Colorful

Creating fresh clean BetterPress cards for any celebration using Number and Sentiment press plates.

I adore the BetterPress Letterpress system! You can create beautiful, high-quality cards that blend modern design elements with traditional techniques. In this guide, I’ll show you how to use your BetterPress system to make colorful clean and simple cards that feel sophisticated and timeless. Today, I will be using Spellbinders new Color Mix Collection which is great for just about any celebration!

How to Get The Best BetterPress Letter Press Prints

Bold masculine die-cut BetterPress happy birthday card using Srellbinders Bold Color Mix Numbers and Sweeping Celebrations Sentiments.

After Experimenting for the past year, here are my tips for pristine BetterPress prints:

I started by using Best Ever Craft Tape to attach my BetterPress A2 Porcelain card panel to the BetterPress top plate. I wanted a clean white look, so I used the Porcelain cardstock. In my opinion, BetterPress Cotton Paper or handmade watercolor papers work the best with BetterPress.
The magnetic lower plate works really well to hold my Bold Color Mix Numbers and Sweeping Celebrations Sentiments impressing plates in place.
I was careful to ink the impressing plates really well. I did a “Tap and Twist” technique where I tapped the ink on the plate and then twisted the ink pad a few degrees. Don’t smash and smoosh or you will wind up with little pieces of ink pad on your plate and project. I ink well because I prefer to roll through the press only once for each plate.
I liked the sentiment going “uphill” with the “h” and “b” lower than the “y”.
I rolled my sandwich SLOWLY through my Platinum 6 die cutting machine. I think “Super Slo-Mo” while doing this to help me remember to go VERY slowly.
The Color Mix Numbers Bundle has coordinating dies that are just beautiful! You can use them with the press plates…or separately.
You’ll want a good stamp cleaner to clean your BetterPress and press plates. I’ve used Ultra Clean by Hero Arts and it works great!
I used the specially formulated BetterPress Inks for my pressing. For the “54” card I used Coastal and Clay from the Desert Sun Mini Sampler. For my Happy Anniversary card, I used Wild Berry and French Blue from the Nature Tones Mini Sampler. The black comes in a Full Size and you can find the smaller size in the Regal Tones Mini Ink Set. Waterproof or Hybrid inks as work well. Pigment ink is not recommended….you want a faster drying ink.
I found that my guillotine paper trimmer worked better than my Fiskar’s SureCut on cotton paper.
My base is Granite cardstock and I used Craft Foam, Bearly Glue and Fashion Jet Enamel Dots to finish my cards.

Spellbinders Color Mix BetterPress Collection

Colorful clean minimalist Happy Anniversary card created with Spellbinders Bold Color Mix Press plates.

Key Products I Used on My BetterPress LetterPress Prints:

Bold yet clean and simple BetterPress cards using the Bold Color Mix Numbers and Dies Bundle + Sweeping Celebrations Sentitments

By focusing on clean, minimalist designs with bold colors, you can create cards that feel modern and fresh but have all the charm of traditional letterpress.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Karen

Iconic GameBoy Retro Game theme shaped handmade card from the Ralph Tyndall collection from Hero Arts.

Phenom Ralph Tyndall collaborated with Hero Arts for a fun new Fall Release. I created two iconic cards that are part of Hero Arts Instagram Hop that you can participate in HERE.

You can find Ralph Tyndall’s Fall Collection HERE.

Retro GameBoy-Themed Card 🎮

As a 90s kid at heart, I couldn’t pass up the chance to create a card inspired by the iconic GameBoy! The nostalgic colors, the pixelated graphics, and that satisfying ‘click’ of the buttons—this card was such a blast to make.

Key Ralph Tyndall Supplies:

Directions for Creating the Retro Game Card:

Tip 1: I snipped the star, heart, pull tab and game cartridge from the die set and then die cut the rest of the elements as one piece. This ensured that I had perfect placement for the buttons and screen. If you don’t snip the above mentioned components, they will die cut the back of the card.
I used Mustard Cardstock for the body, Charcoal Cardstock for the rim of the screen and Vellum for the screen
I die cut the screen frame and buttons 3 times each and glue the pieces together for a realistic 3D look.
The die set has a great coordinating Retro Game Stamp Set that really makes the game come alive. I chose Winner for my Screen plus A & B, Select and Start Buttons. There are LOTS of Game related words included in the stamp set.
I added an Antique Ivory liner to inside of my card.

Fun handmade card for the video gamer in you life - GameBoy Retro Game die set.

This GameBoy inspired card was one of my favorites to create, and I have to say Tetris was my favorite back in the day! It’s the perfect card for any gamer or someone who loves a throwback to the good ol’ days of handheld gaming.

Urban Heroscape Card

Colorful Urban Cityscape Heroscape card featuring stamps from Ralph Tyndall.

For my second card, I went in a completely different direction with a graphic linear urban Heroscape design. Ralph designed this set too and it is called Street View Heroscape. I’ve always been fascinated by cityscapes, especially the way modern architecture plays with lines and geometric shapes. So, I wanted to create a card that captured the energy of an urban environment using simple, clean lines.

Street View HeroScape Stamps by Ralph Tyndall and Hero Arts - handmade card.

I chose not to use the base stamp because I wanted to emphasize the linear grapic look of this stamp set. The set also comes with coordinating dies that you can find HERE.

TIP: Prior to stamping the Pool Party color building, I masked the Indigo and Purple Galaxy buildings with post it notes for clean stamping.

Supplies Used:

Tag: Colorful

Celebrate | How to Get the Best Prints with Your BetterPress | Spellbinders