Wednesday 101- Rubber Stamping- The Basics

Today is the day to talk about cardstock.

Cardstock is usually available in two different sizes, 12" x 12" and 8 1/2" x 11".

Stampin' Up! carries both sizes but the 12" x 12" are only available in assorted stacks.

Stampin' Up!'s cardstock is:

•  80 lb stock- a very good weight for card bases, 3D projects and scrapbook pages
• Very smooth- great for sharp detailed stamped images
• dyed all the way through, no white core
• acid free and lignin free
• matte, non-coated, has great absorbency, works with most ink types
• comes in 40 classic colors and 10 In-Colors
• Thick enough so that inks will not show through

 Stampin' Up!'s extra thick cardstock is:

• 100 lb stock- heavy enough to support multiple layers
• great for 3D construction projects
• Whisper White or Very Vanilla
  
• Very smooth- great for sharp detailed stamped images
• acid free and lignin free
• matte, non-coated, has great absorbency, works with most ink types
• very thick, ink will not show through

Extra Thick cardstock

Stampin' Up! Kraft cardstock is:

• thicker that regular cardstock
• natural Kraft color 
• 12" x 12"
• acid and lignin free
• mat, non-coated, has great absorbency, works with most ink types
• thick enough that inks will not show through

Kraft cardstock

Besides Stampin' Up! cardstock other cardstocks are available at craft stores. 

Some examples of what you might find:

•  Linen- has a texture that resembles linen cloth. This cardstock can be stamped on but you should stamp on a sample piece with your stamp to check the quality of the stamped image before stamping on a finished piece. Most linen cardstock has a matte finish and will accept most types of ink.
• Glossy- has a coating that gives it a high gloss. This cardstock gives a high quality stamped image because of its smoothness, but not every type of ink can be used on it. Dye inks and solvent inks work best but pigment inks will work if heat embossed. Chalk inks and Brilliance inks need to be heat set. Make some samples with the stamp and ink you are planning to use. Some stamp and ink combinations will slide around on this paper, so practice is recommended.
• Pearlescent and metallic- These papers usually have a very smooth surface and are not as absorbent as a matte cardstock. Solvent inks are great, chalk inks and Brilliance can be heat set, test other inks for suitability before stamping the finished project.

Some things to think about when you choose cardstock for a project:

• What type of ink do you plan to use for this project? Is the cardstock appropriate for that type of ink?
• How absorbent is the paper? Will you need to heat emboss the ink or heat set it so that it will dry? Or is it so absorbent that you need to use a thick ink, for example craft ink, so that you have time to apply the embossing powder if you plan to heat emboss? 
• Density- If you plan to tear it, will it tear easily? If you are using it for a card base with multiple layers is it heavy enough to support them? If you are planning to layer it with other papers will it add too much thickness/weight to the project?
• Texture- Will it be easy to get a clear stamped image? Will the texture enhance your project or detract from it?
• If you want your project to be archival, is it acid free and lignen free?
• Does it have a white core? Do you plan to use that to enhance your project or would a cardstock that is dyed all the way through be more appropriate for this particular project?

 Next week we'll be talking about other types of papers that are available.

Have a blessed day,
Trude