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So I am ready to take the plunge into the world of Distress. I have watched a bunch of videos on YouTube and checked out tutorials on blogs. I really, really like the multiple uses of these products.
My question is where do I start? Mini pads or full? Any that distress users feel are absolute musts? Is there someplace I can buy a kit that has everything?
I have the mini pads and love them. I bought them in their sets (of four) as I could afford them. I have a handful of the regular size pads and a couple of the distress stains. They're OK, but I love me my mini pads!
I'd rate myself as a moderately average stamper with moderately average 'artistic' skill, so you'll want to take that into account.
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
was typing while Lydia was posting. I agree with her ... they're glorious!
Blending them is a blast. Using them to watercolor is so fun. How they react with water ... could go on and on.
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
I wouldn't know how to recommend just a few because 1) they are all great and 2) everyone uses/prefers different colors. Besides that, I'm definitely afflicted with "full set syndrome".
I remember seeing a distress ink kit at Michael's but I'm sure it didn't have all the colors. Simon Says Stamp does sell a full set of minis.
Thank you all for your advice! I had been thinking about starting with the minis and going from there. Just wasn't sure if I would be wasting money only to switch to the regular size pads. Now to just find a good sale...
JoAnn.com has the mini's on sale right now for half price and an additional 20% might apply for this weekend......not sure if there is a minimum order for free shipping right now but they do that sometimes too. I am going to complete my sets of mini's and get a couple more of the storage tins for them this weekend. Maybe it's a place for you to start.......
I think the mini are hard to stay closed. I say buy the full size pads. Sorry but I have to say you need ALL the colors. Need. Not want.
I store mine flat (in the lid of a boot box and the lid of a shoe box) and they stay closed fine. Gotta agree with you on the colors though ... haven't found a color I didn't love and the different ones that blend together are amazing.
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
I agree when it comes to colors, you've got to have them all, they're too great!!!
As for size, I started with the regular pad, so I never switched to the minis. They work great for me and I like them. I also recommend buying the reinkers too, but then, that's me. They're pretty juicy, so, you shouldn't need them right away.
DISTRESS STAIN TIP: If you are interested in the distress stains, the spray stains and the stains in the dauber bottles are the exact same product (this info comes from Tim Holtz) so you can save money by buying the stain in either the spray or the dauber (unless, of course, you want the stain in both the spray and the dauber LOL).
__________________ "May your mind whirl joyful cartwheels of creativity." - Jonathan Lockwood Huie.
Lisa, Joann's has all ink pads and refills 50% off right now (as well as stamps) and paper is 40% off. So you could get mini-pads and refills to maybe save some storage room. If you are only doing water coloring, you can just get the refills. ....The headline is $1.99 shipping for $75 order.
Their ads change daily, at times. If there is a code for shipping and a code for something else, remember you can only use one code at check out.
My last order took over 3 weeks to arrive because they sent it FedEx then it sat at a post office in town, until I made an online inquiry as to it's location. then they delivered a notice to my door as to what post office my package sat at, with a note "Found in a ditch, appears to be damaged" in hand writing.
It was dented at the corners, but contents not damaged.
If their prices weren't so great, I would never buy from them.
You can buy a special storage tin for the mini's that stops them rattling about if you don't have a dozen to fill it. They are great for taking around with you, if you go to classes/crops etc. I'd say get a few mini's, if you do find you really love them, then switch to larger size pads. Get re-inkers too when you buy a pad. They do stay juicy for absolutely ages, but it will save you a cost of getting loads of re-inkers down the line. Plus, you can use the reinkers for many things too- put some on a craft sheet, use with applicator just like a pad. Add to mini misters with some water for misting. I have a friend who uses vodka/gin instead of water as it evaporates faster!
I have both full pads and mini's but I recommend the mini pads and the tin to hold them.
Love the stains. I use to create a palette. I love that the vibrancy of the stains and have 2 palettes that sit on my desk so I use them quite often. It takes a while for the stains to thicken so don't tip the palette or the colors will run together. Once the rinse thickens you get a very rich deep color depending on how much water you have on your paint brush.
As for all the colors...I find there will be colors I'll never use and some are quite close so unless you're a "collector" I'd start with a few colors and add when needed.
I dropped one of the tins a small distance into a table and the minis came flying out, lids mostly falling off. Fortunately none had landed on the carpet ink side down! I have rubber bands around the tins now. I also have tape around some of the minis because the lids are very loose, others are OK.
I dropped one of the tins a small distance into a table and the minis came flying out, lids mostly falling off. Fortunately none had landed on the carpet ink side down! I have rubber bands around the tins now. I also have tape around some of the minis because the lids are very loose, others are OK.
Thanks for the warning. I'll put rubber bands around my tins. I've already ruined the carpet with brushos I don't need to add more colors.lol
I dropped one of the tins a small distance into a table and the minis came flying out, lids mostly falling off. Fortunately none had landed on the carpet ink side down! I have rubber bands around the tins now. I also have tape around some of the minis because the lids are very loose, others are OK.
Lisa, Joann's has all ink pads and refills 50% off right now (as well as stamps) and paper is 40% off. So you could get mini-pads and refills to maybe save some storage room. If you are only doing water coloring, you can just get the refills. ....The headline is $1.99 shipping for $75 order.
Their ads change daily, at times. If there is a code for shipping and a code for something else, remember you can only use one code at check out.
My last order took over 3 weeks to arrive because they sent it FedEx then it sat at a post office in town, until I made an online inquiry as to it's location. then they delivered a notice to my door as to what post office my package sat at, with a note "Found in a ditch, appears to be damaged" in hand writing.
It was dented at the corners, but contents not damaged.
If their prices weren't so great, I would never buy from them.
Oh yuck! That is terrible. I have been comparing pricing to Amazon since I have Prime. I am so indecisive when it comes to purchases like this. I like the idea of the minis because they take up less space. That is probably the way I will go.
JoAnn.com has the mini's on sale right now for half price and an additional 20% might apply for this weekend......not sure if there is a minimum order for free shipping right now but they do that sometimes too. I am going to complete my sets of mini's and get a couple more of the storage tins for them this weekend. Maybe it's a place for you to start.......
Hmmm...the only thing I see online is 25% off total purchase. Each set of 4 is 9.99. Are they on sale in store only?
Don't know what happened to the sale.........I had my shopping cart loaded and went to buy yesterday with the extra 20% off and everything was full price. The wierdest thing is if you clicked on a specific item to view it and it was full price in the "you also might like" row beneath it there were discounted prices........that showed up as full price when you looked at them individually. From now on if I see it and it's a good price I'm just going to buy it.
Joann makes things difficult. Seem to change sales daily! I just check their website frequently to see what is on sale, and what shipping discount they offer. I have, at times, found ink, stamps and paper 50% off with free shipping! But slow shipping.
I bought the full set of minis on Amazon. I added up the individual sets of 3 like #1, #2 & #3 that were bundled together (all different prices but Prime shipping) then compared it to the set of all 60 which did not include shipping. I got all 60 (1 thru 15) for $132 plus free shipping with Prime. The cost of the full set together was $149.95 plus $6 in shipping. So glad I checked adding them up individually! So I was also able to get the blending tool and some pads as well.
Love love the minis and keep them in the Ranger Mini Distress Ink Storage Tins semi-sorted by color. You can get the tins for about $4.65 to $7.00 each and each one holds twelve minis.
I put the blending foam circles (for the mini blending tool) on the underside of each mini - they just stay there. I often use other things for blending, but it's nice to have them stuck underneath.
I rarely reach for my larger sizes. And they seem to stay juicy for a long time - unless it's that I don't use them as much as I think I do? Curious what others think.
P.S. I keep a plastic band (like a rubber band but much flatter) around minis if I take them somewhere. If I took an entire tin I'd put a band around it. So many inks have loose lids I'm used to it, though wonder why they're like that. First world problem. ; )
Congrats Lisa! I have a feeling you won't be disappointed. Fwiw, I have one pad for each of my inks that tuck really nicely into the bottom of the ink container. I have four handles stored in a small bucket next to where I store my inks. At some point, would like another two. It's so nice to have one handle for each color you're using if you're using them for blending and in the middle of a project. (It never ends, does it?! lol!)
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
Congrats Lisa! I have a feeling you won't be disappointed. Fwiw, I have one pad for each of my inks that tuck really nicely into the bottom of the ink container. I have four handles stored in a small bucket next to where I store my inks. At some point, would like another two. It's so nice to have one handle for each color you're using if you're using them for blending and in the middle of a project. (It never ends, does it?! lol!)
Great minds think alike...this is exactly what I was planning to do!
I bought the full set of minis on Amazon. I added up the individual sets of 3 like #1, #2 & #3 that were bundled together (all different prices but Prime shipping) then compared it to the set of all 60 which did not include shipping. I got all 60 (1 thru 15) for $132 plus free shipping with Prime. The cost of the full set together was $149.95 plus $6 in shipping. So glad I checked adding them up individually! So I was also able to get the blending tool and some pads as well.
Plus you won't do like I've done, and mistakenly buy two of the same color - or three like Worn Lipstick! - and forget to buy others because you don't remember their names and the list is at home. (While I buy on line, my LSS carries distress inks so I try to start there.)
Plus you won't do like I've done, and mistakenly buy two of the same color - or three like Worn Lipstick! - and forget to buy others because you don't remember their names and the list is at home. (While I buy on line, my LSS carries distress inks so I try to start there.)
Oh my, are we related? lol! (I don't call those mistakes, I call them gifts for my crafty friends. ;) )
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
Oh my, are we related? lol! (I don't call those mistakes, I call them gifts for my crafty friends. ;) )
Twin! Does "Bird by Bird" ring a bell?
(For those not familiar with it, "Bird by Bird" is a book by Annie Lamott, a fiction and non-fiction writer mentioned in jeaniebean's sig line. "Bird by Bird" has helped me stick to things I want to get unstuck from.)
Oh, and worn lipstick is a distress color, not a used cosmetic.
I have all the reg distress ink pads. It took me a few years to buy them. But recently started buying the mini's. I bought and returned 2 diff sets of the mini's from Amazon, they were dry as a bone. No problems from Joann.com or Blitzy
Distress Inks, Stains, etc
