Are there ink pads that give a shine?
 

I've been playing with inks and tags. I like Distress Ink using the direct to the tag technique, but the finish is dull. Are there ink pads that are a bit shiny when applied directly to tags or card stock?

I did a google search for irridescent stamp pad inks and found this:

Pearl Ex Stamp Pads & Re-Inkers ? Metallic and Two-Toned Colors

I've never seen the Pearl Ex inks before - cool. You could use a metallic ink to get some shimmer, but they usually take a long time to dry. Other options are H20 paints or glimmer mist.

The majority of Brilliance inks by Tsukineko are pearlescent (the ones with this finish have "Pearlescent" in their name: Pearlescent Poppy, Pearlescent Crimson, etc.) Depending on the tags/cardstock you use, you may have to heat set the inks to prevent smearing. These inkpads come in 2 different sizes: full size, and the smaller cat-eye pads which are great for direct to paper.

As far as I know, all the pearlescent inks are pigment inks - they'll give you the shine but they won't act like Distress or any other dye ink. They're gloopier and don't spread as well so you may need to play to get the effect you want. I have several of the Brilliance inks that Linda mentioned and have always been happy with them for stamping but don't really use them for making backgrounds.

You could try spritzing your Distress inked tags with Glimmer Mist or some Perfect Pearls mixed with water in a mister. Or smoosh Distress onto a non-stick mat and spritz that before dabbing your tag into it.

If you're interested in these you might also like to know that Tsukineo make an ink call Opalite. They're "interference" colours so they change with the way light hits them and they work great on dark cardstock for a lovely iridescent effect. It comes in nine different colours - here (although the swatches stand no chance of showing how pretty the effect of this ink is!)

Not an inkpad, but a company called Crafters Companion, (this is the US link), do some spray products that put a shine/sparkle to your finished work.

Stampin' Up has come out with the Illuminate Glimmer Watermark Stampin' Pad. It is a very pretty effect. It just came out in the new holiday catalog. Hths

Oh my gosh! Where have I been? Thank you all so much for the information. A lot to digest. I'll do some searches today to see all of these amazing products. You guys are the BEST!

This might be a little hard core. I make my own "Brilliance" ink pads. I mix Pearl Ex with a bit of gum arabic & glycerin. I spread it on flat makeup sponges. You can also use a spray bottle full of rubbing alcohol to spritz the sponge. The rubbing alcohol helps with drying time.

Gum Arabic gives your inks a shiny and gloss appearance. It helps spread the inks. It also has a slow drying time so it acts like Tim's distress inks so you can blend easier.

Glycerin will make your inks pigment. Essentially embossing ink is glycerin.

For normal painting (Coloring stamp images) I use gum arabic and reinkers. The results were so pretty and shiny. I usually make my stamp pads with gum arabic, reinkers and glycerin.

One more option: VersaMark has two glimmery inks also (that I know of) Frost and Champagne. Frost is more of a white frosty glimmer, Champagne is a little darker with a more gold glimmer. Both very pretty, but *very* subtle. Depends on what you're looking for! :D

Stampin'Up!'s Illuminate Glimmer Stamppad is similar to VersaMark's frost glimmer. It's really subtle but looks fabulous on an embossed design (embossing folders). See my stamp class card for this month:

Illuminate the Holiday - Stamp Class 9/12 by susie nelson - Cards and Paper Crafts at Splitcoaststampers

I think you will fall in love with this ink.

How to use with embossing folder?
 

Would Susie or someone else please explain how to use the shimmery ink with an embossing folder? If I want the raised area to shine, I think I have to get that ink into the recessed areas of the folder before inserting the card stock and running it through a machine, and I can't figure out how to do that. Thanks in advance for any enlightenment you can provide.

After embossing, rub the pad *lightly* over the raised design. Alternatively, you could use a brayer or something similar. You do need to use a light touch - it's easier if you leave the paper in the embossing folder while you ink it (can't smush the design that way).

What great ideas you all have! I appreciate all your responses. I will have to research (then purchase) slowly -- one at a time. Can't go out and purchase all this cool stuff at once. My first purchase has been Perfect Pearls Mists in Heirloom Gold -- love it! I'm spraying all my completed tags with it and it really adds something special. Thanks again for all your recommendations. I knew I could get good answers on this forum.

there are the brilliance inkpads but also you can dust over mica powders (such as perfect pearls altho there are many different brands) over the wet ink and it will give a shimmery finish.

Depending on what you are doing with the distress inks you can spray them with pearlescent water. Gives a water colour effect on stamped images and helps spread the colour on background techniques. Tim H and Jennifer mcGuire do this a to. Especially Jennifer.

Is pearlescent water pearlescent medium mixed with water?

You can make your own sprays several ways. If you use Perfect Pearls (by Ranger) you can add water (and dye ink if you want to) to make your own sprays (there is already a binder in the powder). If you use other mica powders you'll need to add a binder (usually gum arabic) - or spritz with hairspray (I think) to set the powder so it doesn't brush off when dry. I know there are liquid pearlescent mediums (in the fine arts supply areas) but I don't know how much you'd need to water it down in order to spray it instead of paint it.

Yes, I make my own mists too. I never heard the term "pearlescent water," and I thought you were talking about another process. From what you said I got the idea it might be possible to get a colorless shine by combining pearlescent medium, which already contains a binder, with water, and I'm going to try this!

Let us know what you use and how it turns out! :)

I just had a similar problem, although not exactly what the OP was describing. I needed a shiny stamped element to cut out to add to a project. It was the worst of all possible scenarios - a clear stamp with both fine lines and large solid areas. After trying 5 different black inks, both clear & black embossing powder (with two different embossing inks), and two different kinds of paper, I finally got closest to the shiny effect I wanted with black Staz-On on glossy cardstock. (And if anyone can tell me how to avoid the orange peel finish on embossed images, I'd be eternally grateful!)