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Why do I need the Tim Holtz Oxide Inks. I use his Distress inks all the time. What will the Oxide inks do for me. Do you use them for different applications? Thanks for all the info!
There are a couple other threads about this, I will see if I can find them. They give a different effect for smooshed background, they are much smoother and more opaque for sponging and stenciling, you can stamp really nicely on colored cardstock and the oxide effect is different than the regular distress effect, AND there are several ways to stamp with them. So yes, they are different. No, you don't need them, but they are fun!
If you use Distress Inks for BGs, the advantage of Oxides is that once dried you can layer colors over colors without making mud. The blue you layer over yellow will remain crisply blue if you dry between layers.
If you stamp with Distress Inks, you will find Oxides to be better for that. They are a pigment/dye hybrid, so more opaque and crisper.
I know that they are all the rage right now, and that it's hard not to wonder if you're missing out not having them. But I bought Distress Inks immediately after they came out (so long ago!), and use them constantly in BG work, not for stamping very much, and I waited when the Oxides came out until I was sure they had something new to offer me. I bought all of the original releases, and then selected seven of the new release.
The way to try a few would depend on how you use them. For stamping - pick a few colors you know you'll use. Think of a stamp set and pick colors for it. Like, if you are working with florals, get a green, and two colors for flowers. If you want to play with backgrounds, pick a few colors you like, and especially if they are opposites on the color wheel, because you can't make mud with oxides. Well, you can, but you have to do it purposely by not drying between layers. ;)!
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I love them more than the regular distress inks and use them more than the older ones. I like that i can stamp directly into the oxide ink pad and it comes out with a crisp image. I can blend with them better for backgrounds .
I am with Cheermom - I love the oxide inks so much more than the regular distress inks. They are so smooth going on card stock and one of the selling points for me was that they can be used on dark card stock. I have all of the oxide colors!
Funny, I was just going to post about oxide inks and this thread was there.I had assume oxide inks were just about blending backgrounds. Today, I discovered quite by error, they are beautiful when used for regular card stamping.
I was super surprised how well Oxides stamp solid polymer stamps. Better than most inks. Solid polymer stamps are a good way to to test an ink. Oxide really covers the stamp. Beautiful finish on cardstock.
Thanks for starting this thread! I had the same question, basically, and now it's been answered. PLUS - I've seen a lot of examples in the galleries lately that are so beautiful that I'm pretty much sold on them, as much as I didn't want to be - I have too many options already...
Once I made an ink chart I realized how well these worked for stamping. That opened up a whole new color range. Before that I had decided to just get a few for blending since I do less of that than stamping. I may not get them all but my numbers have definitely gone up.
I had the exact same experience. I wasn't stamping with them, then I printed off the chart from the Ranger site and when I filled it in I realized how well these stamp.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
My next step is to do an oxide ink chart using Jennifer McGuire's swatch templates. She has release I available for upload so far. I haven't decided yet whether to do one chart with smaller stamped and blended images on the same swatch or to do two sets of swatches for each color. I'll probably do two so I can see the images better. I'm thinking of using an oval stencil for the blended swatches.
Now that I've been sold on the idea of purchasing these, any thoughts on the best place to do that? Thanks in advance!
Starlit Studio is where I bought my inks and reinkers. Cindy is really terrific and if it's in stock she ships fast.
I wasn't going to get these at first since I thought I was doing okay with blending with my distress and SU inks but I was just fooling myself. These inks just blend so easily and look pretty amazing. I just can't get over the layering that you can do with these inks.
Thanks! I just ordered from Starlit Studio for the first time a week or two ago, and you're right - quick shipping and lovely to deal with. Off to spend some more $$... ;)
Funny thing about those Oxide Inks. I love them, but had an interesting thing happen to one of my backgrounds this morning.
I had put down a rough oval of Lucky Clover Distress Oxide, and when I spritzed it with water and blotted up the excess, it left behind blue spots. Pretty, but unexpected from the Lucky Clover. Who knew?
Here's a comparison I did.Top row of images: glossy cs/distress ink/coarse salt w/water
Bottom row of images: watercolor paper/oxide ink/coarse salt w/water
Tim Holtz Oxide Inks
