My Favorite Crafty Things 2016: Inks

11.20.16

It’s Day 3 of My Favorite Crafty Things 2016! Today’s focus is inks.

Throughout this series, I am sharing my favorite crafty products of the year. Each day will have a different topic. If you see anything you want to add to your stash, be sure to use this discount…

Simon Says Stamps is offering my readers $10 off purchases of $75 or more! Use the code “JENFAVES” through 11:59pmEST on 11/24/16 when shopping HERE.

Today I am focusing on inks.

blog-ink

The video may be a bit long, but I hope it helps:

[Warning: This video is long. You can instead just check out the stamps below. All products are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails. Affiliate links may be used. To watch the video in HD on YouTube, click HERE.]

If you are interested in any products, click on one of the abbreviations under the product images… SSS for Simon Says Stamp, EH for Ellen Hutson or the manufacturer’s abbreviation.

Hero Arts Black Dye Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEHHA
VersaFine Onyx Black Pigment Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEH
My Favorite Things Black Hybrid Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSMFT
VersaMark Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEH
Hero Arts Unicorn White Pigment Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEHHA
Delicata Black Shimmer Pigment Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEH
Delicata White Shimmer Pigment Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEH
Simon Says Stamp Barely Beige Dye Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
SSS
Hero Arts Shadow Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEHEH
Simon Says Stamp Dye Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
SSS
WPlus9 Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
Wp9
Altenew Inks
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEHAL
Ranger Dye Inks
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEH
My Favorite Things Dye Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
MFT
Gina K Dye Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
GK
Lawn Fawn Ink
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEHLF
Mini Distress Inks
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEH
Distress Reinkers
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEH
Mini Ink Blending Tool
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEH
Mini Ink Blending Tool Foams
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEH
Mini Distress Ink Tin
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEH
Ranger DIY Customer Dye Ink Pad
CLICK A SHOP:
SSSEH
Ink Swatch Book
CLICK A SHOP:
JMI
InLinkz.com

Again – please know that you do NOT need a lot of inks! I share many here so maybe you can determine which may be best for you.

Remember – this list of Favorite Crafty Things may also be used as a gift guide. Feel free to give this link to a loved one… maybe they will take the hint. ?

You can keep up to date on all the topics of My Favorite Crafty Things 2016 HERE… and for my lists from 2015, click HERE.

RELATED VIDEOS

Here are some other ink videos that may be helpful:

GIVEAWAYS

Time for some more prizes! Today I have giveaways for TWO more lucky winners! You could win one of these prizes:

  • $50 Gift Certificate to Simon Says Stamp (Thanks once again, Heidi!)
  • SIX of the ink pads mentioned above.

For your chance to win a giveaway, leave a comment below by 11:59pmEST on 12/5/16 telling me your favorite ink. (The winner’s name will be randomly selected, emailed and posted on my “Winners page” after the giveaway closes. International folks are eligible, too.)

Be back soon!

 

[Please note that I purchased most of the products in this post personally, but not all. However, the decision to include them in this list was my own. I truly like these products and companies.]


Leave a Comment

1,019 thoughts on “My Favorite Crafty Things 2016: Inks”

  1. Dawn Skene says:
    November 21, 2016 at 5:09 am

    My favorite ink is VersaMark for embossing and Gina K. Inks for colored stamping.

    Reply
  2. Marie Butler says:
    November 21, 2016 at 5:24 am

    Such an informative and helpful video!! Thanks.

    Reply
  3. bev p says:
    November 21, 2016 at 5:40 am

    As always,very informative and helpful. I do have a question. What is the difference between archival ink and dye ink and when would you choose it over a dye ink? Thanks for all you do. Right now, I have a bunch of pigment inks, mostly because I learned how to create my own “reinker”, but I am slowly building my collection of dye inks. I don’t know that I actually have a favorite brand yet, except for the metallics, where Delicata is a clear winner! (I have several other brands which mostly look tan or gray on paper! Delicata is definitely worth the investment.)

    Reply
  4. tara capewell says:
    November 21, 2016 at 5:44 am

    i love the hero arts dye ink pads they are great! i must admit im a sucker for brights so i got all the neons last year!!!

    Reply
  5. Roz R. says:
    November 21, 2016 at 5:49 am

    Distress Inks are so much fun to play with. I have a mixture of Simon Says and Lawn Fawn inks. Of course there’s always room for more colors. 🙂

    Reply
  6. NinaS says:
    November 21, 2016 at 5:59 am

    I love distress inks because those are the only ones I have tried.

    Reply
  7. Nicole Jones says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:02 am

    I do love the small cubes as I am testing inks out. Very interested in trying out Gina K and WT9 🙂 thank you for technique notes too!

    Reply
  8. Claudia M says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:04 am

    Thank you for all the great videos, it is greatly appreciated. You are such in inspiration. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Simon and Versamark.

    Reply
  9. Melanie says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:04 am

    I love the tim holtz distress inks and lawn fawn stamp pads. It’s been a long time since I purchased new stamp pads and when I did, wow! It’s like technology, things are always evolving. ?

    Reply
  10. Toni C says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:14 am

    So many inks, so little time! 🙂 I love Altenew inks – I don’t have that many of them but I seem to get a good image every time. But my biggest collection is Stampin Up.

    Reply
  11. Maria says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:17 am

    Last year took your suggestion to get started and found having Ranger and. Lawn Fawn. You haven’t steered me wrong. Appreciate these videos so much.

    Reply
  12. Colette says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:22 am

    I love my versa mark stamp pad. I also use memento inks. I haven’t used anything else so I am looking forward to trying some you recommend!

    Reply
  13. Perla says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:26 am

    Thanks so much for all your insight, your opinion has a lot of value. The best advice I have used is the conditioning of the stamp, helped me out a ton.

    Reply
  14. LynnLohne says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:28 am

    Thanks again Jennifer for another great video. I think you are spot on with your conclusions about all the different inks and I like your shoe analogy. I have never really considered the paper, or should I say quality of the paper. I make so many cards I just purchase from Michaels or Joannes. It is cost effective. Perhaps I will treat myself & try some of the high quality paper. Have a great day.

    Reply
  15. Sharyn Davis says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:31 am

    I love the Distress Inks. They’re so much fun to play with.

    Reply
  16. RAJackson says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:33 am

    It is so hard to decide on just one because of the many different inks available and the different techniques they allow to be done. I would have to say my favorite is Archival Ink because it is versatile. I can use it when I Watercolor and when I use my color pencils.

    Reply
  17. Jan Arnold says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:36 am

    My favorite ink is definitely Versa Mark, just for the sheer versatility. But…
    I was a caregiver for my Dad for 8 years. As his disease progressed my stamping time decreased until for the last 3 years I was lucky to get Christmas cards made. I had even taught stamping classes with a friend. Being away from stamping for that length of time I missed incredible progress made in the inks, stamps, dies and tools that now help me to make cards that are so professional looking. Thankfully, I found your videos that explained all of the changes in formulas and the benefits of each! Felt like I was a novice stamper again! As you suggested I’ve been trying lots of different brands and am thankful for the 1″ cubes that make that process affordable. Right now I’m really liking the ALTENEW CRISP INKS. I feel like I get a beautiful, crisp image and love that they come in the “family” sets of 4. That has made layering a piece of cake! I appreciate all of the information you shared on the inks in this video and the previous “ink” tutorial. I love attending Jennifer McGuire University!

    Reply
  18. Barbara Campbell says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:41 am

    My favorite ink and the one that works for me is Gina K Designs. I do have others in my stash as well. Versamark, MFT and Simon Says, all purchase for a specific technique or color.

    Reply
  19. BentheDK says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:48 am

    Back in 2014/15 when I got serious about getting some inks, Distress inks were in a lot of Youtube videos, so that’s what I got. It took a while, but I have all the colors in the small cubes, and I use them all the time. I love the way they blend, and how easy it is to make realistic looking backgrounds. And teamed up with stencils or Perfect Pearls they shine. They are also great for inking the edges of cutouts of colored cardstock. I would like to start getting more colors in dye inks, but for now I’m happy with my choice of inks.
    Thank you for another great and helpful video Jennifer. Love how serious you are about your craft and those of us who turn to you for new techniques and ideas.

    Reply
  20. Andrea Cuda says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:55 am

    That was a VERY useful video! Thank you so much for all the love and hard work you put into these videos!!!
    My favorite inks right now are distress inks. I find that I “play” with these far more often than actually doing stamping techniques. I also have two color sets of StampinUp ink pads, and I really like the way they stamp. But right now, I’m more into coloring than into stamping with colored ink pads.

    Playing with distress inks and learning about all the creative ways to use them, I heard that they’re not lightfast and will fade fairly quickly when exposed to sunlight. Now I’m wodering about the other types of inks. Do you have any experience with how well all these different inks hold up to direct sunlight and to being hung up on a wall inside? For me that would be a factor to consider when deciding which new inks to buy and try.

    Or do you know of any techniques or tools to help make these colors more light resistant? I’ve heard of UV resistant/ repellant (is that the right word?) acrylic glass that can be used for framing, but am wondering if it’s worth the investment.

    Sorry for bugging you with all these questions! But I think you’re the person who’s most likely to have an answer to any of these 😉

    Reply
  21. Bev Wilkinson says:
    November 21, 2016 at 6:56 am

    For straight up stamping, Altenew inks are my new favorite. I love how they’ve created ink quad sets that work perfectly with their beautiful multi-step images. For mixed media though TH Distress Inks are still the bomb though. Love how reactive they are.

    Reply
  22. Cristina says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:01 am

    I adore this video serie…it’s so so usefull!
    Cristina
    thehouseoftheblackbirds.blogspot.it

    Reply
  23. Lisa says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:05 am

    Love your videos Jennifer – always good to have a refresher on old products and a review of new ones! My favourite inks…. .well I love distress inks (techniques and watercolour), I have lots of Altenew Dye Inks (for stamp layering), use my Versamark (for techniques) and Versafine (for sentiments) ALL the time (even though Versafine always goes everywhere for me). I cannot pick a favourite from those! And I have seen all the beautiful Altenew colours and want them all. A lot of the brands are hard to get over here in the UK, so that does limit us…..which may be a good thing.

    Reply
  24. Ana manzana says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:08 am

    I love Versadine black ink, it is my to-go ink, but now I need to try those Delicata 😉

    Reply
  25. Melissa Hanneken says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:08 am

    Versamark all the way!

    Reply
  26. Beatriz says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:13 am

    I’ve learned so much about inks watching your videos!! I have recently purchased Mama Elephant Winter pigment ink and I’m super happy! It’s perfect for soft backgrounds and it blends beautifully. I also want to try WPlus9 Fairy Dust Dye Ink but I can’t find it here in Europe.

    Reply
  27. Lorie says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:31 am

    I’m new at this craft but love Versa Mark and embossing powder!!! So many options for my cards!

    Reply
  28. Jo-Ann says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:31 am

    Versamark and Hero Arts are definitely my go to inks, with Distress following very closely behind.

    Reply
  29. Isabel Z says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:37 am

    I only have inks from two companies (right now)–Stampin Up and PTI. I prefer the PTI ink for its coverage and hues. I can’t wait to try the different ones you have showcased. Like shoes, a girl can never have enough ink, or stamps, or die cuts…..

    Reply
  30. Clare says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:40 am

    I love versafine onyx black but agree with you Jennifer I do tend to get messy with it, especially due to the flip lid, but I deal with it as I love the results! I also like the ranger inks for bright colors and hero arts shadow ink for softer colors. Mama Elephant pigment inks are also a fav and the blend well too.

    Reply
  31. Malin Danngärde says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:43 am

    Hi Jennifer! My favorite inks must be a tie between lawn fawn or hero arts shadow! Both of them I tried after watching your videos!
    I have a request: could you please show updated photos of the inks in your swatchbook? This would help a lot in choosing inks from different brands, since there isn’t any color charts that shows the difference between the companies… when you have a limited budget it’s hard to know what to invest in. Thanks in advanced, you are amazing!! Hugs from Sweden!

    Reply
  32. Marina says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:44 am

    At this moment I am looking for new inks to try. This video is awesome and perfect on time for me!
    I like distress inks, VersaFine for black stamping and offcourse VersaMark for embossing. But now I need some more Colored ink pads for some crisp and clean stamping. With your video in mind, I am going shopping. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  33. Karen says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:44 am

    It’s hard to choose just 1 ink. I like Altenew which takes the guesswork out of selecting coordinating shades of colour. Also TH inks for blending. And now I am loving the Lawn Fawn inks for the great colours!

    Reply
  34. Lisascreativeniche says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:50 am

    I love my PTI inks still and I’m really loving my altenew cube inks. Of course versafine are my favorite for sentiments and mft inks for watercoloring and copics!

    Reply
  35. Theresa P says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:53 am

    I really like Distress Inks and use Memento Black when coloring with Copics and VersaMark for embossing. I use Memento inks because that is what I have but would like to try the Hero Arts and Simon Says inks. Love your Favorite Things video series. Thanks!

    Reply
  36. Christy Velasquez says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:56 am

    I’ve been a Stampin Up person for a long time but just recently started trying and using Distress Inks. I am so amazed at all the techniques you can do with them. They are not the best for stamping images but for all other techniques they work great! I also tried the Versafine Onyx Black Ink for getting crisp black images and sentiments and it works fantastically.

    Reply
  37. Jan Rowley says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:56 am

    Hi Jennifer,
    Firstly I have to thank you so much for your wonderful and informative videos. I can hardly wait for your next one and have found them so helpful. I have just recently really become more interested in making more cards and using different inks for them, I am a scrapbooker mainly but want to use more stamps to create cards rather than scrapbooking my cards. I have used ranger ink pads for most part but love some of the beautiful colours from the other brands you mention and off course I have always used distress inks, I love all things Tim Holtz. I will be investing in some of those beautiful colours in the dye inks I think. Thank you again for your time and knowledge taken to help others better their skills.
    Many thanks

    Reply
  38. karine boivin says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:57 am

    My favorite inks are the distress inks because of all the techniques you can do with it!

    Reply
  39. Maureen Walker says:
    November 21, 2016 at 7:59 am

    I really like the Gold and Silver Delicata ink-I am just getting into stamping so my supplies are very minimal. So your advice is very helpful.
    Regards Maurene, Adelaide Australia

    Reply
  40. Lauren says:
    November 21, 2016 at 8:00 am

    My favorite ink is Ranger Archival Black. I use it almost daily!

    Reply
  41. Donna Phelan says:
    November 21, 2016 at 8:05 am

    I used to use Memento Tuxedo Black ink for coloring with my Copic Markers but have recently switched to MFT’s Black Licorice Hybrid. I think I still want to try another black dye ink. You have given me lots and lots of useful info, thanks so much and happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  42. Daniela Vuchkova says:
    November 21, 2016 at 8:07 am

    My favourite ink is VersaFine Onyx Black Pigment Ink

    Reply
  43. Efrat says:
    November 21, 2016 at 8:12 am

    I can’t just pick one ink, I love them all 🙂
    However I do LOVE your favorite series. I am having so much fun watching it. Thank you.!!

    Reply
  44. Barbara says:
    November 21, 2016 at 8:20 am

    Thank you for reviewing the inks again. I always learn something new with your videos.

    Reply
  45. Lisa K says:
    November 21, 2016 at 8:21 am

    I am loving Lawn Fawn inks. They stamp well and have wonderful names. I love Gina K Designs ink as well, so between the two, I am pretty set. Thanks for sharing your take on inks. It was helpful to see many inks I had not heard of nor knew nothing about.

    Reply
  46. Tess Hackett says:
    November 21, 2016 at 8:23 am

    My top three inks that are colored dye inks are Altenew, Wplus9, and Lawn Fawn. I like color selections of those lines of ink a lot.

    Reply
  47. Terry B. says:
    November 21, 2016 at 8:30 am

    My favorite inks are Distress Inks and dye inks. Thanks for the chance to win.

    Reply
  48. Judith R McKay says:
    November 21, 2016 at 8:34 am

    love your advice on inks. I have learned so much today. I have a order ready to go. Thank you.

    Reply
  49. Kirsten B in MN says:
    November 21, 2016 at 8:36 am

    My favorite, most used, ink is Versafine Onyx Black. But I like all things inky!
    Thanks for the fun info!

    Reply
  50. Beth Beckermeyer says:
    November 21, 2016 at 8:40 am

    As I am new to this, I don’t have any inks yet. I found this video very help in explaining the differences! Thanks so much

    Reply

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My Favorite Crafty Things: Finishing Touches Read More >
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