I'm so so excited to share some pocket scrap cards I made using some new letterpress plates at Lifestyle Crafts!

Gotta tell ya...these new plates are some of my favorites...ever. EVER.

First up are these MAP Plates...




 This final set is the JOURNALING Plates set...


 Oh, that "handwriting" just makes me so so happy!


For this first card, I ran the plate through my Evolution without any ink...and then I simply painted some watercolors over the top...


Oh my gosh...I love this "ONE PERFECT DAY" plate...wouldn't this be darling as the cover to a little mini album documenting a day-trip to the beach or a museum?




I used three different colored stamp inks for this last card...there is just something about that ombré look that makes me so happy...

 So fun!

And I gotta tell ya...I'm loving using my letterpress plates with stamp ink! Although the colors are not as vibrant and the lines are not as crisp and clear as they are when you use letterpress ink, I love the look. And I love how quick cleanup is!

Have you tried letterpress yet? If not, are you going to?

There are so many more plates out there now...and they just keep getting better and better! If you're looking for a new craft to add to your arsenal, why not give letterpress a try?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

And don't forget that you can get 20% off anything you purchase from Lifestyle Crafts with the promo code: MIDWESTERN! Yay!!!


Thanks so so much for stopping by!

Eeeeek!

You guys!

Have you heard the news?

We R Memory Keepers is launching its BRAND NEW die cutting machine tomorrow exclusively on Home Shopping Network! TOMORROW!

The Evolution Advanced!


This new die-cutting machine is amazing...and it has everything you could possibly want in a die-cutter...

*it's compact...AND it folds up for easy storage!

*it has automatic settings for letterpress, embossing & die-cutting...no more figuring out which plates to use for which process!

*it has built-in storage!

*AND with the addition of a small motor (sold separately) you can turn this manual cutter into an electric cutter!

So cool, right?

Now go mark your calendars! Midnight Eastern TONIGHT!

woo hoo!

Last weekend was when the 3rd-graders that go to the local Catholic church made their First Communion...

...our friends have twins that were 2 of those children...and we were honored to have been invited to not only the mass, but also to the celebration that followed.

Here are the cards that I made for the girls...


I have been CAH-RAZY over vellum lately...and the new Sheer Metallic collection at We R is just about as good as it gets.


When you start with paper as luxurious and lovely as this, you really don't need to do too much to it.

To make these cards, I started with some Letterpress Folding A2 Note Cards. I love how thick and sturdy this cards are...they just feel expensive...you know?

To one of these I added a little rectangle of Sheer Metallic Gold Stripe, and to the other I added a piece of Sheer Metallic Gold Dot.

Next came a piece of plain vellum notched at the bottom to create a little banner, a small doily and a paperclip decorated with a little Maggie Holmes resin flower. (I used small glue dots to attach the flowers to the clips...they worked so well!).

I did use a little adhesive to hold the different papers to the card base...I didn't want them to fall all apart if the paperclips came free...

OH! I almost forgot! One little thing I did to the doilies before attaching them...and the one thing that really makes this card stand out...the debossed monograms!


This was a technique I hadn't tried before...but it is one I will definitely be doing again! I love the way this looks...

In order to get this look you do all the same steps you would do for Letterpress...only you don't use ink! So awesome!

I used a letterpress plate/die set from Studio Calico for this project.


Easy, fairly quick, beautiful & unique...just the way I like my projects...

Love this Sheer Metallic Paper? You can get it HERE...and use the code "MIDWESTERN" at checkout to get 20% off your order!

Please tell me I'm not the only one who gets giddy when I get a new toy to play with...I'm worse than my 6-year-old.

Really, I think I may have squealed (out loud) when I opened this new letterpress plate from Studio Calico...

I had seen a bunch of people in the Studio Calico Gallery using two different letterpress inks on their projects so I decided I would give that a try. It didn't turn out EXACTLY the way I was hoping it would...I thought I would get more of an ombré look...I guess I have to keep practicing. OH! And maybe I should have used 3 colors! That may have given me a better look...BUT, I do think it looks OK...I'll do it again...

I also wanted to try the letterpress on fabric, so I used one of my SC bags (the ones that little extra goodies are shipped in). It is GORGEOUS! The print is beautiful! This is definitely something I will do again...

I also decided to tape off part of the plate (the "day" part) so that I could use just the "to" on an envelope. There was a little learning curve involved with this one...it took some trial and error figuring out how to position the plate and my envelope to print where I wanted it to, without debossing any other part of the envelope or getting errant ink anywhere.

After getting warmed up with these projects, I decided to get down to work...

I had ordered an extra Office Hours 4x6 paper pack from this month's SC kits, so I grabbed that...along with some gelato, a paint brush & some coverboard (like extra-thick cardboard/cardstock stuff...SC uses it to protect the paper it ships from bending).


I cut the coverboard down to 4x6 (the same size as the paper pad) and ran it through my letterpress without any ink. Doing this debosses the design from the plate onto your paper...


Can you sort of see the design here? It's hard, I know...but it's there.

Next I cut off just a smidge of the gelato onto a plastic plate. I dipped my brush into water and swirled it around in the gelato to make a "paste." Then I simply painted in the design that had been left from the letterpress plate.


Finally, I used my Cinch binding machine to create this fantastic little mini-book with my design and the 4x6 paper pad. Sometime (hopefully soon), I will take photos of our entire day and will use this little album to document them.

I love it. Love. It.

How about you? Do you Letterpress? Is it something you've thought about doing? Have you made something super-awesome? I'd love to see it!

Supplies: Office Hours 4x6 paper pack, Today Letterpress Plate, Letterpress Bundle, Letterpress Ink - Orange, Letterpress Ink - Hot Pink, Cinch Binding Machine, Faber Castell Gelato - White

Have you heard the news?

Lifestyle Crafts, the company behind QuicKutz dies and the "first-of-its-kind L Letterpress system," is teaming up with the trend-setting, forward-thinking scrapbooking company Studio Calico to bring you a brand new class!


Letterpress is one of the hottest trends in paper right now...and this class will give you tips and tricks, challenges & inspiration to help you incorporate this new medium into your papercrafting and memory-keeping.

Now, I've worked with the L Letterpress System before (see here and here)...and I have to tell you, I love it. There is just something so classy- and classic-looking about letterpressed (is that a word?) paper. I'm huuuuge into life-documentation, and the idea of using letterpress with my Project Life and scrapbooking projects is so appealing because it's yet another way to make my projects unique and beautiful.

All that being said, when the girls at Lifestyle Crafts and Studio Calico asked if I would be willing to give SC's new letterpress plates a go I jumped at the chance! I had already signed up for the "Letterpress" class, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get a jump-start on my skillz...(yeah, I got 'em).

I made both a Project Life spread and a layout with the plates I received...here's my layout first...



I used a light blue ink on vellum for this card. When it was dry, I stapled it to a Basic Grey polaroid die-cut frame from the Studio Calico Valley High Scrapbook Kit. Again, the look of the vellum with the subtle pattern behind it? So awesome...


For this card, I did something just a little different. After I added the letterpress sentiment - "yes" - in light green, I added a little embroidery from an Amy Tangerine stencil that was included with the SC Marks & Co. kit. Is that not just the coolest sentiment? I wish that you could see these little cards in real life. The paint is just rich and thick looking...almost like it has become a part of the paper...unlike acrylics and stamps that can sometimes look like they are just lying on top of the paper.


To make this card, I first splattered the paper with a little Tinsel Color Shine. Then I added the letterpressed "OH HAPPY DAY," again in light green. A little strip of Studio Calico Gold Polka washi tape from the Marks & Co. Scrapbook Kit and an Instax photo finish the card...

Aaaaand, because I couldn't stop myself, and because making these little cards is so much fun, I ran a few more through my Epic 6 (but you can use any manual diecutting machine) to prepare for future projects...


Now I'll have some ready for cards, pages, PL, whatever!

So what do you think? Have you jumped on the letterpress bandwagon? Are you maybe thinking about it, but don't know where to start?

Sign up for the Studio Calico "Letterpress" class and you're sure to learn TONS! I have taken a number of SC classes and I'm NEVER disappointed. The instructors are there to help you every step of the way...and you're learning from top leaders in the industry!


And when you have these girls, using the incredible Lifestyle Crafts equipment, you can't go wrong.

Class starts on September 1, but registration is open until September 15. And don't forget, when you register you will get everything you see here (but hurry, once the extras are gone, they're gone!):


Here's what you'll need to take the class (taken from the Studio Calico website):

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO GET STARTED WITH LETTERPRESS : 
•A willingness to explore and make a few mistakes along the way 
•Lifestyle Crafts L Letterpress platform bundle 
•Manual diecut machine (Cuttlebug, Epic, Big Shot, Evolution) 
•Letterpress Paper (have extra on hand, so you can experiment without running out!) 
•Letterpress Ink (the sample pack in the class kit will start you off, but you’ll want more of your favorite colors)

Aaaaand, if you don't already have it, you can buy everything you need for the class right at Studio Calico! Here's the link to the supplies you'll need...

And you can sign up for the Letterpress class here...I so hope to see you there! I can't wait to get my Letterpress on!

Want to learn more about the L Letterpress system and Lifestyle Crafts?  You can follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @LifestyleCrafts and search the hashtag #lifestylecrafts.