Barbara DiPrizio, Owner & Artist
Sweet Grass Stamps

More samples? You bet! And as a bonus, an interview with Sweet Grass Stamps owner, Barbara DiPrizio.

Q:  How did Sweet Grass Stamps and The Rubber Stamp Shack come into existence?

Barbara:  I think it was in 2000 when I went to my first Stampin' Up! demonstration.  I remember thinking, "Inking a stamp and pressing it to paper, I did that in grade school, but I'll go because the demonstrator is a friend."  Then she embossed something and OH MY!  I was HOOKED!  Over the next few years I became a full-blown addict!  In 2003, during my second maternity leave in 2 years, I was penniless and jonesing for new stamps but couldn't justify spending money when there wasn't much coming in.  I thought if I started my own business, I could support my hobby.  So with my tax refund in hand, I did just that!

Q: Starting a new business isn't easy these days. How did you accomplish such a task?  How long have you been in business?

Barbara:  It's been an amazing and fun journey.  I made a few costly mistakes at the beginning and ended up out of money, but needed software to do the designs.  I found it online, but debated for days whether I should spend household money for it.  So I prayed and laid it all out before God, asking for guidance as to whether this is even something I should do, or should I forget it and focus more on my family?  Then I put it all out of my mind.  A few days later I got a letter from the IRS.  My heart sank because since when do people hear good news from the IRS?!  It turned out we had figured our tax return wrong, and there was a check included for the exact cost of the software I needed to start the business! 

So here I am five years later, with God's blessing, not only paying for my hobby, but also paying a good portion of the household bills.  Of course, now I have no time to stamp, but I do have fun making them!

More of the interview coming tomorrow. For today, feast your eyes on these creatively delicious samples from Artistic Guides, Marcia Mattos, Melanie Smith and Regena.  Enjoy!  Their samples feature images from the Art Deco, Bird, Chaos, Christmas, Japanese, Nature and Valentine collections.  Check out these Sweet Grass collections at The Rubber Stamp Shack.

From the studio of Marcia Mattos:

Cupid

Valentine Silhouette Young Love

Hummingbird
Other Stamps: Fall Seasons by Inkadinkado

From the very creative mind of Melanie Smith:

Bee and Flower

Cardinal on Holly
Other Stamps: Hero Arts

Pine Cones and Bow & Memory

Happy Girl
Other Stamps: Hero Arts

Trotters on the Snow

Memory

And from the studio of our ever elegant, Regena:

The Wave
Other Stamps: Son Light Crafts & Stampendous

Cactus/Desert Song
Other Stamps: Inkadinkado

Flirting Geisha
Other Stamps: Serendipity & Hero Arts

Hear no, See no, Speak no Evil
Other Stamps: Penny Black

Koi
Other Stamps: Stampendous & Studio G

Geisha & Kanji Eternity

Don't miss the wrap up of our featured Rubber Stamp Company, Sweet Grass Stamps later today! It's a double dip today!