Lifestyle Crafts-Pretty Epic!

Hey guys!  I hope you're having a fab Friday.  I know I am.  I've been MAKING THINGS all day!  That's my kind of day.  Am I in the middle of a gigantic mess?  You bet!  Is it fun?  Absolutely!


I had to post today and show you something EPIC!  I have a brand new toy, and I know you're gonna want one too!   (And I'm definitely going to name it....just give me a few days!)

I've been eying this 'lil beauty on my trips to Hobby Lobby for quite a while now.  It is the Epic Letterpress, from Lifestyle Crafts.   
It also works as a Die Cut machine as well.  So it's totally 2 for the price of one!  Yipee!!

I LOVE Letterpress.  It's so pretty, and sophisticated, and I just wanna FEEL it!

Are you unfamiliar with Letterpress?  It's like when you get an expensive wedding invite.  And the ink is pressed down into the paper.  So there's a ridge there.  Kind of REVERSE embossing.

It's really an art form.  And being the designer nerd that I am, I've been wanting to give it a go!

Wanna know something really nutty about me?  No?  Too late!
I LOVE instructions.
No. Really. I do.
Instruction manuals make me happy.  So when I got this little machine, I immediately swooped down into the instruction manual.

And I gotta admit, it took me a second.  So embarrassing.

Gratefully, Lifestyle Crafts has a FABULOUS blog that has tutorials and ideas.  It's a fantastic read!  Even if you're just wishing for a machine of your own.

The entry on Letterpress 101: How to Ink was super handy.  And once I read that little beauty, I was OFF.  No problems at all.

Please tell me you get giddy about seeing a bright colored ink on a printing plate!  I think its BEAUTIFUL!

I'll admit that it took me a couple tries before I was happy with the result.  But I definitely think that's just a quick little learning curve.  Once I felt more comfortable with the pressure to apply and the amount that looked good.....I was off to the races!

I wanted to start with a very simple, very graphic image....and I love this little tag that I created with bright purple ink.

The other thing that I love, is that each print is SLIGHTLY different.  And perfection is nearly impossible to achieve.  And that, my friends, is EXCELLENT therapy for me.  It teaches my brain to embrace slight imperfections and differences.

It's kinda freeing.
(do I need therapy?  Don't answer that!)

Then I needed something to do with my new little tag.  I decided I wanted to just use the front of the card.  I cut it, and saved the backside for next time.

I love putting it on this gift bag.  On a very busy paper pattern.  The white tag just jumps off the pattern.  (okay, it also helps that I raised the tag with 3-D glue dots.)

If you look REALLY close you can almost see the depth there.  Can't you?  Can you see how the letterpress paper is thick and has a texture to it?  Oh my!  I'm sweating.  What is it about paper and ink that makes me so happy?

So guess what else is EPIC?

Lifestyle Crafts is offering Less Cake {more frosting} readers 

a 20% discount on any purchases made with the code:

BLOGLESSCAKE

That's ANYTHING in the store. Not just the letterpress stuff. You can get 20% off the cutting dies and ink and even an Epic machine of your very own!  Just make sure to put that code in at check out!

I have some more really fun projects that I've done with my new machine.  (man, she really needs a name.  I'll get right on that.)

And....if you're really good.....there might be something truly EPIC coming up on the blog this month.  Can you guess? 
EEK!  Squeal!


Have a great weekend guys!



*Lifestyle Crafts supplied me with an Epic Letterpress machine and some product to try.  All the opinions expressed are completely my own. *