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If you detect an odor that bothers you when they're on your table and your nose is not near them maybe you could leave them open elsewhere for 5 minutes, close them, and do that over the next few days. Ranger CS could probably tell you how long they can be left open before damage is done/they start drying out. Hoping for you!
OT I bought most of the Versafine colors in minis, and like them, very rich, but use them almost entirely for sentiments.
My batch of Distress Oxides arrived four or five days ago, and I have to say that as soon as I opened the padded envelope, there was a chemical smell. Anyway, I put the envelope to one side, as I wasn't really feeling up to any crafting, and went back to it this morning. I'd folded the envelope over, and again, as soon as I opened it up, I could smell a chemical smell. Light, but definitely there. And bear in mind, these pads are still in their protective seal. So, it may be a thing that will vanish in time, I will update when I can tell you more. Also, that was holding the envelope at roughly chest height whilst opening.
Interesting. I'm surprised, since I'm sensitive to smells, though not as much as RachelRose. But I wouldn't use Copics, for example.
During class last night I asked a couple people what they thought about the smell. We were using my set of inks plus a shop set. Their reaction was basically what smell? So it must dissipate.
Well, we'll see. If I can't deal with the odor, it will save me lots of money! ;)!
Thanks, Shaz. Any updates will be appreciated.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
bjeans, looking forward to hear how your class goes with this product! - fifi
The class was wonderful, thank you. I'm still revved today. I wrote a post with a couple techniques and some hints, but it's kind of embarrassing to post because it's so long! lol I'm going to pare it down. Or PM me and I'll email it to you..
In any case, class was terrific, both in terms of grasping how important multiple applications of ink are for some techniques, how using them with regular Distress inks can provide a nice complexity, and, how versatile they are. Fun.
Post it! I don't think anyone will care how long it is! I certainly don't! I'm very interested to read all of your thoughts and what you've learned.
Your experience speaks directly to the thread topic!
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I'd appreciate a post too. Long is good when it's on topic. I ordered eight oxides. Simon Says Stamp did a post on them today. I didn't care for the examples as much as those Jennifer posted. I like my backgrounds to compliment my sentiments not overwhelm them. They were very colorful though. Even if I don't do the water thing I am hoping that the easier blending will be worth it. I liked hearing that some degree of translucency was possible also.
I'd appreciate a post too. Long is good when it's on topic. I ordered eight oxides. Simon Says Stamp did a post on them today. I didn't care for the examples as much as those Jennifer posted. I like my backgrounds to compliment my sentiments not overwhelm them. They were very colorful though. Even if I don't do the water thing I am hoping that the easier blending will be worth it. I liked hearing that some degree of translucency was possible also.
And you can add regular Distress ink to a card made with Oxide ink to get some translucency too. On one card we used Oxide cracked pistachio and vintage photo, but later some regular Distress vintage photo for a darker and translucent addition on top of the more painterly Oxide inks.
We did use water, but in any case, it was lovely. Oxides don't make mud and regular Distress inks can, of course, so you just need to think through it.
Great, thanks. This stuff sounds pretty versatile. Glad I ordered some.
You hit the nail on the head: versatile. If for some crazy weird reason I could only have one ink, this would be it.
It takes time for the ink to reveal everything it can do, but it's worth it. Of course I could be influenced by the gorgeous card designs in class. The instructor (Laura for IO and Memory Box) is amazing.
Thanks for sharing the video... she used beautiful color combinations.
If/when they come out in mini sets like the distress I may give them a try, but for now I'll use Colorbox chalk cat eyes which are a dye/pigment ink.
No, Distress anything is a whole different animal. It is meant to be highly reactive with water. Apparently developing a pigment ink that would be reactive in this way took some doing, if you listen to Tim Holtz talk about it.
Colorbox Chalks are very stable inks. Not meant for Distress Techniques. But beautiful inks for what they do. I love mine.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Here is another video from Tim Holtz ... I think it is great that you can layer the colours without them becoming a muddy colour. If you dry between layers, you can add colours and they will stay true to colour! Am very tempted ... does anyone know how they compare to other hybrids on the market? ie Simon Says Stamp, My Favourite Things, Hero Arts??? ... all of these have more than 12 colours
Can't compare to any of the others, but I'd guess this is just the first release of Oxide colours. Pretty sure over time, all the Distress colours will be released as Oxides.
On the smell issue, I've had mine for a few weeks now, and can't say I notice a smell anymore when working with them, but there is definitely a chemical smell if you put them to your nose. just went and checked so I could update.
Another thing I noticed- they seem very juicy if you smoosh them onto a craft mat, but to me seemed dry when working direct from the pad.
Here is another video from Tim Holtz ... I think it is great that you can layer the colours without them becoming a muddy colour. If you dry between layers, you can add colours and they will stay true to colour! Am very tempted ... does anyone know how they compare to other hybrids on the market? ie Simon Says Stamp, My Favourite Things, Hero Arts??? ... all of these have more than 12 colours
If not using water, complementary colors that make mud can be stamped on top of each other without heat setting. They can be air dried for a few moments - in the time it takes you to get a different color ink and ink up your stamp. IOW, they're dry-ish but not dry.
If using water, you can heat set for a few moments but again, the inks don't have to be bone dry, just dryish. In an Oxide class, we went back and forth between several colors/water/heat setting using MANY layers, repeating colors. No mud.
I've never been happy with my blended Distress backgrounds, but the Oxides blend beautifully. Lines or splotches can be smoothed out.
They "oxidize" of course. Cracked pistachio changes the most; we did a background using it with other colors that looked like old stone or metal, depending on the person.
They stamp well - even detailed stamps. While described as opaque or paint-like, there's some translucence if stamping some colors on top of each other. When fooling around with Oxides for the first time, I stamped cracked pistachio and worn lipstick on top of each other at an angle; both colors could be seen.
Another surprise: spiced marmalade is orange, but when blended out in a light layer, it's become soft yellow, depending on the paper.
Oxides don't have to stand alone. In class we used pearlized mists and metallic paint on top of Oxides, plus used regular Distress ink for translucence on top of Oxides on one card.
These would be my stranded-on-a-desert-island inks. But as always, YMMV.
I was wondering if use clear stamps with them. From what I read you aren't supposed to stamp with chalk ink with clear stamps so I wondered if you could use these.
Um, others who have a bunch of these will know better. I ordered just one oxide to try it out and I have more on order. I stamped with a clear stamp and didn't see any problem at all. The thing with chalk inks is that they can hugely stain your stamps, especially the darker colors. I don't think they damage them though. I didn't see any staining with the oxide color I used. Cleaning the clear stamp seemed just like cleaning a stamp of regular pigment ink.
I was wondering if use clear stamps with them. From what I read you aren't supposed to stamp with chalk ink with clear stamps so I wondered if you could use these.
I have used both chalk inks (Colorbox) and Distress Oxide inks with clear stamps. They work well with photopolymer and the cheaper acrylic. Not sure why you wouldn't use them?
I have always relied on chalk inks to give me good coverage with clears, especially images with solid areas.
The caveat is that chalk ink will usually stain your photopolymer stamps more than dye inks. I don't happen to mind that. Stained stamps are "seasoned" stamps as far as I'm concerned.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I will say that I didn't get the reinkers with mine, which I usually do when I get a pad, because I wasn't sure how much I'd use them till I'd had a chance to try them out.
So, I found when squidging them onto your craft mat to work from, they seemed juicy enough. But, when trying to take ink from the pad with a blending tool, they seemed much harder to get ink from, if that makes sense?
Tim did say in a video they are as juicy as a regular Distress inkpad, so if that's the case, I don't think you'd need a reinker for a while, but of course, that depends on how much you use them.
I sort of like them, but admit, at the moment I'm still a bit on the fence. I'm not as crazy about them as so many others seem to be. Time will tell, whether I end up a convert or not.
For those who already have some Distress Oxide inks ... do you think you need to buy re-inkers immediately? Will they last for a while? Hugs xx
The inkiness reminds me of regular Distress inks. I assume eventually they'll need re-inking, unlike many dye inks. I bought re-inkers for a few of my favorite colors since life without worn lipstick is not an option.
How soon they'd need reinking depends on how much they're used, and it's still too soon to tell. (My regular Distress ink minis keep surprising me at how long they keep going.)
I was so lucky to take an Oxide class from a terrific designer. I hope more videos come out showing the many ways to use these inks.
For those who already have some Distress Oxide inks ... do you think you need to buy re-inkers immediately? Will they last for a while? Hugs xx
I also am waiting to get the reinkers. I am using them a lot for direct to paper or heavy ink blending. Because of that, I assume that I will eventually need a reinker. So far, they are really inky.
However, Tim made a remark in one video about shelf life that gives me pause. He said something about it not having the shelf life of other inks and said that crafters are spoiled to have products that last 10 years or so. I don't know what the shelf life is, but it made me think I should wait till I need them to actually buy the reinkers. KWIM?
Did he mean that the ink would deteriorate or that these pads wouldn't go as long without a reinking? I kind of read it as a reinker was a good idea. I have some pretty old pigment reinkers that separate but still work fine after shaking.
Did he mean that the ink would deteriorate or that these pads wouldn't go as long without a reinking? I kind of read it as a reinker was a good idea. I have some pretty old pigment reinkers that separate but still work fine after shaking.
I don't know what he meant, really. I think he only said it in one of the videos of the CHA demos where he was talking to buyers or store owners and it was kindof an aside and he didn't elaborate.. I wondered why he would say it. I took it to mean that the shelf life was less than other inks because of the formulation and I inferred (and could be wrong) that the ink breaks down in some way over time. I could be totally wrong. (If I have time I will try to find that video and see if my impression changes. If it does I will come back and say so.)
I do find that my pigment inkpads need reinking more often. I have a lot of the Avery Elle pads and wish I had all the reinkers for them, but wouldn't have needed them for a year after buying them.
I feel like the pads are not as juicy as juicy as a regular pigment pad so I'm buying refill inks. I also bought refill inks only and made my own pad. I did note that it took a lot of ink to fill the pad. So my take is to buy refills as it drives me nuts to be half way through a project and have the ink run dry and I don't have a refill.
Well, I got a couple to play with. I have to say I was underwhelmed. I can see how they would be great for doing BGs, but for regular stamping I found them to be less than crisp. And I worked with them on black and while they do show up better than most pigment inks, they don't blow me away.
I guess blending is easier. But that's not big on my list of requirements.
I'm just not seeing what's so exciting about them. Other than for BGs. If I'm missing something here, I'd love to know what it is.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Well, I got a couple to play with. I have to say I was underwhelmed. I can see how they would be great for doing BGs, but for regular stamping I found them to be less than crisp. And I worked with them on black and while they do show up better than most pigment inks, they don't blow me away.
I guess blending is easier. But that's not big on my list of requirements.
I'm just not seeing what's so exciting about them. Other than for BGs. If I'm missing something here, I'd love to know what it is.
I think Oxides take time/experimenting to uncover what they can do, from multi-layering without mud, to using with regular Distress inks or metallic watercolors, to adding water (not necessarily in messy mixed media style), to showing well on kraft and dark colors and butter-like blending. I was lucky to attend a great class after playing a lot with them beforehand.
If you watched Jennifer McGuire's video, other videos, read about them, tried various techniques from on-line crafters and the [too-long!] list I sent you, then you probably just aren't into them (to paraphrase the Sex & the City line).
That's fine. I have no interest in alcohol markers, and am not generally drawn (no pun intended) to creations where coloring is the main attraction, even by my on-line card heroes. I appreciate the wonderful skill and ability but it's not my thing.
For me, Oxide inks do much more than other inks. They fit how I work and what I make, so they're my desert island inks. Not so for everyone. : )
Oxides don't have to stand alone. In class we used pearlized mists and metallic paint on top of Oxides, plus used regular Distress ink for translucence on top of Oxides on one card.
How did you use the metallic paint with the oxides?
I heard Tim himself say minis weren't possible with Oxides in a CHA demo video.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Last edited by Rachelrose; 04-18-2017 at 03:57 AM..
If you are going to experiment at least get three pads...
I am not a huge Tim Holtz fan. I am not one who when he comes out with a new product I have run right out and buy it. I find many of his products I already have but under a different brand name. I do find the distress ink pads and pens useful for their water soluble but I didn't run out and buy each color as it came on the market. Though some how now I do have them all....lol....funny how that happens.
So when I first saw the oxides I just figured there were Tim's answer to a pigment pad.
Boy was I wrong. I started out buying two pads broken china and fossilized amber because those were the only two colors left at the local store. They were on sale for $3.50 which now I realize was a great deal.
I played around with them and got some interesting effects. I was underwhelmed but then a friend had a third color cracked pistachio. I borrowed it and boy did my opinion change.
With the three colors you really could see the difference in the layering effect. No muddy colors. On black they are really vibrant with minimal heat drying.
I eventually bought 6 of the colors....the bright ones. I like them and plan to buy more. I do not see myself buying all of them. I do not like the dark colors in the oxides as much as I like the bright ones. Brown will always look like mud no matter what color you blend it with.
So my quick assessment.....
definitely different them traditional distress and it might be helpful to have a few in a well round art arsenal.
get at least 3, with just one color they are really underwhelming
There is a learning curve to them so play and experiment with them
I don't have the re inkers yet but I will get them eventually because I like having them.
My fav technique so far is stamping an image in several colors and bleeding them out with water. Unlike distress they layer and do not blend
Reactive with water?
Thanks ... So helpful!
