stationary, etc. - olivebox

A few weeks ago I wrote about the company Birchbox, which sends subscribers sample sizes of new beauty items each month. I love getting my Birchbox in the mail, and so I was very excited to see that a new company, OliveBox, is following a similar business model, but with paper products. (I heard about OliveBox from the fabulous blog Paper Crave.)

As a member, OliveBox will send you a package of paper and lifestyle products each month curated by members of their team. It could be items such as cards, DIY sets, or artwork. You can buy a 1, 3, 6, or 12 month subscription. It is a neat way to discover new stationary and paper products.

I love paper products, and I hope to have more time with my letterpress machine as the temperatures get cooler and I spend more time indoors. 

anna letterpresses

Ok, so I'm officially obsessed... Here are a few more letterpress pictures thanks to my gorgeous friend, Jess!

As you can see, I am still struggling with alignment, but I have a better handle on the ink now. I want to get a new roller, as many blogs I've been reading about the Epic six suggest that for a more even distribution. 

anna letterpresses

I spent a little time tonight playing around with my letterpress machine. Here is a notecard I created:

I am still working on getting my alignment right. I want to order a custom plate with a small alphabet, and my company name :). The blog nobiggie wrote a nice post about ordering custom plates for the Epic six. Here is the pdf she used to order her plate, as well as the plate itself:

I'd also like to create a pug icon to letterpress. I love this guy from Dirty Beard Press on Etsy. 

Do you have any ideas for images I could order on my custom plate? 

graduation, etc.

My friend Julia graduates from BU Law this weekend. I've been wanting to knit a mini-version of the knitted bag I made a few weeks ago as a gift bag. Since I was planning to give Julia a pair of earrings for a graduation gift, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to test the pattern.

I started with this Classic Elite Yarns pattern, but I made a few changes:

First, I used thinner yarn than was suggested. I decided to go with Cascade Cotton Rich DK Yarn in white, which I bought on Jimmy Beans Wool, with size 4US needles. I then cut the pattern in half, basically, by reducing the cast on number from 31 to 16 stitches. I hope to have the adjusted pattern on anna knits, etc. soon. It makes a super cute gift bag, or travel jewelry case.

I found these amazing pink, neon earrings at Crush on Charles St. I may have to buy a pair for myself...

I also used my new letterpress machine to make this graduation card. I got the paper on sale at Paper Source.

~ Tanti auguri, Julia! ~

anna letterpresses

Today I made an exciting purchase: a letterpress machine! I have wanted one for a while now, but I was not willing to fork over the $160 Paper Source was charging for the at-home, L Letterpress. Luckily for me, I went to the store today and noticed one combo kit was on clearance (broken box was all). I scooped it up, and spent the evening experimenting. (You can also find the kit discounted on Amazon.)

The ink was a little hard to use, and I had a lot of problems with the word stamps, but once I started pressing without ink I was happy with the results. The blog Paper Crave gives a nice review of the L Letterpress.

Here is a card I made using the plates and the stationary supplied in the kit.

These are the plates I used.

I am now also able to resurrect my stationary company from elementary school: © a. devine creation 

It would be nice to order a custom print for my company's name if I ever decide to sell stationary on Etsy. The Paper Crave post talks about ordering custom photopolymer plates for the L combo kit from Boxcar Press. I definitely want to get some more plates, including a full alphabet, and a chevron pattern. 

Do you have a letterpress kit? Any recommendations for buying supplemental plates?