Specialty papers and then some

Paper, papier, papel. Paper, by any name, it’s still the same fantastic stuff: paper!

One of my favorite things to do is to go into the specialty papers stores and peruse the huge array of papers. All of varying weights, stiffness, bright neon hues to subtle earthy tones, in amazingly beautiful textures and designs.

A brief history of paper

We all know about petroglyphs and hieroglyphics in caves and on sides of rocks and in the Egyptian pyramids, but did you know that people also chiseled their messages and words into smaller pieces of stone until one day somebody figured out that they could write on papyrus paper? And then they could roll it up into scrolls which were light enough to transport easily?

And later they even discovered that paper didn't have to just be in scrolls, that it could be made like books (called "codex"). Hmmmm!

Even if it took 'em a few centuries, luckily, convenience has always been on the brain of mankind as motivation for some terrific inventions. Why else do we have cards?

And then came the Internet. But you know, I think people still like something that they can touch and feel. Plus you can keep cards as keepsakes or mementos from loved ones. Have you ever tried to keep the Internet as a memento or keepsake? Let alone carry around the side of a cliff painted with your own personal petroglyphs?







About specialty papers

So, fast forward to card making: Specialty papers to the rescue for creating our cards and keepsakes.

Rice papers - Did you know that rice paper is actually made from the bark of the mulberry tree, and from the pulp of other types of plants, not from rice?

I love rice paper because it comes in so many unexpected hues and textures. Many are embedded with leaves, flower petals, and lots of other exotic and interesting fibers.

Patterned papers - these provide an infinite variety of colors and styles to add some punch to your card design.

In that category are also the beautiful Japanese patterned papers that are made for doing origami. In my humble opinion, these are truly classy and underrated specialty papers.

Vellum paper is sort of sheer. Many delicate effects can be achieved using it. Wedding invitations are often made of vellum over a pretty piece of handmade paper tied together with ribbon to create an elegant, yet sort of rustic feel combined.

Metallic specialty papers come in many colors and make great accents to your card backgrounds. Or you can use the shaped paper punches on them to create embellishments.

International papers: Lots of gorgeous papers come from overseas, from Asia, India, Japan, Africa, and many other areas of the world.


Handmade paper: Most of the handmade papers available today come from overseas. You can indeed make your own surprisingly easily, but it does take time. A great summer-time craft project to do on your patio or in your garage.


Tissue paper: This humble paper has terrific applications for card making as it can be crumpled up and painted over to create interesting textures.

When you think tissue paper, think toilet tissue paper! I remember my grandmother using toilet paper in a card making class to make her own cards with botanicals beneath the pressed, crinkled toilet paper. Talk about a humble paper, did you ever think, toilet tissue? If not, think again! You could say that it is one of the more "humble" specialty papers--click here to see this toilet-tissue card project. Nevertheless it is quite useful in more ways than one!

Packaging paper and paper bags: Both these papers have that great earth tan color that you can make look antique. You can wet it, crumple it up, let it dry, and “antique” it by rubbing inks over the crinkles. Or try stamping a cool rubber stamp on it in say a brown or even cream color ink. Now this stuff is evolving very nicely from its own humble origins to being a truly classy and versatile specialty paper.

Well, I know there are lots of other specialty papers that I cannot list here, but this list will almost certainly provide you an array to start out with, if not down right overwhelming, if you really think about it! More types of craft and card making paper will be mentioned in projects elsewhere on this site.