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Archival ink is permanent once it dries so it can be used in Mixed Media Techniques in which many mediums/water may be used.
Versafine ink is waterproof and is very good to use while watercoloring. Also, it captures the intricate details of the stamps very well and is great for stamping sentiments.
Memento is a great dye based ink which is very useful when coloring with alcohol markers like Copics,
Spectrum Noir or
Altenew
Besides these, all stampers require a few Distress inks and Distress Oxides.
Distress Inks
Distress Inks are water reactive and there are multiple stamping techniques one can do with them. There are 61 colors to choose from. These help give an aged look to projects. They can be used for watercoloring & ink blending to create wonderful backgrounds. They are available in full sized ink pads or as mini cubes. The mini cubes are also available in Mini Ink Kits with 4 colors, these kits are more economical. Also, the distress ink re-inkers are a great addition to one's stash because they are a very concentrated form of the color and besides re-inking the inkpads, these can be used for many techniques.
Distress Oxides
Distress Oxides are a special hybrid ink which can be used for stamping, ink blending to create backgrounds (they blend beautifully as they stay wet longer), they give great oxidization effects when they react with water & can be used for watercoloring besides many other techniques. These are available in full sized inkpads of 36 colors. Distress Oxide re-inkers are a useful resource since they can be used for coloring & other techniques
Also, Altenew has beautiful inks for colored stamping- These dye based inks come as full sized inkpads, mini cubes or in kits of 4 each. They sell coordinating color sets, so if I want 4 shades of grey for an ombre effect, I do not have to hunt for them. I can just buy the kit.
Memento's Dye Inks also come in small dew drop inkpads and in sets of 12. It is a great & affordable way to add some colors to one's ink collection.
Paper
The type of paper used can often determine (to a large extent) the quality of stamping. It is best to try out a few samples and see what works best for you. Since it is the product which is used the most, you have to find one for yourself, that fits comfortably in your budget, as you will need it again and again. There are many specialty papers in the market like
Ranger's Specialty Stamping Paper which are specially made for stamping, ink blending etc. Dress My Craft's
Floral Exotica &
Floral Oriental collections of cardstock work well with most stamping.
A Few Concluding Tips For Stamping:
1. Try not to rock the stamp or acrylic block back and forth, it is best to apply firm even pressure while stamping down but not too much else one gets blurry images.
2. It is easier to ink the stamp properly by bringing the inkpad on top of the mounted stamp & then inking it rather than smooshing the stamp onto the inkpad.
3. When you stamp down onto the cardstock, give it a few seconds for the ink to transfer before lifting the block away
4. New stamps need to be conditioned before they are used for stamping, using a regular eraser to rub off any impurities & then wiping it off with a cotton cloth/stamp shammy prepares the stamp for stamping
5. If a stamp is not giving a fully stamped image, applying sticky versamark ink onto the stamp and then inking with the intended inkpad can often lead to crisper images
6. If the stickiness of a clear stamp is lost after a few uses, gently washing it with water (or mild soapy water) to remove the dirt can help bring the stickiness back
7. Avoid using paper tissues for stamp cleaning as they leave small bits on the stamp. Using a
stamp shammy moistened with a little water or a
stamp cleaning solution works best.
That's all for today. As always, we love to see your gorgeous creations using supplies from the
Crafters Corner store, so please do share them with us in our
Facebook Group- Crafters Corner Showcase using the apt hashtags #craftwithcrafterscorner #dressmycraft #crafterscornerindia, on Twitter and/or on Instagram.
Hope you have a pleasant week ahead!
Thanks a lot for your precious time :)
Stay Blessed!