Using the L Letterpress

A few months ago, my local scrapbook store demonstrated the L Letterpress from Lifestyle Crafts. I had seen the tool at Michaels & AC Moore, but never really considered buying it.  It just looked too complicated (and expensive)! But of course, at the demo, they made it look so easy!  Between that, and the good sale they were offering on the starter kit, most of us in attendance went ahead and ordered one (we are dedicated customers and want to keep our LSS in business, after all!).

A month later it arrived.
I brought it home.
It sat in its box. Untouched. For a long time.

A short while later, the store offered a class on how to use the Letterpress.  Again they made it look easy.

I went home, and still it sat in its box!

This past weekend when I was at the store (can you tell I spend a lot of time there??) several of us mentioned that we still hadn't used it, so I finally decided to give it a whirl when I got home.

I should have taken pictures as I went along, but here is a picture of my final product.

I kept it pretty simple the first time out.  I letter-pressed the the branches and the sentiment on the paper that came with the starter kit.  After it dried, I adhered it to some red card stock that I dry embossed with the polka dot pattern, and then adhered that to a plain white card and rounded the corners.

Some things I learned:

• Setting up the plates is the trickiest part.  You have to put the plates on a double-sided adhesive sheet, cut them out, remove the backing, and adhere to the printing press.This will probably go quicker now that I have the hang of it.  I also found it tricky to line up the plates at first, to create just the right design, but I was able to remove them and rearrange, and the adhesive still worked.
• You really don't need a lot of ink.  I used a pea-sized amount, and made four cards. I probably could have made more!
• This is best for assembly-line card making. Once you go to all the trouble of putting the adhesive on the plates, lining them up just so, inking up the brayer, you might as well make a lot of cards!  Would be perfect for a card swap or holiday cards where you want to make a lot of the same design.
• It takes a long time to dry! Be prepared to wait a while before you adhere your letter-pressed image to the card.
• I wish the adhesive sheets were smaller...I only needed a third of a sheet for the plates I used.  I put the protective backing back on the remainder of the sheet...I'll let you know if it's still good the next time I pull it out.
• It works with the Sizzix Big Shot.  No need to go out and buy the Epic 6 if you already have the Big Shot.

Have any of you ever used the Letterpress?  Any tips for me? I am determined not to let it gather dust any more!