Top stationery trends: Letterpress

For my last stationery trends 2014 blog post I'd like to share with you my favourite letterpress stationery. I know that letterpress has been popular for a while now, but it's definitely been big this year.

I'm fascinated by it because I can't make it myself. Unlike my other top stationery trends for chevron patterns, bright colours and typography, I can't play around with this trend myself as I don't have a letterpress machine. Rather than just printing a design, letterpress creates an impression into the paper as well as using inks. And the result is so much more luxurious than a simple printed design, especially when it is combined with some thick or speciality papers. 

So here are my favourite letterpress finds, with links below so you know where to buy them if anything takes your fancy. 

1. Keep calm and make a list letterpress notebook by Little Red Press

2. Vintage swallows flat notecards by Print for Love of Wood

3. Letterpress awesome card by Crazy Bear Studio

4. Hello letterpress stationery set by Prickle Press

5. Personalised thank you cards by Kennington Lane Press

6. Little notes of positivity by PaperKitch

Where to buy handmade gifts

If you're looking for a gift that's more unusual and something that you wouldn't find on the high street you should consider buying handmade. You are also supporting small businesses that really value your custom and your money goes directly to the person who has made your gift. Plus you will often be able to get an item personalised or gift wrapped and sent straight to the recipient.

Since I love shopping for handmade gifts whenever I can I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite online shops that are great places to search out the perfect handmade present (or even a little treat for yourself!).

Handmade birthday cards

This month I've been making some new birthday card designs. It's hard sometimes to find time to sit down and work on new designs when I have lots of orders that need posting asap. But it really is my favourite part of my job. I have so many ideas in my head and I love trying them out and making something new.

I got a fantastic new silver ink pen from stamping up that gives the most wonderful shiny finish. You're meant to be able to stamp with it, but it didn't give a strong enough print so I tried stenciling and I think it looks fab on this new card.

Cards with ages on seem popular so I've added another one to the shop. This is made using my silhouette portrait electronic cutting machine. I think the purple pearlised card is my absolute favourite at the moment!

And a new range of birthday cards made from maps and a vintage dictionary print. I'm planning on adding a few more different shapes too, so check the shop soon for more designs.

All these handmade birthday cards are available to order from the say it Folksy shop. 

PaperLove Challenge

I'm taking part in the Paperphilia 7 days of PaperLove Challenge, celebrating papery goodness. Since I love paper and work with it pretty much every day I thought this sounded like the perfect challenge to take part in. Plus, I love the gorgeous Paperphilia blog and have had my eye on their PaperLove e-course for a little while now.

Each day for the next week there's going to be a PaperLove Challenge to take part in. And today is day one. A great little challenge to start off with - making freestanding origami paper hearts!

Above is the example made by Rachel and Beth from the Paperphilia team. I decided to make mine using a page from a vintage dictionary. I wasn't sure if it would work using such thin paper, but it seems to have turned out fine. I might try varnishing it to make it a little more robust. 

I'm quite pleased with my little heart and think it will make a nice ornament. 

Would you like to join in with the PaperLove Challenge too? It's not too late to start, just sign up here and you'll get the instructions for making your very own origami heart straight away. 

I can't wait to find out what the rest of the challenges will be! I shall be sharing them on Twitter as I make them, so follow me @sayithandmade to see how they turn out.