Inking Basics

I love ink.

More often than not, my fingers are inky, and on more than one occassion I've got some on my clothes. But I still love ink!

To really talk about all the attributes of ink would take longer than most people would care to read about in a blog post, so I'll try and keep this as short as I can while still including as much information as I can. I'm not going to talk about all inks, but a few of my favourites and the reasons why I love them!

Colorbox Chalk Ink by Clearsnap

Why I love this ink:

• The colours are vibrant, and there are plenty to choose from.
• It dries instantly, which means you can continue on with your project, without needing to heat set, or wait for it to dry.
• It stamps beautifully - it feels like such a pleasure to use.
• It comes in cat's eyes, mini or full inkpads, as well as queues and paint boxes. You can buy colours together, or seperately and you can buy re-inkers.
• It has a chalky finish, without the chalky residue!

Perfect Medium by Ranger

Why I love this ink:

• Technically, it's not an ink! But it is perfect for using with embossing as it stays wet long enough to work with.
• The pad is 'sticky', which means I can feel where my stamp has been inked, even if I can't necessarily see it!
• Great for use with chalks, and with Perfect Pearls.
• It's easy to use and always provides a great result!

Distress Inks by Tim Holtz and Ranger

 

 

Why I love this ink:

• For starters, it's so versatile!
• Great for stamping with, and for acheiving a distressed look.
• Reinkers are available and come in the cutest little glass dropper bottles!
• Embossable.
• They're water-based, and as such, you can do all sorts of fun things with them when you add water!
• Phenomenal colours available, with the coolest 'distressed' names.
• For perfect matching, there are also embossing powders and crackle paints in the same colours.

Vivid! Ink by Clearsnap

Why I love this ink:

• The colours live up to it's name - vivid!
• There are plenty to choose from.
• Stamps clear every time!

Ancient Page by Clearsnap

Why I love this ink:

• It's permanent.
• It's waterproof, which makes it the perfect ink to use with my watercolour crayons!
• The pad itself has a 'skin' on it, which makes inking stamps feel nice and smooth.
• It's my 'go-to' ink, for stamping sentiments and outline images.

There are many more great and wonderful things that can be said about each of these ink types, but I just wanted to share why I love them. And, these aren't the only ink types available. Each type of ink has a different and specialised use.

What kinds of inks do you like? I'd love to see your comments in the section below, but in the mean time, happy inking!