Saturday, February 24, 2018

Ink 101 - Helpful Comparisons

Ink 101
Ink Comparison

When I began stamping, I bought a few ink pads that I considered pretty. When I started using them, I quickly became frustrated. My images would smear, not stamp solid, or if it was on my hands or fingers, the ink would leave marks wherever I touched (paper, table, my clothes, me!). I knew I had to do some research into why I was having so much trouble. Here's what I found.

  • Leave a chalk-like finish on your projects when dry
  • When buffed it becomes a shiny finish
  • Dries very quickly on most surfaces
  • Leaves residue, does smudge
  • Lighter colors show up on dark paper {black, midnight blue…)
  • Usually gives a good image when stamp is covered well















(clicking on the images will take  you directly to that product!)


Die Inks like Hero Arts Shadow Inks, Stampin Up, Colorbox Wedges, Memento Dewdrops, and most of your children’s ink pads
  • Water soluble
  • soak into the paper
  • Dry quickly
  • Vivid image
  • Acid free and fade resistant
  • Have a raised felt pad and hard to press
  • Will not show on dark paper, (special big word...translucent)!





(clicking on the images will take  you directly to that product!)

Now there are two DYE inks, Tuxedo black and Rich Cocoa, that when stamped and thoroughly dried will not smear when colored over with alcohol markers like Copic, Spectrum Noir, Sharpie, Bic...well, that’s for another class!





(clicking on the images will take  you directly to that product!)

I have used a trick when my image doesn’t stamp completely. I used a stamp squishy, well, that’s my term for a stamping pad. I took an inexpensive mouse pad, cut it in half and glued it together, one on top of the other. Use the printed side, put your paper on it and stamp. The pad evens out the image. All of my images turned out more vivid with a stamp pad.
Want another trick? When I have used a DYE ink and waited a bit longer than I should have, because they are water soluble, I can “huff” onto the stamp then immediately use it. It’s always a good practice with DYE stamping, to hold the stamp onto your paper for a couple seconds longer to give the ink time to absorb.

Distress Inks by Tim Holtz
Distress Ink is a dye ink.
  • Water soluble therefore can be used in several techniques such as ink smooshing, water coloring and water drips (Smooshing: I take two or more ink pads and mash them onto a smooth, water resistant surface,ie; a Craft Mat or a piece of paper laminated. I then spray the area until its nearly saturated but the colors are not runny. I take a piece of watercolor paper and drag and twist it very easily through the color then let dry for a beautiful background or for cutting.)
Now, I mean EASILY because I nearly wiped the table with a piece of watercolor paper expecting it to be all rainbows!  When I turned it over all I found was MUD!!
  • Adjacent colors on the color wheel blend well next to each other
  • It’s translucent.
  • Can be blended with other mediums (embossing paste, Modge Podge, Gesso…) and it will color them because they have some liquid in them

(clicking on the images will take  you directly to that product!)

Distress Oxide Inks by Tim Holtz  
Distress Oxides are a very unique ink. It is a combination of dye ink and a pigment ink.
  • Chalky finish when applied, does not wipe off
  • Adding water to it (like droplets) creates an oxidized look.
  • May stamp and emboss with it.
  • Can blend any color next to each other on paper
  • Use it in techniques like watercoloring or blending.
  • Wet on wet blends, dry on dry layers
  • Can be seen on dark paper (Black or Midnight Blue)
  • Can be sealed with Modge Podge without changing the colors
  • Raised, spongy pad, good for great stamp coverage



(clicking on the images will take  you directly to that product!)

Hybrid ink such as Palette, My Favorite Things and Hero Arts BOLD
  • Has vividly colored ink
  • Is able to be used on any surface: fabric, wood, plastic, glass, etc.
  • When dry may be colored over by many different mediums without smearing


(clicking on the images will take  you directly to that product!)

Pigment Inks such as Color Box, Ranger’s Archival and Hero Arts Hues
  • Are not water-soluble.
  • They sit on top of your paper
  • Take longer to dry.
  • Can be used to heat Emboss with powder and heat gun

(clicking on the images will take  you directly to that product!)

  • Your images turn out crisp.
  • You are not able to see through them (Another big word...opaque)
  • Can be used on multiple surfaces like wood, glass and fabric
  • These ink pads will be sponge-like and press easily.


(clicking on the images will take  you directly to that product!)

Solvent Ink is a special ink made to work in inkjet printers but in the crafting world it is known as STAZON Ink.
  • 3 ingredients to a solvent ink: an oil-based carrier fluid, pigment and resin.
  • Used on many, many different non-porous surfaces: acetate, metal, shrink plastic and plastic surfaces
  • Stays wet very long
  • Cleans with Stazon Stamp Cleaner

(clicking on the images will take  you directly to that product!)
Versamark is a PIGMENT ink that is clear
  • Can be used as watermark stamp ink which leaves a tone-on-tone look when stamping on solid color papers.
  • It’s most known for its ability to stay wet long and therefore is used for heat embossing. Heating the applied embossing powder will leave a smooth, shiny finish to your stamped image.

Versafine is also a PIGMENT ink.
  • Stamps intricate images clearly capturing fine detail
  • Stays wet long and can be easily heat embossed  
  • Easily smears and can get on fingers, hands, table, clothing and fingerprints all over your project!! Please excuse me for venting…
  • VersaMagic Cloud White ink stamps opaque (remember?) on dark papers
  • Onyx Black ink is most commonly used for outline stamps. Once dry, it can be painted over by any kind of marker, including alcohol markers such as Copic and Sharpie, and DOES NOT smudge.

(clicking on the images will take  you directly to that product!)

Now, this may seem a little overwhelming but if the whole ton of very useful information will save you some headaches, then it was worth it!

Save this link, http://jenskoalatcrafts.blogspot.com/ to your desktop and you’ll have this information at your fingertips. And it WILL come in handy..

(Hint: Chalk  ink begins with a C and comes in the beginning of the alphabet, therefore it dries very quickly. Distress and Dye Inks with a D dry quickly but not as quick as the chalk. We have H for Hybrid inks, then we jump to O for (Distress) Oxides and P for Pigment  and S for Solvent inks which will stay wet longer an finely V for Versamark and Versafine which are wet long enough to use to emboss.) Now you have some idea of what each ink does!

Which would be best suited for your next project?




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AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE:
When I need certain supplies I turn to Amazon because they have a great range of supplies, in one place, that's easy to navigate, and I am able to find what I need with ease. I am part of various affiliate programs including Amazon – when you click on an affiliate link and then go on to make a purchase, at no cost to you, I receive a small commission. I use the money raised towards the cost of running this blog. I hope if you like the content of my blog, you will support me by clicking through these links to make your purchases. Thank you!








Monday, February 19, 2018

What is a Craft Mat?

What is a Craft Mat?


Can anything be a craft mat?
An old towel?
Paper towel?
A drop cloth?
How about newspaper as a craft mat?

It's something you put down to keep the table from getting messy, right?

(I guess it depends on how big of mess you think your going to make!)


Well, two different types of craft mats come to mind when someone asks me which to buy.  I naturally would ask them what type of craft they were working on first.

Self-Healing Mat


One craft mat I own is just that, a mat. It is thick, the top is kind of rubbery.  I use it to cut with my Xacto Knife or rotary cutter and it won’t leave a mark. It has a grid stamped into it in 1” increments, some are marked as little as a ¼” on the sides. These grid marks are great if you want a certain size or to make sure something is straight. I use this to line up my paper to be cut and put my stamp on straight. It stores without bending.

Craft Mat

The other craft mat I own is called a Craft Mat. It is paper thin and is very smooth. I keep mine rolled into a tube when I am not using it. This mat is made of heat resistant Teflon. You can iron a transfer onto material on it and it will not damage the surface underneath. The Craft Mat is also waterproof. If your paint brush dripped onto it, paper towel could wipe it up. If you were to spill glue on it, it would not stick. If melted wax were to spill on it, it would come off when dry without any trouble. This mat is used by crafters because paint and water spills, dyes, glitter, gesso or Modge Podge and more, all clean up with a damp cloth or can be easily removed and swept away. It’s AMAZING!


Each  craft mat has different properties for different uses in your craft room.


😆
(unless you prefer a drop cloth?!)

Have fun Creating and see you next time!


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AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE:
When I need certain supplies I turn to Amazon because they have a great range of supplies, in one place, that's easy to navigate, and I am able to find what I need with ease. I am part of various affiliate programs including Amazon – when you click on an affiliate link and then go on to make a purchase, at no cost to you, I receive a small commission. I use the money raised towards the cost of running this blog. I hope if you like the content of my blog, you will support me by clicking through these links to make your purchases. Thank you!


Sunday, February 18, 2018

Art for Therapy?

Art Therapy

(Calming, fun, creative, relaxing)

Where to begin?

We all know that art can be very therapeutic. 
  • But what if you don't have time? 
  • What if you don’t have space for all the supplies? 
  • What if you feel you're just not creative? 
  • Who can teach you?
You’ve heard that being creative everyday is very therapeutic but
where do you begin? 

“Some of the simplest of things can teach us the most profound lessons in
life.” - Henry David Thoreau


Being Creative can be Simple


Being creative can be as simple as a pencil and paper. 

Want more? 

Use colored pencils and HEY! how about a coloring book? 

Yes, I said “coloring book”! Something you can sit and doodle with while your child is doing homework. How about watching television and coloring at the same time? You could even take it to work with you and work on it at lunch!

Coloring Books

Now I’m not talking about one of your child’s books. I’m talking about an ADULT Coloring Book!

Yes! There are Adult Coloring Books out there that are great for doodling. No one says you
have to stay in the lines, it’s your book!




From flowers to animals to mandalas, you’ll be surprised at what you can find once you start
looking! If your a beginner, you’ll soon find yourself looking at something more challenging and beautiful!



Colored Pencils

So, are you still going to be using that pencil? 

There are colored pencils

Markers

Or markers

Gel Pens


and I just discovered gel pens!


The very same gel pens your daughters and sons used in school and at home, decorating every folder and notebook (and sometimes homework?). 

When finished you can
  1. Keep your collection safe in the book or frame it as home decor and you’ll feel proud at every compliment. 
  2. Use your art as a gift or make something with it like a greeting card. 

The ideas are endless!

Crayons

And yes, you can use your child’s crayons but why not get a set of your own?


Coloring is a therapy all its own, giving the artist freedom and relaxation! It's something you can take with you anywhere, and it comes as easy to us as riding a bike! We've all done some coloring in our youth, why not bring back the fun and creative pleasures that we used to know when we were kids! 



Have fun Creating and see you next time!



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AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE:
When I need certain supplies I turn to Amazon because they have a great range of supplies, in one place, that's easy to navigate, and I am able to find what I need with ease. I am part of various affiliate programs including Amazon – when you click on an affiliate link and then go on to make a purchase, at no cost to you, I receive a small commission. I use the money raised towards the cost of running this blog. I hope if you like the content of my blog, you will support me by clicking through these links to make your purchases. Thank you!