The velveteen inspirational puppet
company was founded in 1990
by Jim
Rasmusson
The velveteen inspirational puppet
company was founded in 1990
by Jim
Rasmusson
In 1985, While studying to become a Chiropractor at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, IA, I began teaching Sunday school at the church I was attending - Victory Faith Center. Upon accepting the call to teach the kids, the pastor handed me some puppet stage plans and said......"here, build this!" So after a trip to the building and fabric stores and a few seams later, we had ourselves a nice stage but no puppets. Not to worry, soon there-after, I met an energetic young man named Daren, who was involved in his own church, doing clowning, puppetry and ventriloquism. Daren brought me a bag full of 'puppet guts' left over from his mom's puppet making activities. I took from these examples and began to make my own puppets. I began to do a few shows with Daren during Palmer Homecoming Week, entertaining the children whose parents were attending classes on campus. We collected our first monetary rewards for our efforts. I also began doing my own daycare shows in which I mixed clowning, music and puppet skits. In 1990, I received an order for 16 custom puppets from a college classmate who was directing a children's ministry in Minnesota. It was in the midst of completing this order that we needed a name for this company. Drawing from the story of the Velveteen Rabbit, and wanting to inspire kids and adults through puppetry, I founded the Velveteen Inspirational Puppet Company.
Since 1985, I have been involved with children's ministry, using puppets as one of many avenues to inspire kids to biblical faith in Christ. This has fueled my creativity with many opportunities to produce puppets, stages, costume characters and puppet shows over the years.
I have also had the opportunity to use my abilities in puppetry, clowning and storytelling to entertain in libraries, daycares, reunion parties and the like. I am thankful to be able to offer my products and ideas through the VIP Puppet Company and for the income it provides for my family. I'd like to thank my many customers for their interest, input and purchases. How can we serve you better? Give us a shout.
I am so thankful to the Lord for this interest, this ability, this gifting, as it continues to open the doors for meaningful involvement with people of all sorts, from small children to adults, from family members to fellow puppeteers, from local families to international friends. Lord help me be a blessing to more of your 'kids' - weather young or aged!