What inkpad should I buy?

[nicecupoftea]

I am confused as to what inkpad I need. Earlier in the year I was given some Christmas stamps, but I have put off using them as usually my attemps at stamping turn out pretty rubbish. I'm after a permanent black pad as I have a number of water brush pens and pencils. My first thought was a Stazon pad but I've heard you need the proper Stazon cleaner for it. Is this true? None of my local craft shops which sell Stazon pads sell the cleaner (and just shrug their shoulders when I ask them about it). Then I saw on Create & Craft the Archival pad but they didn't say how you should clean it. Any help and advice would be gratefully received!

[sheilaj]

yes you need permanent ink pad cleaner with the stazon pad...cos its not water soluble!
have you looked to buy online?...p and p isn't much on a bottle of cleaner. Why does your stamping come out rubbish? (I mean in what way...is it blurred, uneven...what?)
Usually its a technique problem, not to do with the ink (sometimes to do with the stamp tho if they are cheapies)
I use my waterbrushes with water soluble inks or brush markers to draw ink from the outline into the image for a lovely subtle look.
I have an archival pad that is permanent...can't remember the brand offhand...I don't shop on c and c so don't know what they sell

[purdycraft]

'Ancient Page' is supposed to be waterproof if you heat set it. I find it isn't 100% though, but okay if you don't use too much water. You can buy them in small sizes too so would be worth trying. It cleans off easily.

[purdycraft]

Just had a thought. You can buy Stazon cleaner P&P free from Joannasheen.co.uk (minimum order is £5) The cleaner costs £4.25, she sells the ink pads too

[nicecupoftea]

Ta for the tips. The inkpads I use are 'Ink it up!' ones. I have to admit they were bought for their cheapness, but I think this has been a false economy. Whenever I try to do any stamping I never seem to get a crisp image. It looks as if the it should be the image achieved after the third time of stamping before re-inking. I always feel I can never get enough ink on the stamp. I've tried light tapping, running the inkpad over the stamp and even (horror of all horrors) putting the stamp into the inkpad. I've got a variety of stamps - See D's and wood mounted and tried with all of them.

[nicecupoftea]

Just had a thought. You can buy Stazon cleaner P&P free from Joannasheen.co.uk (minimum order is £5) The cleaner costs £4.25, she sells the ink pads too


I've just had a look at her site (a very dangerous place which I shall be going back to). It works out cheaper through her site than C&C with no P&P, so I'm not in so much panic to buy before 9pm tonight now! Thanks.

[Wellington]

Just had a thought. You can buy Stazon cleaner P&P free from Joannasheen.co.uk (minimum order is £5) The cleaner costs £4.25, she sells the ink pads too

That's where I got my StazOn & cleaner from :) I have to admit to not having had a proper play with it yet. Tried stamping on acetate the other night & made a bit of a hash of it, more play needed LOL

Also for permanent non-water soluble stamping I have a couple of Versafine pads (as recommended on here when I asked the same question a while back!) which give a beautiful crisp image.

For 'normal' colour stamping I like Versacolour & have a few of the mini cubes, but you can't watercolour over this ink, unless you want to use the technique of using a clean wet brush to draw in the colour from the edges of the image.

[Phree]

You get what you pay for nicecupoftea, so my bet is a lot of your stamping problems are due to those Ink It Up pads - in my experience they are pretty poor inks to use.

Stazon made by Tsukineko, or Archaval Ink made by Ranger are both permanent inks that will allow you to water colour without any of the colour bleeding in from the stamped outline.

Versafine, also made by Tsukineko will work with watercolouring - but do not be fooled into thinking it's a permanent ink - it is not quite, what makes it work with watercolour is the fact that it is oil based - and oil repels water so it resists the water when you are painting.

I have used all 3 of these inks sucessfully with water colouring.

For other stamping where you want a water soluable ink then I suggest you invest in inks such as Versacolor or perhaps some of the Petal Point pads which you can quite often see Dawn demo on QVC. Bear in mind the Versacolour come not only in full size pads which tend to be close to a fiver each to buy, but in small 1 inch square cubes - now while they won't last as long as a big pad, they are a much cheaper way to build up a bigger choice of colours when you first start stamping.

Regarding cleaners - you will need a proprietory cleaner - the Stazon cleaner is about £5 for a bottle and it lasts for ages. I would also recommend you get a Rubbit Scrubbit pad, again made by Ranger - it's fab for cleaning up your stamps.

One last tip...... Stazon is fast drying - so don't hang about after you ink up your stamp and don't chuck out the little clear plastic cover that comes with the ink pad - slap that back on teh pad as soon as you have done inking up your stamp and get the proper lid for the pad back on quicly too....this will help prolong the life of your ink pad.

[nicecupoftea]

Many many thanks everyone. I'm off to the craft shops in town tomorrow for a nose around. If I'm not successful I think I'll order from Joanna Sheen. BTW it looks like she has dropped the £5 minimum order value for the free P&P and everything is now sent out 1st Class for free. Hurrah!

[Wellington]

Versafine, also made by Tsukineko will work with watercolouring - but do not be fooled into thinking it's a permanent ink - it is not quite
.

Whoops, sorry :o


Many many thanks everyone. I'm off to the craft shops in town tomorrow for a nose around. If I'm not successful I think I'll order from Joanna Sheen. BTW it looks like she has dropped the £5 minimum order value for the free P&P and everything is now sent out 1st Class for free. Hurrah!

Um, nope - try ordering under $5 & you'll still get a ickle pop up telling you to spend more, which isn't too difficult anyway :D

[nicecupoftea]

Um, nope - try ordering under $5 & you'll still get a ickle pop up telling you to spend more, which isn't too difficult anyway :D

Just ordered from the Joanna Sheen site (very excited now, but I bet it will come on Saturday with hubby on the prowl!). I tried out the £5 minimum order policy and of course you are right. Coz I hadn't been on her site before I wasn't sure about the £5 minimum order as I looked around and to my very duff eyes I can't see a word about £5 minimum order unless of course you try to check out. I think it is a bit naughty because there is a banner on the home page saying free p&p worldwide, every item no matter the price says free p&p after it, and she has put about the free p&p in her terms and conditions. But! no mention of £5 minimum order. All she needs to do is change the banner on the homepage to say £5 minimum order as really I don't think this is too unreasonable. Sorry for the rant but I just find it annoying when companies aren't 100% straight with their customers.

[purdycraft]

It used to say that there is a minimum order, the web site has been changed so maybe they forgot that bit.

[Wellington]

I bet it will come on Saturday with hubby on the prowl

Let's see, you've ordered this morning? It's much more likely to arrive tomorrow Nicecupoftea - JS usually has fab delivery times. I ordered a set of the shaped concertina cards (special offer at $4.99, couldn't not really :D ) the Friday before Christmas last year (just checked the 21st) & they were delivered Saturday morning (the 22nd) I was well chuffed :)

[nicecupoftea]

Fingers crossed they will come tomorrow. Hubby knows I'm after the inkpads but I don't want him to think I'm spending most of the day on the net ordering craft stuff. He thinks the only danger is when I'm out and about.

[nicecupoftea]

Let's see, you've ordered this morning? It's much more likely to arrive tomorrow Nicecupoftea - JS usually has fab delivery times.

You were right Welly! It came this morning and I have sent an email to thank them for such good service. Can't wait to have a play with my new stuff but I don't think it's good idea to start getting permanent black ink pads out with Little Angel around. I'm just hoping hubby goes to his practice tonight. He cried off last week citing 'Man Flu'. It ruined my Friday night! I had a Liz Earle face mask, a secretly acquired (and untouched) Artisan jewellery kit and QVC craft programme to watch. He couldn't work out why I was in a bad mood.

Anyway thanks again for all the tips everyone.