Friday 17 June 2011

Now look,

I've been posting to this blog for longer than is good for the shape of my bottom - think about it - the sitting down at the computer thing is all I mean....but, if you've been reading it for even half of a while, you may well know how resistant I was to the Tim Holtz signature range and all the altered manic-ness that was all 'new', say from about 18 months ago. You will therefore have noticed that since the Distress Inks became available in colours other than 7 shades of wee wee, I've started to get into the whole, grunging, inking slightly weirdy, birdy, Holtzy thing. I've invested. Oh yeah; I have a very decent collection of DI's (that's Distress Inks) to you who don't know and probably could care less. I have grunge board, 5 five Tim Holtz signature dies and I dunno, various other bits and pieces, and stamps. Very expensive stamps. Lots and lots of you gals have inspired me with your examples and pushed me to try stuff I wouldn't otherwise have done in the style and technique world that is the whole Holtz thing.


A couple weeks ago, having sacked a black ink pad, I decided to replace it with one that I often see on TH videos, product descriptions and admired bloggers' work. I started my collection of Adirondack ink pads. They seem to average about four-and- a-half-quid, which makes them possibly on the lower side of the competition in ink pad pricing.
Now I dunno about you, but I try to store my inkpads upside down. It keeps any remnants of ink in the top of the pad where it's most useful. The Distress Inks stack and take a lot of toppling - but you can't pick one off the pile of upside down ink pads without leaving the lid behind. It's a mild annoyance at best....but it's there. But this Adirondack ink pad, well. The damned lid is loose and difficult to relocate just to put back on. You kinda have to stop what you're doing and actually lend it some focus. Of course if you stack upside down, the lid gets left behind. Worse though, the lid is so loose it just falls off....your fingers get blackened (or other coloured) in the effort to save the lid and not drop the pad and if it comes off in transit, it's all over anything else in the vicinity. This annoys the you know what out of me. OK, so do some others lids. But not all. Competitor lids are hinged, or fit snugly. Don't tell me to buy a bag of rubber bands, or come up with a blob of blue tack or other simple solution. I/WE shouldn't be the ones to resolve it. I just lashed out £4.50 for an inkpad which will be dry in a heartbeat because it has a crappy lid system. For the money, I want it to be a snugger fit. It doesn't have to be hinged or sophisticated fold back easel technology...but it needs to be less cheap and fit well. Surely I'm not the only one? I realise I'm probably the only one that can make it into a 10 minute blog post, but aaaaarrrrgggghhh, it's so driving me nuts that I'm going back to Stazon; it may not be as tricksy or thick as the pigment Adirondack, but god, the lid fits. I wasted my money.

Are we all so in love with the Tim Holtz lines that Ranger can sell us anything that he uses without recourse? Please someone - anyone, with any influence at Ranger - tell 'em. I cannot believe how vitriolic this one ink pad and lid problem has made me! I'm off. I obviously need a pill.

27 comments:

misteejay said...

Oh Julia, do you think you might have got one from a dodgy batch? I only have a couple and I haven't had any problems with them and we use loads of them at my local craft store lessons (they regularly get thrown to folk up and down the table - so far without mishap). I've had more problems with the DIs - a couple had lids so stiff you couldn't get them off without a struggle and once off they just would not go back on grrr

(((hugs)))
Toni xx

CathyC said...

I actually laughed out loud when I read "available in colours other than 7 shades of wee wee" It is 7am here in Australia, and hubby is still asleep in the bedroom next to me - I hope I didn't wake him. I haven't jumped on the DI trend yet either. Nevertheless, bad quality items should not be accepted - good on you for raising the issue ;-)

CathyC said...

PS your quote on the picture is beautiful, may I use it on my blog for a short time? Do you know where it is from?

Auntie Em said...

Love your card. The way you tacked on the sentiment is so genius.
I am not impressed with the TH ink pads either. I stack them upside down (which apparently TH says you don't have to) but I used a gold permanent marker to write the colour names on the bottom upside down so I could tell which was which.
Leave your concerns on the TH blog and the Ranger blog. It's the only way they will know you aren't happy with the product.
Thanks for sharing your project! :)

Anonymous said...

Bleh, ink sucks! I only use Memento, save for a few DI colors (not the wee wee ones) I just have because of the ability to emboss with them! Hope you find one that works better for ya xo

Lisa said...

Worth sharing your experience with Ranger. I've heard of a couple of people who have had problems with faulty items elsewhere in the range and they have had good responses from the company. At the very least they might factor it in to the next packaging design update!

I love, love, love Versafine black, but I dropped mine and broke the hinged lid, so now it slips off and I get inky fingers every time I use it. I must buy a new one and it's gonna kill me cos the ink pad is still so juicy.

So I'd add shockproof to my list of ink pad packaging wishes....... never gonna happen is it, lol.

Kirsty.A said...

Totally with you on the wee wee, and the prices of these things, but I must admit to having recently beought my first ever DI in Chipped Sapphire'. Heven't yet worked out what's so good about it, but I need to use it on more 'Holtzian' techniques. I don't have any Adirondack inks. I prefer Hobbycraft own at a price I don't need to hide fro P

Nicks said...

I have read many discussions on Ink storage and generally it seems that you shouldn't store the DI's upside down.

Love the fact you have got grungy though!

Kath Stewart said...

Hi Julia...me thinks you have a dodgy dude...got lots of Adirondacks and no problems with lids...even holding them upside down..the lid stays in place. You need to e-mail Ranger and they will arrange for you to get a replacement...their customer service is second to none and I agree with Nicks...no upside down storage.
Enjoy your weekend....hugs kath xxx

Belinda Basson said...

When Tim was here in SA we asked him about storing pads upside down, he says you don't need to because the ink is suspended in the pad so you can store them any which way you want. And that goes for any pad, not just the DI! Yes their lids are loose, but I store mine on their sides so I can access them easily. See my post:http://bellasscrappinspace.blogspot.com/2011/05/whats-on-your-workdesk-wednesday-102.html

Kate said...

Julia, this post made me laugh, but you are (of course) 100% right. I dont have a problem with the di's but know exactly what you mean about some of the others. My archival is one of my favourites now though...although depending on where ive bought them they all have very different lids.One is hinged and is a bit of a faff tbh but the black has a nice snug lid.

Kate said...

Oops ...forgot to say that i love your card ;0)

ellen vargo designs said...

Just wanted to let you know that you do not need to store your ink pads upside down. It's a myth.... Have never stored mine upside down and never had problems with inking.... as for labeling... I used white mailing labels (trimmed to size) and inked the color on the label so I can see what the color looks like as well as the name of the color. Just an idea.... good luck with your ink pads...

Helen said...

I haven't had any problems with loose adirondack lids either, so let them know. Hope you get it sorted. Your card is gorgeous!

Kaz said...

I have found that I'm steered away from TH stuff just because it is everywhere. There are other brands than ranger in the world!!
As for storing your ink pads upside down, I do that a lot too. And i love stazon!! xx

fairyrocks said...

Some days are like that Julia. I am a fumble fingers....or thats what I thought till I read this LOL
I love the inks because they have a nice cloth top and are water mixable. I am not nessesarily a name brand shopper. But I do like those pads.
Hope you have a better experience next time...
PS my fingers like my desk are a mess....and thats fine with me :)

Deena said...

i agree with the your whole TH rant...there is nothing so special about their stuff except the marketing scheme...i do like the way memento stamps, but the ink ends up on the inside sides of the lid and then i get that all over my fingers...and all over my card...sooo frustrating, but the lids stay on tight and the ink is really nice...i don't store any of my inks upside down and i have never had an inkpad need refilling yet...replaced a couple because i am not gentle with them....i think the upside down thing is a marketing scheme to get you to buy the fancy stampin up ones too...they will try to get us to believe anything to make their products better...ps...love the card!

Carmen said...

Am I the only person in the world that never knew about the storing of ink pads upside down thing? Brilliance! I shall do from now on.

As for the other stuff, aint got a clue. I still haven't figured out how diffent ink types differ and for what uses.

jodpea said...

Stazon smells like marzipan! Thats all I have to say on the matter!

Claire said...

I agree with Jodpea, Staz-on smells of Marzipan, great card Julia.
C xx

donnalouiserodgers said...

do not get me started on the price comparison Crafters pay for pigment inks when compared to artists...

crafters pay more - Nuff said....

I use stayzon

I use DI'd to paint with because sometimes One wants to wee on Ones work....

Jinny Holt said...

Beautiful card Julia and how annoying about said lid! I also store my ink pads upside down but heard recently that this does not make any difference! Well have had them upside down for years and that's the way they will stay!! Try putting a tinsy bit of blue tack on inside of ink lid and see if that holds it in place!!

Jinny

okienurse said...

I have all 36 colors of DI and haven't had much problem with the lids or storing them right side up. I do wish that the color picture was more accurate to the color in the pad! Example is the broken china on the front looks pale blue but when you use it it has a definite turquoise look! I have got to agree with Donna about the crafter's paying more. Not just in ink pads but in everything. I have started shopping at the hardware stores and other shops cause I am tired of being ripped off cause I am a crafter. The crackle paint is a good example! A one ounce bottle for $5 when a pint can costs $8. Okay thats my two cents. I will quit gripping now!

MaggieC (Silvercrafter) said...

Having had three days of stamping, mainly with Adirondacks, I found that one of my correspondents, Elizabeth, had given me the right answer to cleaning it off me. The hint came originally from Barbara Gray, and it is to use good old Imperial Leather soap. It is almost miraculous. Nothing else worked but that soap did instantly. I was interested in the comments about the Ranger site. I must contact them as I had a brand new Tattered Rose DI that was bone dry when I opened it. I could not remember where I bought it, so I muttered a lot and bought a new one.

Linby said...

I just love the card - perfect.
As for the inks, I only store old ones upside down. I would have thought (!) if you store them on the side the ink will gravitate to one side of the pad???
Linbyx

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