How i made the STDs

(That stands for Save The Dates, people. Just ask The Foy.)

Since I've gotten a lot of questions about how I made my Save The Dates, and I just love blogging that much, I decided I'd post about the process of making them.
I actually got the idea of using pre-made tags from a Christmas issue of a magazine with an article on DIY gift tags. I figured the tag would stand out among any standard-sized cards/invitations stuck on people's fridges, and that they'd be inexpensive and easy to find. As a print designer, naturally I abhorred the idea of using common laser or inkjet printing for any of my stationery, but I knew I couldn't afford (time- or money-wise) to letterpress my save the dates.

[Letterpress printing uses old-fashioned printing presses with movable type. The raised surface of the type is inked and pressed into the paper which results in beautiful, rich color and a delicate impression on the paper. Suffice it to say that print designers just generally go nuts over it.]

So, since letterpressing was out, I decided on the next best (and cheapest) thing: rubber stamps. I found the "Save This Date" stamp at a craft store and liked it a lot. I wanted the number 26 to stand out and form the dominant image and for the ink impression to look as close as possible to the uneven look of old-fashioned wood type, so I chose a blocky foam stamp set that had all the numbers 1-9.
But how did I get all the custom stuff printed? I used a custom stamp service online and the stamps I made were no more expensive than the kind you buy at the store. I designed the 3 custom stamps using design software, and then uploaded them to the site, choosing the size stamps I needed. To save costs, I only purchased the rubber stamp part (not the wood backing) - which, to my surprise, turned out way better than I expected. I adhered them to an acrylic stamp pad and stamped away! I was really happy with the quality of the impression I got when using the gold ink.
Once I'd started inking, I wanted to beef up the size and weight of the dinky tags, so I added a sheet of pearlescent orange paper in between the front and back tags, which also tied in nicely with my fall color scheme. Speaking of tying - I needed a decorative way to keep the three pieces together, so I used some elegant ivory ribbon tied in a bow.
So there you have it. Some custom STDs. It took several weekends and a lot of patience, but not much cash.