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Maybe it's just the shade I have? I only have the raspberry and all the clear stamps I've used it on - even with cleaning them, which I'm usually too lazy to do and just stamp off instead - are still bright pink. And it did not come off my hands despite copious amounts of scrubbing for about 2 days.
I've never used Vivid ink in raspberry. I know now to avoid that one. Thanks for the heads up.
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Originally Posted by mrslaird
Kristin, you can shop at Texas Art Supply for ink, too. They have some different things. And there's Archiver's if you're ever way on the other side of Houston. There's also Novel Approach in Friendswood way on this side (I'm in Pearland) and there's at least one other LSS somewhere that's still open.
We have By Design in Clear Lake, Scrapbook Emporium in Baytown.
There's a store in Spring as well - Scrapping Savvy I think it's called.
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. - Albert Einstein
Here is a silly question but have you added water or "refresher" to your pads? That would make the ink bead up or maybe you are in a really humid enviroment? I have found that spongy type ink pads work best on the clear cheaper stamps. I bought one of those ink pad caddies with a 50% off coupon at ACM a few years back (I might add about all of the pads needed reinking immediatly) and I reinked with SU! reinkers and they work great with my clear cheapies! For my high quality clear stamps (you can tell they are good because if you open the package of stamps and take a whiff they have a slightly sweet oder) I use my dye base SU ink mostly. I use memento if I want to color with Promarkers or Copics and I use versafine for the trickist detail stamps or if I need to emboss.
Also if you store you inkpads upside down it will keep th dye based ink ready to go, I'd try that before you buy more pads
We have By Design in Clear Lake, Scrapbook Emporium in Baytown.
There's a store in Spring as well - Scrapping Savvy I think it's called.
Thanks! I could not for the life of me remember By Design. Didn't know about the other two. One of these days I'll have to check them out. Still sad I never made it to Lone Star Scrapbooking before they closed.
__________________ Paula "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don’t always spoil the good things, or make them unimportant. - The Eleventh Doctor
I've never used Vivid ink in raspberry. I know now to avoid that one. Thanks for the heads up.
It's a great color and stamps really well, I just have some pink stamps.
__________________ Paula "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don’t always spoil the good things, or make them unimportant. - The Eleventh Doctor
Whoa, it looks like I'm gonna have to take some more notes. :p Thanks for all the replies.
One more question about these evil ink pads: Do chalk inks have to be heat set in order to dry? (I think I'm going to try the Versamagic Dew Drop chalk inks first, to use inside my cuttlebug embossing folders).
I read an article where they said you don't have to heat set them; that the ink would just take longer to dry by not heat setting. However, 98% of the time I'm reading about people heat setting the darn things anyway.
What gives? :confused:
Oops. Okay, this reminds me of one more last question: Does regular pigment ink HAVE to be heat set? (Forgive me if someone already answered this. If you did, just ignore me because I'll find the answer by re-reading this thread tomorrow. My computer is being s-l-o-w right now).
I really do thank all of you for all your help. It is appreciated. ;)
Kristin
__________________
*~"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." ~*
Click HERE If Bored
I find Chalk inks dry in a decent time period- I have never heat set mine except when using Embossing powders with them. They are a hybrid ink- in between dye and pigment ink.
Chalk inks will dry on their own, takes a little while tho. They are often recommended for using with clear stamps. Pigment ink also will dry on its own, depending on the surface, after a while. The more porous the surface, the faster it will dry. Also you asked if it was ok to use pigment ink on Woodmounted rubber stamps- definitely no problem with that, they work fine & clean up easily. Just remember, if you are not heat setting, lay your stamping somewhere safe, so nothing smudges!:(
Just remember, if you are not heat setting, lay your stamping somewhere safe, so nothing smudges!:(
Like away from the cats. Lol! Whenever I'm surrounding by crafting supplies, they want to lie on them. The dogs, too, because when they see those supplies come out they suddenly want attention and to be admired and told how beautiful they are. ;)
Thanks for all of your help. I'm gonna have to print all this out.
__________________
*~"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." ~*
Click HERE If Bored
If you read this entire post, I'd reach for the aspirin.
So here it is after 3 am and I'm going mad researching different ink pads for stamping... yet again.
Today I practiced with 3 kinds of ink on my clear stamps and wooden rubber stamps: "Versafine" (Onyx Black), "Memento" (a few pretty colors), and one "Stampabilities" (a really light blue color). All were dye inks, so I took the advice I read in several places; rubbing a white eraser over the clear stamps.
It looked absolutely dreadful. We're talking the dog's breakfast here. :( No matter the stamp - rubber or clear - the ink looked watery/beaded. Only on one large rubber stamp did the "Versafine" black ink look perfect. (I didn't experiment with that stamp via the other ink pads).
I even saw a YouTube video where they used "Memento" ink on their cuttlebug folder. I tried that today and it, too, looked a little watery. The brighter colors looked horrible. The pale colors looked better, but as I said... watery.
Will using a pigment ink work better on the cuttlebug folders and clear stamps both? If so, which brands do you prefer? (I've watched so many videos and read so many articles and blogs that I'm overwhelmed. I'm overwhelmed and I just cannot continue spending money on inks that aren't working right, so any advice is appreciated. After reading your replies, I'm giving up on all my research). I almost bought some pigment inks today, but erroneously thought my mother already had some that I could experiment with.
And is it true that pigment inks on the regular wooden rubber stamps are a bad idea? If so, I'm at a loss because the "Versafine" dye ink I used on those today didn't look too great. Some of them were okay, but I've seen better results elsewhere.
Also, do pigment inks HAVE to be heat set in order to dry? (Please say no because I don't have a heat tool yet :confused: ). If not, just how long will it take?
I was up to my ears in ink pads and reinkers and remedied the problem by going to one brand of ink...Clearsnap. They have excellent products and fantastic customer service, so it was an easy decision.
Clearsnap Fluid Chalk is great with clear stamps...although I've had good results with Crafters.
A basic pigment ink (regardless of brand) is used on absorbent surfaces; if used on glossy surfaces (including glossy or coated papers), they must be covered with embossing powder which is heated til it melts.
I always heat set Crafters, Fluid Chalk and Ancient Page...regardless of the ssurface I've stamped. More than worth the few seconds it takes.
I can't tell you how much I enjoy using only one brand of ink. That decision has saved me money, space, time and frustration.
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Originally Posted by mrslaird
Thanks! I could not for the life of me remember By Design. Didn't know about the other two. One of these days I'll have to check them out. Still sad I never made it to Lone Star Scrapbooking before they closed.
by design used to be one of my favorites... right around the time of the roundup - they changed their store - they only have about half of what they used to have and now they have a bunch of trinkety stuff - clothing and boutique crap....
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. - Albert Einstein
If you don't want to spend so much on buying a heat gun and u have a hot plate at home use it. I used hot plate to heat all my ep when I first started stamping. Only got my first heat gun 10years later. U just need to watch the paper to make sure it doesn't burn. Don't hold it too close to the hot plate. Versafine is a very good and reputable brand but not all clear stamps are reputable even those from famous brands.
I wouldn't recommend a hot plate. Not only would that be dangerous because of the large heating area compared to the output of a heat gun, a typical hotplate draws around 1,000 watts of power whereas a typical heat gun is in the range of 320 watts. It would be a waste of electricity, and safer and cheaper in the long run to bite the bullet and buy a gun, especially with a 40% or 50% off coupon.
__________________ Leslie Harnish
Sambro, Nova Scotia
Canada
I have a ton of ink pads and they are all used for different reasons because not one single brand works for every situation. The variance comes with the following IMHO:
Type and quality of stamp - not all stamps are created equal and even with the top companies you can get a stamp that has a flaw in the material (rubber, etc). You may have to condition the stamp or fix it as suggested and sometimes it has a flaw that can't be fixed.
Paper - I tend to spend more to get quality paper but sometimes I'll have a paper that costs less and still works terriffic. It just depends on what you are going to do with it. Less expensive paper may change color and warp when heat set or buckle when heat embossed. Scrapbook papers may have a variety of finishes (smooth, glossy, glittered) all on the same paper so you'll need to have a pad that can work on all of the finishes.
Less glossy papers absorb the ink faster than smooth finished papers. With glossy papers the ink floats on top so and some inks will not soak into the paper even if you heat set it.
Climate - humidity, dry heat, etc. can affect how inks dry, vary the moisture content of the paper, etc.
Technique - some inks are more suited towards a specific technique but that is not to stay that other inks won't also work but it does help to have the right kind of pad. Craft/pigment ink is great for heat embossing but you can substitute with a Versamagic and a dye pad.
Stamp Pad Storage - most stamp pads should be store upside down. There are brands that do not require it (SU is one) and people will say it's not necesary but my pads are stored this way and are still juicy after years of use. Keep stamp pads out of direct sunlight and heat. If you really like a color buy the reinker so you can touch it up now and then and if the company retires the color you can still use your ink pads.
I don't store my cats eye and dew drop style pads upside down. I've had the ink leak out.
Personal Stamping Techniques
We all have a preference on how to load the ink onto the stamp and I find that they all seem to work but the bottom line is you have to look at your stamp after you coat it with ink to see if you have a good coverage of ink. Ink can pool and not completly cover the stamp, you can over ink if the pad is juicy, etc. I tend to let the ink settle a little bit before I stamp to get rid of any marks from the pad surface.
Is your worksurface hard or soft? Put some kind of pad (newspaper, foam mat, phone book, thick soft cutting mat) under your paper give a better image.
Holding the stamp onto the paper a few seconds lets the ink soak in especially true on paper that doesn't have a smooth finish.
Experimentation - not everything you read is going to work for you. Part of this hobby is that you have to be willing to experiment. Sometimes it's frustrating to buy something only to find it won't work as advertised, advice from others, or not like you thought.
There are times when I'll try 5 or more brands of my stamp pads until I find the one that will work. If I only used the same paper then I could have one brand of pads and be just fine. But I stamp on scrapbbok paper, variety of cardstocks, glossy paper, acetate, chipboard, etc. so this means I need a variety of pads. Most stamp pads have a description of thier suggested use listed on the label. I've found some to be true and some not, but it's a decent guideline of what to expect.
I wouldn't recommend a hot plate. Not only would that be dangerous because of the large heating area compared to the output of a heat gun, a typical hotplate draws around 1,000 watts of power whereas a typical heat gun is in the range of 320 watts. It would be a waste of electricity, and safer and cheaper in the long run to bite the bullet and buy a gun, especially with a 40% or 50% off coupon.
I agree, plus it would take a lot longer to heat the plate up, a lot longer to cool it down, and would heat up your room in the process.
I think in your case it really does come down to the paper. I have stamped semi-glossy paper with stayzon and had to have the project sit overnight in order for the ink to set, even with heat setting. I have also stamped acetate with stayzon and had to have it sit for many days. In the end, you should probably just stamp various surfaces with various types of ink and note your drying times and image quality.
(by the way Leslie, thanks for the welcome to the East Coast - some of the friendliest people I've ever met! Cordially, an Ontario yahoo from the middle part of Canada!)
__________________ Elizabeth
---------------------------------------
Hand over the chocolate, and no one will get hurt!
(by the way Leslie, thanks for the welcome to the East Coast - some of the friendliest people I've ever met! Cordially, an Ontario yahoo from the middle part of Canada!)
I welcome you into the club of East Coasters LOL! I'm normally very friendly except when provoked LOL!!!!
__________________ Leslie Harnish
Sambro, Nova Scotia
Canada
I see that you two (lharnish and flash&rusty) have carried on with this rediculous rant into another thread! Thanks alot! I made an honest and sincere apology and it's so nice to know that you two are carrying on making fun of me on another thread.
I made a mistake, apologized for it. I think you two should consider your own actions. You should both be ashamed.
I've seen mention of using fun foam and the white cushion layer that goes underneath laminate flooring as a base for stamping on. Has anyone tried both and have a preference? I sometimes use a piece of foam for piercing but find it a bit too firm, depending on the stamp set. I also haul out the layer from my CTMH stamps. I haven't tried the fun foam and was wondering how those two methods compare.
__________________ Leslie Harnish
Sambro, Nova Scotia
Canada
The only clear stamps I have used are Verve clear stamps. I was expecting to have trouble because of what I have read here. I was so pleased.They stamp great the first time right out of the package. I used walmart white cardstock or Michael's cardstock. I used Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black. good luck.
I see pretty much every ink was covered. Why am I not surprised? Everyone has their favorite. It took a while for someone to mention Vivid, the gal from Stamps of Life, Stephanie (who has videos and a really good one- stamping 101 The {Stamps} of Life By Stephanie Barnard - Videos - Stephanie's Stamping Tips ) recommends that for her clear stamps in a future video though, she must have been experimenting too. I don't have any of them, I don't think. If you try Brillance ink it will dry without heat setting, even on glossy cardstock, that was one of the initial selling points of it and it does.
I mostly use Memento now but it totally depends on what I'm stamping. love my Distress inks and some SU ink colors and versafine for detail images etc. etc.
You'll get it figured out, you have some great advice here.
it look like everything that could be said has been said. but i'll still add my two-penneth-worth!!!
make sure when you ink your stamp up that you lay your stamp face up on the table and ink up that way so you can see that the stamp is well inked with an even coverage.
with silhouette style stamps you might find either a pigment ink (and embossing powder for which you DO need a heat gun) or use a die ink and use a waterbrush to even out the colour.
i have to say i use Versafine with my clear stamps no problem and find i don't get as clear an impression with the memento.
i can't speak for the cardstock as over here in the UK we can't get the majority of you use over there but i do find that a smoother surface prefers dye inks. a much crosper impression.
of course your other alternative is to go for digi images, but of course those are harder to watercolour depending on your computer ink!!
I remember when I bought my first stamps and ink - both the cheap $1 kind, and was ready to go. I had been reading Paper Crafts magazines from the library and was so excited to try this new craft. My stamping turned out horrible. I'm sure my husband and pocketbook wish I'd just given up the, but I didn't. I now drool every month over PTI and wonder if he'll notice I've spent more $ on stamps
The problem wasn't the cheap stamps and ink, it was I was stamping on textured AC card stock. Maybe pro's much better than me can do it, but I still can't. I do have some PTI paper now, but I mostly use just the plain old paper from M and J. I love my Versafine and Versamark. When using colored card stock and Versamark, it's like you have a coordinating ink. Just make sure the watermarking shows up on your choice of color - too light/too dark can be a problem.
I have tons of the cheap stamps and realize that when I'm using them they won't be as perfect as my PTI ones, but I have such a large collection without breaking the bank. Plus, my kids can use them without me having a heart attack.
The juicier dye ink pads are the ones that tend to bead up on your stamps. If you turn the stamp over after inking it, you can see the beads (I think this come from too much water in the ink). Lay your stamp down (inked image up) for a few seconds and you will begin to see those beads disappear. Once the beads are gone, I huff on the stamp and get good images this way, both with clear and rubber stamps.
Also, I have a foam mat made by Darice specifically to be used as a stamping surface. It's much denser than fun foam - it makes all the difference in the world! And for a measly $4, it has saved me lots of headaches and hassle.
Hope you find the right combination that works for you!
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
I am new to spamping/cardmaking.. but I have tried several brands of ink, Stampin Up, Tim Holtz Distressed, Archival and a few others, I have had the best luck with TIm Holtz Distressed.
My problem is, what is the best stamp cleaner? Some stamps come clean with mild soap and water, I have a couple that were new and used only a couple times, that are red or grey rubber that will not come clean. I've bought 2 brands of cleaners and still can't get it off.
Any suggestions?
Regarding clear stamps.... I have found if you sand the top before using you will get a better stamp. You can use the sanding blocks that you can buy at a drug store in the nail products department. Any of you out there that have acrylic nails know they use a sanding block as one of the steps when doing your nails and you can buy these at Walmart for around a $1 as well. Stampin up also sells a set of two for under $4.00. I have been doing this for a while and have passed it on to other clear stamp stampers and all say they get great results and it doesn't hurt the stamp.
Another thing I do with new stamps (nobody cringe now) is lightly rub them across the ink pad. I do this in all directions, and then tap, tap, tap on the ink pad for even coverage. For some reason rubbing the stamps, especially acrylics, keeps the ink from getting all beady and watery looking.
The other big tip mentioned several times above is the stamping surface. It makes a huge difference and can really improve the quality of your impressions. I use a cutting mat on a solid countertop and add a cushiony mouse pad for acrylics.
Good luck, and try not to get frustrated. Remember, we do this for fun!
__________________ : : Frances : : Housework is for people without hobbies.
When I first started using acrylic stamps I used SU inks and they did not cover at all. So I quit using acrylics.Then I purchased Memento (tuxedo black) and that covers and gives a really nice image on acrylic and rubber. Someone told me to season my acrylics with Staz on. stamp with it and don't clean your stamp with a cleaner. Since I started using memento I have had no problems with clear images.
I don't have anything new to add except my experience
Memento didn't work for me with Hero Arts Stamps on PTI paper. Though I see LateBlossom use the same combination and get lovely results. So it's either user error or my climate!
I've tried Versacolor with Hero Arts and PTI and though it doesn't bead, I still long for a richer and darker image.
The only Brilliance ink I have is the black and I love that! The image is crisp and the color is rich. I got a dew drop because I was so tired of buying inks. I'm now planning to get a few brilliance dew drops and try them out.
Even after 4 years of stamping I'm still looking for the right ink :rolleyes: So don't lose heart
I am new to spamping/cardmaking.. but I have tried several brands of ink, Stampin Up, Tim Holtz Distressed, Archival and a few others, I have had the best luck with TIm Holtz Distressed.
My problem is, what is the best stamp cleaner? Some stamps come clean with mild soap and water, I have a couple that were new and used only a couple times, that are red or grey rubber that will not come clean. I've bought 2 brands of cleaners and still can't get it off.
Any suggestions?
Try inking up the dirty stamps with a clear VersaMark pad and then cleaning them. I had some red rubber that was stained with my blue VersaMagic chalk ink and none of my cleaners worked on it - even the one that I've used with great success to clean dried-on Staz-On. But something in the VersaMark pad did something to the ink stain and when I cleaned the stamp with my homemade mixture of simple green, water & glycerine, the stain was gone.
Who knew stamping could be so complicated. This all hurts my head a bit. Fortunately I have always been lucky with the inks I've purchased without really giving them too much thought! I will now.
Someone posted that they thought the A Muse Studio inks were the same as Impress Fresh Ink but they smell very different. Has anyone else noticed this? Every ink pad I have has a different smell and they all seem to work a little differently. Is it weird that I notice this?
I never post since so many have great solutions but in regards to heat setting your pigment ink (using embossing powder I assume) you can use an iron. I was shown this by s Stampin Up consultant in the early 1990's, just put it on low to med. heat, keep iron upright on flat surface and put the back side of the stamped card stock against the iron moving it around until it is set. This way you can see how much you will like embossing before you invest in a heat gun. I did this for a while until I found a small heat gun on clearance for $4 and after 10 yrs it is still works great (my sons even used it with shoe paste to get a shine on their shoes!) Bottom line, if embossing a lot get a heat gun (but use a coupon).
I never post since so many have great solutions but in regards to heat setting your pigment ink (using embossing powder I assume) you can use an iron. I was shown this by s Stampin Up consultant in the early 1990's, just put it on low to med. heat, keep iron upright on flat surface and put the back side of the stamped card stock against the iron moving it around until it is set. This way you can see how much you will like embossing before you invest in a heat gun. I did this for a while until I found a small heat gun on clearance for $4 and after 10 yrs it is still works great (my sons even used it with shoe paste to get a shine on their shoes!) Bottom line, if embossing a lot get a heat gun (but use a coupon).
Back in the 'old days,' we used that iron method (we put the iron upside down in a loaf pan to hold it steady as we moved the paper back and forth over the sole of the iron), the toaster (the card was placed over the slots of the toaster, and the handle was pushed down...the coils in the toaster heated enough to melt the powder), and last, but not least, those little coffee mug warmers were put into service as powder melters. The small size of the warming pad was a bit of a pain though.
I usually went with the toaster method...til I almost burned down the house (some powder dropped on the coils, and the results were a little firey). That's when I got a heat gun.
I like Marvy inkpads because they are a foam texture, and the felt ones I have the cloth layer on top tends to come off after a few years. To precondition clear stamps, I use one of the white stick erasers that you push up to extend the eraser. Most pencil erasers today are junk.
Neat tip about the iron for heat setting. Never thought of that one.
Kristen, looks like you have gotten lots of good tips on inks, stamps and such. Please keep trying, when I first started stamping, I did not come close to getting the results I wanted, however, with time and practice, you will find your "groove" in stamping. If you are looking for another good line of clear stamps, try Clear Dollar Stamps, these are pretty economical and do a nice job with most of the pigment, dye and distress inks. One of the greatest things about stamping is there is no wrong way to do it and any "oops" can be covered, or better yet highlighted as an I meant to do that becoming a great focal point of a card or page. Hope you find your joy and "groove" soon!
__________________ Grace My Blog "Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa
I read it all and yepper got a headache lol , please use a better paper. To stamp an image place your paper on a mouse pad or an alike surface, hard flat dosen't work so good. If you simply can not get a heat tool use a toaster, the heat that wafes up above (toasting bread will help set your ink. (Will also burn and warp your paper if you get to close, do not bother trying this if you decide to use powders, buy the heat tool.) If your image smudges along the edges or a word won't work out for you...use your snips and trim around the image till you have what you want. Nothing ventured nothing gained... the inks your using are great and just need some good paper under them. Hope this helps happy stamping.......Anita
I also sand all of my clear stamps with 320 grit sandpaper before I use them. This helps to create more of a surface for the ink to grab onto plus it gets rid of any residue on the stamp itself. In general I find that pigment inks tend to work best after this, though dye inks don't do as poorly as if you didn't sand the stamps.
I have been reading this blog. I live where the climate is rather dry and have not had many problems with the ink. I do wish other posters would not use letters rather than spelling out what they are abreviationg because I do not know what they are referring to.
I have been reading this blog. I live where the climate is rather dry and have not had many problems with the ink. I do wish other posters would not use letters rather than spelling out what they are abreviationg because I do not know what they are referring to.
Nancy, check out this list of abbreviations. Hope it helps. I know it is confusing when folks don't spell things out.
Evil Ink..and it stains hands and clothes oh my
