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I recently got the AMuse catalog and I have a few questions. I see the inks are pigment instead of dye. Do they stamp well? Are they a good consistency or goopy? I like the colors so I am curious.
Also, how do you like the cardstock weight? How does it compare to SU and PTI?
Hi Ann! Are you familiar with Versamagic ink? It's the closest I can come to a comparison. The ink pads are spongy -- they are not the woven type that you need to reink with several times to get rid of the weave pattern on solid stamps. I think they are absolutely wonderful -- just what I had been looking for and I've tried a lot of inks. They work beautifully with rubber and clear stamps as well.
The cardstock weight is 80 lb like SU - PTI is 110. I switched from SU to PTI several years ago and thought the lighter weight of A|S would really bother me, but I love it. The thing is, the surface of the cardstock is smooth ~ it isn't like other cardstock. I've heard that Memory Box and maybe Hero Arts? is similar. I think the smoothness of it gives it a more saturated, vibrant color and a very classy look. And the reverse is white (patterns have natural reverse, and kraft is kraft ) which for me is a bonus - ready to stamp on or write on with no need for an extra panel. If I "load up" the front, I may add a panel on the inside just to balance it out.
Hi Ann! Are you familiar with Versamagic ink? It's the closest I can come to a comparison. The ink pads are spongy -- they are not the woven type that you need to reink with several times to get rid of the weave pattern on solid stamps. I think they are absolutely wonderful -- just what I had been looking for and I've tried a lot of inks. They work beautifully with rubber and clear stamps as well.
The cardstock weight is 80 lb like SU - PTI is 110. I switched from SU to PTI several years ago and thought the lighter weight of A|S would really bother me, but I love it. The thing is, the surface of the cardstock is smooth ~ it isn't like other cardstock. I've heard that Memory Box and maybe Hero Arts? is similar. I think the smoothness of it gives it a more saturated, vibrant color and a very classy look. And the reverse is white (patterns have natural reverse, and kraft is kraft ) which for me is a bonus - ready to stamp on or write on with no need for an extra panel. If I "load up" the front, I may add a panel on the inside just to balance it out.
HTH!
Ditto!
__________________ Karen - proud owner of 3 cats and a 80 lb, German Shepard Owner of an unorganized scrappy place I CAN ONLY SHIP IN THE USA
I love the amuse pygment ink - it is the best I have tried for using with clear stamps too. I am getting rid of my SU craft ink and building up my collection of amuse. On the paper, I feel it is about the same weight as the SU ultrasmooth white (lighter than the SU cardstock.) I don't like using it for a regular A5 cardstock base, but it works great for smaller cards. And for the larger cards I am usually matting it on a base anyway.
The amuse cardstock does have a white core and is white on the underside. This means if you do use it for a card base, the card is white and easy to write on inside. It also means if you do any tearing it will show white on the tear - sometimes a nice contrast to the color of the card, and if not, you can ink the edges to match. This way you have the choice.
I haven't tried sanding it yet but Julie Ebersole has a video showing it and it looks great. She used the scor pal and then lightly sanded it. I actually like using it as a card base and found that when you stamp on it using the A Muse pigment inks the look is incredible. If you use the right shades, it looks like store bought DP!
I had my Open House today and everyone was impressed with the cardstock and the inks. The nice thing about these inks (and I have the entire set of Versamagic pigment inks from before) they clean off beautifully. My other pigment ink I sometimes use a toothbrush to get the ink out of the grooves and that doesn't always work and here it washes off with water. Love it...
Looks like you can still order Madeira 4-bar notecards from A Muse Artstamps . . . I'm tempted to pick up a couple of the old wood-mounted stamps myself.
Looks like you can still order Madeira 4-bar notecards from A Muse Artstamps . . . I'm tempted to pick up a couple of the old wood-mounted stamps myself.
The vintage pattern card stock is also lovely! I have it in every color!
Back in the day, when I was on the design team for The Saltbox Studio, I had all kinds of amuse product. I need to pull it all out and give it a fresh look again.
The vintage pattern card stock is also lovely! I have it in every color!
Back in the day, when I was on the design team for The Saltbox Studio, I had all kinds of amuse product. I need to pull it all out and give it a fresh look again.
It was YOU!!!! I was sorting through my stamps today (managed to pick up a box for you, btw, so will send your pkg at the p.o. tomorrow!), and when I came to Saltbox Studio, I was trying to remember who it was here on SCS that had some Saltbox sets I don't have ~ I was very impressed b/c I thought I had them all! Mystery solved! :^)
I love that look Nancy - can't wait to try it! So many ideas swirling in my head - now I just need more hours in the day to stamp, or toothpicks to hold my eyelids open! :lol:
the a muse inks are very similar to Fresh Inks, carried by Impress. They are a fast drying pigment ink. Pads are not goopy. Very nice, smooth coverage, especially for solid images. I got rid of all my SU paper and have been using a muse paper exclusively for some time now. Wonderful for distressing the edges or embossing/debossing/sanding. Color palette is gorgeous! If you need to score, make sure you score on the colored side. I can't recommend their paper or inks enough!
Someone, I think Mary Rose, asked about the Madeira pattern. While you may be able to purchase it online through the a muse artstamps website while supplies last, it is not a product currently offered through a muse studio.
I looked at the catalog online yesterday, and it appears that the Madeira was replaced with the Damask. But the catalog still offers the Vintage pattern, and that is another one of my favorites! (Well, that AND the Gingham AND the Notebook AND...)
The damask pattern is only available on the shimmer couture cardstock. Very pretty, shimmery paper, like the Stardream (Stardust? can't remember) paper I used to buy at Paper Zone. I love the other patterned papers, too.
I bought all the cardstock and like it for the most part. I will have to get used to the lighter weight than I am used ot. I do have to say that when I used my border punch on the cardstock it left some ruff "white" stuff/edges on the border which I wasn't too happy with (note, die cutting it with my Spellbinder dies did NOT have this rough cut leaving the white edges).
Love the inks and paper! I am slowly trying to get rid of my SU cardstock for cardmaking and going to A Muse because I love having the white or vanilla underside (inside). I dont do super layer-y cards so its perfect for a more clean and simple card if you worry about the weight of the front of the card. The patterned papers are fantastic also! LOVE the woodgrain...seems like everything I make has the woodgrain on it! LOL Made a super cute haunted house using the woodgrain.
The inks are awesome! I didnt know if I would like them or not but have enjoyed using them much more than I thought I would. Some colors take a bit longer to dry than others but for pigment inks, they do dry pretty quickly. I love how the inks, when stamped on white cardstock, look so refined and beautiful. It looks like a professionally printed card. That makes it easy to make 1 layer or simple cards appear fantstic looking!
I think some have expected it to take longer to dry and have been disappointed with not being able to emboss with it as they expected it to be more like the SU craft. Some colors are easier to do this with than other colors so if thats what you want it for, that may not work for you. Also, I dont think all of the ink colors match exactly with the paper colors. Thus far, it has not bothered me terribly, but I dont own all the colors either. I am just sticking with the paper and ink colors I love and know I will use.
That is a super cute and creative card! LOVE the woodgrain house! Great. Another thing I have to order...woodgrain card stock! ;)
You'll love it! And we have more colors now too in our holiday catalog. We had latte and sky (tan and light blue) and we added brown, black and red....cant wait to make my Santa's workshop for Christmas!
I just checked out the holiday mini. Wowzers, that's an awesome mini! I love the woodgrain card stock, and those maple tags are adorable! Making my list and checkin' it twice...
I just checked out the holiday mini. Wowzers, that's an awesome mini! I love the woodgrain card stock, and those maple tags are adorable! Making my list and checkin' it twice...
I just ordered those maple tags. cannot wait to get my hands on them!
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
I didnt order them but am definitely thinking about it....they are so neat! Also want to add the small tree die and Night Before Christmas paper. My upline made and sent us an uber-cute Christmas card with it and it made me want it for simple, sweet Christmas cards.
Also, I dont think all of the ink colors match exactly with the paper colors.
They don't, but then, they aren't intended to be perfect matchy-matchy. The colors are coordinated with the cardstocks, felt, ribbon, buttons, etc. And the selection of Copic markers available in the catalog also coordinate with the cardstock and inks instead of being exact matches.
The Crop-A-Dile makes punching the wood tags easy-peasy... just sayin' ;)
Used it on a card I taught last weekend.
Ca-ute Novell!! Love it! You are definitely someone I stalk when seeing whats awesome out there...you always have the nicest cards and the neatest ideas on thinking outside the box when using your products!
Some AMuse questions...
