Because we only want to bring the best products to the forefront, we’re always on the lookout for new and fabulous stuff to share.

Tsukineko Ink Potion No. 9 and Pssst! Shimmer Spritz

   As former scrapbook store retailers, Dan and I are quite familiar with Tsukineko. Our goal was to stock our store with only the most user-friendly and quality products we could find, and that’s one of the most important reasons why Tsukineko inks were a mainstay on our sales floor. In this industry, most ink manufacturers tend to specialize in a couple types of ink, but Tsukineko runs the gamut from dye and pigment to specialty and all-purpose. The cherry on top is that each ink collection comes in a wide variety of colors to choose from, in every shade and hue to please even the most finicky stamper.

   Last year, at the CHA Summer 2009 Show, Tsukineko unleashed a brand new product on the paper crafting world and it hasn’t been the same since. Ink Potion No. 9 is as wonderful as its name. Because we only want to bring the best products to the forefront in Scrapbook News and Review Magazine, we’re always on the lookout for new and fabulous stuff to share with our readers. The minute my editors heard about Ink Potion No. 9, also affectionately known as Love Potion, they went on the hunt and brought back several bottles to the studio. For hours, we sat and played. We tested it every which way and were so impressed we contacted Tsukineko to get more information. To our pleasure, they not only sent a few bottles to share with other staffers, but they (bestill our hearts) sent samples of their new-to-the market Pssst! Shimmer Spritz to put through its paces. To say we felt like the luckiest stampers on the planet would be putting it mildly. Once our staffers started with the shimmer spritzes, there was no stopping them.

   As you can see, our staffers have put together a dazzling array of projects for you to see everything in action. They mixed, poured, stamped, blended, and played to their hearts content and now you get to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Please note that a few other Tsukineko products were used in their explorations, including Memento inkers in Lady Bug and Cottage Ivy, as well as All-Purpose Ink in Vegas Gold. We strongly suggest you get your hands on the inkers and all-purpose inks. You’ll be glad you did because they mix fabulously with the Ink Potion No. 9 and bring a whole new dimension to its shimmery goodness.

Ink Potion No. 9

   So just what is this stuff and why are we singing its praises so loudly? Easy answer. Ink Potion No. 9 is a blending solution for water-based inks and pigments. Water-based is the key part, which means you can use it with water-based markers, watercolor pencils and crayons. Many have asked what the difference is between Ink Potion No. 9 and Ranger’s Alcohol Ink Blending Solution. Both are blenders and vital to the stamping community, but Ranger’s only works with alcohol ink. Ink Potion No. 9 works with any water-based ink – dye, pigment and specialty. You literally have a world of inks at your choosing instead of being limited to one type of product.

   Ink Potion No. 9 is available for purchase in either a 8 ml spritzer or a 2 oz bottle with spray pump. We recommend the larger size. Once you start using it, you’ll blow through it quickly. In fact, we had a hard time putting it down once we got going and realized how much we could do with it.

   Many stampers love the look of watercolors and you can easily achieve that look with water spritzed directly onto a stamp and/or your stamped project, or brushed on your stamped project. All are wonderful ways to achieve this look, but Ink Potion No. 9 contains ingredients that encourage blending of colors. One of the frustrations of watercoloring is that once your paper is saturated with the water, the paper often curls, warps, or stiffens as it dries. Not really the look you’re going for when making a piece of art. Ink Potion No. 9 is the perfect solution (no pun intended). While it won’t prevent your paper from curling, warping or stiffening, it reduces the chances of it and when we put this claim through its paces, we have to agree. Our editorial staff was pleasantly surprised by the difference between applying plain water and the blending solution.

   There are a myriad ways to use Ink Potion No. 9 and I daresay we tried all the suggestions from Tsukineko and everything we could find online. True to our own style, we got a feel for the product and then went off on our own artistic bent to show you other ways to get the most from your experience.

A few suggestions on how to use Ink Potion No. 9:

   As a blending fluid in a water brush pen. (You can also mix with a metallic ink such as the all-purpose ink.) You can then use it to blend watercolor pencils, crayons, or markers as well as color in your stamped images. Another great suggestion from Tsukineko is to use the blending solution in the water brush (with no color) to create a tear line on handmade papers. This is a no-fuss and no-frustration way to  achieve that torn paper look without having to wrestle it.

   Shaken, not stirred. Using the plain solution undressed is a great way to push and pull colors into place. Spray directly onto coated tags or paper (for example, glossy cardstock) and drop colors of water-based inks such as Memento directly from the inker bottle onto your cardstock. Give it another shot of the potion. This will move the colors around as the potion dances around the paper. You can do this as many times as you like until you achieve your desired look. To add a little bling to your project, add a few drops of metallic ink such as the all-purpose ink in Vegas Gold, Champagne Sparkle, Bright Copper, Frost White, Black Pearl or Platinum. The results are breathtaking. A quick note. Since you’re playing on glossy cardstock, the surface is going to be slick and slippery. If you’re not a patient girl (and who is when it comes to waiting for projects to dry which is right up there with watching paint dry), hit it with a heat tool and give a big sigh of relief.

The above inks will create the results below:

• Vegas Gold – ultra fine mist of gold shimmer
• Champagne Mist -- ultrafine sparkle
• Bright Copper – slight sparkle with a touch of antique
• Frost White – miniature fresh snowfall
• Black Pearl – adds a fine mist of grayish pearl dots
• Platinum – soft silver mist

To achieve these colors:

   Add Ink Potion No. 9 to a spritzer or mister and add drops of all-purpose ink. According to Tsukineko, metallic colors are heavier than the potion and will naturally settle at the bottom. By adding the potion first to your mister, you’ll get better mixing results and more even spritzing. They also made mention of the fact that adding the metallic colors first may result in problematic mixing and/or clogging of the spray straw.)

   Start with lighter concentrations of metallics (ratio of one-part metallic all-purpose ink and eight-parts Ink Potion No.9). See how incredible Tsukineko is? They even provide mixing ratios and color recipes on their site.

   If you want to make bolder or brighter color blends, add multiple colors of water-based inks, such as Memento) to Ink Potion No. 9. The added colors will deliver an intensity and infusion of color. You can even mix colors to match your cardstock or embellishments. The sky really is the limit when it comes to mixing your own colors. We recommend that you start your own recipe book. Keep a notebook and each time you make a new mixture, write down the ratios and spray a bit of it onto the page so you’ll never have to guess what color it was or why you fell in love with it in the first place.

   Also, always shake your mister before spraying. This will blend any ink that has settled to bottom, especially if they haven’t been used in awhile.

(Photo provided by Tsukineko. Potion sprayed onto tags with drops of ink and Vegas Gold added.)

   Want an iridescent look? Add a few drops of Opalite inkers. There are nine colors of Opalite inkers and each will create a unique look. Take it up a notch by blending colors to create your own custom colors. Haven’t heard of Opalite inkers? Check them out here. They’re a reflective interference ink that leaves a soft, shimmery, almost dreamy look to your project.

Leave Your Mark by Jamie Pope Supplies Cardstock:Core'dinations; Grungeboard: Ranger; Flower, crystal: Prima; Stamps: Autumn Leaves, Queen Kat Designs; Ink Potion, Pssst! Sheer Shimmer Spritz in gold: Tsukineko; Reinker: Ranger; Cuttlebug, embossing folder: Provo; Other: pop dots 

   For MORE marvelous examples of our staffers creative endeavors, hop on over to our forum. While there, be sure to check out their classes. They’re sure to kick your creative mojo into action.

Pssst! Shimmer Spritz

   While they’re just making their grand entrance at the Winter CHA 2010 Show, we had the good fortune of test driving them and we’re thankful to Tsukineko for the opportunity.

   We received samples in Gold and Sparkle and both are eye-catching and got high marks from both our in-house staffers and staffers scattered far and wide. The spritz is lovely and translucent, and adds a pop of color without overwhelming your project. It has a whispered, barely-there quality that delivers quite a punch. (Check back here after the show for more info about the Pssst! Shimmer Spritz.)

   The Pssst! Shimmer Spritz bottle is 7ml of pearlescent shimmer and about 4” tall. Available colors are Gold, Sparkle, Copper, Pewter, and Silver and are pleasingly priced at approximately $3 a bottle. With elegant shimmer, an easy-to-use pump spray that even after numerous uses didn’t clog, and a thin bottle that fits snugly in your hand for better control, the Pssst!! Shimmer Spritz is absolutely SNR approved.

   Once again, check out our forum for even more inspiration.

   All in all, both products are great to work with and are worth adding to your must-have list. It’s important to note that we didn’t receive the Ink Potion No. 9 or the Pssst Shimmer Spritz in exchange for advertising purposes, monies, or with the guarantee of a favorable product review. The only guarantee we make is to our readers. Any product reviewed is reviewed with 100% honesty and as many tips, tricks, and techniques as we can come up with. You can rest assured that any product we stand behind not only has our stamp of approval, but our word that it’s worth spending your hard-earned cash on. With that said, go grab some and play and then share your artwork with us. Our new gallery is soon to debut and we’ll set up a designated Tsukineko gallery just for your fabulous creations. We can’t wait to see them!