Review: The Paperbox card and paper, part II

A little while ago I reviewed a box of goodies from The Paperbox Ltd. Today, I continue the review showing a few makes along with some notes.

EMBOSSING

Pearlescent card and paper are great for embossing as it catches the light and emphasises the embossed and debossed areas. There is a sweet point, however, where paper will hold the embossing without tearing and card will not crease around the edges. I didn’t try the paper (yet), but the card is just that little bit too heavy to emboss without crinkling at the edges but the creases on my card aren’t too noticeable. I suggest using the minimum thickness of shim in your embossing machine that you can whilst still getting an impression. And the photo is one of those debates – is it embossed or debossed… or both?

Die-cutting

I used a die set from my time on the Creative Expressions design team. Now, die-cutting isn’t really my thing – I don’t like all the poking that is required to clear the fancy dies. But here goes…

Unfortunately, the pearlescent doesn’t show up very well in the photo. I can reassure you the navy blue pearlescent paper background is particularly pretty. The white is the same card as in the first photo. The card cuts smoothly and holds its shape when mounted on foam pads. Great results.

Electronic cutter

I have a Silhouette Cameo and decided that I should give the pearlescent card a go. I have had problems in the past cutting 300gsm weight card – some is quite fibrous and catches the blade. Others are just that little bit too thick to cut cleanly without dragging off the sticky mat. I did all my calibrations and set it up for a two-pass cut using my own cut file to make a self-closing box.

The card cut cleanly and smoothly with no catching – a perfect result! Score lines were easy (if slightly too deep) and the card folded without splitting. The pearlescent finish sets the box off a treat, and I could easily see this as a (rather large) wedding favour box or a (rather small) gift box.

Conclusion

Overall, I thought the card was great – the pearlescent finish is very pretty and sets off the embossing really nicely. Dialling in the correct settings for embossing and electronic cutting is worth the effort for a perfect result. The paper and card I used are available by mail order at The Paperbox Ltd and were supplied as samples for independent review.