Happy October! In some areas of the crafting world, folks are calling it “Inktober” and encouraging artists and crafters to draw, stamp, print and doodle their way through the month. I’m taking it as an opportunity to review some of the inks, stamp pads, sprays and dies that have been waiting patiently all summer.

So today I’m kicking it off with a review of the Nuvo Hybrid Inks by Tonic Studios. I’ve had these little “Diamonds” ink cubes in my stash all summer, and have been playing with them- so time to give you the full details!

First, our disclosure:

Products provided for review purposes; however the brand has no control over the content and I was not paid to review them. Opinions are honest and based on my first-hand experience with the product.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means at no extra cost to you, if you purchase something through one of those links, I will receive a small commission. 

OK! So here’s how the inks are described on the Tonic website: 

Introducing the latest addition to the Nuvo range – twelve new Hybrid Ink colours. Each set of these petite diamond pads contain three beautiful colours which make them ideal for stamping and layering. The high quality felt pad contains highly pigmented colours, ensuring you have a perfect image every time! The permanent, fast drying inks are waterproof and smudge proof, making them the perfect partner to your Nuvo Alcohol Marker Pens or Aqua Flow water-based pens. For a mixed media effect, you can also heat set stamped images onto glossy surfaces and fabrics.

This Sea Siren pack contains three colours including Laguna Bay, Polar Ice and Spring Heather. Look out for other colours in the Nuvo Hybrid Ink Pad Range.

• Twelve unique hybrid ink colors
• Handy mini diamond case

• Perfect for both water-based and alcohol pens

• Bold, highly pigmented colors

• Permanent and fast-drying

• Waterproof and smudge proof

• High quality felt pad

As per my usual, I did make a video in which I swatched out all of the hybrid ink colors I received. But you can also see them here.

(Not sure what happened with these photos, but you get the idea. And if you want to see more, it’s all on the video coming up.)

There are large size hybrid ink stamp pads for $7.99, or a three pack of minis for $8.99. Click HERE to see the colors available. 

So would you like to see them in action? Here you go!

And while I forgot to share how it works with alcohol markers on the video, I DID test it out here. Sadly I don’t have a black stamp pad so I used the Sangria color instead. (But actually I rather liked it!) No smudging, which means that you can use it for both alcohol markers and water-based media.

Colored with a variety of alcohol ink markers on 85 pound weight cardstock.

Here are my takeaways:

• They are easy to use
• I wish there were more colors already
• Great for layered stamping and marker coloring with both alcohol and watercolor markers
• OK price point
• Great labeling on the packaging so you can see the colors at a glance

I have to admit that I ordered the black ink so I can do a comparison against some of my other favorite black inks- stay tuned!

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About Jenny

Chief Craft Test Dummy, Craft Evangelist, Founder, Editor, bottle-washer, trouble-maker, and creative whirlwind.

• Spooky Spider Halloween Bookmark Craft - October 24, 2018
• Review and Demo of LDRS Hybrid Ink Pads - October 15, 2018
• Review and Demo of Nuvo Hybrid Inks - October 1, 2018
• Craft Studio Tour and Organization Ideas - September 20, 2018
• Wax Paper Resist Background Technique - March 20, 2018
• Comparison of Liquid Watercolor Markers/Pens - March 16, 2018
• SAI Japanese Traditional Watercolor Brush Markers- Review & Demo - February 23, 2018
• Rinea Metallic Foil Paper & Ghost Ink Review - February 21, 2018
• Jane Davenport debuts at Creativation 2018 & Watercolor Card - February 13, 2018
• Creativation 2018: New Product Showcase - January 20, 2018