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As much as I love stamping on Whisper White, I make a lot of cards with white bases and it's just not heavy enough for that. I have read good things on these boards about Neenah Solar White, but wondered if the 80 lb. weight is heavy enough for bases? I know they make a heavier paper but I've had a harder time finding it for a good price, so I wondered if the 80 lb. would work. I don't make heavily embellished cards very often, but I like to be able to use a few layers and know the card will hold up. For those who use it, can you give me your feedback? I'd hate to order it and find out it's not sturdy enough.
In my opinion any cardstock less than 100 lbs. isn't sturdy enough to serve as a card base. A good alternative to Whisper White is Hammermil Color Copy Digital Cover 100 White. It's almost as smooth as WW but sturdier and can be found several places onlline. But it's not cheap. Another alternative is Papertrey Ink's White Cardstock. Affordable and you don't have to buy a lot to try it. Gina K's cardstock is beautiful but the 120 lb weight sometimes cracks when folded even if scored first.
I love my Neenah Solar White 80lb paper for my card bases. It is a lot sturdier then Whisper White and not too thick to cut the card bases with Nestabilities for shaped cards. I LOVE that cardstock and use it for everything.
I agree that the Neenah 80 pound cover is heavier than Whisper White. But I use it for layers only. I use the Neenah 110 pound cover for my card bases.
I agree that the Neenah 80 pound cover is heavier than Whisper White. But I use it for layers only. I use the Neenah 110 pound cover for my card bases.
Diane, do you have a good source for the 110 Neenah? I haven't been able to find it locally, and I haven't found a good online price that works for my budget. Would love to find a good online supplier for the 110 Neenah.
I love my Neenah Solar White 80lb paper for my card bases. It is a lot sturdier then Whisper White and not too thick to cut the card bases with Nestabilities for shaped cards. I LOVE that cardstock and use it for everything.
Beate, thanks for this information. I just started using Nestabilities (I held out for a ridiculously long time!) so I am glad to know the 80 lb. will work with them. I think I will order some and give it a try!
I've been usiing Neenah Solar White 110 lb. paper for over a year now. It would be hard to go back to thinner paper; however, if you're going from SU WW, even the 80 lb. will seem a lot heavier.
I've been usiing Neenah Solar White 110 lb. paper for over a year now. It would be hard to go back to thinner paper; however, if you're going from SU WW, even the 80 lb. will seem a lot heavier.
I'm glad to know it's a step up in weight from SU, so I'll give it a try and see if it's sturdy enough for me. I would love to try the 110 but I can't find it locally and I haven't had much luck finding it online in my price range. If you have an online source, I'd love to know where to look!
I have been thinking all this time that SU paper was 80 lb. WW is specifically listed as 80 lb. on the SU website if you look. When I ordered paper from Gina K and PTI, I discovered that their paper was definitely heavier. (BTW, PTI's Rustic White makes a lovely card base.)
I just ordered and received some Neenah Solar White from Ellen Hutson especially for use with my Prismas (I watched a YouTube tutorial on Prismas and the gal said that SW was just way better for Prismas than SU paper so I decided to try it). After reading this thread, I went and opened the package up and compared it to WW and it does feel a bit thicker. But it is also listed as 80 lb. right on the EH site. Go figure!
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Amy, I bought my Neenah (110 lb) locally at a paper store. For 250 sheets it was something over $40. But, at say $43 it comes out to about 17 cents a sheet. SU WW is $8.50 for 40 sheets--a little bit over 21 cents a sheet. So it's actually less expensive, at least in the full 250 sheet pack (ream?). Sometime in the past I have seen Neenah packaged in 25 or so sheets at online stores, and that way it comes out a lot more expensive per sheet. If you were sure about which you might want, 80 or 110 lb., it might be more cost effective to buy the whole 250 page pack even with shipping. I'd be happy to send you a sheet if you'd like to check it out.
Amy, I bought my Neenah (110 lb) locally at a paper store. For 250 sheets it was something over $40. But, at say $43 it comes out to about 17 cents a sheet. SU WW is $8.50 for 40 sheets--a little bit over 21 cents a sheet. So it's actually less expensive, at least in the full 250 sheet pack (ream?). Sometime in the past I have seen Neenah packaged in 25 or so sheets at online stores, and that way it comes out a lot more expensive per sheet. If you were sure about which you might want, 80 or 110 lb., it might be more cost effective to buy the whole 250 page pack even with shipping. I'd be happy to send you a sheet if you'd like to check it out.
That is so sweet of you! I've been disappointed that I haven't been able to find it locally, but I did a little more research and discovered some paper stores very close to where we'll be traveling in a few weeks so I am planning to build in a little time to shop for paper (oh, won't my husband be thrilled?!). I agree that buying it by the ream is definitely a better deal, so I am looking forward to checking it out in person and hopefully coming home with enough paper to last until my next trip! Thanks again for your sweet offer, but hopefully I'll be able to test it all in person in a few weeks. Thanks also for your helpful information!
Amy, I also look for stores when we travel. This summer I visited an Archivers store for the first time. I loved it! I first went to a Hobby Lobby on a trip, also. Fortunately, my husband is fairly patient about this. The store where I bought my paper had samples, so it's convenient to check out the different weights. I hope you find just what you want!
First, when buying paper like the Neenah, or Hammermill or Georgia Pacific it's important to pay attention to the words like "Cover" in the description. These papers can come as Cover, Card Stock, Index, Presentation....all these words MATTER as far as whether it has a smooth finish or a little "tooth". And I think it will effect whether the 80lb designation feels lighter or heavier than you expect.
Second, SU Whisper White is listed as an 80lb paper. I think ALL the SU card stock is 80lb, but you can notice a difference between the neutrals and the colors. The colors feel thicker.
Paper weights are not as straight forward as we would like them to be. I read an online article once but can't find the link. Basically, the paper is manufactured in much larger sheets than the 8 1/2 x 11 that we buy. When you get into buying paper at Walmart or online all those different types ( Cover, Index etc...) are made in sheets that are, for example; 28" x 32" for one type; but another type would be 24" x 36". They determine the weight by stacking 500 sheets of this larger size sheet of paper, this is how you get an 80lb Cover paper and an 80lb Index paper that actually differ in thickness and weight despite both saying they are 80lb papers.
I think I explained the BASIC principle correctly. Feel free to correct me. I read and retained just enough to make me "dangerous" I guess!! The point being 80lb papers are not all going to feel and behave the same way across the board, across different manufacturers and across different TYPES of paper. To be 100% sure you get what you want you really have to be able to feel the paper yourself and not just depend on the labels, or get a specific recommendation from some of the amazing folks out here on SCS.
Thanks again for all the great information! After more searching, I found an online retailer (cutcardstock.com) who will send up to 3 samples for free, so I am going to be able to see, feel and compare the papers before ordering a supply. Yay!
Good point, Mary, about the different types of paper. When I was shopping for my Neenah 110 lb. paper, the clerk showed me index and cover stock. There was a big difference between them, with the cover stock being much heavier. Besides the Neenah, I have GP 110 lb. from Walmart. It's much lighter than the Neenah, so I guess it must be index, although it doesn't say that on the package.
I have found the perfect white card base, and I've been using it exclusively for about four years. It's Mohawk Pegasus Cover in 100 lb. weight (Brilliant White). I get it by the ream at my local Paper Plus store. I like to buy the 11 x 17 size, as I can get four A2 cards from each sheet. It's the perfect weight for my bases (I only make cards with white base) and even though I make a lot of cards, this ream of 250 sheets will last me well over a year. http://www.lewispaper.com/pdf/Mohawk%20Pegasus.pdf
I've had a hard time finding it online, though. If I didn't have a Paper Plus store a few miles from my home, I'd probably have to find a different paper.
__________________ "Be Still and Know That I Am God" Ps. 46:10
Since we are talking about cardstock, I'd like to ask this:
I don't own any DP, but I assume it's lighter in weight than CS.
If I want to make my own using my BG stamps, what would be a good paper to use? Is DP as thin as plain bond (inkjet) paper or is it thicker?
I'm thinking it is somewhere between bond and, say, SU weight cardstock. Am I right?
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Since we are talking about cardstock, I'd like to ask this:
I don't own any DP, but I assume it's lighter in weight than CS.
If I want to make my own using my BG stamps, what would be a good paper to use? Is DP as thin as plain bond (inkjet) paper or is it thicker?
I'm thinking it is somewhere between bond and, say, SU weight cardstock. Am I right?
It's usually lighter weight than cardstock. DP is often about as thin as printer paper, although I also have some that's a little thicker. I would love to know if there's a good-quality, lightweight paper that others recommend for this. When I make my own, I tend to use whatever cardstock I have on hand, and some of the cards I mail get awfully heavy with all of that cardstock!
Great question...I'm so glad you posted this and hope some others will chime in with suggestions!!
Yes, that's the problem, I just use CS and the cards get too thick for my liking.
Sometimes I will glue everything on my base layer down and then run it through my Big Shot using a canvas impression plate to kind of mush all the layers together. But I'd like not to have to do that.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Last edited by Rachelrose; 10-24-2012 at 12:49 PM..
Yes, that's the problem, I just use CS and the cards get too thick for my liking.
I keep some 80 lb. white and cream cardstock on hand for making my own DP. Even though this is 80 lb., it's much lighter than S/U normal cardstock, so it works well as a layering weight. I stopped using S/U cardstock as my base, though, because it couldn't sustain all those layers. I now use a heavy white cover stock for all my bases, as it holds up to lots of layers just beautifully. I simply make the first layer of color almost exactly the same size as the front of my card.
So, because I use a heavier base, I can actually use my S/U cardstock for homemade DP without a problem.
HTH,
Kat
__________________ "Be Still and Know That I Am God" Ps. 46:10
Well, that's kind of what I do - I have a lot of SU paper, but I also have a lot of PTI and Gina K, which are far heavier and make nicer bases. And I also always make a separate "front" for my card. You say you have 80 lb. paper that is lighter than SU? I do have some Gina K layering weight paper, which I would say is a tad thinner than SU WW, but I'm wondering if there is anything even lighter.
It isn't so much a matter of having the DP paper being thinner than the card base. It's that I can't manipulate 80 lb. paper the way I want to. I like to do tearing and folding and such and, while it will work, you can't tear or fold 80 lb. paper as fluidly as you can a piece of bond, for instance. If you punch or cut out multiple floral shapes, they are not as fluid when you stack them.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I wanted to post an update in case anyone else is in my shoes and doesn't have a local paper store nearby to test different papers. I mentioned earlier in the thread that cutcardstock.com offers free samples, and I received mine today (VERY fast shipping). I ordered Neenah Classic Crest in Solar White in 80 lb cover and 110 lb cover, and Neenah Classic Crest in Classic Natural White in 130 lb cover. I compared them with SU's Whisper White, Georgia Pacific's 110 lb white cardstock, and Wausau Paper's 110 Exact Index, since I had those brands in my stash.
Neenah's 80 lb is really close in weight to Whisper White. I think the Neenah is just a bit sturdier, but not by much. The brightness of the white seems the same as the Whisper White to me, but the Neenah felt a bit less slick than the WW. It is very nice paper and I would certainly use it for cards without many layers. It also feels much more substantial than the GP 110 or the Wausau 110, so if you're using either of those, this definitely feels sturdier (that's the best word I can think of to describe it, although it's definitely not a technical one!).
The Neenah 110 is lovely. Same bright white, very smooth without being slick, and really heavy-duty for cards with layers and/or lots of embellishments. If price weren't an issue, I would probably buy this for all of my white card bases, but for now I'll probably buy a smaller quantity for my heavier cards, and use the 80 lb for my less-embellished cards. There's no comparison between the GP or Wausau 110 paper and this 110 paper. This 110 lb cover paper is really quite nice.
The 130 lb paper is really fantastic but I'm not sure I need anything quite this heavy. I can think of some projects I might want to use a paper this heavy for, but probably not for my cards. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, but I don't think I'd pay the higher price to get a cardstock that's heavier than I need. I am glad I ordered a different color than the others, however, because the Natural White is a lovely off-white color and I think I will also order some paper in this shade.
I hope this is helpful to someone. My trip next month was just cancelled and I'd really been looking forward to popping into a paper store or two while we were traveling so I could test out several kinds, so now I am even more grateful that I was able to get samples by mail. Thanks again to everyone for their great suggestions!
Thank you, Amy! Since I have to order all my paper online, this was very helpful.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I love my Neenah Solar White 80lb paper for my card bases. It is a lot sturdier then Whisper White and not too thick to cut the card bases with Nestabilities for shaped cards. I LOVE that cardstock and use it for everything.
Neenah for card bases?
