I'm making Valentines!

I remembered an idea I got a long time ago from Hero Arts about using a set of their heart stamps that I had bought. I really liked the idea, and the original is still up on the Hero Arts website. You can see the original idea here: http://www.heroarts.com/cardmaking/cardIdea.cfm?cardID=498&catID=6
I modified the idea by adding an additional image and clipping it on with a heart shaped paper clip. But the main thing is I had an e=mail from a stamping buddy who was asking me about the different inks I used, and I thought that I might begin a series of articles on my blog talking about some of my favorite inks. This particular card is made with Clearsnap Colorbox pigment inks, some of my favorite inks. I own a lot of shades, and I recently invested in re-inkers for all of my colors. The pads will last a lifetime if cared for and the re-inkers are a good idea to extend the life of the inkpad. This ink was perfect for the stamps I used for this card, mainly because the inks are thick and rich, giving good coverage to the massive rubber on each stamp. I used Thistle, Rosebud, Magenta, and Orchid on this card, each color corresponding to one of the stamps in the set. That way, I didn't have to clean my stamps between use, just using the one color per stamp and leaving them face up while I worked on the set of cards. When I did finish all my cards, the ink cleans easily off the stamps with baby wipes or even just a wet paper towel. The important thing to remember, however, is that these pigment inks must be heat set or embossed. I did not want to emboss, so after I finished stamping each card, I just held my heat gun over the inks for a minute or so until they had "set" or completely dried. I could also have just let them sit overnight to completely dry. Because this Clearsnap Colorbox pigment ink is so heavy and rich, it does need extra drying time, so it is not a good choice if you want "instant dry". These pigment inks are lightfast, colorfast, and archival so you can be assured they will stay vibrant for many years and are even safe for scrapbooking and other archival purposes. Pigment inks are usually marketed with clear tops, and "WYSIWYG" regarding color. In other words, the color you see through the clear top of the ink pad is the color that will land on your stamping project. Pigment inks, unlike dye inks, stay on top of the surface of the paper, unlike dye inks which bleed into the paper. That's what makes the color so rich and beautiful and also why you must heat set them or let them dry thoroughly.