Win A Copy of The Crafty Countdown

Posted by Khris in Contests

My personal copies of The Crafty Countdown arrived today! Check it out:

This is honestly a very emotional thing for me, to see this book in its final form. The making of it was exceedingly difficult. This was The Book From Hell. Highlights:

• Soon after I signed the deal I found out I was pregnant. This was a joyous thing, of course, but starting at week 7 of pregnancy I developed something called hyperemesis gravidarum which is extreme morning sickness. I was nauseous all day, every day, for 17 weeks straight which made me lose almost 25 pounds during the pregnancy.
• At week 14 of my pregnancy, about the time the 1st half of the manuscript was due, my husband had a grand mal seizure and was out of commission for 6 weeks. (Hasn’t had one since; we still do not know the root cause…weird.)
• UPS totally obliterated 3 boxes of projects I sent to NYC for the photo shoot. My publishing team had to scramble to re-create projects with supplies they found and the few I could scrounge up on my end in just a few days time.

It was supremely stressful; at times it seemed impossible and I was so close to not completing it on a few occasions. But now… here it is. And it’s beautiful! I’m so thankful I stuck with it. I’m tremendously and forever grateful to my extraordinary team of partners, publishers, readers, friends and family for cheering me on and getting me through tough times. My support system freakin’ rules!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and my overwhelming feeling of gratitude, I’m opening up the first round of giveaways for this book. I have 2 copies of the book to give away. Just leave a comment in response to this post telling me what you’re grateful for between now and Monday, 11/30. I’ll pick 2 random winners on Tuesday.

About The Book:

Product Description

Today’s average wedding costs $20,000, so the appeal of doing it yourself has never been greater. And crafty and creative brides-to-be need look no farther than this hip, budget-friendly wedding planner. Khris Cochran, author of The DIY Bride and creator of DIYBride.com presents 40 original, affordable, and time-saving projects in the popular countdown format that brides on a deadline just can’t live without. You’ll find everything from edible, save-the-date cards and hand-stamped cocktail napkins to bead-and-lace bridal slippers, a feather boutonnière for the groom, and a super-cool “Just Married” sign. In her trademark straightforward style, Cochran carefully leads readers through each project and supplies spot-on tips and shortcuts. Four-color, step-by-step illustrations, easy-to-read templates, and pattern guides take the mystery out of creating these wedding keepsakes. Helpful sidebars provide time estimates, so savvy brides-to-be can plan out their projects and count down confidently to their special day.

Open any bridal magazine or visit any wedding website and a bride-to-be is sure to encounter the well-known wedding countdown list—when to mail the save-the-dates, buy the bridal jewelry, choose the centerpieces, order the favors, send the thank you notes, and everything else in between. Khris Cochran, the author of The DIY Bride and creator of DIYBride.com, knows that her hip and crafty readers need an entirely different type of run-up to their big day. The DIY Bride Crafty Countdown is a 224-page four-color book packed with 40 brand new, fun, affordable, easy-to-follow, time-saving craft projects for a one-of-a-kind wedding. Brides will find chic special touches and sweet, unique keepsakes that elevate a wedding with a personal touch and that are also super affordable. Text will include the popular price comparison box so brides will know how much they are saving with each project by doing it themselves, a new budget section that shows bride what they can expect to spend on each project, and new sidebar on the time needed to complete each project.

**I ask that only brides-to-be (and grooms, too) enter the contest, please. Since they’re the ones in the most need of the info & inspiration in the book, I strongly feel they’re the ones who should have the opportunity to win a copy. Thanks for your understanding!**

DIY Letterpress Resources

Posted by Khris in Crafter's Toolbox, DIY Projects & Tutorials, Invitations, Programs, + Stationery

So, you wanna go the DIY letterpress route. Groovy!

Whether you use the L Letterpress or are fashioning your own printmaking contraption, you’re gonna need some supplies.

Custom Plates:

• Lifestyle Crafts, makers of the L Letterpress, will soon be offering a custom plate service.
• elum (creators of some of the most gorgeous letterpress stationery on the planet) is offering a letterpress platemaking service at Letterpressplates.com
• Boxcar Press, respected letterpress gurus, also offer custom plates.
• DIY Bride: stay tuned for our DIY platemaking tutorial.
• Note: when looking for plates, you’ll want the KF152 type photopolymer plate. It’s best for the L Let and die cut machine presses due to its deep relief and plastic backing.

Inks:

Letterpress inks are expensive and because they’re sold to the letterpress trade, they come in larger-than-necessary-for-a-crafter amounts.

• Lifestyle Crafts sells inks for the L Let in 20 colors. They come in 30 ml tubes for around $7.00 a pop. The colors water-based can be mixed. Nearly all of the L Let retailers sell the inks. Shop around for the best prices + shipping.
• NA Graphics deals mostly in oil-based inks but they do have smaller sizes for the casual printer.

Papers:

Paper is extremely important in letterpress-type printing. It needs to be thick and cushy to be able to take the impression from the plate. Most letterpress operators use papers that are made of cotton rag.  Beware that many printmaking papers are sold in large sheets, not in convenient 8.5″ x 11″ sizes. Below is a  list of the types of papers (brands and lines) and resources where to buy. This is, by no means, a complete list but should keep you busy for a while.

Crane – Lettra 80# text, 110# and 220# covers

Crane -  Palette

Fabriano Medioevalis

French Paper Muscletone 140# cover

Magnani – Pescia

Porridge Papers

Rising Museum Board

Rives

Neenah Classic Crest in 80# text, 130# and 165# covers

Somerset – white or natural white – 250 gsm (120lb)

Where to buy paper:

http://www.archpaper.net/

http://www.artpaper.com

http://www.atlanticpapers.com/

http://www.crane.com

http://www.dickblick.com/categories/printmakingpapers/

http://www.grungepapers.com/HandmadePaper.htm

http://www.keldonpaper.com

http://langdellpaper.com/

http://www.legionpaper.com/

http://www.frenchpaper.com/

http://www.mohawkpaperstore.com/shop-by-project/specialty-processes/letterpress/list-view?sort=asc&order=Weight&search=attributes

http://www.neenahpaper.com/

http://www.paper.com

http://www.paper-papers.com/

http://www.porridgepapers.com/handmade-paper.html

http://www.strathmore.com/

http://www.thepapermillstore.com/

It’s Here! The Crafty Countdown

Posted by Khris in DIYBride News

I received my advance copy of my new book, The DIY Bride’s Crafty Countdown, a few days ago! Isn’t the cover adorable? My publishers really outdid themselves on the design.

The Crafty Countdown should be available at your favorite craft stores and booksellers on 22 December. It’s currently available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and IndieBound.

Here’s a peek:

L Letterpress Quality Issues

Posted by Khris in Crafter's Toolbox

Hey DIYers,

I’ve heard from 3 different DIY Bride readers over the last few days that the L Letterpress is having some quality issues with the plates. Apparently they’re cracking too easily.  Some stores are pulling the plates (Paper Source has been mentioned specifically). If your plate cracks, please contact the store where you bought the plates to get a replacement.

I hope Quickutz/Lifestyle Crafts issues a statement soon.

{Edit to add: Users at the QK forums (mother company of Lifestyle Crafts) are reporting problems, too.}

DIY Letterpress, Pt. 1

Posted by Khris in DIY Projects & Tutorials, Invitations, Programs, + Stationery

Hey DIYers,

As the L Letterpress has captured our attention, Lindsay Weirich at The Frugal Crafter blog has come up with a way to make similar debossing/letterpress set-up using her Big Shot die cutting machine, some masonite board, and duct tape.  Ummm, can you all say ‘super smart’?! Thought so.

This is a neat idea for those who already have a die cutting machine and aren’t looking to add another with the Lifestyle Crafts machine or starter kit.

From Lindsay: When I saw the home letterpress kit from Lifestyle Crafts I was intrigued but I wasnt about to spent $150 on a whim especially since I had a die cutter and zillions of rubber stamps already, they also have a starter kit that has the contraption that you use the printing plates with, ink and paper for $70 but that is still a lot of money in my book. So I took an old plexiglass cutting pad from my Big Shot, a piece of Masonite and some duck tape and made this:

Lindsay's How-To Shots of her DIY Letterpress

To see exactly how Lindsay did it, please hop on over to her blog post. Please do give her a hello and a thanks for sharing her talents with us!