Woodgrain Background Valentines — Sprinkled With Glitter

Hi everyone! I'm sharing a few cards today using the Studio Calico Woodgrain Background Letterpress Plate.

There's just nothing like letterpress. The look is so rich and elegant. I've long been a fan of stationery of all kinds…and this technique goes WAY WAY BACK. It's only recently been made available as something you can do in your own home, without bulky and expensive equipment.

I often get asked if the Letterpress tool is compatible with all die cut machines. The Letterpress tool is compatible with the Cuttlebug, Sizzix Big Kick/Shot, Sizzix Vagabond, and Lifestyle Crafts Evolution. These are the major brands on the market.

When I saw this plate, I instantly fell in love. It reminds me of young loves carving their names in a heart in a tree. I thought this plate would make perfect Valentines cards.

The plate comes with different options for the heart inlay. You can leave it blank, but there's also an outlined heart, a solid heart, a + sign (for putting initials in the heart) and the word LOVE that fits perfectly inside the heart.

The Letterpress makes it so easy to mass produce. I made several of these cards while I had my plate set and inks prepped. I'll keep them on hand for anniversaries or weddings.

For the card below, I used the letterpress plate with no ink. This is a technique called blind embossing. It's so stunning in real life, although it's very hard to photograph.

I have included a video walking you through the entire creation of this card. I've also included links to all the supplies used in this video, which are all available at Studio Calico.

Be sure to check out the Studio Calico gallery for more cards using this awesome printing plate. It's a great place to find inspiration for all of your card making and scrapbooking projects!