Colorful Correspondence Cards

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C O L O R F U L    C O R R E S P O N D E N C E     C A R D S


Hi Friends,  this is Kathryn posting my very first blog - EVER!  I'm so happy to be a part of the very talented CutCardStock Design Team and hope you'll be inspired by the work I feature.

Here in south Louisiana things are already warm and starting to bloom!  With bright hues surrounding me I was commissioned to create notecards for a client who loves rich tones and luxurious papers.  Crane Lettra was chosen as my "go-to" stock for several reasons:  the heavy 220lb pearl white paper not only letterpresses beautifully, but can also be edge-painted providing an extra pop of vibrant color, and is one of the most luxurious USA made papers I've been privileged to work with.

Jane, my client, and I selected a lovely Italian Rosso paper for the linings and color inspiration.  After considering several options, we decided to letterpress in two colors: orange and purple as neither of us could choose one favorite over the other.


I hand-calligraphed Jane's name, scanned it and cleaned up the high-resolution file with my pen tablet.
I then sent the artwork to a company who creates custom letterpress plates for me.  While waiting for the plate to arrive I prepared the paper for printing by cutting it to fit  Crane Lettra Envelopes.  Next, I air-brushed the edges of the stacked paper stock with paint I custom mixed to coordinate with the pantone color we selected.


After the edges were painted, I prepared the press.  The process of preparing a letterpress machine is slow and methodical.  It is imperative to oil the press daily to keep the iron gears operating.  There are approximately 30 tiny oil reservoirs which need to be oiled on my press!  Next, I custom mixed the ink, which is the consistency of marshmallow cream, and inked the disc.  While the ink was spreading, I set-up the chase (the frame which holds the custom-made printing plate) and calculated where to place the gauge pins to hold the paper in place between each depression.  (The plate is actually "depressed" into the paper; hence "depression" as opposed to "impression").


Each piece of paper was hand-fed while the machine opened and closed like a clam shell.  (It takes a bit of practice feeding the machine while pulling your hands quickly out of the way).


After the letterpress was finished, I hand cut the lining paper, tapering the sides to match the angle of the envelopes.  I used Micro Glue Dots to affix into place.


Voila!  The finished product!  Thanks for viewing, and please share with me your comments or questions!  Namaste'!

The following are the Cut Card Stock items used:


     
  

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