Buyer Beware "Recollections" paper packs ...
 

I bought three of them from Mike's, at a seemingly good price, each with six coordinating colors/designs. I opened one of them today (black & whites) to make a sympathy card only to discover that what's inside the package is nothing like the sample sheet! The sample sheet in the front of the pack, which shows strips of all six designs, is printed on slick paper and makes the black look very black when in reality the papers inside are all drab shades of gray that I don't see myself ever using.

Guess it wasn't such a good deal, after all...ugh...

I'd take them back and tell them exactly what you said here. You're an unsatisfied customer and they should let you return them.
I'm cautious with some of Michael's stuff, it's cheap for a reason.

I have that paper pack and I like it (I have two actually). The ones I have are dark and not grey at all. I wonder if you just got a bad pack. None of the Recollections cardstocks are shiny paper, but that shouldn't mean that colours don't have to be true. I've always had good luck with the Recollections brands and like them. I would take them back though if the colours aren't right.

I've had this stuff in my stash for quite a while and have no receipt, so I'm not sure they'd even take it back....

The colored packs are not nearly as vibrant as what the sample sheet would have you believe, but I can live with them because they are still pretty. As for the shades of gray, I'm thinking I might be able to use them for layering on cards and possibly as wallpaper for scrapbook pages. Maybe I can think of something creative to do with them.

How right you are, Cindy, about being cautious...this is a lesson I seem to have to learn over and over and over again. :rolleyes:

I had a similar issue with a pack of paper that they called "Metallic". I opened it and found 10 sheets of gold and silver, followed by 10 sheets of black matte, white matte and espresso matte. The other day I mistakenly used the gold because I liked the back side (it looked like SU Soft Suede). So I went back to the paper pack and looked at both sides of the papers, and found they were all metallic, and I needed to look at both sides of the paper. I don't know if that's the case with your cardstock, but I would think Michael's would at least take it back for store credit, if you're still not happy?

I agree with Cat. I have several packs like it also, and mine are also dark. Sounds like you got a bad pack, sorry. If it were me, I would make the effort to try to return it. At the least, they might exchange it for you for another pack of the same paper.

I'm quite fond of the Recollections paper packs and always stock up when they are on sale.

Hmmmmm.....

I'm attaching a pic so y'all can see what I'm talking about. The upper one is the "sample" sheet that was in the front of the package, and the lower ones are actual sheets of dp. Just not the sharp black I was expecting based on the packaging. Mine are all white on the backside.

Like I said, I'll hold onto it and maybe find a use for it someday. At any rate, thanks for listening to my mini rant. lol Glad most of you have had better luck with Recollections.

Wow, that's a dramatic difference and they would be perfect if they were advertised as greys! I was surprised by how lightweight the cs was (I've only used SU for the most part). I bought 2 packs of black, but won't ever do that again. That's what I get for not paying attention to my stash and letting my Basic Black run out!

As long as you have the label that came with the package, you should be able to get store credit. I don't know about the personnel at the Mike's you go to but the ones I frequent are pretty accommodating-many of them recognize me because.... I have been buying mostly punches and adhesive lately. The one paper pack I like there is the Kraft paper and that is about the only one I buy now.

Good luck!

I guess I'll give this a try then. :)

Yeah, SU! card stock is definitely better quality than most of what you can get at the big three hobby stores. I knew the paper pack would be thinner but since I planned on using it for layering anyway, I was OK with it.

I'm also a BIG fan of Gina K's Pure Luxury in the 120 lb weight for card bases! No more flimsy cards makes Debbie a happy stamper.

That is a huge difference. I think you got a bad pack. I have seen that pack out of wrap and it's not shiny but definitely black.

I like several of the Recollection paper pads. I usually only buy the pads because I like to know exactly what I am getting. With that said, I did pick up a clearance pack of black and vanilla cardstock yesterday. I often can find black and white but hardly ever see the black and vanilla. I didn't like the top design but for $1.49 that's okay.

This will definitely be my rule of thumb from now on!

Based on your picture I would say you definitely got a bad pack. If you were planning a trip to Michaels I would take it back, but the paper is so inexpensive, you really haven't lost much if you just end up using it for layering. Since its more of a charcoal colour I think it would look nice paired with yellow or teal if I were making a card with it. :)

I agree on all counts, Cat. I will take it back and see what happens. As you say, it was pretty cheap (though I'm sure I paid more than $1.49); it was just frustrating to open it up for a project and discover it wasn't what I thought it was. If they won't take it back, I might try coloring in the white parts with bright colors--yellow and teal are excellent choices. Pink also.

Angel
 

I have one and I love it! Anyone know if they have an angel policy?

I don't know what their policy is on the paper, but I haven't heard of any paper company's policy saying you can't sell items made with their paper. You could check with the store manager to find out.

Policy
 

Thank you. Paperloft is one i just got permission to use as long as I give credit to Paperloft. There are some that care, unfortunately.

Personally, as many, of you, I don't get it. This is not reproducing or steeling their designs. I have read so much on different sites regarding the angel policies. Seems like a lot he said she said. I decided to just cover my bases. I will use my "unfriendly" stock and tools for personal stuff and buy no more.

Really disappointed with Spellbinders saying only craft fairs, etc. I have a request in to them. Hoping for positive answer. I have a bunch of their things. Negative answer and I will try to sell some of them and invest in Die-namics and others! Nuff said! ;)

Spellbinders
 

JUST GOT THE ANSWER FROM THEM! All good! Thank you Spellbinders! I don't even have to put credit on the card.

I went and dug out my pack after reading this thread earlier today, and I have the exact same issue. All of the colors in the pack are faded and are nothing like the ones shown on the cover. Ah well, I'll probably wind up donating the lot or using odds and ends in other cards. I didn't pay that much for the pack either.

So I'm NOT the only one. I was beginning to question my own eyeballs. lol

I was thinking it was off when I first used the pack, Debbie, but until you showed the paper samples I didn't realize just how bad it was! So thank you for that, I think I'm going to steer clear of those paper packs. I wound up not liking most of the styles anyhow.

It's just disappointing to think you've purchased a package of sharply-colored designer papers only to discover when you go to use them (weeks, months, or years later) that they are actually quite muted. As I said, I think it's because the sampler piece on top is printed on slick paper whereas the actual product is printed on regular paper. And, as is often the case, you get what you pay for; these papers are, relatively speaking, less expensive than others. Anyway, I'm with you--steering clear!

Hey, I just want to put in a positive word for the Recollections Papers, because I think they are a very nice alternative for those who don't have the budget for the more expensive brands.

I still believe those who have the faded packs just got a bad batch of papers, which is a bummer, I agree. But for those who haven't tried them, give them a chance. I've been very pleased with the quality and color of all the packs I've bought. I especially like the packs of solid colors, like the kraft. I've used up several packs of it.

Here is a card I made with the black pattern paper from Recollections:

Happy Birthday Karen by buggainok - Cards and Paper Crafts at Splitcoaststampers

That is a gorgeous card! I do love the colors on it, and I'm glad that pack turned out OK. Look at the flower too, that's amazing!

And yes, I agree with you on the solid colors. I have packs of white, kraft, and cream that I purchased as card bases. Those are just fine, and I like them a lot. I'll probably pick up some Georgia Pacific cardstock when we go by Walmart later because I heard that's a good value, but the solid packs of Recollections paper are just fine.

Thank you! I had fun making it, and my DIL really liked it.:)

Very pretty card Annette! I have a birthday card to do this week - I think I'll pull out my pack and see what I can come up with...