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Cheap Alternative to Distress Inks for Art Journaling
Hi! I'm interested in purchasing a few different Distress Inks (not the ink pads) in order to use in my art journal. I love the bright, vibrant colors, how beautifully they dry on most paper, and I really like how they are translucent enough that it's easy to write on but opaque enough to add the perfect touch of color. Unfortunately all of my local craft stores only sell these inks in sets of three and the price is too high for my budget. I also tried Joanns online, and while the prices were better and they had the colors I was looking for, the shipping bumped up the price tremendously. Does anyone have any suggestions for cheap alternatives to distress inks to use as such? I've seen a few youtubers mention the crayola method but I find that those are too opaque and the writing can be a bit difficult to read as a result. And I also do not like the finish.
You might consider the stains instead which you might be able to buy as singles. They won't be as intense as the reinkers but you might like the color and intensity I like the dylusions sprays as they are bright colors and you couldtake the top off the bottle if you don't want a spray. I like oozak for great prices all the time. You'll have to check the shipping for what you want to see if it makes sense.
If you're patient and keep an eye on Joann's sales, they do run free shipping coupons pretty often. You might try other dye reinkers, but I'm not seeing any better prices than the Distress reinkers at Joann's... Another alternative would be dye-based liquid watercolor mediums, but they're unfortunately not cheaper. :(
I've ordered from them many times - very nice people. They always include some unusual buttons in the order, along with a photo of their greyhound (who has since passed), Tupelo. : )
Beth
Last edited by bjeans; 03-07-2017 at 05:59 AM..
Reason: Included prices for ink pads at first
Another idea would be dye powders like Brusho or Colorburst - you can mix them with water to create brushable inks, and you could control the concentration that way, or add mixatives or whatever...
Do you have a Walmart nearby? You can order online and have it delivered to the local Walmart for free pickup. I just saw that one of their partner vendors had it on a really good sale price and it's eligible for free ship to store.
If you're patient and keep an eye on Joann's sales, they do run free shipping coupons pretty often. You might try other dye reinkers, but I'm not seeing any better prices than the Distress reinkers at Joann's... Another alternative would be dye-based liquid watercolor mediums, but they're unfortunately not cheaper. :(
Agree about Joann's sales. The only Caveat is the shipping time. I recently ordered some stuff on sale and after paying 7.00 shipping, received the items over a week later. their ship time stinks!
Other places I get distress inks are Walmart.com (ships to store free) and Dick Blick art supplies has decent prices on the pads. Discount if you buy more.
Using inks for fountain pens can be quite translucent. The Goulet Pen Company has a great idea for trying various inks. They have sampler pkgs. for sheening, shading, colors families, etc. They have great customer service and can help you select a group or even one or two. The samples have quite a bit of ink and a little goes a long way and a drop with a bit of water will go even further. I made up a sample page to put with my ink pads samples and the colors are so beautiful! You can apply them with brush, water brush, onto stamps, use glass pen, or nib pens, etc. so many choices! https://www.gouletpens.com/ink-sampl...-property/c/40
If you let customer service know the type of paper you are using, they can help you select inks that will work with your journeling. Just an idea!!!
Cheap Alternative to Distress Inks for Art Journaling
