Inks

I am getting into more stamping recently. I have a few stampin up ink pads but I seem to get into a right mess with them as they seem very juicy, so what I would like to know is what is your favourite make of ink and why?

I find Artistry Inks are the same, very juicy, too much so for me. I do like Memento and Stazon for outlines and colours as well and Catherine Pooler inks are lovely. Versafine are brilliant. I think I'll try the Artistry for colouring with rather than outlines, just too wet. Tim Holtz distress inks are good, it depends on what your are doing with them and I'm not the most prolific stamper so probably someone else will have a better idea, I do find it all rather confusing to be honest. I even have to keep a note on my desk to remind me that Memento go with alcohol markers and Stazon go with watercolour.:rolleyes:

I have lots different ink pads but dont use them to full potential
I like adirondack but dont think they are made anymore
Tim Holtz are another fav as I like the tiny ones you can buy to get a range of colours
I still have big n juicy thats what they called and like those too
I ike the staz on too the image is nice n crisp
I like to use clear and emboss but thats when I make more of a mess and dont get the best result everytime but that could be a lot to do with the card also
Glad you getting into stamping Fran

If you are starting out on your dye ink journey I would really recommend the Lawn Fawn mini ink cubes. They come in packs of 4 and don't have duplicates over the range. I've been steadily building up my collection. And have bought a few of the larger ink pads in the colours I use most.
Otherwise if you want different shades of the same colour, Altenew hybrid inks are great as you get 4 shades of a colour tone from light to dark in the same pack. Excellent for multi-step stamping.
I also use my original TH distress inks for stamping, but best results are achieved with a stamp positioner for me as these are quite watery inks on clear stamps. Before I had a stamp positioner and could easily restamp the image, I used to first ink the stamp with versamark ink then stamp off, then ink it up with the distress ink which then clung to the stamp surface better. :)

That's interesting about the distress inks and clear stamps Nat, I struggle with them sometimes , will try your tips :)

For crisp, clear images I use Memento and Versafine most of the time. I bought a whole set of Tim Holtz Distress Oxide stamps but have been very disappointed. They're fine for playing with to get different effects, but for crisp images they're impossible, especially stamping sentiments. I have a lot of Stampin' Up stamps that are several years old, but still good. Also some very old chalk inks, that still are the best for colouring edges..... if anyone stiil does that. I've just this week got back into papercrafts after a "break" of several years. I've got so much stash (inks, tools, and more) that I can't even remember what it is or how to use some of it!

I love inking the edges Jane. I think it finishes off the layout..but I guess it’s personal taste.
I don’t stamp with them lbut my all time favourite ink pads are the Prima ones that are teardrop shaped. These are fab for inking edges although not for actual stamping. They are increasingly difficult to find now. I find the DewDrop ones are ok but also a bit juicy. I can’t get on with SU ones at all..shocking mess every time I use them!
My favourite ones for actual stamping images are definitely Versafine. Clear, perfect images every time but I do use a stamp positioner.
Thanks for your tips Nat. Very useful.

I ink my edges a lot and usually use distress ink on an applicator. I cannot get good stamped images with distress inks ... though mights try Nats idea ... so for stamping I use memento inks

I saw a great tip the other day from Barbara Gray for using juicy ink pads. She said never put the stamp to the pad or pad to stamp because you will get splodgy results. Instead, dab the ink pad onto a messy mat or whatever and then take a blending foam pad and load the ink onto that and dab that onto the stamp. It stops you getting too much ink on the stamp and as she so rightly said you can always add more but you can't take it off.

Funnily enough, she was using the Artistry Inks that I was complaining about and when done in her way they worked brilliantly. Off to try it now. Okay it does work, much better, although I need to try it with a stamp I've used before I think as these are new.

I ink lots of edges (I confess to being heavily influenced by scrapdolly back when I started out!) and love Tim Holtz distress inks for that. For stamping clear images I like Versafine or Memento. I like the sound of the Lawn Fawn ones - must look out for them.

Off-topic, but this is a shout-out to JaneH: there's a new team called Crafters Return which is made up of - yes, you've guessed! - people like you returning to papercrafting after a break. We're still getting to know each other, and you'd be very welcome to join us.

That's interesting Susie, but must confess that would be too much of a faff for me. ^_^
If the Versamark trick doesn't work for me then I'd probably not end up using whatever stamp/ink combo was causing the issue.
I don't think I've had a stamp/ink combo yet where I've not managed to overcome poor inking results by using Versamark. It really is a life-saver. :D
I have had many cheaply made clear acrylic stamps that were definitely not cheap purchases from "reputable" manufacturers, these have all been problematic to stamp. So I tend to only invest in clear photopolymer stamps and cling red rubber stamps now. I've been burnt too many times!

The Oxides aren't my cup of tea for inking, much better for blending backgrounds, smooshing on glossy paper and buffing with Distress Glaze (my current fave), stenciling and so on. I find some of my colours oxidize on their own once stamped out if it's quite humid, so I wouldn't rely on them staying "fast" on my projects unless sealed with glaze, and really I can't be bothered to do that unless the technique really calls for it. I think I'm going to have to keep collecting the original distress inks in minis to fill out gaps in my dye ink collection, not that there should be many now. But I am enjoying getting use out of the oxides with blending and background techniques. I'm also playing along with Kristina Werner's weekly oxide combos and creating swatches from her colour picks to inspire me on future projects. There have been a few out of my comfort zone but a good few that I can readily put to use as sky backgrounds, etc.