It’s no secret that sprays and mists are still really hot in paper crafting, both in alcohol- and water-based versions. Inkadinkado by EK Success brands has thrown their proverbial hat into the misting ring with Spray Inks. I couldn’t wait to try them out!
Here’s how they are described on the website:
Embellish stamping projects with a beautiful splash of color, soft misting, raindrop or intense pooling effects. Our Terra Cotta Spray Ink is suitable for paper or wood. 2 oz. Alcohol base, nontoxic, dries instantly.
Ah! Alcohol base! Very good to know… it means that we should be able to do some craft-alchemy and have a LOT of fun with them. I opened the container- it’s kinda stinky.
Let’s do a swatch test!
In this set, you can see that the ink settled into the papers quickly, leaving behind kind of a pearly “frost.” I wasn’t even aware that these mists had a shimmer to them! They looked so dark in the bottle and there wasn’t any tell-tale “residue” on the bottom. (Usually, you’ll see some of the mica powder residue through the plastic bottle and that will remind you to shake it up well.)
For this set, I was really surprised at all three. The glossy had some “pitting” as you can see- little areas of white. I have no idea why this happened. I’ve never seen it with alcohol inks on glossy paper before! Nonetheless, I like the way it turned out. The ink stayed really shiny on the glossy paper. The next one is Claudine Hellmuth’s sticky-backed canvas, unprimed. The ink soaked right in- but you can see that the color is a little washed out, and you see the pearly frost most. On the black cardstock ALL you see is the frost- there isn’t enough pigment in the spray to tint the black paper at all.
Here, I used some ink on a printed white fabric- and I LOVE how the print acts as a resist. The fabric stayed pliable, too, after it was dry. The next two examples were on pearl-finished cardstock. Again, on the blue piece, you see some of that “pitting” again… almost like the little mica particles stuck together.
On this chipboard piece (from Tattered Angels) you can see how the Espresso ink sank right into the chipboard, leaving a lot of the pearl frost on top. It really lightens up the Espresso color significantly!
For the birds’ nest, I sprayed ink onto a piece of deli wrap, then dabbed my stamp into it. I like the stamping! I also used the inks on some non-porous surfaces like the mini domino and bottle cap. I noticed that on surfaces like those, the color remained more vibrant and the pearl frost didn’t show up as color, but rather as a gritty texture. Interesting!
And here we have a stamped image on glass. Again, the color is much more chocolate-y, but you don’t see the shimmer.
So, to summarize….if you use these inks on a porous surface, you see less color and more pearly frost..but if they are applied to a non-porous surface, you see more color and a bit of texture. Wow- that’s verstile!
Next, I applied some spray ink directly onto my journal pages… and then sprayed some bubble wrap to create texture:
There was a little bleed-through…
I was working on a layout for a book review I did, and so I used some Tattered Angels Chipboard Fonts for the headline- I used my Espresso ink on those. I think it’s interesting that while the spray ink color was Espresso, they really looked rather gray…
And here’s a card and a tag I made, using the Spray Inks over embossed resist. I also used the Spray Inks to color the Petaloo Color Me Crazy flowers.
So, all in all, I really like the inks- I sure seemed to be playing with them alot this week. Also, I have to tell you that the price point is great. I shopped around online, and most places it was $6-8 USD per 2 ounce bottle. That price is very comparable to other spray shimmer mists, and those are water-based.
I also want to point out that for the month of May 2011, EKSuccessBrands is offering 40% off of one item and free shipping on orders over $45.00- so you might just want to shop there!
Any comments or questions on Inkadinkado Spray Inks? Just let me know. Happy Mother’s Day weekend, y’all!
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Laura says
These look like fun! I’ll have to see if I can find some in my area. But I’m curious … will the ink rub off the dom or the bottle cap?
Jenny says
Well, I sealed my dominoes with Mod Podge Dimensional Magic (which, by the way, really made the color and sparkle POP.) It hasn’t rubbed off of the cap (yet) but we know that it probably will over time, if used or rubbed. But a few light coats of spray sealer- like Krylon’s Triple Thick- will help slow that down a lot. Thanks for asking!
Betsy Marks says
Gosh, I am in awe of your creative thoroughness! I look at these things in art/craft stores, read the labels and still can’t fathom how they can be utilized or incorporated into my art. Please excuse my ignorance and accept my gratitude! Because of your detailed examples, I’m going to try some of this stuff! I hope the Inkadinkadoo peeps appreciate you and send you a case! Thank you
ruby t says
Hello,
I too was impressed with your review and wanted to know if you took the fabric one a step further to see if the ink was permanent after heat setting and washing. The spray inks would be great for t-shirts etc.
Also, are the inks more/less friendly, work better/worse with clear or rubber stamps?
Thank you
ruby t
Jenny says
Ruby- yes, the inks are permanent on fabric, with little fading. (But do a swatch test at home, first, just to make sure it’s ok with the fabric you are using.) As for using with rubber stamps, I don’t personally like to use spray inks with rubber stamps….it’s really a crapshoot as to the results you’ll get. Good Luck!
Jane S says
Jenny great review. I have 2 of these and did not know they were alcohol. That explains a lot like the odor and how well they stick. I have purple and terra cotta. Love the colors and really stand out in my mixed art and journal. I also like the fact that they don’t move when I add other water based paints.