When I was at the Adventures in Stamping show in Akron, Ohio last April, I walked past a booth that stopped me in my tracks. The colors were bright and happy, it was adorned with gorgeous wall art, there were sweet little charm necklaces and kits, and then there was paper- BIG paper- perfect for larger projects with my Cricut! That was my introduction to Darcie Heater designs! I was compelled to stop in and have a chat with the adorable Darcie Heater herself- and walked away with some of these amazing papers (and other goodies) to review on CraftTestDummies.
Today I’m going to focus solely on her awesome papers. While generally I can’t “review” paper- usually it’s a subjective thing- Darcie’s paper is an unusual weight and size that makes it unique. (Oh, and the paper designs are gorgeous, too.)
The first thing that strikes you about the papers is their size- these are 12 inches by 18″ and are acid-free. They have a satin-type finish-that is, they aren’t really glossy, but they have more of a “finish” than matte cardstock. Then, when you pick up the paper, you notice that the weight is heavier than copy paper, but not as heavy or stiff as cardstock. As a result, this paper has a high-end look that has great body and is ideal for layering.
Darcie gave me her gift bag template pattern (which retails at $5.99) and has 3 sizes of boxes. Now here’s my disclaimer- I am GRACELESS with scissors- I literally got a C in cutting things out in 3rd grade. But I followed the full-color photo instructions and made this sweet gift bag using two sheets of paper so the inside is finished as well.
I also modified it just a smidge when I realized that these little crepe embellishments from The Girls Paperie coordinated well.
So, before I get ahead of myself, here are a few swatches- how the paper responded to different treatments.
On this sample I used my pinking scissors (far left) my new Edgeabilities dies by Spellbinders (left) and my Martha Stewart border punch. (Far right)
Punches worked nice and cleanly- no ragged edges.
Here, I ran the paper through the Cuttlebug with an embossing folder. The weight of this paper is ideal for embossing!
Because the paper has a light coating, it didn’t absorb the spray mists well. You can see that on the darker colors it just beaded up on top, mostly. But it DID dry and added a nice effect.
And on this little sample, I actually used the Ranger Distress Inks to age down the background and highlights the edges.
These oversize papers retail for $1.33 USD each – I think it’ well worth it!
Stay tuned, we’ll have some other cool Darcie Heater products to talk about in the next few months!
- Spooky Spider Halloween Bookmark Craft - October 24, 2018
- Review and Demo of LDRS Hybrid Ink Pads - October 15, 2018
- Review and Demo of Nuvo Hybrid Inks - October 1, 2018
- Craft Studio Tour and Organization Ideas - September 20, 2018
- Wax Paper Resist Background Technique - March 20, 2018
- Comparison of Liquid Watercolor Markers/Pens - March 16, 2018
- SAI Japanese Traditional Watercolor Brush Markers- Review & Demo - February 23, 2018
- Rinea Metallic Foil Paper & Ghost Ink Review - February 21, 2018
- Jane Davenport debuts at Creativation 2018 & Watercolor Card - February 13, 2018
- Creativation 2018: New Product Showcase - January 20, 2018
Laura says
Ooooo…pretty papers! Where are they available?
Darcie Heater says
Hi Jenny, Thanks so much! I enjoyed meeting you and visiting with you in Akron! Glad you’re having fun with the products… I love the frame!
Karla A says
I used some of these papers to make boxes for a Christmas Tower of Treats.I used the Cricut Expression to cut the box patterns and the paper cut like butter, very smooth. I also cut some more intricate designs for cards using the Cricut Expression,they also cut very neatly, clean and precise.