Last week I started a series on stamping basics and I talked about how to cut your cardstock for card bases but I wanted to back up and talk about the different types of cardstock. Unfortunately they are not all made equally.
Before becoming a Stampin' Up! demonstrator I really struggled with the price of cardstock. So I would always skip over the cardstock section of the catalogue and run out to Michaels and get my pack of 50 sheets for $7. But after I bought my first pack of Stampin' Up! cardstock I realized I had been missing out the whole entire time.
The first thing I want to talk about is cardstock weights. On a pack of paper it may bove a pound weight on it which just refers to the weight of 500 sheets of paper measuring 20 inches by 26 inches. Now cardstock ranges in weights from 60 to 110 pounds.
Your standard printer paper is only about 20 pounds. The cardstock you get from Michaels is in the 60 pound range which is catagorized as a light weight cardstock but, you may be able to find heavier cardstock in the 12"x12" paper packs. Basic Stampin' Up! cardstock falls in the 70-80 pound range meaning that it is a medium weight cardstock, and the packs of Basic White and Very Vanilla Thick cardstock falls in the 90 pound or more range and is a heavy weight cardstock.
The higher the weight the thicker and more durable the cardstock. For cardmaking a medium weight cardstock is very practical. If you are like me and like to score your cardstock before folding a medium weight cardstock will not crack along the score line. If you like to do layer or embellishment heavy cards the cardstock will hold up better to the weight.
This is not necessary but when your looking at cardstock I recommend getting supplies that coordinate. Something I always found frustrating before I started using Stampin' Up! was how I would get home from the craft store and start to craft only to discover that my cardstock and pattern paper didn't actually match. Stampin' Up! ensures all of their products coordinate making it easier for you to create. There are lots of companies who offer this but you often have to make a trip to the smaller local scrapbook stores to get those products or you can shop online directly from those companies.
Sometimes you can cut corners on your craft supplies but I have found that cardstock is not one of those places. Take it from someone who cheeped out on her cardstock for a couple of years and is now regretting that decision.
Happy Paper Crafting!
*Contact me directly to place an order or search for Blaze Tully under 'Find a Demonstrator' to shop under me on the Stampin' Up Website.*
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