Three Red Hens featured on Anything Indie's Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Three Red Hens is thrilled to be featured today in Anything Indie's Valentine's Day Gift Guide.

Anything Indie pulls together gorgeous handmade products for your enjoyment from across the web & the world. Go take a peek at their V-day guide to see beautiful jewelry & original artwork, not to mention my card. :-) I hope you enjoy it!

If you're reading this well after Valentine's Day, don't worry, Anything Indie's got plenty of wonderful posts to satisfy your handmade cravings all year round. Click here to be redirected to their main page.

Express your love in letterpress

I thought it would be nice to share a few of my favorite Valentine's Day designs from fellow letterpress printers on Etsy.

I Wheelie Like You
Chewing the Cud has three different, beautifully designed cards for Valentine's Day. Here's my favorite... for all you pun lovers.

ChewingtheCud "I Wheelie Like You" Card $4.25

Have a Cupcake

Creative, delicate & poetic illustrations characterize Ink + Wit letterpress cards. In this card, two cute birds share love & cupcakes... what could be better?

Ink + Wit "Have a Cupcake" Card (Set of 5) $14.00

Love is for Suckers
Not so into everyone's favorite chocolate & roses holiday? Celebrate Valentine's Day with a little humor with this letterpress card from Alcove Press.

Alcove Press "Love is for Suckers" Card $3.50 for 1, $12.00 for 5

Love Nest

I suppose I should use this opportunity to make a little shameless plug for my Valentine's Day card... I originally designed this one for a friend who was getting married & moving across the country. I meant for it to be a celebration of their love & their new LA "love nest". I was so happy with the final product, that this design became the very first available in my Etsy shop: Three Red Hens.

Three Red Hens Press "Love Nest" Card $4.00

Honorable Mention: I Want to Barack Your World
I just have to include this one from Alcove Press, even though it's not letterpress. Remind your Valentine to get out and vote in the primaries with this clever card. Guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone's face, no matter which way they'll be voting.

Alcove Press " I Want to Barack Your World" $3.00 for 1, $9.00 for 5

A few examples of experiments from my letterpress class

These are a few examples of work I did during my letterpress class. Everything I did in class was inspired by someone and/or made as a gift for a friend. Even though I will probably do mainly cards through Three Red Hens, I really fell in love with making t-shirts during class. Working with large wood type is reminiscent of playing with children's wood blocks. It's a feeling of physical construction & creative expression in a very concrete way. Letterpress, in general, has a very hands-on feeling that you don't experience when using a computer to construct designs. It is rewarding to finish a product, though it can take many hours (at least for a beginner like myself) to churn out a satisfactory print.

The holiday cards were made for my husband & I. I traced a photograph of deciduous holly that I took while I was working & living in central Minnesota a few years ago. The larger text was created on the computer. Both the illustration & larger text were made into photopolymer plates, while the italic text was hand-typeset. I printed about 100 cards and matching envelopes with a handset return address on the back flap.

"Roosters don't lay eggs"? Just trying to make a [fashion] statement.

Hazel, a Jack Russell terrier belonging to a friend, is the inspiration for the second card. This inquisitive look is the one she gives me whenever I'm trying to enjoy my delicious lunch or if she suspects you may have a b-a-l-l in your possession.

I made "Rachael Ray Eats Kittens" shirts for a few people – the original test for my shirt was the one where I spelled her name wrong. The quote comes from a coworker, although I think we all know it's not just Dunkin' Donuts keeping that girl going. :-)