Has anyone tried Michaels Recollection card stock lately?

[Barbara Jay]

I liked Michaels Recollection card stock for making flower. It is 65 lb and shaped well. I just bought a couple of packs. I punched out some flower petals and started working with them . The paper is so flimsy that a little spritz of water makes it fuzz up . At first I could not figure out what was wrong so I tried a different color . Same problem . The leaf arrangement I cut was so fragile one stem broke off just from "gentle" embossing to shape it

Then I looked at the label I saw it is now "made in China" . I had not checked the label in the store . In the past it was made in the USA and was a much better quality. I have some of the CS that was made here so I can compare.

I guess it is back to Stampin Up card stock !! I like their card stock but ordering is a nuisance. My demo only has 4 or 5 parties a year , so I have to wait for her to place an order or pay the high shipping cost if I buy directly from SU.

These businesses are cutting corners expecting a larger profit, but inferior products will not boost sales
It is getting harder and harder to pursue this hobby

[gregzgurl]

I'm really sad to hear that... Maybe Gina K would be an option for you? I've heard good things about her cardstock.

[Barbara Jay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregzgurl

I'm really sad to hear that... Maybe Gina K would be an option for you? I've heard good things about her cardstock.

Gina K has very good card stock but it is a little too heavy for making flowers. Her CS is wonderful for cards . Her 110# makes a very sturdy base especially if you use a lot of layers or embellishment .
I was disappointed when Rocket Red was discontinued. I loved that red .

65 lb. ( if it is good quality ) to 80 lb. are the best weights for making paper flowers . SU is 80 lb.

[dfmorgan]

Barb, this message is about the other question you asked before re: color box pigment inks. I was at Ben Franklin in Oconomowoc last week and saw the large pigment pads there. They did not have any reinkers that I could see. But thought of you and just remembered I had planned to let you know--that's why when I saw your name here I thought I'd tell you.

[lharnish]

My last purchase of Recollections cardstock was in November and it seems to be fine. I'll have to check the label and see if it lists where it was made.

[Barbara Jay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfmorgan

Barb, this message is about the other question you asked before re: color box pigment inks. I was at Ben Franklin in Oconomowoc last week and saw the large pigment pads there. They did not have any reinkers that I could see. But thought of you and just remembered I had planned to let you know--that's why when I saw your name here I thought I'd tell you.

Thanks but I am looking for Colorbox Fluid Chalk ink not the pigment ink . It seems most places have the pigment pads and some have the reinkers too.
Thanks anyway
Barbara

[Barbara Jay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lharnish

My last purchase of Recollections cardstock was in November and it seems to be fine. I'll have to check the label and see if it lists where it was made.

Mine lists Made in China on the front. That is also were it used to say Made in the USA.

Last week I bought 4 packs and I just checked them. The black and the pinks called "Dreamy" are made in the USA.
Garden Party ( greens) and Pansy ( yellow and pastels ) are made in China. When you feel the card stock it even feels different. The paper made in China feels thinner and slicker .

I just tried the Pink that is made in the USA and it fine as it always was .

They must be switching over to card stock Made in China :(

[poppydarling]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbara Jay

I liked Michaels Recollection card stock for making flower. It is 65 lb and shaped well. I just bought a couple of packs. I punched out some flower petals and started working with them . The paper is so flimsy that a little spritz of water makes it fuzz up.

I have to say, I think all of these big box craft store house brands are junk! I understand a lot of people love the 110# which I haven't tried. But I bought a bunch of supposedly 65# paper at Joann on sale and these sheets are good for very little, except layering. Clearly not all 65# papers are built the same! I know this is a problem in the paper industry overall, but it's misleading: it actually feels just a little bit thicker than computer paper. So it probably should be called 65# text weight, as it's not card stock or index. No wonder we become loyal to a certain brand and paper name!

[sprtchick]

I am going to have to check mine...I love love love the original cardstock made in the US. I probably have easily 100 packages in my rooms here. Also wanted to let you know Barbara that I sent out a small package for you today.
Amber

[Metalcharm]

Find another demo

[howdyheidi]

I checked mine that still have the labels.

I have some VERY old Lumiere paper that says made in the USA.

The 110 lb ivory says made in USA.

I have some Grey Kraft that I probably bought 6-9 months ago and it says Made In China. It does kindof stink.

Michaels used to have the best Kraft! Then over a year ago I bought a pack of it and it was different, different color and more flimsy.

Now I mostly buy Gina K Cardstock. It is fabulous but I do not make too many flowers.

[felixdog]

If enough people send an e-mail or letter to Michael's 'maybe' they'll learn something!!

[Allistamps123]

I actually bought some when it was $2.00 a pkg. I bought some for working with kids. I work for a family agency and I have a weekly group of preschoolers/parents who come for activities. I opened it up a few weeks ago and thought it seemed thin. I had never bought it before....SU girl here.

I thought it didn't seem like actual cardmaking cardstock. I guess it's not anymore. I gave a pkg. to my secret stamper as part of her Christmas gift. I'm in a card club with my local LSS and as an option we can be part of the secret stamper group. We send cards all year and give gifts for birthdays, Christmas and end of the year (June). SO fun! I also gave her a pkg. of SU. I guess she'll see a big difference!

[buggainok]

Almost every card I make is layered on a white card base. I love the variety of colors in the Recollections cardstock, and the price is right for my budget. I find it great for making layers. It embosses very well in my Cuttlebug, too.

I haven't noticed a difference in the quality, but as I said, I use it for layering, not for the base of a card.

[lharnish]

I checked mine and all that I purchased in November says "made in the USA". I don't normally use it for card bases unless I'm firming it up with lots of layers. I hate a card base that droops when the card is on display. If I end up with any from China that is too furry when cut, I won't be buying it again.

[Barbara Jay]

I tried some of the White and the light green CS that was Made In China and that did NOT fuzz up , it is just thinner than the white and green I have that was Made in the USA.

So maybe just some of the colors fuzz up .
Like the SU black CS fibers imbed in my Silhouette cutting mat so I can't cut it with my Silhouette . The other SU colors cut fine

Or maybe I got a defective batch of paper with the light pink . As I said I like Recollections 65# CS for flowers . A couple of years ago I bought some 65# CS from Joanns and that did not work well. I had to use that up for layering .

[sprtchick]

Barbara do you have a Hobby Lobby? I tried their new Heavy weight cardstock for bases and I love it. I normally buy 10 or more packages when they put it on sale for 50% off. It is 4.45 for 50 pieces when on sale. It comes in a nice variety of colors too!

Just a thought.

[Barbara Jay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sprtchick

Barbara do you have a Hobby Lobby? I tried their new Heavy weight cardstock for bases and I love it. I normally buy 10 or more packages when they put it on sale for 50% off. It is 4.45 for 50 pieces when on sale. It comes in a nice variety of colors too!

Just a thought.

Thanks Amber I have purchased Hobby Lobby cardstock and it is a very good quality . I use it for card making. Die cuts are heavy and they hold up well with dimensional pop up squares.

I have never looked to see if they have a light weight card stock ( 65 lb. or so ) for flowers . As you know I am obsessed lately with " Making Flowers " Every card this year will have Paper flowers LOL

In my Flower making journey I have made quite a few that did not turn out as nice as I wanted so my cat gets those to play with . He sits on the table and watches me make them . I think he is hoping each one becomes a reject so he can have it . :grin:

[HOBBYSUE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lharnish

My last purchase of Recollections cardstock was in November and it seems to be fine. I'll have to check the label and see if it lists where it was made.

My last purchase was in December 2015 and I have not had a problem with it. I did check the label and was surprised to see it is made in China now. Interesting

[RJP111]

I'm glad you brought this up, BarbaraJay.

I have a pack of Recollections Kraft cs that I was going to use to make die cuts of all my dies (I'm in the middle of a die storage reorganization). I decided to check the package to see if it was made in the USA or China. Turns out it was made here in the good ol' USA, so I am certainly not going to waste it making die cuts that I'll never actually use.

[centers]

I am in love with Heartfelt Creations. I make their flowers all the time out of 110# white from Walmart. I have never had any problem. When I mist with water, I do it very lightly. The white colors beautifully. I use chalk inks most of the time.

[kaufmans]

I have been having trouble cutting Michaels Recollection white cardstock (65#) over the last few days on my Silhouette machine. After checking/replacing the Silhouette's blade and cutting mat to no avail, I finally tried cutting the same filigree design using a different cardstock and it worked perfectly. Upon inspection, I, too, saw that this most recent pack of cardstock from Michaels is now made in China instead of the US. It shouldn't be thinner as the 65# weight should be the same. Obviously, this isn't the case. The paper rolled when removed from my cutting mat, much like regular printer paper does. I guess I'll go back to SU for ALL of my papers!

[muscrat]

The only problem I've been having with Michaels is that their 110# card stock seems to be slightly bigger. I've had to trim a sliver off the top and side of each sheet in my latest pack.

[HOBBYSUE]

I like the 110# Recollection but have never liked the 65#. The 65 always stuck way too well to I only use the 65# now for the grandkids art projects.

[harvestmoon]

Recollections 110 white and cream are always "not square." After you cut a full piece in half for your card, score it and fold, the corners never meet perfectly. I have to try to cut off the tiniest sliver. THEN the other half of the full piece is slightly larger than 5.5". I changed to Joann's brand Park Lane and it's much better.

[muscrat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harvestmoon

Recollections 110 white and cream are always "not square." After you cut a full piece in half for your card, score it and fold, the corners never meet perfectly. I have to try to cut off the tiniest sliver. THEN the other half of the full piece is slightly larger than 5.5". I changed to Joann's brand Park Lane and it's much better.

I'm wondering if it has to do with being made in China? Maybe their measurements aren't accurate? I never noticed it before this pack.

[hotwheels]

Mom my that problem with recollections paper to. She all always blame it. On the paper trimmer pull it when cutting it too. Thanks Linda

Quote:

Originally Posted by harvestmoon

Recollections 110 white and cream are always "not square." After you cut a full piece in half for your card, score it and fold, the corners never meet perfectly. I have to try to cut off the tiniest sliver. THEN the other half of the full piece is slightly larger than 5.5". I changed to Joann's brand Park Lane and it's much better.

[muscrat]

Linda, once or twice maybe the paper isn't lined up right in the trimmer. But this brand the whole pack needs to have a sliver cut off the length and the width or the fold won't line up when you fold them.

[bjeans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by muscrat

I'm wondering if it has to do with being made in China? Maybe their measurements aren't accurate? I never noticed it before this pack.

Cheap Chinese labor can mean poor quality control. It’s not just paper - two items I purchased from Amazon that I didn’t realize were made in China had problems, both relating to quality control: parts not fitting together well. They were returned with no problems - the companies were quite responsive. But I obviously need to check more carefully where products are made.

Many U.S. paper mills have shut down due to outsourcing to China.

[Bohodiva]

I recently switched from Neenah 110# cardstock to Recollections heavy weight cardstock and I'm pleased with the product since I basically use it for cardbases.
If I am working with watercolors or other wet mediums I use watercolor paper which I cut down to fit on top of the cardbase. As for markers, I use mixed media paper and for alcohol inks I go for photo paper or glossy cs, which are cut down to layer on top of the cardbase.
I've learned that lesson by wasting and ruining many projects using the wrong substrate for the medium I'm working with.

[bjeans]

I haven’t used it but someone at an LSS where I was in a class said her last ream was not 100% square, so she had to true it up (and isn’t buying it again).

BTW, just for new paper crafters, Neenah makes MANY lines of paper. The Solar White that on-line videos and blogs refer to is generally Neenah Classic Crest, not Neenah Exact Index, which is a lower quality sold in big box office supply stores.

Some blogs and videos don’t mention which line it is, though the product links go to Classic Crest.

One terrifically talented blogger/video guy I follow uses Staples 110 pound white cardstock for card backs so that’s another inexpensive option to consider? Maybe buying a few sheets in their copy center is possible.

[canada goose]

Some time ago (2 yrs) when they switched to the made in China 110, I happened to see a torn pack in Mikes. The corner was open so I could see the color was greyer and paper thinner as reported here when they switched to China.
I subsequently read here that they had improved it. I had also been using Staples 110 which I really like.
This Summer in Mikes again a torn package.....so of course I had to check it out as the whole front was open. To my surprise it was waaay better in colour and thicker. In fact it makes wonderful tags!

I have not made cards with it yet but it will be perfect for boxes and treats. I must open my old ream of the original 110 (which I have been hoarding) when I heard they switched to China and compare the two.

If it were not for reading it here, I would not have looked twice at even looking at that open package.

[Lamborghini Gal]

I buy Michael's Recollection's cardstock and I get the 110lb., since I use that for my base, as well as my dies. It's made in China, but I went ahead and ended up buying about 8 reams of it, anytime I had a 50% off coupon.

There are lots of great places to get cardstock, but for me...……..I can't really afford the 26 pack, $7.99 (or whatever they charge) paper, on other websites. I was lucky and did some research and was able to buy Kraft, 110 lb. cardstock, 250 sheets for around $32.00 on another website.

I love Michael's, but I do wish they would pay closer attention to the quality of their cardstock, because it seems not to be what it use to be, several years ago.