonderful quilter, and Dad is very handy with wood, construction, and tying flies for fishing! I think just about everyone in my family does something crafty.

2) When did you buy your first stamp? What were the circumstances surrounding that purchase?

It was the summer of 1993, in a little shop in Florence, Oregon. I remember because I worked at the Girl Scout camp near there during the summer, and there was a little shop in town that always had the cutest things! The stamp is from the line of Richard Scarry images that Penny Black licensed that year. I still own it, and am still trying to collect images from the line. Help a girl out!? *grin*

3) What is your favorite stamping medium? Waterproof ink, Embossing Ink/powder? Glitter?

I think my favorite is just coloring images. Watercoloring, markers, pencils ... love it all! I really do love to stamp in black StazOn ink and watercolor images using a variety of watercoloring products. I also have a fondness for adding glitter to just about everything. Doesn't everyone?

4) When in your local stamp shoppe or online stamping store, what is your guilty pleasure that you end up buying although you know you already have tons of?

Ribbons/Papers/Inks/Pens... etc.?

Designer paper. Ribbon, string, twine, jute. Coloring tools. Buttons. Dies. GLITTER! ...I don't have just one guilty pleasure, it seems!

5) Future goals of things you want to learn to use with your stamping... or try.. .be it a technique or submitting to a magazine, or teaching classes, starting your own shoppe...etc..

I've done a lot of things as a stamper. I love the people I've met through this craft, and am so grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way. I would love to try more "techniques", but don't always have the patience to deal with the "mess" of techniques. I tend to do most of my work in about 24" of space, or less. There's not a lot of room for "mess", along with the MESS! Especially since I am a multitasking crafter, and always have several projects going at any given time.

6) Other crafting you do? Job? Hobbies or interests?

I like to sew, and I love photography. I find inspiration in colors, and nature. I love the country/primitive style, and love to add a bit of it to most everything I do.

7) Share with us your favorite project, and the techniques you used.

I think my all-time favorite High Hopes project was the "old goat" card. I stamped the image in black StazOn ink, and painted it with liquid re-inkers. I also really love the card I made using the High Hopes lamb. I used flock to give the lamb texture, and was just delighted with the results! And I really love the Northwoods Stack image, so this card stands out as a favorite of mine, as well.

Make sure to go check out Jeanne's and Anna's blogs!

We will be back next week with the winner of the Numbers Challenge.

There is still plenty of time to enter if you would like to play along!

Happy stamping!

Design Team Showcase - Meet the Artists

Hello High Hopes Fans!!

Click here for our Current Challenge

Well it's time for another "Meet the Divas".

However, this time we are going to showcase the Artists of High Hopes Rubber Stamps!

First up is the fabulous "Sir Dustin"...

Dustin Pike

http://dustinpike.blogspot.com/

I was born and raised in Utah spending almost all of my childhood drawing even when I was supposed to be doing schoolwork. In 1992 I married my best friend and we have been happily married since, I have 4 wonderful children, though I am my wife's biggest kid. I joined the USAF to work in Commercial art, but ended up an Ammo troop instead spending 3 yrs in Germany. Came back to the states to Hill AFB in Utah and have been here since. I am an avid Disneyland fan. I love Disneyland almost to the point it's unhealthy... My wife talks about intervention...maybe she's not joking... I think my style is influenced by Disney as well as older Hannha Barbera cartoons and anyhting Jim Henson has done mainly Fraggle Rock and other muppet related stuff. I am excited to be able to move my scribbles into the rubber stamp medium. I hope I can live up to the expectations I have with my how do I put it "fans"...

Dustin's images are so whimsical designs are so whimsical and fun.

His Dragons are favorites amongst the Divas and customers.

And so many of his designs are filled with quirky humor that sometimes make you say "huh?"

And now we have the talented Laurie Furnell...

Laurie Furnell

http://lauriefurnell.blogspot.com/

I was born in into an artsy, crafty family. My Mom & Dad was always working on some sort of art project...So, I am a self taught artist that comes by my talent naturally. From the time I was little, I loved to draw and color. My mom use to call me her "Doodlebug" because no piece of paper was safe if I had a pencil in my hand. To me, there was no better gift than a pad of clean white paper and a new box of crayons. I am now married ( 35 years this year...yeah!) to a wonderful guy. We have two grown children, and three grandchildren. My life revolves around my family, the gospel of Jesus Christ and my artwork. I love to read fantasy adventure books ( when I have time...LOL) cook, garden and spend time with my family. Our favorite place to vacation is Disney World...I do love Mickey! I guess I'm still a kid at heart. I am so excited about this new adventure in stamping...to be working with High Hopes Rubber Stamps is like a dream come true... I have a whimsical, folksy style, something that fits

perfectly with the High Hopes stamps. I look forward to creating some new and wonderful art for High Hopes in the future and can't wait to see what all you talented stampers can do with my art today...Happy Stamping!

Laurie's designs are filled with "Country" flair. Her animals are adorable and "fluffy", and many of her images bring you closer to nature...

Laurie also has a wide collection of accent and border images that coordinate with her designs...

We are so happy to have these lovely artist working with our team!!

Meet the Divas: Guests Heidi and Sarah

Hello High Hopes Fans!

We are starting something new today!

Once a month we will showcase two of the Design Divas in a "Meet the Divas" Q &A.

We thought you might want to know more about the people who work for High Hopes and learn about how they got their start in the world of Handmade Cards!

This week it only makes sense to start the Meet the Divas with our two newest members -

our Guest Divas...

Heidi

1)How long have you been crafting? Did you start as a child? Did someone inspire your creativity?

I cannot remember a time when I was not involved with something crafty. I inherited my creativity from my mum! The ceramic ornaments we painted when I was young still hang on the Christmas tree every year. I was introduced to stamping by Sherri, my best friend from University through Stampin' Up.

2) When did you buy your first stamp? What were the circumstances surrounding that purchase?

My first Stamp was a Snowman that I purchased to make Christmas Cards. My first non-Stampin' Up Stamp was H.M.S. Noah's Ark!

3) What is your favorite stamping medium? Waterproof ink, Embossing Ink/powder? Glitter?

I love embossing with ink and powder and dry embossing.

4) When in your local stamp shoppe or online stamping store, what is your guilty pleasure that you end up buying although you know you already have tons of? Ribbons/Papers/Inks/Pens... etc.?

My guilty pleasure when it comes to stamping is designer paper. Though, I would buy it and never want to use it for fear of it running out! Now, I am actually using it on projects and cards!

5) What coloring medium do you prefer? Prisma's, Tombow's, or Copic's? Other?

I love to stamp a bunch of images with memento Tuxedo Black and colour them with Copic Markers while watching television in the evening!

6) Future goals of things you want to learn to use with your stamping... or try.. .be it a technique or submitting to a magazine, or teaching classes, starting your own shoppe...etc..

My future crafting goals are to try water colouring with Twinkling H2Os and to see if I can get published.

7) Other crafting you do? Job? Hobbies or interests?

Outside of my crafting world, I am originally from England and have lived many places in the U.S. I now live near San Francisco California. I graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in engineering. I got my MBA four years later from the University of North Carolina. I am a program manager for a transportation start up. I love riding my bicycle, listening to music, watching Formula One and American College Football (Go Hokies!), driving my convertible, snorkeling, cooking and baking. I love animals and I play servant to four cats!

8) Share with us your favorite project, and the techniques you used...

One of my favourite High Hopes projects was this Holiday Gift Tag that uses two of my favourite techniques, colouring with Copic markers and Dry Embossing.

Supplies Used:

High Hopes Stamp: Three Pane Christmas

Stamped with Black Memento Tuxedo Ink Coloured with Copics

Tag Shape: Tag and Bookplate Sizzix Die by Tim Holtz

Dry Embossing: Cuttlebug Snowflakes Folder

Silver embossed material: Shimmer Sheetz by Elizabeth Craft Designs

Large hole cut with Long Rectangle Nestabilites

Clear Acetate sheet used to cover the rectangle hole

Star Confetti from Michaels Arts and Craft

3M Foam Tape

¼ Inch White Grosgrain Ribbon for edges of the tag

Red Poppy Polka Dot Ribbon from Papertrey Ink

Silver Cord from Stampin' Up

Here are a few of Heidi's other High Hopes cards...

Sarah1)How long have you been crafting? Did you start as a child? Did someone inspire your creativity?

I have always done some form of crafts – even as a child, although I wasn't necessarily very good at it! I think it skipped a generation, because my mom's mom paints and my dad's dad painted. I used to love pastels when I was really young, and did still life mostly as well as animals. My favourite childhood Christmas presents were my Prismacolor pencil crayons and my easel. My crafting got a little more "serious" when I got married and made my menus, place cards, etc. That's when I got into stamping and embossing and I discovered vellum (oooohh!).

2) When did you buy your first stamp? What were the circumstances surrounding that purchase?

My first rubber stamp that I can remember (apart from the childhood collection) was "Love" in script from Michaels that I used as a theme for my wedding, and I embossed it in silver on everything. I still have it. I got more into the stamping "world" when I discovered Stampin' Up while on maternity leave with Samuel. I went to one party and was instantly HOOKED. I loved being able to create a greeting card myself, start to finish, that actually looked decent and I could give to someone! I give a LOT of greeting cards and I keep a book with everyone's birthday, anniversary, etc (ok – not that I actually REMEMBER them all, despite the book – oops!). So I knew this was the hobby for me! Then, a few years ago, I discovered Scrappin' Great Deals and a new world was opened up to me! I could not believe the array of stamps and products that were out there, beyond Stampin' Up. I took a Copic class with Andrea Murdock and Kim Reid and fell instantly in love with Copics and with the "open" stamp images that I could colour.

3) What is your favorite stamping medium? Waterproof ink, Embossing Ink/powder? Glitter?

My favourite stamping medium is definitely the Tuxedo black Memento ink on Copic XPress It paper – that I colour with my Copics. I haven't embossed in a long time, but I do still like a nice black embossed outline.And I like to add 3D glaze and Stickles to almost everything!

4) When in your local stamp shop or online stamping store, what is your guilty pleasure that you end up buying although you know you already have tons of? Ribbons/Papers/Inks/Pens... etc.?

I buy (almost) everything at Scrappin' Great Deals. I'm on the design team and I teach Copic classes there. I do order some new things online though to try out and to see if I want to suggest them for the store. I've ordered some really beautiful things from My Favorite Things (I love their dies) and Magnolia-licious (new fave is Yoga Tilda). My guilty pleasure is tied between 6x6 paper stacks and stamps. I always think it's "investment" because I might teach with it or blog it, hee hee! But I do love all things "antiquey", "vintage", "French", "European", "old world". Can't resist. And I must admit that I do feel the need to keep adding to my Tim Holtz for Ranger distress ink collection. And Copics, of course, but I do think of these as "needs" because I teach with them! And I do use them every day.

5) What coloring medium do you prefer? Prisma's, Tombow's, or Copic's? Other?

I'm 100% a Copic girl. I do try other mediums, but always, always come back to my Copics. I do LOVE distress inks too though. I find they work really well together.

6) Future goals of things you want to learn to use with your stamping... or try.. .be it a technique or submitting to a magazine, or teaching classes, starting your own shoppe...etc..

My goal for the longest while has been to be on a design team, and now I've joined two in the past two months alone!So I'm REALLY excited about that!My other goal was to teach – and I'm starting on September 22, so I'm thrilled to be achieving that milestone!My next goal is to be published in a magazine, so that will be my project for the fall/ winter.I would like to master watercolouring, which is something I haven't succeeded with so far.We may be moving house next year and if we do my DEFINITE project will be to create a proper craft room with built in storage and lots of work surface!

7) Other crafting you do? Job? Hobbies or interests?

I work full-time in marketing, so that is VERY busy to say the least.I travel a lot for my job too, so it makes it tough to find time for hobbies when I'm out of town.I also have a 7 year old son, who is into karate and swimming, so that takes up a lot of time as well.And I'm taking a certificate course at UWO starting this week, so that will be consuming a lot of my time as well!I'd like to find more time for sleep actually, and to read.If I do get some down time, I love to read and I'm in two book clubs.

8) Share with us your favorite project, and the techniques you used...

This is my most recent, and favourite. I always find that my newest project is my favourite! Because it reflects what I'm into at the moment. Right now, you can see in this card, that I'm really into my distress inks.I use my Spellbinder dies all the time – and am in love with my Big Shot.I've used glimmer mist all over this card, which is a current favourite, as well as Smooch gold ink.Lots of die cutting here, distressing, Copic colouring, layering.I've doubled up my dimensionals to make my frame sit even higher.I've printed my own sentiment on cardstock rather than stamping it, which I've been doing a lot lately.I found a great book with lots of sentiments and card texts – I think it's awesome.I'm trying to make my cards more like "frameable art" and less like flat cards.

Here are a few more High Hopes Cards from Sarah...

Happy stamping!