Hi crafty friends! I’m so excited to share a little card I made with Hero Arts’ lovely Tranquil Garden release. I used the Lotus Field Letterpress and the Lovely Labels Letterpress plates — and honestly, I was nervous about letterpress at first. Spoiler: it’s way less scary than it looks and so satisfying!
I started with a white A2 cardstock panel and popped the Lotus Field plate into my BetterPress. I grabbed Catherine Pooler Succulent ink and braved that first inky sweep — I’d assumed you needed special paper and ink, but nope! It worked beautifully with what I already had. I pressed everything through my Spellbinders Platinum 6 and out came a perfectly pressed, inky base with the dreamiest subtle impression.
For the sentiment I used the Lovely Labels plate on the BetterPress too. I tried a few gold pigment inks to get a foiled vibe but they didn’t pop enough, so I switched to a bold black ink on white and stacked the label three times for a little dimension.
I glued that down in the middle and loved how clean and elegant it looked. I thought about adding gold splatter or gems, but honestly the simple look won me over.
I couldn’t stop at one — I made a second version in bright pink and tried tone-on-tone for the label. It felt fresh and modern, and just as lovely.
If you’re intimidated by letterpress, give the BetterPress and these plates a try — they make this technique super approachable. Simple, beautiful, and fun to make. Want a full materials list, or tips for your first press? I’ve got you
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