speaking of inks...

today's post is a little different...

I had a few questions, so I thought I'd talk about one of my favorite subjects today...

inks!

over the last 2 or 3 weeks, I've gotten some similar questions that I think originated in an on-line class or a discussion board...

***this is important...***

my answers all refer to Ranger's inks...

they are the inks I know & love 

& use exclusively...

I don't have other brands, 

so I'll be addressing the questions,

 based on what I know about Ranger inks...

specifically distress, archival & pigment inks...

the email below pretty much summed up the questions I got...

Can you clarify the use of inks? As a newcomer to the stamping world I'm confused. After reviewing the information, can you confirm that I understand this correctly. This is the summary of information we received.

Dye inks dry, are water based, which when the water evaporates, is why they dry.

Pigment inks are used for embossing because they never dry without being heat embossed.

What category do archival inks fall into? Those were not mentioned.

Distress inks blend. But my question, can they also be used for stamping?

And lastly, what is the preferred storage for inks? Upside down to keep the ink at the top?

***my answer...*** you really can't make a blanket statement to describe dye inks...

both distress inks and archival inks are dye inks... here's the BIG difference...

distress is a dye ink, that is water based...

archival inks are also a dye ink, but they are oil based...

distress inks are specifically designed to work with & be activated by water...

a unique feature is that the distress ink color stays true when water is added...

on the other hand, archival inks are formulated to be permanent & waterproof when dry...

so in the end, the "base" of the dye inks makes a huge difference...

they can either react with water or be waterproof...

both inks can be used for stamping and stenciling as long as you know how they will or won't react & what your desired outcome is...

this also explains why distress and archival inks work so well together...

if you think about a bottle of salad dressing, the oil & water don't mix...they will always separate...

so, if I stencil with archival ink, once it's dry, I know I can add distress over the top of it or mist it with water or perfect pearls mist (any water based product) & my archival image will not smear or bleed...

and it works just the opposite too...

if I'm stamping/stenciling with archival OVER a distress ink background, they won't mix...

the archival image is crisp & clear...

the distress background isn't bothered by the archival ink...

to clean up distress inks, water does the trick...

to remove archival inks from a stencil, since it's an oil based ink, water won't work...

but... 

cheapo rubbing alcohol works like a charm & removes the archival ink very easily...

also keep in mind that for techniques using distress ink, you'll use water or water based products...(like perfect pearls mists)...

for techniques using archival inks, rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol is the fluid of choice...

now for the other part of that question...

Dye inks dry, are water based, which is why they dry.

***my answer*** that's not 100% accurate either... 

it will depend on the surface the ink is applied to...

and if the DYE ink is distress or archival...

distress is designed to be used on porous surfaces...

surfaces that allow the ink to soak in...

that would be surfaces like cardstock, patterned papers, art parts, magic mat board, chipboard, grungeboard etc...

distress inks will air dry on those surfaces...

however, when they are used on a non porous surface, they will not dry and they will sit on the surface & wipe right off...

so distress inks CAN NOT be used on glass, metal, clearly for art or plastic...

archival inks can be used on the same porous surfaces as distress, but they can also be used on non porous surfaces, but they need to be blasted with the heat tool to dry them...

so, archival inks will work to color resin or metal embellishments, glass, clearly for art & plastics, but they need to be heat set to dry them...

archival inks can also be used over the gold metallic embossing paste and the silver metallic embossing paste to tint it & alter the metallic colors...just use the blending tool right over the dry pastes...magic!

next part of the question...

Pigment inks are used for embossing because they don't dry without being heat embossed.

***my answer*** yes, pigment inks can be used with embossing powders, but so can distress and archival...all 3 work very well...

as for "not drying", that depends...

if I stamp an image with glacier white ink onto a kraft tag, it will take some time, but it will eventually dry...

the drying time will be determined by the amount of ink I add, plus the humidity where you live...

in Arizona, drying will be quicker...

in HUMID Illinois in August...it will take lots longer...

other considerations...

is it a fine line image or a bold stamp that adds lots of the white pigment ink? that also makes a big difference in the drying time...

more ink = more time...

remember that you can always blast it with the heat tool to speed up the drying time of any of the inks...

next question...

What category do archival inks fall into? Those were not mentioned.

again...they are a dye ink, that's oil based...

and another...

Distress inks blend. But my question, can they also be used for stamping?

absolutely...YES! but keep in mind the info I provided above...

they can also be used for stenciling...

and the last question...

And lastly, what is the preferred storage for inks? Upside down to keep the ink at the top?

***my answer*** it does not matter...

whatever fits your storage system best is fine...

Ranger's ink pads are saturated with ink...so...

right side up is ok

upside down is ok too...

on the side...sure!

since we're talking about storage...

Ranger has awesome FREE printable labels...they are perfectly sized for your products...

it makes organizing a snap...

here's the LINK...

I hope I've clarified the basic "scoop" about DYE inks...

now if you stuck with me this far...

how about a GIVEAWAY?

I have a 

brand new marigold Stamp-It Stencil-It 

and the new borders stencil 

to share...

just leave a comment...

or if you prefer...

feel free to ask a question...

simple...

Rick will draw the winner 

Monday morning...

I'm off to unpack & organize 

a TON of class supplies...

it's super fun stuff we will need to...

make art!

wendy

ps...

the marigold SiSi 

is really fun to stamp several times & layer...

I like to stamp it on clearly for art that I covered with newsprint...

using my MOST fav...

paper adhesive in the WORLD...

glue n seal...

then plant the marigold 

in a mat mini flower pot...

altering with archival reinkers...

here's a fun 10 minute project...

the metal candleholder shown below

 was a Hobby Lobby find...

it caught my eye because of 

the chipped surface...

I also liked it because it was white, making it simple to alter with archival reinkers...

archivals are transparent when diluted, so they look great over light colored surfaces...

here it is looking down on it...

obviously it's a candleholder...

but is it really?

turned upside down, now it's an ADORABLE little display stand...

and it looks like a flower on a base...

from the top is looks like this...

for sure...

I see a flower!

start the timer...

this is a 10 minute or less project...

as always, I'm working on my craft sheet...

I added 2 drops of carnation red reinker...

that brown bottle behind it

 is rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol...

I diluted the reinker with the alcohol and mixed the reinker into the alcohol with a palette knife,

to make this inky solution...

then I took a cheapo paint brush and painted the flower portion of my little find...

oopsie...

having too much fun...

forgot to take the next photo...

I used the leaf green reinker 

diluted with alcohol to paint the base...

when the inks were dry, I swiped 

the watering can archival pad

 over the raised areas to define the flower better...

and here's the result...

this next photo shows that I allowed the ink to pool on the base for extra interest...

but, you could paint it 

to be perfectly smooth, 

if you'd like...

hmmm...

now what to put on the stand?

the moral of the story today is to...

always keep your eyes open...

look for simple (light colored) things to alter...

check Good Will...

or flea markets...

or antique stores...

remember...

it doesn't need to be pricy...

and remember that archival inks

 and archival reinkers are...

AWESOME 

when you want to alter your finds...

this technique will work on resin pieces too...

*coming soon to a blog near you!*

there are lots of archival reinker colors, 

so you can customize your find 

and choose any color that fits your decor...

I'm thinking that the new tea rose 

would be so pretty...

and for sure the new buttercup & 

sky blue would be cool too...

I like when products 

can be used more than one way...

use your archival reinkers 

to ink your archival pads 

or use them to...

make (altered home decor) art!

wendy

a video tutorial and...

the winner!

CONGRATS to...

 Caroline D. said...

The back cover looks gorgeous! Thanks for all the step out photos too. Would love to have that stamp set... crossing my fingers. Have a great weekend!

February 13, 2015 at 11:28 AM

 

you'll be receiving this stamp set, compliments of Ted, aka Mr. Stampers Anonymous!

please email me with your shipping info...

today I'm sharing a video that was filmed last month at CHA, 

by my friends from Scrap Time...

it's a fun new technique that I call 

faux gilding...

it's another way to use embossing pastes...

I was inspired when I saw a beautiful, but...

REALLY EXPENSIVE 

vintage picture frame at an antique shop...

these are the supplies you'll need...

gold metallic embossing paste...

potting soil archival ink ... 

watering can archival...

this small filigree stamp, 

the one in the lower right corner...

you'll see in the video 

that I use it unmounted...

and grab your chosen surface...

here's a peek at the technique result...

keep in mind that this technique will work on multiple surfaces...

I like it best on my art parts, 

because they are kraft colored to start with...

it also looks cool on kraft tags and

 it's a really fun technique 

to use on bare wood...

***think inexpensive frames...***

they make a great gift!

THANKS to CHRISTINE & MARK 

for another GREAT professional video!

you can see it here on you-tube...

after you watch the video...

 I hope you'll be inspired to try the technique

and...

make art!

wendy

stencil storage , GIVEAWAY & shipping update...

today I'm sharing the back cover of

 an art parts stencil binder...

  I use this binder to store my stencils & 

keep them organized...

below you'll see Megan again,

 combined with some new things & some from past releases...

one reason I was so happy to 

FINALLY get

distress stains in a spray form 

was the option to use them 

on larger art parts...

art parts, like this set 

that holds the smaller stamp sets &

doubles as an art journal...

with the distress spray stains, 

you can color all 4 sides of the binders 

in under 5 minutes...

art parts can certainly be inked with distress ink & the blending tool...

or...

use the sprays to make it

 super quick & E A S Y...

for my covers, I 

misted them with the stains & I was done in 3.5 SECONDS...

seriously...

just dry the stain, then add shading to the edges with the blending tool...

I used weathered wood distress spray stain 

& broken china spray stain as my base colors

 for my stencil binder...

distress spray stains 

are extra awesome on larger art parts...

in addition to being quick, they give beautiful smooth coverage & several colors can be sprayed to blend before drying...

they might look blotchy when sprayed onto art parts, because they are wetting the paper surface, but as they dry...

PERFECTION!

you'll see the new "borders" stencil 

used 2 ways...

at the top of the cover, I inked thru the stencil just once, using sky blue archival ink...

same stencil at the bottom, but with leaf green, red geranium & sky blue...

I started at the bottom & used sky blue, then repositioned the stencil to mask off the blue inked areas & then added red geranium...

then moved the stencil up to cover the red geranium & added the leaf green...

I stopped at 3 rows, but you could easily continue the pattern to make a large multi colored background or fill the whole front of a card...

in any colors you choose!

or...

you can stamp thru the stencil to add text or polka dots on just one row...

or...

you can add embossing paste to just one row for a cool textured border...

these days I'm addicted to 

the gold metallic paste...

and it would also be cool to use 

the translucent paste

to accent just one stenciled row 

& allow the color to show thru...

there's lots of possibilities with 

this simple stencil...

I LOVE the large sentiment from an earlier release...

combined with a new one...

LOVE the chain holding the heart...

the heart was cut from 

my new "magic mat board", 

using tim's Sizzix die...

the black heart is embossed 

with red geranium embossing powder...

after the powder cooled, I added 

the remnant rub word

to the center, with the new remnant rub tool...

you'll also see subtle text (LCS037 botanical art) stamped in the background with watering can archival...

Megan was stamped with jet black archival, onto newsprint that was added to

the clear version of

clearly for art (CFA) 

with glue n seal...

then I cut her out...

I used fern green with the sunburst stencil, to give her a halo effect...

I changed the flower in her hair & used just the flower from this stamp...

 the flower was stamped twice onto CFA that is covered with newsprint...

after heating the CFA, the flower can be shaped for dimension...

I LOVE this adhesive foam for layering & for adding CFA to projects...

it has REALLY good adhesive...

and it's black, 

so it's not noticeable between the layers...

oh...that little butterfly...

 is a stencil from the pansy SiSi...

stenciled onto CFA newsprint & cut out to create a custom embellishment...

it's attached to Megan with the tiny attacher...

the stencil binder comes with a medium ring, 

but as your stencil collection grows, 

just change the ring to a larger size...

the binder will grow & can hold as many stencils

 as fit on any size ring...

shipping update!

stamp sets, SiSi's, background stamps and stencils started shipping a few weeks ago...

Ted said magic mat board, the faux graniteware starter set & the new mat minis (vases/pitcher set & the flower pots set) started shipping

 early this week...

be watching your fav store...

or check out your favorite on line...

my 3 new archival inks, reinkers & embossing powders are also in stock now...

now about that GIVEAWAY...

since I LOVE my blog friends...

I'll give this NEW stamp set to a random commenter...

it has my favorite little hosta stamp & also the flower I used today in Megan's hair...

I chose this set because the LOVE sentiment in the lower right corner is perfect 

for Valentine's Day...

just leave a comment & you're entered...

super SIMPLE!

Rick will draw a random winner before the next blog post...

GOOD LUCK!

no chocolate for me...

I'd rather have supplies to...

make art!

wendy

ps...

I hope your Valentine's Day is PERFECT...

an art journal page...

today's post was prompted by these 2 questions...

#1...will you share more of your art journal pages?

I NEED to be inspired...

#2...what remedies do you have to jumpstart a mojo that has vanished?

yes...I am still creating art journal pages...

I was really focusing mainly on cards for CHA...

and to answer #2...

I go back to my comfort zone...

I'll start with color combos that I KNOW will work & make me happy...

I'll also go back to favorite stamps, but combine them with new stamps/stencils, 

for a new look...

the page below is a "comfy" color palette for me...

2 of my favorite distress colors...

I used scattered straw & brushed corduroy,

 combined with 

leaf green & sky blue archivals...

the older stamps are the lamp post & the house...

the mini berry tree is new, as is the lines border that you see under the house...

look closely at the background to see some random lines from this stamp 

that look like worn corduroy...

and I LOVE the "cracks stamp"...

it's perfect when combined with

 the brick stencil...

 I used the new oval spotlight frame stencil...

to set the stage for the focal point...

it is one of 4 stencils/masks included in this set...

I'm thrilled to have these...

having a stencil & the perfectly sized mask is really useful...

Ted gave us a great price 

on this 8 piece set...

in the background you'll see...

the checkmate & basics bricks stencils...

2 great stencils for everyday use...

both great starting points or background fillers...

to accent the flame, 

I added a tiny bit of 

the gold foil sheet...

it was rubbed on with 

tim's new remnant rub tool...

the slanted end is perfect!

that gold line under the lines border stamp is also done with the gold foil sheet...

here's a better look at the flame & 

the cracks stamp...

I darkened the glass area with

 the wild honey distress marker...

I like watering can archival for background stamping & I save jet black archival for my main images & things that I want to be front & center...

I am LOVING these foil sheets...

what took me so long to figure this out?

that thin metallic line is a very cool detail...

now...

going back to the very beginning...

the background for this page was created with 

tree branch & sky blue archival inks, using them with the rubbing alcohol technique...

the journal page above is the front...

after I dried the page,

 I turned it over...

and I got this...

DO YOU SEE IT?

YIKES! 

sure looks like  face with sun glasses to me!

sometimes you get a surprise when you...

make art!

wendy

WAIT...one more thing...

just a reminder...

there's only13 hours left to visit 

the Ranger blog 

& submit your entries for a chance to win one of the three sets of my new archival inks & embossing powders...

there are several ways for you to enter...

check it out here...

GOOD LUCK friends!