Hi there, it's Cristina here with some letterpress inspiration. Last week, Jennifer talked about learning to letterpress, and I want to show you how easy it is to build a scrapbook page starting from some gorgeous letterpress designs.
A while back I showed you how to create a faux letterpress look using embossing folders, but today I want to show you how to do real letterpressing.
Supplies
Here is what you'll need:
- Die cutting machine. I have a Big Shot.
- Letterpress platform. I have seen people who say they can letterpress just by adding some cardstock shims and the regular cutting pads, but I didn't want to have to guess every time so I bought the platform - and I have no regrets! Especially since letterpress paper is pretty expensive and I don't want to waste it on trials.
- Letterpress paper. The type of paper you use is critical to get a deep impression and get the most out of your letterpressing. I know some crafters have great results with watercolor paper, but that has not been the case with the watercolor paper I had on hand, so letterpress paper it is for me.
- Letterpress plates. There are many designs available, I'm sure you'll have fun picking your favorites!
- Ink. To be honest, I have not tried letterpress ink just yet. I've heard horror stories about how hard it is to clean up, so I started going the easy way, and I have just used ink pads for now. :) The examples on this page use distress ink pads (I love the bright colors). I also love doing blind impressions (no ink) as I think adding the ink detracts a bit from the deep impression.
Letterpressing
With the idea of putting a page together, I made two letterpressed cards using plates from Studio Calico.
For the card on the left I used the picked raspberry color, and I added spiced marmalade for the card on the right to get an ombre effect.
Putting the page together
I used the Poet Society kits by Studio Calico. Using the letterpressed cards, it was very easy to build a design using my photo and some strips of patterned paper. I added some stamping with grey ink to tie to the background paper, and completed the page with some gold splatters and sewing.
Here are a couple detail shots.
I hope this has inspired you to give lettepress a try - I love how easy it is to put together a page starting from a couple of letterpressed cards. Share your creations in the comments! I'd love to hear your tips too, as I am just starting out myself.
