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Reported by Heather Strenzwilk
I had the opportunity to play with Posh Impressions Inkabilities dye inks and Luminous Metallic inks by Ranger. Applied with Rainbow Sponges, these inks can be used to create vividly colorful backgrounds and patterns.Each Inkability set contains 6 color coordinated .25 ounce reinker bottles and have needle nose tips for precise inking. Inks are applied to the edges of the sponge and are dragged or stamped. These sponges are ultra dense and hold the ink without sucking it into the sponge like a make-up sponge does.
I tried the inks on various surfaces with different degrees of success. The inks worked best on King James Cast Coat glossy cardstock because it was easier to drag the sponge to apply the ink. I tried a few other coated cardstocks and matte cardstock with limited success because the ink saturated the papers. Synthetic surfaces such as polyester ribbon and Prima flowers worked very well with the metallic inks and once dry the ink did not smear.
I tested the Inkabilities dye inks in Earthtone colors: Terra Cotta, Bottle, Eggplant, Butterscotch, Cranberry and Denim. These are darker colors which was further intensified by using the Rainbow Sponge- especially when I tried a plaid technique. I was disappointed because these backgrounds were so dark that I wasn't able to overstamp them as I had planned. The inks also pooled in some areas (as see in the sample above). I used the same colors on the glossy and on the ribbon but the colors look very different. Because these inks were so dark, it was hard to tell which color was which on the sponge which made it challenging when it came to reink the sponge. I wasn't very happy with my dark results and I wonder if I would have had better results with lighter colors. These inks in particular stained my fingers.
I also tested Luminous Metallic colors: Metallic Red, Teal, Pink Green, Blue and Violet. After shaking them very well, I really enjoyed working with this set. The colors worked very well together although I thought the red was more magenta and the pink was more peach. The inks offered smoother and more even coverage than the dye inks. The colors blended but did not muddy like the dye inks. I absolutely loved how the inks glowed on Stardream metallic text paper.The dye inks came with a 1.5 x 3 inch Rainbow Sponge and the metallic inks do not come with a sponge. Tileabilities are 1.5" square Rainbow Sponges which come in a 6-pack and are ideal for creating mosaic patterns by using the square face of the sponge. I preferred the smaller sponges and I found you could turn the sponge to use various edges and faces. The sponges rinsed easily with water and were stained a bit but are definitely reusable.
There is definitely a learning curve with a product like this. My biggest challenge was determining how much ink was enough for solid coverage without being enough to saturate the surface with ink. Some users raved about being able to make 20-30 backgrounds from 1 inking but as the colors faded sometimes the sponge didn't drag as well so I would switch sponges or reink. I also had some problems with the dye inks splattering as I applied them to the sponge or to the glossy cardstock.A package insert discusses several different techniques to try including criss-cross, twist sponging, ribbon candy and even rainbow writing. I attempted a few of the techniques such as mosaic, criss-cross and plaid and I liked some of the results. Despite repeated attempts, I just didn't get the ribbon candy technique (it looks like marbling) where you pull it across the paper in a small "U" shape.
Overall, I liked the Luminous Metallic Inkabilities and the Tileabilities Rainbow Sponges and I will use them again. I didn't like the dye inks because the colors were too intense and the inks saturated the surface.
Edited 3/19/08: Regarding availability of King James Cast Coat Glossy paper- this product is no longer manufactured. Several artists in the paper art community recommended the following papers as replacements:
WorldWin High Gloss white
Smart Cast Coated
Many paper companies offer free samples of their products so try a few to find the product that works best for you.
7 Comments:
In your "test" of the Posh sponges and inks, you didn't mension using any water with the non- metallic Inkabilities. When Dee first came out with these inks and sponges, she specifically said, that in order to get multiple printings off "a sponge load", and to get pastel shades, you had to mist the sponge with a short spritz from a mister when the sponge became lower on ink and started to drag. When the sponge starts dragging, mist it again. I have used these inks and sponges for the last 7 years, and this is how I achieve 20-30 card fronts. And this is how you get the pastel looks as well. I make dozens of background pieces that I stamp on later, using glossy cardstock that I buy by the ream. I select the right pastel shade from whatever I have on hand for my need at that time. With some experimenting, you can get an idea how you will want to load the sponge. Misting a sponge first and then adding a drop of ink might yield you a more pastel look right off the bat. You are only supposed to load one sharp edge of the sponge, and if you follow the directions, you won't have such an inky mess on your hands.
Go to the Ranger site and read about how to use these inks properly; I feel that your experience would have been much more enjoyable if you had applied the inks as intended.
I also want to take this time to say that I feel like more companies, like Ranger, should go out of their way a little more to educate and demonstrate their products, at least on their web site.
In my opinion, DVDs and project instructions should be free,and part of a company's advertising, unless it just so beyond basic and features more than 90 minutes of "Wow"!
I don't aim to be rude, but this is one of my favorite products and I don't think you were clear on how to really use it. Thank you for your time,
Rebecca M.
Rebecca M.,
Thanks for sharing your comments and experience with this product. Your points are very valid.
I did want to address one of your statements: "You are only supposed to load one sharp edge of the sponge, and if you follow the directions, you won't have such an inky mess on your hands." As I stated in my article, for some of my testing I used the Tileabilities Rainbow Sponges which are designed to be used on the larger square surface. As to my inky hands, I'm definitely a hands on crafter and it was probably more "operator clumsiness" than a weakness in the product.
Thanks for sharing your experience with this product.
Heather
thanks for sharing your experiences. I'm sure with many products there are learning curves, and it's nice to know which products those are. This kind of information is very helpful to those who may be beginning stampers and crafters.
your photo that showed the metallic inks is really good. it's always hard to get that extra shine to come through on a photo and yours did a pretty good job of capturing it.
What a great review! I have these and love them too, but you are right -- it definitely has a learning curve!!
I also like that your comments have even more info from another person who has used them! Thanks to all!
nice review!
Heather - thanks so much for your hard work in testing the product and writing up your findings. I do have question, though; you mentioned that you used “King James Cast Coat” for paper; where are you sourcing this? I have looked for it, by name, and been unsuccessful, as I understood it was no longer manufactured. Any help you could provide would be gratefully accepted.
TIA
Regarding availability of King James Cast Coat Glossy paper- this product is no longer manufactured. Several artists in the paper art community recommended the following papers as replacements:
WorldWin High Gloss white
Smart Cast Coated
Many paper companies offer free samples of their products so try a few to find the product that works best for you.
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