Yes, another question on cardstock for card bases

[NerdyBeth]

I really appreciate all the threads covering the different types of cardstock out there for card bases. So many options and I want them all!

However, I think I'm going to get some of the Neenah Classic Crest Solar White (#110) for my card bases, but can someone recommend if Neenah has a good off-white color (close to SU! Very Vanilla)? I have looked at various places and on the Neehah web site, but it's hard to tell what the real color is on my computer screens.
Also, is there any paper out there that is similar to SU! Naturals White?

Thanks!

Beth

[GypsyRoseStamper]

Afraid I don't have any SU cardstock. I do have lots of Neenah.


This is outside in natural sunlight (late afternoon). The lightest is solar white. The middle is Neenah Natural White, and the darkest is Neenah Cream.

[NerdyBeth]

Thank you so much! This is very helpful!

[gregzgurl]

Diane (fionna51) had some great info on this thread: replacements for confetti & naturals CS & envelopes - Splitcoaststampers

[Stampinmom57]

I use papertrey for my white and vanilla base Cardstock. I love it.

[marymint]

Or you can check this thread where one person said: "I have Neenah Natural White and it matches SU VV".


SU Very Vanilla CS Match to Neenah - Splitcoaststampers

[fionna51]

Yes, Neenah Classic Crest Cover in Naturals White is a perfect substitute for Very Vanilla. It also comes in 110 pound and 80 pound, like the Solar White.

[Kendel]

I think I saw some 110# cream CS at Michael’s recently, too.  It’s cream, not off white or natural, but it’s one more option.

[Jeaniejeaniem]

Can I ask, why not just use SU Very Vanilla? It seems funny to search for something "like" that.. Really just windering.

[TLady]

I just got some 110 lb Neenah & I don't think it's that sturdy. I just use it for Alcohol Inks. But, I use Paper Studio Heavy Weight Card Stock for my card bases. Found at Hobby Lobby. They have White, Cream, Gray, etc. (All in neutrals)

[Cre8ive Mind]

Michael's used to have an ivory 110lb cardstock that I love.  Then they changed to that cream which I find too dark for my taste.  Too bad!  I am using my ivory "sparingly" until I find a substitute.

I got some 110lb white at Staples that doesn't seem as sturdy as the Michael's.  Weird because the weight is the same.  Maybe it's the material/density/thickness of the cardstock not just the weight that affects the sturdiness... the weight is only one factor...just guessing.

[TLady]

I got the 110lb Neenah that Jennifer McGuire recommended on Amazon. So, go figure....

It's DEFINITELY  lighter weight than my 100 lb Bristol, & lighter than my Paper Studio Heavy Card Stock, which doesn't have a weight on it. :/

[happy-stamper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cre8ive Mind

Michael's used to have an ivory 110lb cardstock that I love.  Then they changed to that cream which I find too dark for my taste.  Too bad!  I am using my ivory "sparingly" until I find a substitute.

I got some 110lb white at Staples that doesn't seem as sturdy as the Michael's.  Weird because the weight is the same.  Maybe it's the material/density/thickness of the cardstock not just the weight that affects the sturdiness... the weight is only one factor...just guessing.

I really liked that off white, too.  The new cream looks like a light daffodil yellow to me. Not what I want!  But, you can still get a more neutral off white in 110 lb. if you're willing to buy a pack that also includes brown, gray, and black.

__________________
"When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad, and that is my religion."
--Abraham Lincoln

[Cre8ive Mind]

I'll have to look at that.  I would use the brown and black and with some brainstorming the gray too. Thanks for the "heads up".  If it's a 100 pack there will only be 25 sheets of the ivory so I'll still have to be "stingy" with it.  �

[SkyNacho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeaniejeaniem

Can I ask, why not just use SU Very Vanilla? It seems funny to search for something "like" that.. Really just windering.

Price.  A pack of SU very vanilla is $8.25 for 24 sheets... which is more than 34 cents per page, and that's before you factor in shipping.  A pack of Neenah classic crest 110lb natural white has 250 sheets for $52...  about 21 cents per page (if you have free shipping like from Amazon).

Also, sometimes people can find the Neenah (or similar brands) at local stores like Office Max, or print shops, and don't have to wait for an order from SU (or pay shipping).

[NerdyBeth]

Again, thanks for all the replies.  I ordered from Neenah directly (figured they would ensure that the paper wasn't smashed up) and although shipping wasn't cheap, they were very, very well packaged and include boxes to keep the paper in!

I got 1) Classic Crest Solar White, 110; 2) Classic Crest Solar White, 80; 3) Classic Crest Natural White, 110 and 4) Classic Crest Natural White, 80lb.  

I LOVE them all!   The 110 weight is thick and heavy and will be perfect for card bases.  The 80 weight is lighter and reminds me of the SU paper I'm used to using and will be perfect for layers.

The natural white is less yellow than the SU very vanilla, but is a beautiful cream color that I think I will like better.

I haven't tried stamping or coloring yet, but should get around to that this weekend.

[bjeans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NerdyBeth

Again, thanks for all the replies.  I ordered from Neenah directly (figured they would ensure that the paper wasn't smashed up) and although shipping wasn't cheap, they were very, very well packaged and include boxes to keep the paper in!

I got 1) Classic Crest Solar White, 110; 2) Classic Crest Solar White, 80; 3) Classic Crest Natural White, 110 and 4) Classic Crest Natural White, 80lb.  

I LOVE them all!   The 110 weight is thick and heavy and will be perfect for card bases.  The 80 weight is lighter and reminds me of the SU paper I'm used to using and will be perfect for layers.

The natural white is less yellow than the SU very vanilla, but is a beautiful cream color that I think I will like better.

I haven't tried stamping or coloring yet, but should get around to that this weekend.

Wonderful! Can you describe the boxes or pop in a photo? And I think I’ll get some natural white, based on your description. 

I have a lovely cream CS from an LSS that closed, and have meant to take a piece to the Stamp & SB Expo that’s here in June to see if it’s from the thepapercut.com but have forgotten two years in a row. 

Thank you from another overthinking Beth :shock:

---

Last edited by bjeans; 01-25-2020 at 06:46 AM..

[NerdyBeth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjeans

Wonderful! Can you describe the boxes or pop in a photo?

Thank you from another overthinking Beth :shock:

Here is a picture of the box. It's the same size box for all, so the thicker paper doesn't fit as well as a ream of copy paper would, but it will be a great place to store extra paper safely away from light, dust and dog hair. 

 
 

[bjeans]

Nice, thanks. I like the cut-out. Um, cat hair... I spy inks.

Beth2

[kazeka]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cre8ive Mind

Michael's used to have an ivory 110lb cardstock that I love.  Then they changed to that cream which I find too dark for my taste.  Too bad!  I am using my ivory "sparingly" until I find a substitute.

I got some 110lb white at Staples that doesn't seem as sturdy as the Michael's.  Weird because the weight is the same.  Maybe it's the material/density/thickness of the cardstock not just the weight that affects the sturdiness... the weight is only one factor...just guessing.

I wish I had gotten the off-white at Michaels when I saw it last year because the new version is more yellow than I like. Bought a pack of it when I bought more white, and will just have to make myself use it even though the color isn't what I expected.

Karen

[bjeans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cre8ive Mind

Michael's used to have an ivory 110lb cardstock that I love.  Then they changed to that cream which I find too dark for my taste.  Too bad!  I am using my ivory "sparingly" until I find a substitute.

I got some 110lb white at Staples that doesn't seem as sturdy as the Michael's.  Weird because the weight is the same.  Maybe it's the material/density/thickness of the cardstock not just the weight that affects the sturdiness... the weight is only one factor...just guessing.

Looking at gsm instead of weight in pounds is the key. Here’s a screenshot of a ream (250 sheets) of Neenah Exact Index compared to Neenah Classic Crest from a Jennifer McGuire video. The difference in thickness is striking. They both are 110 pounds but the gsm is much higher in the Classic Crest. 

Classic Crest gsm - 297

Exact Index gsm -  163

i’ve met card makers unhappy with Neenah, and it’s turned out they bought it at a big box office store. That means it’s Exact Index - in other words the wrong Neenah - since Neenah doesn’t sell Classic Crest at those stores. That’s why I wish bloggers would say Classic Crest in their blogs and videos. Otherwise how would new stampers know? And not just newbies - once  a guest instructor at an LSS talking about her favorite papers for alcohol markers didn’t know. 

  

---

Last edited by bjeans; 01-26-2020 at 02:00 AM..

[Carol W]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NerdyBeth

Again, thanks for all the replies.  I ordered from Neenah directly (figured they would ensure that the paper wasn't smashed up) and although shipping wasn't cheap, they were very, very well packaged and include boxes to keep the paper in!

I got 1) Classic Crest Solar White, 110; 2) Classic Crest Solar White, 80; 3) Classic Crest Natural White, 110 and 4) Classic Crest Natural White, 80lb.  

I LOVE them all!   The 110 weight is thick and heavy and will be perfect for card bases.  The 80 weight is lighter and reminds me of the SU paper I'm used to using and will be perfect for layers.

The natural white is less yellow than the SU very vanilla, but is a beautiful cream color that I think I will like better.

I haven't tried stamping or coloring yet, but should get around to that this weekend.

Thanks for this info and the photo of the box! I might look into shipping to Canada (may turn out to not be cost-effective at all, but worth a look). Thanks to everyone for the specific details and photos in this thread. I'm another member of the "oh darn, that Michaels cream is now curdled" club and am always on the lookout for really nice off-white shades.

[bjeans]

Michaels switched from a U.S. paper mill to one China. That’s when the paper color/quality changed, not to mention loss of jobs. 

[DancesWithHooves]

Thank you SO much for the visual!!!

[DebbieinOC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjeans

Looking at gsm instead of weight in pounds is the key. Here’s a screenshot of a ream (250 sheets) of Neenah Exact Index compared to Neenah Classic Crest from a Jennifer McGuire video. The difference in thickness is striking. They both are 110 pounds but the gsm is much higher in the Classic Crest. 

Classic Crest gsm - 297

Exact Index gsm -  163

i’ve met card makers unhappy with Neenah, and it’s turned out they bought it at a big box office store. That means it’s Exact Index - in other words the wrong Neenah - since Neenah doesn’t sell Classic Crest at those stores. That’s why I wish bloggers would say Classic Crest in their blogs and videos. Otherwise how would new stampers know? And not just newbies - once  a guest instructor at an LSS talking about her favorite papers for alcohol markers didn’t know. 

  

Also, there's a big difference between Smooth and Super Smooth.  I originally bought Super Smooth (hey if smooth is good, super smooth must be better, right?) for Copic coloring.  It does not absorb the ink well and the Copics didn't blend much if at all.  It also looks like crap when I try to do ink blending on it.  So I highly recommend staying with SMOOTH only.  I originally had trouble finding it on Amazon (the other reason I bought Super Smooth), but eventually did by using the stock number shown in BJeans picture (04456).  BTW, this was 80lb cardstock. And THANKS BJeans for the info on gsm!

[bjeans]

I hope the super smooth still works for you for stamping or some other projects! 

You reminded me about a class I took, given by the owner of The Queen’s Ink in Maryland. It may have been called Thinking About Inking. It was for stamping beginners. I had been stamping a while, but it looked interesting. Paper differences were emphasized. A small envelope in our kits contained different types of paper, and we stamped the same image on each one in order to see the differences. I’ll have to find the kit and see what papers were in it. But it sure brought home how important paper is. 

[DebbieinOC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjeans

I hope the super smooth still works for you for stamping or some other projects! 

You reminded me about a class I took, given by the owner of The Queen’s Ink in Maryland. It may have been called Thinking About Inking. It was for stamping beginners. I had been stamping a while, but it looked interesting. Paper differences were emphasized. A small envelope in our kits contained different types of paper, and we stamped the same image on each one in order to see the differences. I’ll have to find the kit and see what papers were in it. But it sure brought home how important paper is. 

Thanks BJeans. It works fine for stamped images but I do prefer the smooth even for those. And paper definitely makes A difference.

[RenT]

I picked up five packs of SU naturals white when it showed up on their clearance rack, about a year ago. I had thought it was gone forever. So... maybe keep an eye out on that clearance rack, you never know, some may show up again!

[kazeka]

I don't usually shop at JoAnns, because there isn't one really close to me but I was there the other day and picked up a pack of 110 lb off-white card stock that has the exact color I was looking for. It was even on sale, so that made me happy.

Karen