Card stock and ink dilemma

[sthoeny]

After an almost 5 year hiatus from paper crafts, I decided to force myself to make time for it because I missed it so much. I have beautiful things to use, however, they are dated in the ever changing world of paper crafts. One of my dilemmas is ink and card stock. Previously, I was a consultant with Close to My Heart. So all my ink and paper coordinated. I really like not having to worry about matching ink to paper, and even patterned paper to card stock. However, after 5 years, my colors are dated. They have updated their colors and have replaced some colors with new colors. I'm running out of card stock and I can't reorder to match my ink.
I like SU's heavier cardstock and thought about going with them, but then I saw many recommending PTI, Lawn Fawn, Wplus9, etc. Some of these companies are new to me, I don't want to purchase ink from them and then have them go out of business and not be able to purchase paper. Is this a valid concern? Am I placing to much emphasis on everything coordinating? If your inks and paper don't coordinate, how do you organize it so you don't waste a lot of time coordinating?

[SkyNacho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sthoeny

I like SU's heavier cardstock and thought about going with them, but then I saw many recommending PTI, Lawn Fawn, Wplus9, etc. Some of these companies are new to me, I don't want to purchase ink from them and then have them go out of business and not be able to purchase paper. Is this a valid concern? Am I placing to much emphasis on everything coordinating? If your inks and paper don't coordinate, how do you organize it so you don't waste a lot of time coordinating?

I understand your concern about purchasing and then having them go out of business, and if it's a concern to you, it's valid! But it is not a concern I share... mainly because most of my stamping's done in black or brown, although I am always trying to expand my skill set so maybe someday I'll stamp in fun colors (I own plenty of them.)

But with your CTMH experience, you know that it doesn't even matter if they stay in business-- some colors might still come and go!

My suggestions to you would be:

(1) Don't go overboard in ordering right out of the gate. PTI, for instance, sells cardstock in 12, 25, and 50 packs. Don't load up on 50 packs... or full size ink pads for that matter. Order a couple of the colors you really like in the small ink pad and 12 pack of cardstock. Maybe you will hate the ink. Maybe you will like the ink formula, but not the colors you picked. Once you find what you LOVE, then you can reorder in bigger sizes.

(2) If you have crafty friends (or even crafty acquaintances), ask what they have in their stash. Borrow when you can, to try other things out.

(3) You might want to consider making ink swatches and cardstock swatches. Lots of ways to do that. I think you'll find that there are a LOT of colors that are sometimes indistinguishable from other colors made by another brand. If you are really set on having inks that match cardstock, that will help you down the road if you do find some things are discontinued.

(4) Make peace with the mantra "it doesn't have to match, it just has to go." That is, the colors just have to go together, they don't have to be identical. I tell myself that a lot. It makes things easier.

(5) Remember, there will always be more ink and paper.

Have fun getting back into the swing of things!

[sthoeny]

Thank you Emily!

LOL! When you put it that way about the CTMH inks, it's very freeing for me. I'm going to take your advice and pick a few favorites and try them out.

[uncbballfan]

I'm a huge fan of Papertrey Ink, and love their card stock. A great way to try it out is by getting a card stock sampler, like this one: https://www.papertreyink.com/paper/p...r-i-74-sheets/

You get 2 sheets each of 37 colors. That's how I started out with them many moons ago, and determined which colors I liked best. They also have matching inks in the cubes ($2) and full-size pads ($5), plus they offer reinkers for each color. I love their neutrals for my card bases: Stampers Select White, Vintage Cream, Classic Kraft and Black.

[JBgreendawn]

I am not really a matchy matchy kind of a person so, this has not been a "thing" for me, I will however stock up on colors I love that I hear are being discontinued.

so, the way I deal with it is to have things in a loose rainbow order and I even tear apart those 6" pads and squint at them, if its mostly blues when I squint it goes into a hanging file folder with mostly blue prints.

the way I create usually starts with either an image I colored or a background I created so, then I just flip through the prints if I am leaning towards layers and then I also tend to have my card bases be colored cardstock that I line inside with smooth white or cream. ( for stability, if you do a lot of layers an unlined card is top heavy and may not stand up when finished) so, I usually just go with a color that is "close enough"

and that works for me.

[arlenevita]

If you really feel the need to have paper that matches the ink but are out of the paper, you can use the ink pad direct to paper to get matching paper.

MFT and Gina K have really nice heavy cardstock with ink to match and you can get sampler packs of paper. I LOVE MFT's 6" x 6" patterned paper pads.

[Allistamps123]

Id go crazy matching inks, dsp, and card stock! I use colored ink on all my cards. I'm 100% SU for my inks and paper plus I get the benefit of hanging with my friends at classes!

I also like Gina K card stock. She has envelopes to match!

Good luck with your decision !

[gregzgurl]

Hello from another former CTMH consultant! While you might feel that some of the ink colors are dated, a quick spin around the various other companies out there will probably show you that there's a color similar - or exactly the same - as that "dated" one. Same goes for cardstock.

That being said, I've been known to swipe ink around the edges of white cardstock to make a "matching" mat to go behind something. Some of my CTMH papers go all the way back to 2003-2004 and I have no problem using them at all.

When my husband and I were remodeling our home we did a lot of the designing "on the fly" because it was an old home and we kept running into unexpected weird things (like pipes in odd places). We decided that we were fine as long as it looked intentional - like we MEANT to do that. I've adopted that philosophy in pretty much every other area of my life as well, which means that things don't have to be "matchy-matchy", just coordinated.

So, figure out which things you currently own that can adapt to what you want to do now, test out other things in small doses until you land on what you love, and carry on! Welcome back to cardmaking and Splitcoast!

[grateful2bsaved]

I can pretty much guarantee that anyone lucky enough to get a card from you is not going to look at the card and think, "Hmmm... this color's outdated!" They're going to be grateful you took the time to think of them. Use the colors you like and that make you happy.

[poppydarling]

I think when things don't coordinate precisely, but rather play well together, it looks much more interesting! I would start by looking at the color combinations in a few favorite patterned papers. Look at how the pattern designer combines color in the design, then pick out three colors from that design to use on the card. The more you do this, the more confident you become at combining colors that don't seem to "go" but look beautiful together, like blue and brown. Surface pattern design inspires me all the time!

[debbiemom23cs]

There is some really good advice on this thread for any crafter. I am a matchy matchy kind of crafter so I feel your pain.

If I purchase from PTI, Simon Says Stamps or other online company, I try to go with the ink cubes. They don't take up as much space and if you really like the color then you can go back and purchase the larger one later.


I also joined a kit of the month club. That is one way to get different cardstock and patterned paper that matches but you aren't tied down to 25 sheets of one color!


Can't wait to see what you create!!

[dini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grateful2bsaved

I can pretty much guarantee that anyone lucky enough to get a card from you is not going to look at the card and think, "Hmmm... this color's outdated!" They're going to be grateful you took the time to think of them. Use the colors you like and that make you happy.

This is exactly what I was going to say.

[stamphappy1650]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sthoeny

Am I placing to much emphasis on everything coordinating? If your inks and paper don't coordinate, how do you organize it so you don't waste a lot of time coordinating?

Yes

IMHO the whole matchy-match thing is more of a marketing tool. Yes, we want our colors to coordinate but even with purchasing matching paper and ink it's not going to be a "perfect" match. Some of my favorite colors are oldies that I just love.

I'm fickle. I may love it today and 6 months from now I have a new love. When I did a purge I found colors that I never use anymore but in the past they were my go to colors. I also found that I would hoard my retiring colors so what is the point of having them if I didn't use them. I took on a challenge to use up old cardstock and it feels really good to have it gone. I don't look back with any regret because I'll have a new love any day now.

[Rachelrose]

I'm also in the camp that doesn't care (or even desire) my inks and cardstock to match. And everyone who said that there's no such thing as an "outdated" color - I also agree with that.

I use PTI paper almost exclusively, simply because I love their colors and the weight of the paper. But I also keep in some SU colors that I really like, and always plenty of Whisper White and Very Vanilla. But I don't care for PTI or SU's ink all that much - just my preference.

I'm all about "goes with" or "contrasts nicely with" as opposed to "matches". The industry has us frantic enough with their incessant releases of new stamps. Adding "new and improved" paper colors that make us feel obligated to purchase matching ink and DP and ribbon is, to me, just another part of marketing. Yes, sometimes a new color will come out and I'll want it. But I won't get caught up in the "keeping up" game.

Of course, I'm not a demo for anyone, so I have the luxury of not having to. ;)!

[Oddesigns]

I've stopped buying cardstock and ink from companies that regularly retire colors. It gets out of control, and it's just a way to keep you buying more that you don't need. I took a good hard look at my SU cardstock and realized I have so many similar colors. Seriously, how many shades of ocean blue do I need? And why is the newest one any better than the five they retired?

I suggest you figure out what colors you use the most, and when your CTMH supply runs out, only replace that cardstock with something similar from another company. Your existing ink pad will be just fine.

[Bohodiva]

When I first started I became a SU demonstrator. But I didn't last long. I felt too restricted and there were too many other companies that I liked. I shop my studio for colored cardstock for layering on card bases and I mostly reach for black inks/acrylics for my stamped images.
For colored inks I like the mini pads since they take up less space and they are easier to apply directly to image for stamping.


What you have will work.

[CreativeCardsea]

When I first started making cards in late 2013, I purchased a lot of cardstock from Avery Elle. They had high-quality sturdy cardstock in great colors and at a competitive price - and they even had a special sort of deal where you could buy a build-your-own sampler pack of cardstock and choose any colors you wanted. So, you could try out all kinds of new colors or grab just a few sheets of a color you needed (but didn't want to buy 12 of).

Since then, Avery Elle introduced their notecards and phased out their cardstock entirely. I was pretty bummed out when they got rid of the cardstock, as I really enjoyed using it.

This past week, I was reorganizing my stored cardstock and prepping some card bases. I discovered that quite a few of the discontinued Avery Elle cardstock is identical to the cardstock I later got from MFT and Simon Says Stamp. If the colors weren't completely identical, they were so close that I could barely tell the difference.

I think a lot (if not all) of those companies used the same US-based paper manufacturer. Although the names for the colors were different, the hue and paper quality were identical. They had the same weight, the same finish and worked perfectly with any matching patterned paper I had.

And the same thing goes for ink. A lot of the companies use the same ink manufacturer and the ink formula (ex. Hero Arts shadow inks, WPLus9 inks and Simon Says Stamp inks all have the same look and the "stamps splotchy, then evens out" property). So, even if one particular company goes out of business, chances are that another company will release the same/similar color down the line - using the same manufacturer.

As for matching, I'm also in the camp of colors going well instead of being identical. What's aesthetically pleasing isn't the exact shade, but how well you use it - especially in terms of contrast. Some of the most striking cards aren't striking because they used a particular color (or even a particular color combination), but because they used it in a way that highlights the elements of their card. A pop of red on an all-grey card doesn't match as a color, but it certainly draws attention.

I've also found that even with cases where an in is supposed to match a cardstock, it's not always an exact match. This actually makes some techniques (like tone-on-tone stampling, for example) better. And if you're still a bit too nervous, you can always add neutrals like browns, grays, black/white or navy. The neutrals can change the way your colors appear and make a difference in colors look intentional -- they're a part of a bigger, more complicated palette instead of just mismatched shades.

I hope that helps!

[Reetie60480]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sthoeny

After an almost 5 year hiatus from paper crafts, I decided to force myself to make time for it because I missed it so much. I have beautiful things to use, however, they are dated in the ever changing world of paper crafts. One of my dilemmas is ink and card stock. Previously, I was a consultant with Close to My Heart. So all my ink and paper coordinated. I really like not having to worry about matching ink to paper, and even patterned paper to card stock. However, after 5 years, my colors are dated. They have updated their colors and have replaced some colors with new colors. I'm running out of card stock and I can't reorder to match my ink.
I like SU's heavier cardstock and thought about going with them, but then I saw many recommending PTI, Lawn Fawn, Wplus9, etc. Some of these companies are new to me, I don't want to purchase ink from them and then have them go out of business and not be able to purchase paper. Is this a valid concern? Am I placing to much emphasis on everything coordinating? If your inks and paper don't coordinate, how do you organize it so you don't waste a lot of time coordinating?

I'm like you, out of paper crafting for more than five years. In fact, Stampin' Up! changed their colors so many times, it was why I quit, cause I always wanted to coordinate the paper, ink, markers, etc. But, I discovered the new colors were almost always quite similar to the old colors, so I just bought the reinkers, and reinked my old stamp pads with the new colors when I ran out of cardstock, etc. Then I became less obsessed with everything totally coordinating. Do the recipients of our cards really look that closely? I think not.


I do prefer SU cardstock and their envelopes too. Much better quality, or I'm just prejudiced. LOL

[merollin]

My card and mini album customers don't care how "old" or "outdated" a color is, just that the project looks pretty and is of high quality. I rarely buy current CHA releases! 98% of my designer paper pads are purchased at clearance sales. Customers don't even ask about such things! Only fellow papercrafters are aware of recently released supplies. The issue is whether or not the product has deteriorated since it was last used. Some inks will become splotchy, or even separate. Some adhesives won't provide the same adhesive quality, or will separate. On and on...So, rejoice in those products and supplies that are still usable and enjoy shopping for the rest!!

[jeanne3579]

I am one of those "matchy matchy" persons. I use colors that "go-with" and contrast, too. But if I'm using say, red and white, I want the red ink to match the red paper. I could care less how old or out of date a color is. I have been using SU and CTMH (back when it was DOTS in the late 1990s) and still have those inks, markers and cardstock. When SU made the first core color change in my history, I bought extra packs of the "retiring" colors that I loved. I am almost out of a couple, but no where near all of them. I stopped buying SU "In Colors" when they started to become too much alike and they changed their pads three years in a row. I will use a color until the cardstock runs out (which will happen before I run out of ink, as I bought reinkers, too), then I will give away all the other stuff that goes with it, unless I really love the color and can find a substitute that matches. Otherwise, I will look for a matchy-matchy set to take it's place. I do like SU cardstock, which is why I gave way all the CTMH stuff I had to a friend that still uses it. I didn't like the light weight or the white core for most of what I do. I'm not a pre-made background paper person, preferring to make my own, so it matches the cardstock I'm using, therefore I don't have to worry about matching/coordinating things like that. I know most recipients don't care if everything matches perfectly, but I make a piece of work that pleases me or I won't send it. Just the way I am.

[MarianneLamb]

I love the idea of having all of my colors at my fingertips. I tried the sheets of paper with stamped different colors of ink, and that didn't work. I do not have my ink colors categorized, but I do have my paper. Here is what I did. Someone made a template and I cannot find it (I am sure it was on SCS). I printed it out on cheap white index card 8.5" x 11" paper. There are two columns (long ways) and I cut even more off so the column is only 2 and 3/4" x 11". Look at the picture below to see how I added the strips of colored paper. With all the In Colors and retired colors, I have 11 strips. They stay in a pile, and when I need to check a color, or match something, those strips are at my fingertips.They are easy to manipulate and since the colors are right on the edge of the paper, I can place it where I want to see the match. If anyone can find the templates, let me know.

[jukie]

I co-ordinate I don't match, and one way to help you do that is to get a colour wheel, it helps me think outside the box of what colours actually go together.

an example is on the link from walmart, but you can download one off the internet or pick one up from lots of different stores


https://ll-us-i5.wal.co/asr/3bb469a2...0&odnBg=FFFFFF




Have FUN with it, I like others have said are going to guess the no one is going to say "OMG it's like a colour from 2012 on the card she gave me!"
Heck some of my cardstock and craft product has to be 15 to 20 years old and if I like I am going to use it!

[Bohodiva]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jukie

I co-ordinate I don't match, and one way to help you do that is to get a colour wheel, it helps me think outside the box of what colours actually go together.

an example is on the link from walmart, but you can download one off the internet or pick one up from lots of different stores


https://ll-us-i5.wal.co/asr/3bb469a2...0&odnBg=FFFFFF


Have FUN with it, I like others have said are going to guess the no one is going to say "OMG it's like a colour from 2012 on the card she gave me!"
Heck some of my cardstock and craft product has to be 15 to 20 years old and if I like I am going to use it!

I agree with you on comments, and color wheels are a must have tool in my book.
Bottom line is to have fun creating and not go crazy, or get frustrated if the colors don't match exactly. Art is not perfect and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[CreativeCardsea]

I do want to add... Sometimes matching things are very useful. If you are going for a monochromatic look, having matching supplies makes things easier/quicker. So, I'm thankful the option's there for a lot of my favorite companies - even if I only ever use the matching things once in a blue moon.