April's Review	Andrea's Review	Catherine's Review	Chris' Review	Stephanie's Review

Review by April

To compete with all the new scrapbooking products coming into the market, a new company would need to bring something unique to the table. Liberty Scrapbook Supply has definitely brought a unique and amazingly cool product to the table with their new ColorCore Cardstock! When I first saw this cardstock at the Craft and Hobby Association in February this year, I was instantly intrigued and anxious to get my hands on it. Every sheet of Core'dinations Cardstock has a core color that coordinates with its surface color. I am a huge fan of sanding and distressing on my layouts, and when I saw the product information, I remember thinking how awesome this cardstock would be to work with. Anytime you tear the cardstock, antique it, sand it, or distress it, the core color is revealed and to me it's like the icing on top of the cake!

There are an incredible 320 ColorCore Cardstock colors to choose from, and all of them are exceptional, acid free, 80lb canvas textured cardstock sheets. Each sheet has a tab at the top that shows an example of the "core color" or what you would call the interior color of the sheet. So just to begin with, you already have a double-sided sheet of cardstock that would be perfect for a variety of projects, especially cards. All of the cardstock colors are striking and you can choose to simply use the cardstock as is, or spice it up by using numerous distressing techniques.

There are four main cardstock categories: All in the Family Packs, Black Magic Packs, Vintage Collection Packs, and Super Assortment Packs to choose from. When you combine all these together, you have 108 different assorted packs to choose from! The All in the Family collection offers 40 different ColorCore family packs. Each pack contains five sheets of the four colors in the family and the packs are offered in 8.5" x 11" and 12" x 12". There are four different collections in the Super Assortments pack: So Mod, Roy G. Biv, Elements, and Nostalgia. Each of these packs come with two sheets each of 40 different colors, making a total of 80 sheets per pack. The Super Assortment packs are available in 1.75" x 12", 4.5" x 6.5", 6" x 6", 8.5" x 11", and 12" x 12". The Vintage Collection packs are totally unique because they come pre-sanded, so they already have a vintage feel. You can choose the Classic Sunshine pack which contains classic pastel colors, the Retro Mod Squad pack that contains bright and sassy colors of the 60's, the Reminisce pack that boasts a flashback to the muted tones of the 50's, or the Flower Power pack which is a collection of soft tonal colors. Each assorted Vintage pack has one sheet of 20 different colors and is available in 12" x 12". Last but not least, are the Black Magic Packs. The Black Magic packs are my absolute favorite because I normally choose black or white cardstock to scrap with anyway, only you get the extra bonus of a second core color...what could be better right? Each sheet of Black Magic has a black surface with a phenomenal underlying core color that is exposed after being distressed. There are four different packs in this collection: Potion No.9 which is a mixture of primary pastel colors; Hocus Pocus which is a collection of bright colors; Spell Caster which is filled with rich tonal colors, and Cauldron which provides a collection of tonal pastels. Each of these packs are available in 12" x 12" and have one sheet each of 20 different colors.

For this review, I received a generous pack of cardstock, filled with sheets from the Black Magic Collection, the Vintage Collection, and a variety of other core colored cardstock. I thought all of the cardstock colors were exquisite and couldn't wait to start creating!

All of the cardstocks were beautifully colored, I was instantly attracted to the Vintage Collection and it's somewhat stonewashed appearance. On my first layout, I sanded the edges of all of my cardstock which really highlighted each piece! I adhered a sheet of the Serene Vintage cardstock to a chipboard title, cut it out, and also sanded the edges. I absolutely loved how simply sanding the edges of everything made it just pop right off the page! To complete the design, I added a few stickers and then used my finger to spread some glitter glue on the cardstock bubbles.

Title: Bubble Time
Products used: Cardstock (Core'dinations Vintage Collection, & Black Magic)
Chipboard (Fancy Pants, & Heidi Swapp)
Stickers (7gypsies)
Glitter Glue (Ranger)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner, Zots)

Instead of tearing, I have started using an edge distressing tool on my papers and I have to say that when I tried it on this cardstock, I achieved hands down the best results ever! I loved the two-toned torn/distressed look I achieved after using my distressing tool. It was eye catching and absolutely stunning! Normally, I would need to use paint or ink to achieve this desired effect and even then it wouldn't look as clean. To antique the journaling block, I simply crumpled up the cardstock, then sanded over the top. It instantly highlighted the folds in the cardstock and gave it a unique antiqued feel. For the title, I simply laid a chipboard title underneath the Black Magic cardstock and used a sanding block to sand over the top of it. So easy, yet so cool and impressive.

Title: Dreamer
Products used: Cardstock (Core'dinations Black Magic Collection, & Super Assortments)
Patterned Paper (Making Memories)
Overlay (Hambly Screen Prints)
Glitter Glue (Ranger)
Chipboard for Embossing (Fancy Pants)
Pens (Sakura & American Crafts)
Stamp (Staedtler MasterCarve)
Paint (Ranger Paint Dabber)
Die Cuts (Daisy D's, & Autumn Leaves)
Paper clips (EK Success)
Stickers (Making Memories)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner, Zots)

I often find myself using mostly black, white, or kraft colored cardstock when creating layouts because these colors allow me to use a larger variety of colored embellishments and patterned papers, as well as producing dramatic effects! What I think is so awesome about Core'dinations Black Magic Collection, is the fact that you can reveal gorgeous colors beneath the surface of the black just by distressing it in a variety of ways. It provides the perfect touch to a dramatic layout and you control the end result. To complete my third layout, I punched holes around the edge of my black cardstock and placed another core colored sheet behind it. I used an edge distresser on the edges of the Black Magic cardstock, and then covered a large chipboard heart with a beautiful core colored sheet and sanded it for an overall distressed look!

Title: Hugs & Love
Products used: Cardstock (Core'dinations Black Magic Collection & Super Assortments)
Glitter Glue (Ranger)
Chipboard (Making Memories, & Maya Road)
Jeweled Brad (Karen Foster)
Pen (Sanford Uniball)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

After reviewing this product, I can honestly say that is has renewed my interest again in experimenting with cardstock colors other than just black, white, and kraft. I am truly excited about this product and look forward to creating more projects with the bountiful cardstock supply Core'dinations provided us with for this review! I would highly recommend that all crafters get their hands on this fabulous new cardstock and I guarantee you will adore it!

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Review by Andrea

Cardstock, by it's nature, is used as a foundation for many paper crafts - something to be built on and embellished. Texture is often the dividing point among manufacturers, waffle, weave, linen or smooth are just a few of the differentiations with each having their specialty. Color variety and core color are 2 other characteristics often referred to when deciding which cardstock is appropriate for the task. Who doesn't love a great base for a scrapbook page or project? Well, the market has just gotten A LOT more interesting with the entry of Liberty Scrapbook Supply with its Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock which has all of those features and more.

We received a terrific sampling of 3 types of Core'dinations 12" x 12" cardstock: 4-color monochromatic "All in the Family", "Vintage" and "Black Magic" - all cardstock but VERY different features. Each collection of the acid and lignin-free cardstock has a colored core that accents or "coredinates" with the surface color. This internal color is not white and is actually sandwiched between 2 layers of the outer color. In other words, both sides have the same color with the inside being that complementary shade. There is a 3/8" tab extending from one side to show the core color, making it an easy visual indicator when planning a project. There is a canvas weave texture on one side and a relatively smooth texture on the other side. Both sides have a light semi-gloss clear coat which provides a slight sheen to the paper, but does not disturb the color.

One of the company slogans is "sand it, tear it, antique it, keep it", aptly conveying the color core feature and its possibilities. All of the collections can be distressed in those ways yielding different results. Let's walk through the collections so that you can understand the differences between each one.

• "All in the Family" - has the same non-distressed color on both sides of the paper and the complementary shade in the middle. There are 4 shades per color family over the 40 different families available in 8 1/2" x 11" and 12" x 12" sizes. This line has the most versatility as far as sanding, tearing, crumpling or leaving as is.
• "Super Assortments" - takes shades from the "All in the Family" packs, but groups in according to types of shades instead of monochromatics, like earthtones, brights, heritage and lights. There are 40 different colors in each of the 4 different families. There are also 5 different sized packs ranging from 1 3/4" x 12" to 12" x 12".
• "Vintage" - has the textured side already sanded for you to reveal the internal color. It is uniformly sanded so that the whole sheet shows the distressed texture. Great for heritage and "grungy" or weathered pages. It has a great look when a torn edge is exposed to offset the sanding. There are 4 Collection packs with 20 different vintage colors each.
• "Black Magic" - has the textured side coated in solid black! The other side is a shade from one of the color families with a complementary core color. Fantastic for those bold and urban looks so popular in today's layouts! Looks great sanded, but I LOVE a torn edge with this one since the contrast is so striking. There are 4 Collection packs with this one too, containing 20 different black and color combinations each.

I couldn't wait to dive into the projects for this review! To start this page, the Black Magic foundation paper needed some sanding. I chose a dark olive green core to go along with the green theme to the page. In the first close-up, you can see the contrast between the sanded and unsanded part of the Black Magic paper. As with traditional cardstock, Core'dinations is easily die cut and punched. The scalloped and straight-edged circles were die cut and the scalloped straight border punched with a corner rounder thumb punch. No pinching or warping happened during either action. Both resulted in a nice clean edge, even in the scalloped items. You can see the nice canvas texture after sanding in the second close-up. I found that the coated paper was not a problem when using a marker or stencil. The ink dried quickly with no feathering or distortion. Check out the tree frog in my front yard!

Title: It's Not Easy Being Green
Products used: Cardstock (Core'dinations: Black Magic and All in the Family ColorCore)
Scalloped Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders)
Embossing & Die Cutting Machine (Spellbinders Wizard)
Corner Rounder Punch (EK Success)
Letter Templates (ABC Tracers & American Traditional Stencil)
Markers (Creative Memories)
Sketch (www.123-scrap.com)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I further explored distressing the cardstock for the next project. The foundation for this page is from the "Vintage" line, providing a great sanded background. The next layer is a piece of "All in the Family" cardstock that was crumpled and sanded over a dotted texture plate. The mat around the picture is "Black Magic" torn to reveal the inner color. The colors all capture the feel of the lunar eclipse - sort of spooky and magical!

Title: Total Lunar Eclipse
Products used: Cardstock (Core'dinations: Vintage, Black Magic and All in the Family ColorCore)
Patterned Paper, Arrow & Sticker (Scenic Route, Loveland)
Transparencies (Hambly Screen Prints)
Texture Mold (TENseconds Studios)
Die Cut Letters (Sizzix Azure)
Sketch (ScrapFriends)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

The next layout showcases the variety of color from one of the "All in the Family" combinations in pink. The close-up reveals the title behind the foundation page with a tear-away feature. The lighter pink core can be seen on the torn piece with the smoother back folded over the front for a nice texture contrast. The paper is a heavy weight, but tears with no extra effort.

Title: Girlfriends
Products used: Cardstock (Core'dinations: All in the Family ColorCore)
Patterned Paper, Die Cut and Printed Transparencies (My Mind's Eye)
Ink (Clearsnap Colorbox Fluid Chalk)
Paint (Ranger Acrylic Paint Dabber)
Staples (Making Memories)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

One additional project that I attempted was stamping an image onto an "All in the Family" sheet with bleach to see if the colored core would come through as a neat effect. Unfortunately it wasn't successful due to the manufacturing process and coating on the paper. I sanded through to the color core and tried again with no luck. This was just a curiosity and doesn't change my positive opinion of the Core'dinations line. Now I know not to use it for that technique!

For a whole bunch of fun with cardstock, don't hesitate at all to pick up some Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock! I absolutely love the colored core and in particular the "Black Magic" line, lots of inspiration for such a staple product in a paper crafter's stash. I would love to have the paper color's name on the tab just so that I knew which one I needed to replace right away! Bravo Liberty Scrapbook Supply, fantastic execution of a new twist on an original product!

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Review by Catherine

Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock has been one of the most talked about new items from CHA this year. The newest concept in cardstock seems to have taken scrapbookers imaginations by storm. Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock is 80 lb. canvas textured cardstock, but what makes this cardstock different is that the core of each sheet is a different color from the surface color. Once it is sanded, torn, or distressed the core color shows through and enhances the surface color. This is definitely one of those products that I was excited to receive, and I know that many scrapbookers have been curious about.

First off, I have to say that I was extremely impressed by my Review Team packet from Core'dinations. I was enthralled by the variety of colors of cardstock that I received. There was a brochure included with the package of cardstock, as well as an informational CD. I soon learned that there are over 320 colors of Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock available. For an initial production run, this is certainly impressive!

Core'dinations ColorCore Cardstock comes in four main categories. Black Magic, which all have a surface color of black with cores of a bright color. The Black Magic Collection comes in four different color varieties. All in the Family, which are monochromatic packs with a lighter colored core to every sheet. There are four different colors in each monochromatic family. The Vintage Collection papers have pre-sanded textured sides, with four different color-themed vintage assortments. The Super Assortments Collections come in four different color themes as well, but pack a whopping 40 different colors in each pack. With so many different types of cardstock, and such a huge variety of colors there is sure to be something to please everyone.

My favorite of the different collections has got to be the Black Magic Collection. I love the fact that I can now dress up black cardstock simply by sanding or tearing it; such a fun concept! For my first project, I decided to emboss an image onto a sheet of the Black Magic Cardstock with a blue core. I then tore the edges of the cardstock and sanded the embossed image. I love the way it turned out!

Title: Crazy Hair
Products used: Cardstock (Core'dinations Black Magic Cardstock)
Patterned Paper (Scenic Route)
Acrylic letters and Stars (The Scrappin' Connection)
Alcohol Ink (Ranger)
Cardstock arrow (Scenic Route)
Stickers (7gypsies)
Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug, Provo Craft)
Die-Cut and Embossing Machine (Wizard, Spellbinders)
Stamp (October Afternoon)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

On my second project, I wanted to use the Core'dinations Vintage Cardstock as my base. I then die-cut and embossed several shapes and sanded the embossed areas. Again, I am extremely impressed with the result!

Title: Natural Beauty
Products used: Cardstock (Core'dinations Color Core Cardstock)
Chipboard Letters (American Crafts)
Alphabet Stickers (Reminisce)
Journaling Sheet (Making Memories)
Chipboard Heart (Heidi Swapp)
Punch (Fiskars)
Ribbon (American Crafts)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I enjoyed embossing and distressing images onto the Core'dinations Cardstock so much that I decided to do it again. I used my Crop-a-dile to emboss circles onto a piece of the Black Magic Core'dinations cardstock, then used sheets of the blue color core cardstock to enhance the layout.

Title: Sitting Up
Products used: Cardstock (Core'dinations Color Core Cardstock)
Journaling Block (October Afternoon)
Metal Plate (Creative Imaginations)
Chipboard Alphabet (Heidi Swapp)
Chipboard Circle (Scenic Route)
Flowers (American Crafts)
Brads (Making Memories)
Punch (Fiskars)
Adhesive (AdTech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

After using the Core'dinations Color Core Cardstock for this review, I have to say that the CHA hype is well-deserved. Innovative, interesting, and quality are the three words I would use to describe Core'dinations Cardstock. If you are looking for a product to make your scrapbooking and papercrafting projects stand out from the rest, then Core'dinations cardstock is it. Find it today!

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Review by Chris

Just when you think that it's not possible to create a "new" cardstock, something comes along that shatters that thought. The latest development in cardstock comes from a company called Core'dinations. This cardstock is a textured, layered paper that includes a colored core which coordinates with the surface color. When you sand or tear the cardstock, that coordinating color is revealed. Awesome!!

The collection currently includes 160 textured, solid-color cardstock colors with a coordinating colored core. In addition, there are 80 colors in the "Black Magic" collection which are black on one side with a colored core and that same color on the back. There also are 80 colors in the "Vintage" collection that have a distressed look to them, where the surface is a mixture of the darker color and the core color. These papers can then be further distressed by tearing and sanding. All the collections coordinate with each other to provide tremendous variety when combining them into one project.

For this review I received a sampling from the three different cardstock choices: ColorCore Cardstock, Vintage and Black Magic. I was impressed with these papers right out of the pack. The paper is 80 pound weight, very substantial and holds up well to all the distress techniques you will love to use on it. The surface on one side has a nice woven canvas texture while the other side is smooth. In the case of the Black and Vintage papers, the black or vintage side is textured, the reverse side is the smooth side.

The Core'dinations paper comes in color families. Each family contains four related colors. I received 2 sheets of each of the four colors in Out To Sea greens, Cobalt Blues and Citrus Oranges. I also received two sheets of each of four colors from the Black Magic Collection, and four different colors of the Vintage Collection.

Each sheet of cardstock has a colored strip that shows you what the core color is. In the case of the Black Magic and Vintage papers, this is also the same color as the back side of the cardstock.

For my first layout, I wanted to put this new cardstock through its paces. I cut a large shape from a sheet from the Vintage Collection and I sanded the edges. The cardstock is certainly heavy enough to hold its shape and extend beyond my background paper. I like how the sanding softened the texture and blended the dark and light shades to form a nice border. I then tore flower petals from a coordinating sheet of the basic Core cardstock and a sheet of Black Magic. I crumpled them and sanded them. What a terrific look! The torn edges revealed the core color as did the sanding over the ridges formed from the crumpling. I also put a strip of the paper through my crimper. This cardstock is a fantastic weight with a nice finish and the ridges from the crimper really hold their dimension. This cardstock passed my tests with flying colors!

Loyal
Products used: Cardstock (Core'dinations, In The Pink; Vintage Collection, Kisses; Black Magic, Summoner)
Patterned Paper (Design Originals)
Die Cut Alphas (Creative Imaginations, Pizzazzill)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

On my second layout, I continued to experiment with the cardstock. I layered colors and tore more edges. I also stamped on it. There is a shiny finish to the surface of the cardstock which caused my dye ink to take a little longer than usual to dry. This delay could be avoided by heat setting the ink or by using a fast drying ink. It was not a significant delay, however.

CHA Friends
Products used: Cardstock (Core'dinations, Ming, Periwinkle, Papaya)
Patterned Paper (My Mind's Eye)
Ink (Ranger, Adirondack, Denim)
Stamps (Autumn Leaves, Hand Drawn Journaling Panels; Inque Boutique, Swirly Borders; Inkadinkado, Bird Assortment, Birds Galore; Sugarloaf, Distressed Alpha, Ancient Alpha)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

Finally, I made a card. For the front, I sanded the cardstock over an embossing plate from TENseconds Studio. The more I sanded, the greater definition I got for the image, and the paper is heavy enough that there was absolutely no tearing or wearing through. I also die cut my greeting. The cardstock cuts well giving a nice, crisp image. I tore a small piece from a Black Magic sheet to back my greeting. I love the contrast between the black and its colored core!

Thanks card
Products used: Cardstock (Core'dinations, Poseidon; Black Magic, Mojo; Prism Prismatics, White)
Embossing plate (TENseconds Studio)
Flowers and rhinestone (Prima)
Die Cut (Sizzix, Sizzlits)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I visited the Core'dinations website where I found wonderful video tutorials on this product, including tearing, crumpling, sanding and inking to create varied levels of distress. These demonstrations really helped me use the cardstock to its full advantage.

Core'dinations surely has a winner on their hands with this new line of cardstock. The coordinating colored core is an extremely innovative and versatile concept. It's surely a terrific way to add depth and dimension to cards and layouts without adding bulk. The contrast in the Black Magic papers is stunning and the Vintage Collection gives a wonderful distress look without all the work. Cardmakers especially will love the coordinating solid backs on this cardstock as a beautiful inside to their cards. I'm sure you thought you had all the cardstock you needed, but I have great news, you don't! You must check out this new innovative cardstock. You'll wonder how you got by without it!

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Review by Stephanie

Liberty Scrapbook Supply is a brand new scrapbook company that debuted at CHA Winter 2008 and I was excited to be able to review their line of cardstock. If you are looking for a very different type of cardstock, then I would strongly suggest you try Core'dinations.

For this review, I received multiple double-sided sheets of heavy weight textured cardstock in assorted colors, a pamphlet of their entire line and a CD. The 5 minute CD had a quick tutorial on creating a layout, but more important showed the entire line and various ways to sand it, ink it, antique it or keep it. The pamphlet showed every base color they have created along with it's core color, organized by collection:

• All in the Family (the colors of the rainbow, plus some)
• Vintage (muted sanded shades in various colors)
• Black Magic (black on one side with a color core and back)
• Super Assortment Packs (includes assorted cardstock from the All in the Family line)

Core'dinations is a very different cardstock line as the core of the cardstock is a different color from it's base. Most cardstocks feature either a white core or a matching core, but Core'dinations has found a way to create an incredible new collection with amazing color combinations. The cardstock is a nice heavy quality, perfect for the base of a layout. One side of the cardstock is textured and the flip side (which is the core color) is plain. This cardstock is also great to use as a card base as it affords you the opportunity to have the interior of the card a coordinating color, rather than plain white.

I found the cardstock easy to tear to bring out the core color; easy to crumple and sand to bring out the core color; and easy to stamp on. Usually stamping on textured cardstock does not leave an even impression; however, I was thrilled to see a perfect impression on the textured side the first time I stamped on it.

My first project is a layout that I have titled Tranquil. It is rare to have a picture of my mother and I together so I took advantage of Core'dinations to show us off. Since I wanted a predominantly blue layout, I selected the papers based on their core colors. I then tore each piece allowing the blue core to show. Using the Scor-It around the layout added a little extra dimension. A few flowers, a die cut title and my layout was complete.

Title: Tranquil
Products Used: Cardstock (Core'dinations)
Die Cuts (Sizzix, Azure)
Flowers (Prima, Nicole)
Brads (Making Memories)
Other (Scor-it)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

Next, I decided to make a selection of cards, using a variety of techniques. For my "Sorry" card, I stamped directly on the textured cardstock without an issue. I wanted to stay focused on the cardstock, so I tore the edges of the cardstock around the stamp, crumpled it, then sanded it to bring out the core color. Then I easily sewed it to the card base. For my "Think Happy Thoughts" card, I again tore the edges of the cardstock and used the Scor it for added emphasis. I stamped directly on the cardstock then embossed it - again the textured side took the stamping and embossing well. For my "Thanks" card, I again tore the cardstock, then ran it through a Cuttlebug embossing folder. This really allowed the core color to show. I again stamped on the cardstock without a problem.

Title: Cards
Products Used: Cardstock (Core'dinations)
Stamps (Stampendous, Art Impressions)
Ink (Ranger)
Embossing Powder (Stampendous)
Ribbon (Maya Road)
Flowers (Prima, Doodlebug, Nicole)
Brads (Making Memories)
Frame (K&Co)
Embossing Folder (Provocraft, Cuttlebug)
Other (Sewing machine, Scor It)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

For my next layout, I used 5 different colors from this collection. I decided to print my journaling directly on the cardstock and was very happy with the result. This is the first time I have been able to print easily on textured cardstock. The print is a little light, but it is legible. Next time, I would probably use a bolder print to make it stand out more. I punched out snowflakes, again, very easy to do. I used rub-ons for my subtitle which easily adhered to the textured paper. I cut the title with a Cricut, layering and tearing the top layer for added dimension.

Title: Spring
Products Used: Cardstock (Core'dinations)
Stamps (Hero Arts, Making Memories)
Ink (StazOn)
Die cut (Provocraft, Cricut)
Brads (Making Memories)
Rub-ons (Making Memories)
Punch (McGill)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

WOW, I absolutely love this cardstock! Stamping, tearing, inking, embossing, punching, die cutting, anything I wanted to do, I was able to. This cardstock is a definite "must have", in my opinion. Great job Core'dinations.

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