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| Construction paper colors (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
What comes to mind when making that one of a kind scrapbook
layout or card? Paper. Yes, there are all sort of paper from
newsprint to the real heavy cardboard type of paper. When scrapbooking was just an infant, photos
and all sorts of memorabilia was placed in books. Today, you can use cardstock paper, which
looks like construction paper, but do not be fooled by the name cardstock. Cardstock paper is NOT construction
paper. According to Wikipedia, Construction paper (sugar paper) is a tough, coarse, colored paper. The texture is
slightly rough, and the surface is unfinished. Due to the source material,
mainly wood
pulp, small particles are visible on the paper’s surface. It is used for
projects or crafts.
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| Textured craft card, in a variety of colours. The visible texture is a characteristic of this type of card. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Cardstock
(card stock), on the other hand, which also
called cover stock or pasteboard, is a paper stock that
is thicker and more durable than normal writing or printing paper, but thinner
and more flexible than other forms of paperboard.
Card stock is often used for business
cards, postcards,
playing
cards, catalog covers, scrapbooking,
and other uses which require higher durability than regular paper. The texture
is usually smooth, but can be textured, metallic, or glossy.
The next type of paper commonly used is patterned paper. This paper come in both heavy and lightweight
varieties, have designs on them, and looks like untreated wallpaper. It can be used as a background or used for
mats in both layouts and making cards.
To match the patterned paper to the cardstock, find a common color in
the patterned paper the match it up with the common color of the cardstock.
Vellum paper
look like un-waxed paper but thicker. It
comes in solids or patterns, mostly white (but comes in a variety of
colors). Use this paper when you want
something softened, such as a photo. You
can also use this paper as a liner in invitations (especially something elegant
like a wedding)
For homemade (not manufactured) scrapbook albums, chipboard
(pressed fiber thick paper) make great covers, letters, and other
embellishments. They come in different
weight as well, from cereal box-type weight to heavy moving boxes, but the ones
most commonly used are the chipboard made for cereal boxes. This thickness can be used in die cutting
machines such as the Cricut and the Silhouette
to cut out letters and other shapes. The
good thing about chipboard is you can paint it, distress it, and cover it with
patterned paper or fabric. Chipboard
makes projects more stable.
These are the most common types of paper used in the papery
crafting industry. Some tips…Please
note, if you want your photos to last, all paper, no matter what, has to be
photo friendly (acid and lignin free) if you are using the paper your
photos. Otherwise it does not for a
non-photo project. You can find paper
in dollar store, there is nothing wrong with that. You can print your sentiment on printer paper
on your computer is you are not comfortable with your own handwriting (for
cards and journals). Before leaving this topic, I would like to share with you
my favorite brands:
Cardstock- Bazzill, because it comes textured, blinged, or
both. Bazzill also comes in a smooth variety as well. It does tend to get confused with
construction paper, which as explained earlier, is not construction paper at
all. American Craft paper is a close
second when I cannot find Bazzill. Bazzill
also make a line that can take the bleeding that Copic markers give out when
you color with them and the printing the Cricut Imagine machine does, so I like
that cardstock as well.
For patterned paper, I have four favorites: Bo Bunny, BasicGrey, Graphic 45 and K & Company. Bo Bunny and Graphic 45 for whimsy paper,
Basic Grey for the antique look, and K and company for everything else. I use
all kinds, but I tend to go back to these four.
I am not choosy about my vellum or chipboard, except they do have to be
of good quality and you can find good again at the dollar store.
Try different line of papers to see what will become your favorites.
Over the years I’ve ordered dozens of brochures that were printed with less than expected quality, some being downright scrappy. A couple months ago my company printed some brochures with PCA Delta in Pompano Beach FL, and they were great. I’ve been printing with them ever since. They show care for the environment by using soy based inks, plus recycled papers are available upon request. If you need brochures printed go to http://www.pcadeltaprinting.com/ I strongly recommend them.
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