Saturday, December 10, 2016

Rolodex Cards- Older Is Better??? My Two Cents...

Several people have emailed me with observations about the quality of newer Rolodex cards, with concerns about how thin the paper is.  My older thrift shop Rolodex card holder is filled with slightly yellowing blank cards which seem substantial enough.  I replied to their observations with the following suggestions/ remedies:

WRAP:
I almost always encase each card in another layer of paper, i.e. tissue paper, painted Deli waxed paper, security envelope lining, or perhaps scrapbook paper, often wrapping the whole card before adding collage.

(NOTE:  the thicker the layers, the more difficult it is to get those little tabs at the bottom to accomodate the two guides on the card holder.)

PAINT:
A layer or two of Acrylic paint (Gelli Plate Printing, anyone?) seems to reinforce and slightly thicken a piece of paper.

DOUBLE-UP or LAMINATE:
Glue those thinner cards together in pairs before decorating.  Strength in number?  This might be the "easiest" fix.  OR, you could coat the finished project with clear packaging tape, or perhaps seal it with matte or gloss gel medium.

MAKE-YOUR-OWN:
It is really easy to make your own Rolodex cards using cardstock (which I buy by the thick pack at Wally World).  Just trace around a "real" one, carefully cutting out the two tabs/openings at the bottom, and then slightly round the card corners if you want to.

Voila!

ROLODEX ROCKS!

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