Cardstock Swatch Ring: Part 1

I have a lot of cardstock since I like to match it with the exact shade in the ink or patterned paper I use. I definitely prefer to buy the variety packs that most brands offer so I can try lots of different shades. My cardstock is organized in magazine holders. I have roughly one magazine holder per two color families. My neutral cardstocks (brown, grey, black, white) are in the beginning of the shelf followed by my colored cardstocks in rainbow order. I love my cardstock/paper storage because it’s so easy to get to. But, as my collection has grown, it’s become harder to choose colors quickly. 

Most of my cardstock is 100# but I do use various specialty cardstocks in other weights. I find myself re-purchasing the whites and neutrals the most, since I use those up the fastest. But there are lots of really great colored cardstocks in a variety of brands. Some of my favorite cardstock brands are: Papertrey Ink, Lawn Fawn, Simon Says, Bazzill, Reverse Confetti, WPlus9, Gina K Designs, Neenah, and Tonic Studios. I really want to try the My Favorite Things cardstock, but the variety pack tends to sell out quickly. I’ve tried both their inks and I definitely enjoy using the dye inks.

I use Office Depot brand job ticket holders to hold the full size cardstock and any scraps. Each holder is labeled using Avery labels. I bought everything off of Amazon, but I think you can find all of these supplies at any office supply store. 

I recently was browsing youtube and saw Jennifer Mcguire’s paper swatch ring in one of her “favorite crafty things” videos. Since I already have a tag die and label maker this seemed like a quick & affordable way to put together a swatch book/ring. 

For my swatch ring, I used my Dymo Label Maker that I bought on Amazon a few year’s back during their Black Friday sale. The Paper Smooches Gift Tag die is available here, I used the largest of the three sizes for my swatches. I die-cut with my Sizzix Big Shot because it’s reliable and quick, but you can use whatever machine you have. Also, a pair of scissors to trim the labels is useful – mine is a Fiskars pair from the local office supply.

White & Cream

Card Bases

While I do like using colored card bases when I am making a card for a specific person, most cards I make have a white card base. I have a few different cardstocks that I rotate between. Two are 110# and two are 120# – since I like layering die cuts, the heavier card helps support the weight. The Papertrey Ink (Stamper’s Select) White and Neenah Smooth Solar White are both really nice, but the Papertrey Ink is probably the brightest white of the four. The Gina K White and Simon Says Card Base White are 120# but both lean slightly cream. All four stamp and emboss wonderfully in my experience and I don’t really have a preference between them. I actually tend to use the Simon Says White the most, just because I have that in precut pieces.

When I make 5″x7″ cards, I usually use a cream card base. The Gina K 120# in Ivory is my favorite, but I also really like the Neenah 110# in Cream. The 110# Papertrey Ink CS in Vintage Cream is a true off-white/cream shade that is gorgeous for anniversary cards. 

Cardstocks

For the top layer, I definitely prefer white or cream CS when stamping. Among the white cardstocks I have, the Reverse Confetti in Polar White is the brightest white. WPlus9 in White is just a hair less bright, but it is also a true white. I actually re-purchased Simon Says in Ivory and I noticed the original pack (right) leans more cream but the new one (left) is a true white. The Reverse Confetti in Cloud White is well-named, it definitely is a true cloudy white. I also really like using Papertrey Ink in Fresh Snow, which is a linen cardstock so it gives a really nice textured look when I use it for die cutting. This comes in a huge pack of 40 sheets, so it really lasts for a while.

For fancier cards, I prefer to use Cream over White. The newer 100# Lawn Fawn in Vanilla Malt is the perfect shade of cream. I’m going to have to repurchase soon at the rate I’m using it up. I also have Simon Says 100# card in Off-White and Cream. I’m not sure if these are two different shades or two different manufacturers/batches. There is a distinct difference however. The Off White is more towards white while the Cream leans almost a touch yellow. All three of these creams are barely different in shade so I think you can probably just pick your favorite brand and go with that. All three emboss/stamp the same in my experience.

Specialty Cardstocks/Papers

I use a variety of specialty cardstocks & papers, depending on the look I’m going for. One of my favorites for anniversary cards is Neenah in White Gold. While it’s only 65#, the gold shimmer that shows when you tilt the paper is really beautiful. Papertrey Ink in Rustic White (110#) is also a fun paper to use – a little bit of distress blending and you end up with a unique antiqued look that works great with the deep colors on Diwali cards. A while back, Simon Says was selling packs of vintage paper from old dictionaries. I picked up one set and I tend to use it sparingly in backgrounds on wedding cards. I think if you look through local bookstores, you may be able to find this type of naturally aged paper.

I use Neenah Natural Parchment (65#) paper mostly for die cuts that I plan to ink blend on top of. The lightly colored background shifts the ink shade slightly and since it’s 65# it die cuts really well. I have a few sheets left of Recollections cream that I use for the same reason, but the paper quality isn’t as good as Neenah. The Papertrey Ink in Rustic Cream (110#) is again great for giving a panel an antique look. One of my favorite things is to die cut a border out of Rustic Cream and use Distress Ink in Old Paper along the edges. 

I use two different watercolor cardstocks – Tim Holtz and Strathmore. The Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor card is already pre-cut in 4.25 x 5.5, so it’s great for single layer backgrounds. It’s also a true white, so whether you use the textured side or the smooth side, everything shows true to color. The Strathmore Watercolor card is 140# so it’s much heavier weight. I haven’t tried using it as a card base yet, but it’s sturdy enough. It’s slightly less textured then the Tim Holtz and it definitely leans more cream. Generally, if I’m using inks I pick the Tim Holtz but when I’m using a lot of water, I prefer the Strathmore.

I don’t do a lot of Alcohol Marker coloring but when I do, I prefer to use the Rhodia Smooth White paper, which is 80 gsm. I also use Strathmore Tracing paper (25#) for a few very specific techniques. Finally, instead of buying acetate sheets, I actually just save the leftovers from my laminating sheets. I just run the extra bits through the laminator a couple times and then I can use the clear plastic in my die cut machine. I use 3mil laminating sheets that I pick up in 100 sheet packs because it’s the cheapest. This ends up working great for shaker cards and stamps/embosses wonderfully.

Clear & Translucent

Speciality Cardstocks/Papers

I love vellum and acetate for sentiments over top of intricate backgrounds. I use a few different vellums, depending on the occasion. I have a large pack of Vellum by the Paper Company that I bought at Michaels, this is what I use most often. I also have a pack of Ellen Hutson Vellum that is 40#. The 40# Vellum is really nice for larger Vellum die cuts or even card bases. Finally, I also use the Grafix Vellum for fancy wedding or anniversary cards. The Grafix Vellum is great because you can buy the variety pack and get different tones. The assortment I bought has Clear 24#, Parchment 29#, Gold 30#, and Platinum 30#. I think Simon Says sells an assortment that also has a Marble Vellum, which sounds interesting. 

Black

Card Bases, Cardstocks, & Specialty Cardstocks/Papers

I have a lot of different black cardstocks since I’m always trying to find a darker black. But so far, I think the differences are very minute. For card bases, I used to use Neenah Pre-Scored Cardstock in Black – but I think it’s discontinued. Now I exclusively use Papertrey Ink in True Black (110#) for black card bases. 

For card layers, Gina K. in Black Onyx (100#), WPlus9 in Black (100#), Bazzill Card Shoppe in Licorice Twist (100#), and Simon Says Black (100#) are almost identical. Just a touch darker are Lawn Fawn in Black Licorice (100#) and Reverse Confetti in Midnight (100#). Bazzill Classic in Ebony is only 80# but it the darkest black I’ve found. 

Finally, I use Tonic Studios 90# mirror and satin card for intricate frames or layering pieces. The black shades I have are Black Velvet and Glossy Black.

Grey & Silver

Card Bases, Cardstocks, & Specialty Cardstocks/Papers

I have a lot of different shades of grey since it’s such a versatile neutral. The darkest grey, with a strong touch of black, is 110# Papertrey Ink in Smokey Shadow. Then I have 3 dark greys that lean slightly blue-ish: WPlus9 in Coal Mine (100#), Gina K. in Slate (100#), and Simon Says in Slate Grey (100#). Slate Grey is a hair lighter then the other two.

Bazzill Card Shoppe in Gummy Worms (100#), Reverse Confetti in Lead (100#), and Lawn Fawn in Storm Cloud (100#) are virtually indistinguishable. They are a nice medium-dark grey. Bazzill in Gummy Worms is my favorite of these greys but I think it’s being discontinued soon. Storm Cloud and Lead have a touch of green.

Bazzill Card Shoppe in Sugar Wafer (100#) is a nice medium grey-brown. Lawn Fawn in Narwhal (100#) and Reverse Confetti in Stormy (100#) are indistinguishable from one another. They are slightly lighter and lean green. Gina K in Moonlit Fog (100#) and Papertrey Ink in Stormy Sea (110#) are very close to one another, both have a blue-green undertone. 

Simon Says in Smoke Grey (100#) is a very nice almost pastel grey. I don’t have any other cardstocks similar to this shade. When I die-cut elephant shapes/characters, I almost always use this cardstock. Reverse Confetti in Stone (100#) is a nice neutral grey for backgrounds. Simon Says in Fog Grey (100#) is a touch darker then the last two. Papertrey Ink in Soft Stone (110#) and WPlus9 in Dove Grey (100#) are almost white they are so light, but I love embossing  sentiments in platinum or silver on them.

Finally, silver! The Tonic Studios 90# satin and mirror cardstocks are some of my favorite. I have Frosted Silver and Chrome Silver, which are great for intricate die cuts. I also have a little bit of Bazzill in Silver Foil (100#) left that is just a hair shinier than the Tonic Studios. I also keep my Grafix Vellum in Platinum with the Greys/Silvers.

Browns, Tans, & Krafts

Card Bases, Cardstocks, & Specialty Cardstocks/Papers

Browns, Tans, and Krafts are great neutral colors. I don’t use Kraft as often as I would like but I love layering with the different shades of brown.

The darkest brown I have is Simon Says in Dark Chocolate (100#). It’s a true brown and I’m still searching for a deep black-brown. Gina K in Charcoal Brown (100#) and Reverse Confetti in Dark Roast (100#) are both a dark grey-brown, with Gina K leaning slightly more grey. Gina K in Dark Chocolate (100#) and Lawn Fawn in Ground Coffee (100#) are very similar. Both are red-toned dark browns, but Lawn Fawn is a touch darker. Lawn Fawn textured cardstock in Chocolate Bar (80#) is a nice card for matting busy patterned papers on.

Bazzill Card Shoppe in Chocolate Malt (100#) is a very unique shade. It’s a light pink-brown; I really like using it with navy die cuts. 

Papertrey Ink in Dark Chocolate (110#) is another red-toned brown but it is more in the medium range. I’m pretty sure Simon Says in Kona Koffee (80#) is discontinued. That’s unfortunate since it’s another unique shade. It has flecks of red-brown shimmer so when you tilt it in the light the effect is really pretty. Papertrey Ink in Cocoa Bean (110#) and Gina K in Warm Cocoa (100#) are pretty similar. Both are sort of a mustard-y brown. Neenah Kraft (100#) and Lawn Fawn Paper Bag (100#) are very similar. Gina K Kraft (100#), WPlus9 Kraft (100#), and Papertrey Ink Classic Kraft (110#) are almost identical. I use PTI Classic Kraft when I want a kraft card base, but this is pretty rare. I also have used Neenah Kraft pre-scored cardstock for A2 cards but I’m out of it at the moment.

Reverse Confetti Sand (100#) and Bazzill Card Shoppe Peanut Cluster (100#) are 100% identical. Simon Says Khaki (100#) is a light kraft shade. Gina K in Sandy Beach (100#) has little speckles throughout. Papertrey Ink in Fine Linen (110#) is a very light tan and nice for matting deep jewel toned card to draw attention.

Well, that’s all of my white, black, and neutral regular and specialty cardstocks. Part 2 (posting next week) will be my colored cardstocks.