Save that Date! (Part 2)

I'm about halfway finished with my finals and projects, with a nice little lull in between, so I'll finish filling you in on our Save the Dates. Also, I've heard from a number of folks across the country who already received theirs, so it's a good deal more likely my guests will encounter the final result in their mailbox before they find it here.

I played around with various nature-themed stamps to ornament our STDs. I ultimately decided on a leaf stamp, playing off the fact that we chose our wedding date almost exclusively based on the Autumn season we love so much.

I employed something of an assembly line method, despite the fact that I was running the show alone. I basically stamped one with brown pigment ink, covered the ink in clear embossing powder, and then set it aside to stamp & powder another card. Rinse, repeat, until I had just about the whole kitchen table filled with cards, and then I busted out the heat gun and melted the embossing powder on all of them at once.

The color of the leaves appears muted here because they're all covered in embossing powder, but have not yet met the heat gun.


I felt quite a sense of accomplishment as the stack of completed homemade cards grew and grew.


Here's the final result!

The embossed leaf is difficult to photograph properly since it's somewhat shiny, but this gives you a good idea. I really like the outcome! It's pretty simple, but it serves its purpose and doesn't look too shabby in the process. I initially wanted to order magnet STDs, but I figure most people will still stick this postcard on a clip or under a magnet on their fridge.

The stamps we used.

I've always poked fun at these stamps when we've received postcards (pretty well exclusively junk mail) that sport them. I then came to find out that they're the only 27 cent stamp that the post office sells. I could pay more for a different stamp, but then that would defeat the whole purpose of sending postcards - affordability. The postal rates go up on the 11th of this month, I believe it is. I wonder what the 28 cent stamps will look like, but I'm glad to have spent one less cent per card nonetheless.

Why, you might ask, do I find these stamps so amusing? Because I have a juvenile sense of humor, that's why.

....Yikes.

I mean, REALLY! Did Georgia O'Keefe design this line of stamps or something? It's just ridiculous. But I used them anyway! I just chuckled to myself everytime I stuck the guava or papaya stamp on anyone's card. The kiwi stamp is also questionable when viewed alongside these suggestive stamps. The word "dentata" comes to mind.

This is one of those times in the planning process where I've decided it's perfectly fine for things to not be perfect. Stamps that resemble lady-parts on our "STDs" are pretty far from perfect, and that's perfectly okay.

Are there any details of your wedding that have become something of an inside joke?