Lifelong animal lover and artist, this project began with her passion for retired Greyhounds, and a little shop on Etsy, that catered to Greyhound lovers. Before she started sewing & painting Greyhound stockings back in 2014, Maria owned and operated her hand painted glass company, Ampolo Designs for over 15 years. Her creative stemware adorns tables throughout the USA, as well as her tabletop des
igns created for Rosenthal China, USA Division. Maria's love affair with Greyhounds began in 1998, after adopting her very first Greyhound, Guinevere. That was it, Gwennie Gwen was a magical creature and Maria's "obsession" was born. Many years, and many beautiful Greyhounds later she decided to sew her own version of a Greyhound Christmas stocking and "just for fun" see if there would be any interest on Etsy for such an item. And also great interest in other breeds. That's when the idea for Hearth Hounds was born and a call was placed to long-time friend Rob King. Together, Maria & Rob strike a perfect balance of creativity and business savvy. Maria is currently owned by her remaining handsome Greyhound Buttons, aka The Button Man, who sings every night for a treat! A portion of the profits earned by Hearth Hounds, LLC, will be donated to local Greyhound and animal rescue groups. Rob is co-founder of Hearth Hounds, LLC, with his long-time high school friend, Maria Ampolo. After seeing Maria’s original Greyhound designs in 2014, he knew that he had to get onboard and help her expand the line to include more breeds. Rob is a long time dog lover and knew that if he partnered with Maria she would ultimately have to design stockings for his beloved buddies Annie (German Shepheard mix) and CeeCee (Cane Corso). Together Rob and Maria blend their collective experiences into one with the mission to recognize our four legged family members in a very special way. Rob’s diverse background includes over 20 years active duty in the US Army serving in the US, Europe and Middle East until his retirement in 2005. In addition to co-founding Hearth Hounds, he is also the founder of U.S. a consulting firm located in Colorado. He is an active supporter in the Colorado Springs community where he has lived for 19 years. In particular, he is committed to supporting organizations whose missions better the lives of children, veterans and animal rescue groups. Portions of profits earned by Hearth Hounds, LLC, will go to these causes.
