Just wanted to share the card fronts and light-up lighthouse card I made at workshops at the Orlando Stamp & Scrapbook Expo last week.

I took a class with Jennifer from Stamplistic on using the Spellbinder’s Better Press. We made a number of card fronts trying different techniques and papers. To get the letterpress look of an embossed plate, you need to use the thick cotton paper such as the Better Press papers. We learned to add sprays to the paper before stamping onto the paper for the crisp imprint and ink coverage of image. You can add a variety of ink colors to one plate, or use one of the new registration plate sets and print different colors in several printing passes. I found the Better Press to be a quick way to get professional and elegant looking images. The cost is more than rubber or clear stamps, but as long as you get enough ink on the plates, you get a professional looking image that you can then watercolor or color with alcohol markers.

Sabrina Leavell of Scrappy Tails taught a quick workshop on making a dimensional lighthouse with a Pear Blossom one light to make it light-up.

Lots of great and friendly vendors at the Expo too.