hockeyspaz62
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Sept 26, 2023 1:01:24 GMT
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Post by hockeyspaz62 on Jul 24, 2024 11:43:44 GMT
What are the best and affordable mini ink cubes out there in your opinion? I only have inks by Ranger, and am curious about other companies inks. YouTubers push who sponsors them at times, and I want honest opinions from actual crafters here.
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Shakti
Pearl Clutcher
I'm not inclined to resign to maturity....
Posts: 2,947
Oct 30, 2022 23:42:30 GMT
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Post by Shakti on Jul 24, 2024 12:50:44 GMT
What are you doing with these inks? Mostly stamping? Layered stamping? Mostly ink blending/stenciling? Mixed media? Is it important to you to have lots of colors or to have color families (for layered stamping and things of that nature)?
Stamping is a more economical use of ink than blending. If you do a lot of blending, you might not even want cubes.
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Post by mcjunkin on Jul 24, 2024 12:54:35 GMT
For years I have had both Distress minis and the Altenew Crisp Dye Ink Minis. Both for stenciling. Distress for techniques, and the Altenew for stamping. I am at the point where I need some reinkers for my Altenews, but they are changing ink formulas and discontinuing the ones I have. Bummer.
So I started looking around, and came across a really good sale on the Simon Says Positively Saturated cube bundle a couple months back. I am happy with them. I stencil as much or more than I stamp, and they are VERY SATURATED and work great. They are foam, not felt, so that has been an adjustment because they are so juicy, but it is fine, and once I got the hang of not CPR inking they stamp great.
I have some Hero Arts cubes that came with kits, and I do not like them. They stain my clear stamps like crazy.
I will say, I was ink blending back in the day when Distress was about the only ink you could blend, and all these companies have changed formulas now over the years, and they blend and stencil very well. Other threads on this board seem to indicate that most formulas now are similar, just go with the company that has the colors you like the most. If I had one complaint about the Simon cubes, it would be that there are only 60 cubes released so far.
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Shakti
Pearl Clutcher
I'm not inclined to resign to maturity....
Posts: 2,947
Oct 30, 2022 23:42:30 GMT
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Post by Shakti on Jul 24, 2024 13:48:03 GMT
In various retreats and events, Altenew has said that if a new fresh dye ink has the same name as a crisp dye ink, the color is the same. While the new formulation is a little more viscous, you can reink your existing cubes with the new reinkers.
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Post by cbet on Jul 24, 2024 13:51:43 GMT
I have full sets of both Gina K and Pinkfresh Studio, Memento Dewdrops and some random Hero Arts that came with kits. I prefer inks with felt pads instead of foam for stamping. I don't use the cubes for ink blending because it feels like it takes forever to ink up the brush or blender, but I'm pretty sure that's just my perception and not reality ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/MNrJDkDuSwqIMVw33MdD.jpg) I especially love the cubes for stamping sentiments with a stamp positioner - much less ink gets on the positioner lid. Between the Gina K/Pinkfresh/Memento, I can't tell any difference between their stamping performance. Pinkfresh is nice in that the cubes come in 4packs of coordinating shades, but as best I can tell, you cannot buy them in individual cubes. GinaK has a few sets of 3 light-medium-dark cubes, and several assortment packages but they can also be purchased as individual cubes, and she has quite a bit of info on her facebook page about colors that work together for blending and layered stamping. Memento I use the least. They don't have as many colors and I don't have refills for most of them, so they kind of get forgotten! I don't have ones from other companies, because I know that I suffer from full set syndrome and if I pick up a couple, I will think I need them all. Best I stay away and don't open that can of confusion.
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Post by scrappinheather on Jul 24, 2024 15:04:48 GMT
As others have said, it depends what you want to do with them. For me personally, I have a full set of the c9 ink cubes. I love them. They stamp great. Love the colors. I can ink blend and stamp with them. You do need reinters for foam pads. Similarly I have a lot of the stamp markers mini ink cubes. Also foam. Love the colors and the coordinating paper.
I have full size pads for Sss and pink fresh. I love both of those because they come in sets of 3 to 4 shades that coordinate making it a breeze to ink blend. I like having cubes for stamping sentiments and smaller images. I like pads for larger images or larger amounts of ink blending. So depending on what I am doing I use different inks.
I sold my TE. I hated the way they stained everything and hardened my blending brushes. I also sold the Altenew cubes as I found them too dry. I have a bunch of Gina k. I like them but really only pull them out at events.
The other thing thing to consider is do you do events? I do pinkfresh events and c9 events so I really like having the inks for the events. I also sub to stamp market kits so like to have the coordinating inks.
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Shakti
Pearl Clutcher
I'm not inclined to resign to maturity....
Posts: 2,947
Oct 30, 2022 23:42:30 GMT
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Post by Shakti on Jul 24, 2024 19:05:41 GMT
I have a full set of Memento Dew Drops (but that's only 36). I LOVE how they stamp. I also have a fair number of Versa Fine Clair pads (no smaller size available) mostly in darker shades for stamping sentiments.
I collected a fair number of Altenew crisp dye cubes when I was starting out a couple years ago, but I do not love and am clearing them out and donating them as I need the space.
I have a handful each of Taylored Expressions and PinkFresh and feel pretty meh about both.
I have large collections of Concord and 9th cubes from events and Hero Arts cubes from kits. I would say the C&9th are my second favorite after Memento. I'm tip-toeing toward FSS with them. I would probably have to consider de-stashing the HA were I to go down that road. Well, I guess I could start with the rest of the Altenew, then the TE, the PF, and the HA last....
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Post by joblackford on Jul 24, 2024 19:19:13 GMT
I like Catherine Pooler inks partly because they're lovely inks and partly because the minis are small rectangles rather than tiny little cubes. I find them easier to handle and they hold a decent amount of ink. That said I did need to get the reinkers for them because they also release ink really well, and because I use them for stamping, blending, and direct to paper.
It's worth pricing what reinkers cost when you're shopping for cubes because they can dry out/get used up pretty quickly just because of their small capacity.
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Post by MichyM on Jul 25, 2024 16:57:46 GMT
When I first started out a couple of years ago, the girls here recommended that I try several brands to see which I liked best. I bought some here and some there, until I had a few dozen colors in cubes.
Found out that I really liked the PinkFresh colors, so I have a complete set of the cubes and reinkers. I also decided that I really like the Concord and 9th color palette, so I am working on collecting full sized pads to go with my cubes from them. Eventually I'll replace the cubes from C9 with full sized pads too.
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hockeyspaz62
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Posts: 102
Sept 26, 2023 1:01:24 GMT
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Post by hockeyspaz62 on Jul 26, 2024 16:24:34 GMT
Thank you everyone for all the replies. I’m just starting out with inking. I do mostly sentiments, but I want to do blending too. I know I won’t use certain colors a lot, so a mini is good, but also due to space, mini’s with the re-inker is a good option for me.
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Post by jennoconnell on Jul 29, 2024 8:46:45 GMT
I like Catherine Pooler inks partly because they're lovely inks and partly because the minis are small rectangles rather than tiny little cubes. I find them easier to handle and they hold a decent amount of ink. That said I did need to get the reinkers for them because they also release ink really well, and because I use them for stamping, blending, and direct to paper. It's worth pricing what reinkers cost when you're shopping for cubes because they can dry out/get used up pretty quickly just because of their small capacity. Jo, Are the Catherine Pooler ink pads foam or felt?
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Shakti
Pearl Clutcher
I'm not inclined to resign to maturity....
Posts: 2,947
Oct 30, 2022 23:42:30 GMT
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Post by Shakti on Jul 29, 2024 12:30:41 GMT
Foam
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Post by jill8909 on Jul 29, 2024 20:53:19 GMT
I do not recommend foam ink cubes. They dry out too fast.
My favorite ink cubes are Pinkfresh, but I'm sure there are many similar.
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