I maybe went a little overboard shopping at Simon Says Stamp! recently so you will be seeing some more of their products today. I actually started this card several days ago. I wanted to try the bold lines background stamp and the Audrey Blue ink so I first just stamped that background onto some Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110# cardstock. The sentiment is from a set that I bought in conjunction with the stripes background set--you can see the bundle here. I stamped it with my Memento Tuxedo Black ink--I tell you what--I like that black as well as Versafine's black a lot better than Stampin' Up!'s--it's a truer black. Anyway, you can purchase the background or stamp set individually as well, but I would recommend both. I wasn't quite sure what to do after I added the sentiment...I didn't really want to cover my pretty aqua lines so I added the heart punches once I had a purpose for my card. My good friend, Ann, had posted on Facebook about how she needed some positive vibes so I figured I'd send her a little 'love' on her hectic day. The heart punches were simple but added just the right little pop of color. Wish the pink was just a little brighter (hoping my new Doll Pink which is on its way will be just the color I'm looking for!) I grabbed a chocolate bar from Fresh Market when I was picking up some groceries and dropped it off with the card where Ann works hoping the little 'pick-me-up' would help her get through her long day.
Let me take a moment to discuss white cardstock for those interested in what I have found with my not-so-official research. I compared 4 different types of white cardstock: Stampin' Up!'s Ultrasmooth white, Papertrey Ink's White, Paper Studio OR Recollections was the brand (can't quite remember but it's a brand carried by Michael's--they have white and vanilla in larger packs of 110 # paper) and the Neenah Classic Crest. Here are my findings and the reasons why I would choose one over another.
Stampin' Up! Ultrasmooth White: You will not find a better paper to stamp on. However, this paper does not work for me when it comes to making a card base. I will always prefer this paper when I am needing to have the best possible stamped image, but would never solely use it because of its weight being inadequate for a card base.
Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110#: Wow! I guess I should have figured there was something about this particular paper seeing many people have switched to it or are using it already. This paper is smooth, though not as smooth as SU!. It's great to stamp on though and it is very sturdy so perfect for a card base that requires stamping directly onto it. FYI: I ordered the directly from Neenah because it was 'less expensive'. I did have to order 500 sheets which I know many people wouldn't want to do, but for me, it was more cost-effective for sure.
The Michael's paper and the Papertrey Ink papers were nearly identical. I literally could not tell the difference between the two. In the future, I will probably just buy the packs from Michael's when they are on sale or when I have a coupon--they're super inexpensive that way compared to what I was paying for PTI. Now, some might ask why I would even bother buying that when I could just use the Neenah but there are times when I need a white card base that does not require stamping, or when I'm mounting something...I would just use the less expensive paper in those cases.
Let me take a moment to discuss white cardstock for those interested in what I have found with my not-so-official research. I compared 4 different types of white cardstock: Stampin' Up!'s Ultrasmooth white, Papertrey Ink's White, Paper Studio OR Recollections was the brand (can't quite remember but it's a brand carried by Michael's--they have white and vanilla in larger packs of 110 # paper) and the Neenah Classic Crest. Here are my findings and the reasons why I would choose one over another.
Stampin' Up! Ultrasmooth White: You will not find a better paper to stamp on. However, this paper does not work for me when it comes to making a card base. I will always prefer this paper when I am needing to have the best possible stamped image, but would never solely use it because of its weight being inadequate for a card base.
Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110#: Wow! I guess I should have figured there was something about this particular paper seeing many people have switched to it or are using it already. This paper is smooth, though not as smooth as SU!. It's great to stamp on though and it is very sturdy so perfect for a card base that requires stamping directly onto it. FYI: I ordered the directly from Neenah because it was 'less expensive'. I did have to order 500 sheets which I know many people wouldn't want to do, but for me, it was more cost-effective for sure.
The Michael's paper and the Papertrey Ink papers were nearly identical. I literally could not tell the difference between the two. In the future, I will probably just buy the packs from Michael's when they are on sale or when I have a coupon--they're super inexpensive that way compared to what I was paying for PTI. Now, some might ask why I would even bother buying that when I could just use the Neenah but there are times when I need a white card base that does not require stamping, or when I'm mounting something...I would just use the less expensive paper in those cases.