Scrapbooking Group ~ Paper Supplies!

[Janice]

So.. we know what kind of Album we want to aim for - I have made my mind up to go for a Dalee 12 x 12. It seemed the most popular and is available to me from my local supplier. I haven't got it yet - but will do very shortly

Next stage.............Paper and Card etc.

~~ What do you use, what is your preference, what sort of price are we looking at!

~~ How much do you buy in one go - do you stick to one colour, do you practice first.

~~ What quantity comes in a pack, what is the suggested quantity to start with.

~~ Do you stick to the same colour throughout your Album - do you 'go with the flow'.

~~ Where do you get it from, if from the Net, how is it shipped, does it cost a lot?

 

[BevS97]

Ooh Janice, this is a hard one!

Just about the only cardstock available in the UK (12x12) is Bazill - all 3 shops I use stock it.
You really need a cardstock swatch whcih they all sell as the colours are different on the internet. It is only available by the sheet and costs between 20p - 50p depending on the colour and which shop. The price varys a lot between shops with ScrapMagic being the most expensive I think (I know Fiona noticed a big difference, I was just in a buying frenzy and never even looked at the prices...)

What colours -I buy bits and pieces, I have no coherent system although I wish I did. The only thing I do do is make sure I buy at least 2 pieces of each colour, so I can do a double spread if I want to.
If you can get to the crop then you can pick colours to suit the photo's / accessories you are using and it is much easier. For at home I just periodically order a selection of colours. In fact, I am in the middle of an order on my other session right now.

If you are in the States then packs of card are available in Michaels - I found 12x12 but I think Fiona didn't - they should also be available at other scrapbooking stores in Orlando - even Walmart has a little section. They are much more economical and come in a mix of colours - like 'Country' or 'Beach' so all the colours should work together.


I use all different colours and styles in my album - but I quite fancy doing a small album with just a few colours/papers that is co-ordinated thoughout. Maybe one day!

I buy mine from Artbase or Scraptastic (I usually get card from Scraptastic, but no idea why) and it comes in a pizza box. I don't know what the shipping is - I think Scraptastic charge the actual shipping (which would be nothing for you) and Artbase have a fixed rate. I told you I don't worry about the cost, I just buy and cross my fingers when they ring it all up!


Now, patterned paper is a whole different thing -I love it, it is so pretty and unusual, so I buy what ever I fall in love with - until recently I never used it, just bought it and put it in my folder, but I am now making a concerted effort to use it. Patterned paper can cost anything from 50p - £1 or more a sheet so I do try and check the price before I pick that up. I never used to buy 2 sheets because it was expensive, but I am now finding it is hard to work with only 1 sheet so I am trying to remember to buy 2.

I also like Vellum which is a see-thru paper a bit like wax paper - I just buy a pack of 8.5x11 and I use it for loads of things. It's nice for typing journalling on.

does it cost a lot?

everything to do with scrapbooking costs a lot!

 

[BevS97]

I have just noticed that artbase sell cardstock packs, 24 sheets for £8.30 you get 6 colours that coordinate. This is probably a very good starter pack - they have nature, crayon box or antique - I've just ordered Crayon box, but actually the other 2 look very nice as well. It's under ProvoCraft Cardstock and paper packs.Packs of Card

 

[caroley]

artbase sell cardstock packs

I've got Nature on order. I hope my parcel arrives soon. I've been waiting 11 days now, Artbase are usually so much quicker than that.

I've been using mostly cardstock and plain paper to start with. I've gone a bit potty with the gorgeous mulberry and banana paper that I got from Hobbycraft, and I've just done one with some patterned paper.

 

[radamson]

I know most of you are using 12x12 albums, but if you want paper and card in A4, to use for journalling, cutting out letters etc.... then I would use the Paper Mill.

The Paper Mill has stores nationwide and you can buy a ream (500 sheets) for £4.99

The store just sells paper and has hundreds of different colours and shades. You just grab a box and select what colours you want.

I think this is pretty good value and is especially great for me, as I use the smaller size for my scrapbooking and there is a store in York.

Becky

 

[BevS97]

we don't have a Paper Mill up here (or I've never discovered it) but I will look out for one next time we visit York. (I love York!)

The only thing I would say is that if the paper is going to touch your photo's then it ought to be acid-free and most non-scrapbooking suppliers don't know if their paper is ok or not. I keep meaning to buy a PH testing pen, but they are always out of stock when I place my order.

Carole - have you rung Artbase? that's a long time to be waiting. I've just placed a huge order and I hope it doesn't take that long, I will be getting desperate.. (Because the 100+ sheets of cardstock I already have just won't do... LOL)

Bev

 

[caroley]

Bev, I e-mailed them on Thursday and am waiting for a reply. They were at the Kensington show, weren't they? I thought they may have a backlog due to that, and bank holidays can mess things up as well. If I don't hear from them by Wednesday, I'll give them a ring. I

 

[caroley]

Parcel finally arrived today, two weeks after I ordered it. It's postmarked the 21st, which for an order placed on the 19th is not bad. Problem is, it looks like the posties have been using it for rugby practise. Someone's scribbled on the box, not in A-Z, and as my road is most definitely in the A-Z I can only assume that the post office is going potty.
Good news is that despite there being a hole in the box and battered corners, and it being a trifle squashed at one end, the excellent packing has preserved the contents.

The cardstock pack is very nice, and the label shows another two variations besides the two on the website, pastel and tropical. Very nice, I want them both

Can't wait for my cardstock swatch though, you just can't judge the colours from the website. I still haven't got just the right shade of brown that I need. Must place an order with Scraptastic as soon as I have my swatch

 

[Janice]

Glad it finally arrived Carole - and that the contents were safe and undamaged!

Have you ordered your Cardstock Swatch? I collected mine last week, so I assume they now have them in stock.

I am just itching to get going on something and have been sorting through some photo's - I think I might do a page with a collection of my childrens *First Day* at school photo's

 

[Fiona R from UK]

Janice and Carole GO GO GO!!!

I am paper piecing Eeyore, Piglet, Pooh and Tigger at the moment. Tigger is proving slightly troublesome, I wish he'd keep still!! Then I'm cutting my photos into circles (with my new cicle cutters) to make balloons for the "friends" to hold. Then there is the title to think about.....a scrapper's work is never done!!

DH still thinks I'm batty!!

 

[Nick The Cat]

Carole - I phoned Scraptastic about the colour card swatch yesterday as mine hadn't arrived and it arrived first thing this morning so at last I can start colour matching on photos and begin. This is becoming addictive I even dream about different layouts at night.

 

[caroley]

My swatch arrived this morning! Yipee!

I had a nice afternoon yesterday. I finished one double page layout and using the lovely cardstock pack that I got from Artbase I did the title page to my WDW album. I'm not very confident about putting colours together but felt brave enough to use four different colours on this. I also tried scanning it in rather than photographing it, which is how I did the others for my website. Took me a few tries to get a good result stitching it back together, but I got there in the end.

Fiona, I love that idea with the balloons, I may use it sometime if you don't mind.

 

[BevS97]

Carole- what's your website again, I'd love to see your layout.

I've just updated my website - www.bev.ontheweb.com with some non-disney layouts- it's the family scrapbook section.


there is a good free program which I use to stitch my layouts together - It's called Arcsoft and you can download it here Arcsoft Photo Studio

It's the only program I've used which stitches without an obvious line.

Bev

 

[Fiona R from UK]

Ooohh I like your holiday website Carole, I've not seen it before!! Click on WWW link Bev!! But the scrapbook pages aren't there!!

Christine, don't worry it's normal, I find sleeping hard when I have a scrapping problem to solve!

Carole, you are welcome to use any of my ideas, I wouldn't have thought they were worth lifting so I'm flattered!!

 

[BevS97]

found the website - http://caroley.topcities.com/ I knew I had seen it before.

Fiona - you have to check out Caroles title page, it is superb! Carole, post it on UKScrappers - they will be impressed. I think I will be ordering a pack of that cardstock. I love coordinating packs of cardstock, it takes all the stress out of choosing colours.

Bev

 

[caroley]

Thanks for the kind comments, guys

Bev, I've just downloaded Arcsoft photo studio. I'll give it a try.
I Just had a look at your site. I love the sampler layout and the hot summer one.