Tinkering Ink Product Review
Simply Spring Clear Stamps
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| Chris' Review |
Renee's Review |
Tammy's Review |
Pomaika`i's Review |
Donna's Review |
Review by ChrisStamps are one of the best investments a paper crafter can make. They can be used in a variety of ways, on a variety of products, can be used over and over and, with a little care, will last just about forever. Who doesn’t love that? Tinkering Ink, well known for their bold and vibrant patterned paper and unique embellishments, also has several sets of clear stamps. The most recent addition to their line is Simply Spring.
Created from clear photopolymer, these made-in-the-USA stamps are crystal clear, sharply detailed, thick and resilient. Everything one would want in a clear stamp. The eleven images in the set come on a clear printed index sheet, packed in a clear hanging package. The images include flowers, birds, flourishes, and phrases. These stamps are perfect for cards as well as scrapbook layouts. The photopolymer retains its shape and sticks well to acrylic blocks.
For my first project, I thought why not use the clear stamps to create a clear card. I stamped several images on white cardstock using fluid chalk and dye inks. These stamps produce a fine quality detailed image. After stamping the images, I colored in some sections of the flowers and cut them all out. I applied the images to the front, the inside front and the inside back of the clear card, staggering them so they all show when the card is closed. Every image on this card comes from the Simply Spring stamp set. The only additions were rhinestones and ribbon.
Thank You card
Products used: Stamps (Tinkering Ink, Simply Spring clear stamps)
Ink (ClearSnap, ColorBox Fluid Chalk, olive pastel; Stewart Superior, Memories, ArtPrint brown)
Markers (Copic, cashmere; Bic Mark-it)
Rhinestones (MAMBI; Target)
Clear Card (Hero Arts)
Adhesive (Xyron)
Using a few more stamps from the set, again stamping them on white cardstock and cutting them out, I created a pretty all-occasion card. Cutting apart the individual letters in the “happy day” greeting added a little extra texture to this fun card. I love the versatility of these stamps!
Happy Day card
Products used: Stamps (Tinkerieng Ink, Simply Spring clear stamps)
Ink (Ranger, Adirondack Pigment ink, Eggplant; ClearSnap ColorBox fluid chalk, Lime Pastel)
Cardstock (Prism Prismatics frosted kiwi)
Embossing folder (Cuttlebug)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech Permanent Bond Tape Runner, 3-D design blocks)
Lastly, I created a layout with some photos of Matt, his friend and our dog just playing around. I used the vine stamp to create a border around the outside edges of the layout. For my title, I arranged the phrase stamp in a curve on the acrylic block before stamping. One advantage of the clear stamps is that you can shape them and then you can see just where you are stamping to insure accurate placement!
A Little Something layout
Products used: Stamps (Tinkering Ink, Simply Spring clear stamps)
Patterned paper (Scenic Route; Tinkering Ink Becoming Green)
Chipboard. Acrylic Star and masks (Heidi Swap)
Glitter Spray (Tattered Angels, Glimmer Mist, sandy beach, creme de chocolat)
Die Cuts (Spellbinders, Tags 5; Nestabilities scalloped oval)
Tag Stamp (Spellbinders, Tags 5)
Ink (Stewart Superior, Memories, Artprint Brown)
Buttons (Chatterbox)
Felt Tag (Tinkering Ink Finery)
Brad (BasicGrey)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Tape Runner)
No one can go wrong by adding stamps to their product inventory. These Clear Stamps from Tinkering Ink are some of the finest quality clear stamps that I have used to date. I'm looking forward to adding additional sets to my scrapping inventory in the very near future!
Review by ReneeI will let you in on a secret. I LOVE acrylic stamps. The problem is, I am really not a stamper. For the most part, I am a stamp collector. I don’t naturally gravitate to stamps when I sit down to paper craft. Because of this, I always look for stamping products that can stand the test of time and do “double duty” for me.
Given all this, imagine my delight when I discovered that I would have the opportunity to review Tinkering Inks new acrylic stamp set called Simply Spring. This collection of stamps contains eleven different stamps, ranging from small flower stamps to borders to phrases. There is even a flourish contained in the collection. It is one of the most versatile stamp collections that I have had the opportunity to play with in quite a while.
The stamp collection itself come attached to a clear acrylic sheet with a black outline of each stamp for ease in seeing the details of each stamp. The stamps are covered with a lighter weight plastic covering that protects the stamps. The stamps peel away easily, but have a nice cling to them. They stamp extremely well, producing clean stamped images on almost every stamp that I made. As I mentioned earlier, they are extremely versatile. There are a wide range of themes that will work with this particular collection, not to mention the wide variety of cards that can be made with the images.
For my first project, I used the stamp collection to embellish a mini album about all the blessings that I have in my life. I recently attended a scrapbook convention and my goal for the convention was to take as few supplies with me as possible. After I completed my main project that I chose to work on during the retreat, I decided to use one of the chipboard albums that we were given by the retreat hosts to make a small project. I knew my embellishments were limited so I took out the Simply Spring stamp collection to see if I could use it to embellish my small album. Not only was I able to use it to embellish the entire album, but all my pages seem put together since the stamps work so well together. I was extremely pleased with my little album and will definitely be pulling this set of stamps out often.
Title: Book Of Blessings
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (Prima Uban Cosmos Ethic and Cosmos)
Acrylic Stamps (Tinkering Ink Simply Spring)
Paper Flowers (Prima)
Ribbon (May Arts)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)
Title: Book Of Blessings Pages 2 and 3
Title: Book Of Blessings Pages 4, 5 and 6
For my second project, I wanted to use the stamps in place of ribbon for a card. I really like the vines border stamp included in the collection and felt like it would make a beautiful accent in place of a ribbon. I stamped it along the top edge of a scrap of paper and tucked it behind my accent paper for my monogram card. I really like the look of this stamp in place of ribbon. It adds so much texture, without adding any bulk.
Title: Monogram card
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (Gin X Leaves at Breakfast Vernon’s Sweater)
Stamp (Tinkering Ink)
Glitter (Doodlebug)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)
I was very, very pleased with the quality of these stamps. They are easy to use, have just the right amount of cling to the block and stamp a clear image on your project. The fact that it is so versatile is just plain gravy. If you are looking for a versatile, high quality stamp set, this one is definitely for you.
Review by TammyStamps come in all shapes, sizes and styles. They are one of the most versatile tools available to today’s artist, but how do you choose which ones are right for you?
Tinkering Ink is definitely one of the companies that you should consider when purchasing stamps for your artistic projects. Their product quality and selection is simply fantastic. The Tinkering Ink Simply Spring Stamp set I received for this review came packaged on a clear 6 x 8 inch carrier sheet with preprinted images of each of the designs. The clear photopolymer stamps are durable and the flexible material allows them to form to various shapes while stamping.
Another reason I enjoy working with clear stamps, is that you can see right were you are going to place your image making it a breeze to create continuous patterns across your project.
The Tinkering Ink Simply Spring Stamp set was perfect for my latest creation. To create my background paper, I painted a thick coat of Gesso onto my canvas sheet and stamped the large flower image randomly on the page. Because of the thickness of the Gesso, I cleaned my stamp several times during this process to continually create a clear image in the paint. I then used the flourish stamp to fill in areas around the large flower and used the small flower stamp for additional texture in my background. I made sure that I cleaned my stamps thoroughly before proceeding. Once my background was completely dry, I then used acrylic paints to give my background paper some color.
After completing my background, I used the fern leaf stamp along the edges of my patterned cardstock. The stamp was not long enough to span across the length of the cardstock, but I was able to easily continue the pattern because the stamps were clear and I could tell where to restart my pattern. Even though the large flower is not exactly like the ones in my patterned cardstock, I colored it very similar and I feel it blends very nicely. To finish, I added an embossed flourish and a few smaller embossed flowers to my layout. The Simply Spring Stamp set allowed me to customize my layout by making my own background paper and embellishments.
Title: Faithful
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Pattered Cardstock (Basic Grey)
Canvas (Fredrix)
Simply Spring Stamps (Tinkering Ink)
Die Cut (Basic Grey)
Ink (Ranger)
Embossing Powder (PK Glitz)
Gesso (Liquitex)
Acrylic Paint (Claudine Hellmuth and Making Memories)
Iridescent Medium (Winsor and Newton)
Pens (Bic Mark It)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)
Stamps are very popular in cardmaking, and while the Tinkering Ink Simply Spring Stamp set was perfect for my scrapbook page, it also lends itself well to making greeting cards. This set includes the following phrases:
- a little bird told me…
- Everybody Loves A Little Something
- Thank You
- Happy Day
I chose the phrase “Happy Day” for my card along with the branch of flowers. I embossed both of the images with silver and I used pens to color in the flowers. In just a short time I had a handmade greeting card worthy of sending to even my best of friends.
Title: Happy Day
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Cardstock (Basic Grey)
Corner Punch (EK Success)
Simply Spring Stamp Set (Tinkering Ink)
Silver Embossing Ink (Tseuniko)
Embossing Powder (PK Glitz)
Colored Pencils (Prismacolor)
Watercolor Crayons (Staedtler)
Paper Ribbon
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)
There are 11 stamps total in this set, each one of them unique, but yet coordinated so well they can be paired with any of the other stamps in this set. As always, Tinkering Ink has provided another winning product to help make your crafting experience an enjoyable one.
After reading my thoughts on the Tinkering Ink Simply Spring Stamp set, I hope that you have decided that this set is the right choice for you!
Review by Pomaika`iTinkering Ink is a company well know for its big, bold and bright paper designs, generous paper collection sets and unique finery (embellishments). Recently, Tinkering Ink added photopolymer clear stamps to their award winning line up of products. I was looking forward to reviewing their newest "Simply Spring" clear stamp set.
According to their website, Tinkering Ink has six stamp collections; Botanical Borders, Clematis, Doyle, Fezziwig, Holiday whimsey and Simply Spring Stamp Sets. Many of the stamp designs are taken directly from paper line designs and complement them well.
For this review I received the Simply Spring Stamp Set. This set comes on a 6 x 8" sheet of transparent plastic with the designs of each stamp printed in black for easy re-placement after use. There are a total of eleven stamps; four phrases and seven spring images. The smallest stamp is a flower that measures about 3/4" in diameter and the largest stamp looks like a climbing vine of flowers and leaves that measures about five inches long. My stamps came packaged in a plastic envelope wrapper including a hang tag card with general information on stamp use and a thin plastic sheet over the other side of the stamps for protection.
"Happy Day", "Thank you", "a little bird told me", and "everybody loves a little something", are the phrases included. In addition to the two images previously described, the remaining images include another small flower with leaves to complement the vine, a large flower, a flourish, a fern like border and two birds in silhouette. All the images are beautiful and basic enough to use many times over again. If you don't have any Tinkering Ink paper, you will still like these images. They are able to stand alone for stamping projects. In fact, you could make your own matching patterned paper with the stamps.
This stamp set comes with a price tag of $24.99. Gulp. Now relatively speaking, that is a lot of money compared to other clear stamps on the market. What makes these so special? I was curious, so I did some research. It all comes down to the word "photopolymer".Photopolymer is different from acrylic or silicone, the other more commonly used materials in clear stamps. To the eye, all of these may look the same (at least until the others yellow with age), but the difference becomes apparent when you use them. Have you ever had a hard time removing the stamps from their backing sheet? Or have your stamp fall off your stamping block? These are not photopolymer stamps. Photopolymer stamps come off of their backing easily, and they cling to the acrylic stamping block. They are created directly from a digital image (second generation) so that the details remain crisp and true to the original design. Photopolymer has a job, and that job is ink transfer, so you will get a great image, and finally, the etching lines are deep, so you get a clear image every time you use it.
My first project is a layout. I thought that a few of these stamps used together would make a beautiful border. I used three different colored inks for the flowers. Metallic green, metallic light green, and gold. The flourishes were stamped in black.
I like that the floral images in this set have outlines so that I could use my glaze pens to color the petals and create a more colorful layout. I left some of the flowers plain for visual interest. I didn't like the way my flourishes looked in plain ink. I wanted them to pop off the page, so I colored them in with a black glaze pen. The stamping took no time at all to create this border, and I really like the way my layout turned out.
Service with a Smile
Products used:Cardstock (Prism)
Stamps (Tinkering Ink, Simply Spring)
Die Cut Alphabet (Tinkering Ink)
Pens (Sakura Glaze, micron)
Ink (Ranger, Adirondak, Colorbox)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)
My second project is an altered chipboard album for the seasons. I am on a journaling kick this year. I just feel the need to "write it down". There are a few decorated pages and lots of blank ones for journaling. To decorate the cover, I used copper metallic paint and antiquing solution to age the copper surface slightly. To embellish the cover, I used my finger to apply acrylic paint on the floral vine stamp. I used a good amount of paint so that I could have some texture as well as the image stamped on the cover.
I made another happy discovery about photopolymer stamps. I can use dye ink with good results! It would drive me nuts when my cheap acrylic stamps would not take on any ink (I have a large collection of dye inks). It would pool in little drops or just fail to adhere to the stamp at all. You will be able to see by the stamped images on the inside pages, that this is not a problem with these Tinkering Ink Simply Spring stamps.
Home Album
Products used:Cardstock (Prism, Club Scrap)
Stamps (Tinkering Ink, Simply Spring, Club Scrap)
Album (Love Elsie)
Patterned Paper (Club Scrap, Little Yellow Bicycle, Prima)
Rub Ons (Karen Foster)
Embellishments (Junkitz)
Brads (Joanns Essentials)
Pen (Sakura)
Ink (Adirondak, Ranger)
Patina Antiquing Set (Modern Options)
Ribbon (Offray)
Acrylic Paint (Plaid)
Other (mizuhiki cord)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)
For my final project, I used a 4x6" piece of cardstock on a 5x7" card. I outlined all of the images with glaze pens. To add a little more interest to the birds, I colored them in with black Stickles.
Happy Day Card
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (Tinkering Ink)
Stamps (Tinkering Ink, Simply Spring)
Pens (Sakura Glaze)
Stickles (Ranger)
Ink (Ranger, Adirondak)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)
I enjoyed working with the Tinkering Ink Simply Spring Clear Stamps Set. I found the stamps easy to work with. They gave me beautiful images every time I used them for my projects, and they are versatile enough that I can see myself using them on many more projects. My favorites are the flourish and the birds. Another benefit of these stamp designs are that you can color the flowers in with watercolor, glaze pen or Copic Markers. There really is a photopolymer difference. If you like to take pride in your tools, and these designs appeal to you. I highly recommend these stamps, they are tops in quality.
Review by DonnaVibrant colors and strong, contemporary design elements have come to be synonomous with Tinkering Ink. A husband and wife company I’ve loved since their CHA debut in 2007, it is Tinkering Ink that brought big, bold, bright papers (all of them double sided) to the forefront in scrapbooking and paper crafting. And it is Tinkering Ink that pushed felt elements on scrapbook pages to a new level with their fun felt infused with silicone “finery”. Their product line up included their stunning artisan papers and felt “finery”, rubons, glitter stickers, diecuts, albums, lotions and more until last year, with the debut of their acrylic stamps.
I was really excited when I received the fun set of Tinkering Ink’s “Simply Spring” clear stamps for this review. Upon first glance at the package, I thought that each and every stamp design summoned up feelings of “spring”.
The set, consisting of eleven individual acrylic stamps with designs including pleasing phrases such as “everybody loves a little something”, “thank you” and “happy day” as well as images including cute little birds and flowers , was packaged such that the stamps sat on a 8-1/2” x 9” thick, white cardboard sheet with that trademark-type Tinkering Ink lime green scroll printed on the back. The package was wrapped with clear plastic and I was happy to discover a clear, protective coating topping the stamps once I got inside. It didn’t take me long to get to creating.
For my first project, I created a set of blank note cards – these stamps are sized just perfectly for all of the card makers out there. To create the sentiments here, I used black StazOn ink and stamped the sentiments on to a piece of clear overlay, then placed the overlay over the patterned papers. I was not only very pleased with the end result, but was thrilled to discover how very nicely these acrylic stamps cleaned up after having applied StazOn to them – much nicer than a few other acrylic brands I’ve used in the past.
Title: Happy Note Cards
Products used: Butter Cream cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Dotted cardstock (BoBunny)
Patterned cardstock (Heidi Swapp)
Patterned paper (BoBunny)
Simply Spring Acrylic Stamps (Tinkering Ink)
Buttons (Creative Imaginations, Creative Cafe)
Ribbon (local craft store)
Clear Buttons (Autumn Leaves)
Clear Overlay (Hambly)
Pen (Sakura)
Glimmer Kit #2 Pink Chalk (Craft-T Products, Inc. )
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)
Title: thank you
Products used: baby pink light cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
black cardstock (Prism)
Dotted Cardstock (BoBunny)
Simply Spring Acrylic Stamps (Tinkering Ink)
Brad (Bazzill)
Ribbon (Heidi Swapp)
Felt Trim (Target)
Brads (Doodlebug)
Black Chalk (Craft-T Products, Inc. )
Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (Ranger)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)
Title: Nine
Products used: Butter Cream cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
black cardstock (Prism)
Patterned paper (BoBunny)
Patterned Paper (KI Memories)
Patterned Paper (Hambly)
Clear Stickers (Hambly)
Simply Spring Acrylic Stamps (Tinkering Ink)
Rick Rack (Flair Designs)
Ribbon (KI Memories)
Ribbon (local craft store)
Pom Pom Trim (local scrapbook store)
Buttons (Autumn Leaves)
Overlay (Karen Russell for Creative Imaginaitons)
Brads (Doodlebug)
Pen (Sakura)
Glimmer Kit #2 Pink Chalk (Craft-T Products, Inc. )
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)
For all of my projects I applied the stamps to an acrylic block and found that they clung to the block very nicely - they didn't slip, they didn't move. And, as already mentioned, I was thrilled at how easily the ink could be removed from the stamps.
I really enjoyed creating with these Tinkering Ink stamps. They transferred to every surface I used them on amazingly well and each time I was impressed with the clairty of the images. Think spring – think Tinkering Ink’s “Simply Spring stamps. They can really bring a burst of spring cheer to any project.
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