Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
Hi. I'm just getting into swapping and was wondering what everyone concidered "Quality Cardstock"??? I don't buy SU cardstock (even though I know it is thicker) but I use the regular cardstock you get from Michael's. What do you all think???? Thanks for any advice to all who answer. :confused:
I've got to say that the SU cardstock is really the best out there. The weight on it is so nice. I found that when I used the Michael's kind for cards that I had double or triple mattings in the front, the back felt so flimsy. So much so that when I tried to "stand" the card up on a flat surface it would collapse. What you can do if you are try to save some money is to use the SU cardstock for the actual card part and double mat or embelish with the Michael's cardstock.
I'm guessing they are referring to either SU or Bazzill. I don't know if Michael's carries Bazzill. I think Hobby Lobby might. For swaps - I'd use SU - but if you don't buy that - guess you might just want to check with your swap coordinator. I think about joining swaps all the time - but with working I can barely stamp for myself - let alone doing the swaps.
I love the SU cardstock! I think the quality is much better than most out there, but most of all, I like that it matches my SU ink colors! I bought a pack of assorted cardstock from Michaels and was very displeased with the quality. It is flimsier (sp??) and more porus (sp?) than SU's paper. It just didn't have the quality feel that the SU paper does (in my opinion).
I have to agree with the above posters- SU! Cardstock is by far the best. I recently discovered this when using the Whisper White. A friend came over to use my stamps for her Christmas cards and brought CS from the craft store. The images just weren't taking as well on her CS as they were on mine. She started using the SU and ordered some for herself that night. I never realized how much of a difference there was until that night.
Has anyone tried Making Memories cardstock or The Paper Company cardstock? Michaels carries those two as well as DCWV (I think). It's tempting to buy it with a 40% off coupon. I would never buy the value pack paper since it's about as bad as construction paper. And I agree, SU has superior quality paper. I guess you get what you pay for.
I've bought many different brands of cardstocks and the ones I'd recommend would be SU, Bazzill, and CTMH...ctmh is a bit thinner but it has a white core that the other two don't. Bazzill has a lot of textured cs-the other two don't have. SU colors are really nice and vibrant and it has a nice thickness.
The colors are more vibrant than any others I have found. I also agree that I have tried to save money buying other cardstock like Michaels and it is so very flimsy. To be honest I have gotten some cards that was made from that stuff and you knew it was cheap stuff. Just my humble opinion but there it is!!
Blessings,
Jennifer
Well, given the number of Stampin Up fanatics on this board (including me!) you won't be surprised to find that most of us swear by SU CS because of its quality and colors. When I started using SU CS I ended up throwing or giving away everything else I had, including some very nice pre-fab cards. No comparison!!
for coloured cs you can't beat SU! although I do buy cs from M's or Wal-Mart. For white cs though, I use the Georgia Pacific from Wal-Mart. It is in the stationary isle. You get 150 sheets for about $8 Canadian. I make a lot of cards and I can't afford to use my SU! cs for a whole card, so I use the GP for the base. HTH!
LOVE bazzill...most of it has texture but Ijust use the back side to stamp on and it's fine. SOOO many colors to choose from and they are thick enough to stand and hold lots of weight.
Another fan of SU CS here. I have a TON of Michaels' CS that I bought before I realized how much nicer SU's is so now I let my DD play w/ the cheap Michaels' CS - I won't even use it to layer on a card but that's just me ;)
I think that SU cardstock is a must! The colors are so subtle and the weight of the paper is great. Other cardstock has really garish looking colors. Now, I have tons of other stamps from lots of different companies, but I will ALWAYS buy SU cardstock. I don't think I would want to be in a swap with people who did not use SU cardstock if I had a choice. It is a key buy!
If you are going to take the time to make a card, use the best! SU's colored cardstock is the best. It isn't just the weight or the fact that it coordinates so beautifully with eyelets, ribbons, inks, markers, chalks, watercolor crayons, buttons, etc. It is also that the colors coordinate with each other. In addition, there is a very subtle sheen -- not quite a sheen but hard to explain -- that is just not there with other brands. The black paper is awesome and the shimmery white is to die for!! You can't even compare it to the stuff they sell at Michael's (sorry>>>).
That said, Bazzil is fabulous for its textures. It is beautiful paper.
SU's white and vanilla are also the best. However, you can purchase Beckett Expression cardstock from www.marcospaper.com that is very very similar to the SU white and vanilla. Before I became a demo, that's where I got my white and cream colored paper. Now, I buy it all from SU because I love those hostess benefits!!
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
for coloured cs you can't beat SU! although I do buy cs from M's or Wal-Mart. For white cs though, I use the Georgia Pacific from Wal-Mart. It is in the stationary isle. You get 150 sheets for about $8 Canadian. I make a lot of cards and I can't afford to use my SU! cs for a whole card, so I use the GP for the base. HTH!
I do the same as Karen on most of my cards. The Georgia Pacific is as thick and smooth as the SU Whisper White. In fact, only when I hold the SU paper and move it around under the light can I tell the difference, because it shimmers a little (a tiny bit glossier than Georgia Pacific). The GP paper makes great sturdy bases for cards and you just CANT beat the price (around $5 at Wal-Mart for 150 sheets in the US).
If I had to suddenly watch my budget tightly, I'd rather make fewer cards on good CS than more cards on cheaper stuff. SU! is good, and there are a few others that are known to be good, obviously.
For me, making cards is an artform. It's my own personal artistic expression.
Think about making a delicate dessert.
You want good ingredients and good tools.
Same for stamping, for best results.
__________________ Kathy Wrose "Fun must be always." - Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks "It was fun." - Kirk, Star Trek: Generations
I love Bazzill, but I also love the 12 x 12 packages of colored cardstock at Costco. The quality seems as good as SU's, and some SU colors are actually not as good quality as other colors. I think they must be different manufacturers or something. Anyway, Costco's 12 x 12 is $12.99 for 300 sheets, and the colors are wonderful. - Gay Howe
I've used all different types of cardstock in the past and feel that Stampin Up has the best. If you're going to spend all that time making a card to give someone, why wouldn't you want to use good quality cardstock? Don't cheap out on that!
If you don't use Stampin' Up Cardstock, you really should give it a try. If you have their inks, you just can't beat it. It is worth the extra money. I look back at the cards I made before I started buying the cardstock and I can't believe the difference. Try it, you'll like it...a lot!!
Hi I am not a demo but I love SU CS. Since I use my CS mainly for 12 x 12 pages, which go into a book, I don't really need the thickness. I need a certain look. SU CS is great, but sometimes I am looking for a certain paper with specks or texture which SU doesn't have. That said, you can find good quality paper at Michael's or other craft shops, just exam it carefully. Hope this helps.
There are so many reasons to love SU! CS - it matches SU! inks, has a great stamping surface, etc. I have other CS but Stampin' Up! is my "go-to" stuff. As for white CS, I bought a ream of the Georgia Pacific from WalMart and I'm really pleased with the quality - sturdiness, smooth finish . . . and there's so much I don't think I'll ever run out!
Thanks everyone for your info/advice. I didn't know that everyone thought Michael's CS was so cheap looking. I found some new CS at a scrap book store today so hopefully it will be good quality. I don't want to cheat anyone out of a good card. And I do have the GP CS from Walmart so I think I will keep that since there are other people that use that too. thanks again.
quality cardstock????
SU cardstock is the best!
