April's Review	Andrea's Review	Randi's Review	Catherine's Review	Chris' Review

Review by April

I have always loved ink pads, and I have heard such good things about the ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink Pads so I was anxious to try them. I knew I was going to have some fun as soon as I opened my package and saw 9 full size (4" x 2.5") Fluid Chalk Ink pads, all in different colors with refills. There was a wide variety of colors: Blue Lagoon, Blue Iris, Lime Pastel, Olive Pastel, Dark Peony, Aquamarine, Dark Brown, Creamy Brown, and Alabaster. I noticed that all of the colors came off exactly how they looked when used, each of them bright and vibrant. I really liked that the lids on the ink pads were easy to get off, but didn't fall off while handling the pads, or even when the case was laid upside down. The Chalk ink is like a cross between using a pigment ink pad and a dye ink. After you apply it and let it air dry, (it dries very quickly) it doesn't smear, bleed, or fade. In my opinion, this made it perfect for stamping, as well as inking my photos and papers. The pads were easy and comfortable to hold and my stamps picked up the chalk ink immediately and went on perfect almost every time. I have already used my Dark Brown so many times that I had to use the refill for it, but since you only need to add a little to the pad by rubbing it in, the refill should last for a good while.

I had a lot of fun with my first layout! All of the color you see on the layout is from the Fluid Chalk Ink Pads and a blue pen. I used the Blue Iris, Blue Lagoon, and Lime Pastel pads to color my chipboard letters, chipboard flower, and chipboard flower vines. Then I took a big chipboard flower, and traced around the inside with my pen, creating the large flowers in the background. I used q-tips to transfer the chalk ink from the pads to the insides of the flowers and used the same technique to make the grass. I added a small stamped image above the flower vine and then centered a larger inked chipboard flower over it. I journaled around the photo and added a few doodles here and there. To finish off the layout, I used my fingers to smudge ink all around the photo and background.

Title: Growing like a Weed
Products used: White Cardstock
Ink Pads (ColorBox Fluid Chalk Inkpads by Clearsnap: Blue Iris, Lime Pastel, Blue Lagoon)
Pen (American Crafts Precision Pen)
Chipboard (7gypsies, Heidi Swapp, Scenic Route)
Stamps (Gelatins)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner, and Zots glue dots)

For my second layout, I used the Dark Brown Fluid Chalk pad on almost every thing! I inked the edges of my photos and paper, I used it with several different clear stamps (some stamped and then cut out, and the others stamped directly onto the layout), I inked the edges of my chipboard and also used it to completely color my chipboard buttons and the "my" in the title.

Title: My Favorites
Products used: Kraft Cardstock
Ink Pads (ColorBox Fluid Chalk Inkpads by Clearsnap: Dark Brown)
Pens (American Crafts Precision and Slick Writer)
Chipboard (Fancy Pants, Cosmo Cricket, Hobby Lobby)
Stamps (Autumn Leaves, October Afternoon, Technique Tuesday, Basic Grey)
Ribbon (Tie One On Ribbon Club)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner, and Zots glue dots)

I actually ended up using these Fluid Chalk Ink Pads on several of my recent projects for ScrapFriends! I've since started using them on a regular basis and all I can say is - why didn't I already have these in my scrapbook supply stash? They work great with all my clear stamps, chipboard, and all the embellishments I like to alter by coloring. The Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Pads are an excellent choice for all scrapbookers and crafters!

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Review by Andrea

Wow oh wow, talk about spoiled?! One of my favorite things is working with ink and stamps, so I have to say that I was in heaven when the package arrived from Clearsnap. The Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks in the small "Cat's Eye" ink pad shapes have been a staple in my ink stash for years, so when the full-size ink pads came for the review, I felt extra special. There were 9 pads total in blues, greens, browns and Alabaster (white) accompanied by 14cc reinker bottles. Where to start?

Ink has taken on a whole new meaning in the past couple of years with the introduction of "hybrid" inks which offer the crafter even more flexibility than ever before. Traditionally there are dye-based inks that dry quickly due to their water-based formulas and pigment inks that stay "juicy" for heat embossing and permanency. Clearsnap's Fluid Chalk inks are semi-opaque pigment inks that are water-based and have dye ink characteristics! They blend and dry much quicker than other pigment inks, even on glossy surfaces. The extra special feature is their matte, chalk finish when heat set or air dried. You gotta love chemistry!

The ink is archival quality and will not dry out or leak from the pad. The colors are vibrant and muted depending on the shade, all having the chalked finish when dry. The full-size pads have a raised 1 3/4" x 3" foam piece saturated with ink for easy use in stamping and distressing. The plastic base surrounds the pad for gripping without getting your fingers inky and the clear domed top protects the pad. The color is printed right on the top of the cover and on the bottom label on the base. The Fluid Chalk Ink does come in other pad shapes and sizes bringing even more flexibility to the crafter.

The reinker bottles are small with pointed tips for distributing the ink evenly when applying to the pad. I loved that Clearsnap provided the reinkers for this review because you never know when the pad will need a little more "juice"! These pads were extremely moist upon receipt and even with all of the stamping and direct-to-paper techniques, reinking was not necessary. Other art projects and backgrounds can be done with just the reinkers, so I highly recommend getting the reinkers when you buy the pads.

The following layout was created using the dark blue color called "Blue Iris" for distressing and stamping. The photo needed some extra emphasis against the rather busy background, so the edges were touched with the ink pad. When stamping, the images came out crisp and detailed even when the image had bold and small designs in the same area, like on the letters for the title. The thin lines around the banner and smaller text was easily distinguishable without being distorted or smeared. There was no bleeding or fading on any of the images. The ink was able to stick to the non-porous surface of the photo and to the cardstock with no issue. The color was a perfect match for the paper too!

Title: King of Fix-It
Products used: Patterned Paper and Clear Crown Accent (My Mind's Eye, Bohemia Boulevard)
Ink (Clearsnap Fluid Chalk, Blue Iris)
Stamps (Inque Boutique: French Quarter Alpha, Boutique Grunge, Narrative Elements, Fresh Mini Alpha)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner and Ranger Glossy Accents)

Now THIS was a FUN technique to use from the Rubber Paper Scissors DVD! It's a resist technique using glossy paper and the Alabaster Fluid Chalk Ink Pad. The party hat image is stamped on the glossy cardstock with the white ink in a random or patterned fashion. The colored inks are then placed directly on top of the white stamped images and put aside to dry. Using a paper towel, the chalk finish is buffed off with the brilliant glossy color revealed for the background. The last step is to stamp on the top of the background that was just created, using permanent black ink. I love the look and it's such a great technique using the Fluid Chalk Inks.

Title: Little Ernest
Products used: Glossy Black and White Paper
Stamps (Lost Coast Designs)
Colored Inks (Clearsnap Fluid Chalk: Olive Pastel, Lime Pastel, Dark Peony and Alabaster)
Black Ink (Tsukineko StazOn Jet Black)
Resist Technique (PageSage Rubber Paper Scissors DVD)
Bling (Rhinestone NY)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

The next card is the same resist technique above, but the dark blue ink was used to stamp the image on the background instead of black ink. The result is just as stunning.

Title: Ms. Virtue
Products used: Glossy White Paper
Copper Metallic Paper (WorldWin Papers)
Stamp (Lost Coast Designs)
Inks (Clearsnap Fluid Chalk: Lime Pastel, Creamy Brown, Blue Iris and Alabaster)
Resist Technique (PageSage Rubber Paper Scissors DVD)
Flower, Leaves and Brad (unknown)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

This review was a real joy to complete as the products are of the highest quality and versatility. I would like to see a better nesting or stacking arrangement available with the ink pad's physical design as I knocked over my pads more than once when placing them on top of one another during storage. The ink pad area was adequate for small and large stamps and for distressing. The opportunity to purchase smaller versions of the ink colors is a good one as going to crops away from home lends itself to more compact packing. This is a great product, especially if you're a multi-surface crafter (paper and non-porous) with the need for an ink that works on many surfaces. I highly recommend Clearsnap's Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink Pads.

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Review by Randi

There are thirty-eight yummy color selections available in Clearsnap's "ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink Pads." I received nine of them: Lime Pastel, Alabaster, Dark Peony, Dark Brown, Aquamarine, Blue Lagoon, Creamy Brown, Blue Iris, and Olive Pastel. Since I hadn't used this particular ink before I was anxious to find out what made them different. I tried out various types of stamps on several types of paper. Here are some findings from my experimentation:

• Fluid Chalk Ink Pads are a water-based formula producing a chalk-like soft image.
• The pad itself is made from foam and it is juicy! These could quickly become a favorite!.
• The inks provided a clear image (though somewhat muted...like chalk!) even with the smaller lettered stamps.
• The inks dried very quickly, even on glossy cardstock. Because of this I had very little trouble with smearing. The exception I had to this was stamping on vellum. It took heat setting to prevent a smear on vellum, but the ink set quickly once I applied the heat gun.
• When dry, the ink takes on a muted, "chalky" looking finish, thus the name.
• Because of the water based formula, clean up was SUPER easy! All I had to do is run the stamps under cool water.

I then went on to use the stamps on a layout and an invitation to our annual fall bonfire:

Title: Summer
Products used: Seabreeze Color Block paper, Doodlebug
Metallic Cardstock, Prism
Aquamarine, Blue Lagoon, and Olive Pastel ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink Pads, Clearsnap
Williamsburg Capital Letter stamps, Technique Tuesday
Time 2 Relax Stamp, Leave Memories
Leaf Stamps, Stampendous
Seabreeze Stripe Ribbon, Doodlebug
Seabreeze Round Sequins and mini brads, Doodlebug
Permanent Bond Glue Runner


Title: Invitation to Fall Bonfire
Products used: Papaya Puree Medium, Terra Bruciata Cardstock, Prism Papers
Creamy Brown and Dark Brown ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink Pads, Clearsnap
Fall Leaf stamp, Rubber Stampede
Invited stamp, Rubber Stampede
Permanent Bond Glue Runner

The Fluid Chalk Inkpads retail at about $5.50 for a full size pad and $5.50 for the refill. Great price, great product. I think you'll like these a lot. Check them out!

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Review by Catherine

I have to confess. I have been having a secret love affair with Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks for quite some time now. Although I try other inks for different purposes, the ink that I use most often is a Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink. I have every color of Cat’s Eye ink pad that I’ve been able to find. That’s why when I saw that the Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks and Refills by Clearsnap were on the schedule for review, I jumped at the chance to review them.

Chalk Inks are a new breed of ink. Not quite pigment ink, not quite dye ink, the effect you get from using Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks is kind of like the best of both worlds. The colors that are available in Chalk Inks are varied and wonderful. For this review, I received the following colors: Creamy Brown, Olive pastel, Blue Iris, Alabaster, Dark Peony, Dark Brown, Aquamarine, and Lime Pastel. Each stamp pad is approximately 4" X 2 1/2", with a thick, deep ink pad section. There are also other sizes of ink pads available. On the back of the ink pad, the packaging reads: “FADE RESISTANT, Create ‘chalk pastel’ effects with stamps or Colorbox Stylus, Permanent when heat set. For dark paper use like colors/bold designs.” I was surprised to see that the packaging recommends heat setting, as I have never had the problem with the inks fading or coming off of the paper I’ve used it on.

Quick tip: Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks are permanent on clothing and will not wash out of your favorite shirt once your drop the ink pad ink side down. I won’t tell you how I found out, but wear an apron or change into grubbies if you are going to be doing a lot of stamping.

One of my absolute favorite things to do with the Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks is to color chipboard and Technique Tiles with them. This is the absolute best way to get great coverage on chipboard that I have found. That’s why when I got my ink pads, I right away got out a package of Technique Tiles that I had recently purchased and colored a large embellishment with my Aquamarine ink pad. I then stamped words and summertime images with the Lime Pastel and Blue Iris inks. I love the overall effect that this created for my page.

Title: Cool Hair
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Papers)
Patterned Paper (Sassafrass Lass)
Stamps (Technique Tuesday; Sugarloaf)
Ink (Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks - Clearsnap)
Chipboard Letters (Around the Block)
Brads (KI Memories)
Rhinestone Brad (Imaginisce)
Glitter Letters (Making Memories)
Stickers (Sandylion; Love, Elsie; 7gypsies)
Rhinestone Border (Heidi Swapp)
Adhesive (Adtech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

One of the reasons that I love using the Cat’s Eye Ink Pads of the chalk inks is that the ink pads are made of a soft foam, and the distressing effects that are created by dragging them across the paper are wonderful. However, if you have the larger ink pads, which have a more firm ink pad, you can achieve the same effect by using a Colorbox Stylus with a foam tip. Dab the foam tip on the ink pad a few times, then drag it across the edge of the paper for a great effect. I used my Dark Brown Ink Pad on the following layout, and used my Colorbox Stylus on the edges of the papers to give it a grungy, distressed look.

Title: Go Team, Go
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Papers)
Patterned Paper (BasicGrey)
Stamps (Technique Tuesday)
Ink (Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink - Clearsnap)
Brad (Making Memories)
Metal Tile (Making Memories)
Rub-ons (American Crafts)
Adhesive (Adtech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I love using Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks. It is more unusual for me not to use these types of ink pads when I am creating a layout, especially if I feel the need to color chipboard, use a direct-to-paper inking method, or want a distressed effect on my layout. The variety of things that one can stamp and create with Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks is endless. I give this product my highest recommendation. Go out and find some today!

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Review by Chris

I was thrilled to learn that I would be reviewing some new ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink Pads and reinkers from Clearsnap. I really enjoy working with chalk ink and was anxious to see how these new pads and colors would perform. When dry, fluid chalk ink has a flat, muted finish much like you would expect from dry chalk. The colors are rich, and the finish is subtle and sophisticated. Chalk ink dries quickly and once dry does not smear, blend or fade. It is a stamper's dream!

The ColorBox ink pad by Clearsnap has a raised foam pad which allows the stamper to control the amount of ink that is dispensed from the pad. The firmer the pressure, the more ink is released. These raised pads are perfect for direct-to-paper techniques as well as traditional stamping with rubber or acrylic stamps.

I received a very generous nine ink pads and their accompanying reinker bottles in gorgeous colors: blue lagoon, aquamarine, blue iris, dark peony, lime pastel, olive pastel, creamy brown, dark brown and alabaster. These colors are so beautiful and coordinate extremely well with each other. I couldn’t wait to get started on a stamping project.

For my first project I decided to try a “resist” technique that was demonstrated in PageSage’s new Rubber Paper Scissors DVD. The first step is to stamp a design on glossy cardstock using the alabaster ink. After letting this dry, you then apply ink directly from the ink pads onto the cardstock in a pattern of your choice. Once this second layer is dry, rubbing it with a soft cloth or paper towel will cause the white stamped design to reveal itself. It really is a marvelous technique!

Title: "Hi" Card
Products used: Inks (Clearsnap, ColorBox Fluid Chalk Inks, Blue Iris, Olive Pastel, Creamy Brown, Alabaster)
Stamps (Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz, dandelion and Dried Flower; Hampton Art Stamp, Diffusion, Alpha Collage)
Paper (Judikins, MatteKote)
Ribbon (Tie One On Ribbon Club)
Project inspired by PageSage’s Rubber Paper Scissors DVD
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Tape Runner)

I tried this same resist technique on this second card. I added additional stamping on top of the block design using other design stamps and different ink colors. I really like how these chalk inks let you see through them to the layers of stamping below which gives the card front great depth and dimension.

Title: "Friends" card
Products used: Inks (ClearSnap, ColorBox Fluid Chalk Inks, Lime Pastel, Aquamarine, Creamy Brown and Alabaster)
Stamps (Hampton Art Stamps, Diffusion, Swirls and Alpha Collage; Stampers Anonymous, Honeycomb and Harlequin scrap; Club Scrap; Kolette Hall, Precious Friends)
Cardstock (Prism, Prismatics, Intense Teal)
Paper (Judikins, MatteKote)
Ribbon (Michaels)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Tape Runner)

Finally, I wanted to use the reinkers in a non-traditional way. I decided to try to create some unique background papers. First, I squirted a small amount of three different colors onto my non-stick craft mat and inked my brayer by rolling it over the different colors. Then I rolled the brayer onto glossy cardstock. The fluid chalk inks dry fairly quickly, so I was able to apply several different layers of color to the cardstock with just a few seconds drying time in between. For a final effect, I spritzed the drying inks with a fine mist of rubbing alcohol. I love the depth and texture this gave the papers.

Another technique I used was the mono-printing technique demonstrated by Tim Holtz using his distress inks. Again, I squirted small amounts of three different colors of the reinkers onto the craft sheet and rolled them out with my brayer. This time, I laid the glossy cardstock into the inks and then pulled it straight up. This resulted in lines of ink traveling across my paper. I loved this effect and I know I’ll try this technique again with different color combinations!

Title: Backgrounds
Products used: Inks (ClearSnap, ColorBox Fluid Chalk Inks, Aquamarine, Alabaster, Blue Iris, Olive Pastel, Creamy Brown)
Paper (Judikins, MatteKote)

The ClearSnap ColorBox Fluid Chalk Ink Pads exceeded all of my expectations. The colors are rich and sophisticated. The pads themselves were juicy with ink. I love the range of control the foam pad gives in the amount of ink that is released. The reinkers were very fun to play with and I will certainly use them again to create fun and unique background papers. If you have not tried chalk inks, you definitely should. And these ColorBox pads receive my highest recommendation!

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