What type of ink to buy?

 My thoughts exactly.

In general, the type of ink will depend on how you're planning on using it (such as whether you're embossing or not), what type of paper you're putting it on (glossy, matte, etc.), whether you want to layer it, the opacity you want to achieve, etc...there are charts out there with this info. But you can't go wrong with Versa Fine black. Crisp clear dark images.

ETA: As for tools, ink blender tools are good for inking with stencils.

I agree with everyone else depends on what you want to do:
1. Onyx versafine clair to stamp sentiments and watercolor when embossed
2. Versamark for embossing
3. If you want to do layered stamps, ink blending or general stamping with colored images I personally like dye inks. I love altenew and pinkfresh for really easy layering combos. The pinkfresh are also great for ink blending.
4, I love Gina k for stamping, ink blending, and she has cardstock and envelopes that match her ink. Same with taylored expressions.

If you want to do ink blending I also suggest suggest Distress Oxides. I love them, and if you check on YT there are tons of ink blending technique videos.

For stenciling definitely dye inks. Right now my rotation of dye inks is made up of Lawn Fawn and Stampin up. People also seem to love Pinkfresh and Simon Says Stamp inks.

I recently tried the Ranger domed foam with the tool and I am really liking it almost better than the blender brushes. I will still use the brushes for a lighter touch, but the foam tool is great for getting good color coverage on the paper quickly. A pea mentioned the SB.com dome foam does not seem as dense as the Ranger, so I got the Ranger brand.

Ranger Domed Foam.

It’s the embossabilest ink! At a Stamp & Scrapbook Expo a couple years ago a vendor was demo-ing card making using Versafine Clair, and I told him it was embossable long after it felt dry. He was very skeptical so I challenged him to try it for 5 minutes - or maybe it was 7. Anyway, he put his watch to the side, stamped and timed it before putting embossing powder on the seemingly dry ink and it embossed. 

I’m sort of a newb with inks and stamping, as I only began hardcore acquiring stamps and colored inks in the last couple years. I haven’t blended or stenciled, etc. I like layering stamps with various colored inks, and that’s basically as fancy as I get.

With that said, my favorite go to are my Studio Calico dye inks. I think I have every color and out of a dozen or so pads I only have trouble with one being so juicy it’s a messy mess. They are great for designs and sentiments, very dependable. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy them again.

I have two Catherine Pooler pads and they are both a sopping mess. They’re known for being juicy, so not a surprise. I guess if you want to do blends and stuff with blending tools and all that, then the excess ink is nice to have. But for fairly simple stamping it just does not work. Even with doing some stamping off on scratch paper I can’t get a clean image because ink will pool in the recessed parts of the stamp and make blobs on the impression. I have put them to the side for now, and will try to use up the ink on an alternate type project in the future to use up the ink (thinking gelli plate) and try with stamps again after.

Papers Person dye inks are fine, but not my favorite. I do t care for the domed kids that make them harder to store.

I have one TH oxide and it’s fine. It stamps cleanly enough imo, even though I have read many times that the oxides aren’t good for detail/sentiment stamps. Definitely clean looking stamping compared to the CP!

I have the black versafine pad recommended and it’s not my favorite either. Maybe mine is too juicy. I get better results with the SC.

Almost all of my ink pads are from Close to my Heart. You don't have to have a consultant to be able to order from them online.