I bet I wasn't the only one excited to see three beautiful new ombre (gradient monochromatic color) ink pads in the new 2016-17 Stampin' Up Idea Book & Catalog! I ADORE ombre (no, that's not too strong a word!) and I have been looking forward to trying them out. I do have a couple of tips for you, however, and things you should know before you buy. So enjoy this product review I've put together for you!
I was given the Rich Razzleberry ombre pad as a present on the Stampin' Up Mediterranean cruise incentive trip, and it's the first thing I cracked open when I got home. Soooo pretty! They also come in Calypso Coral and Bermuda Bay.
The first thing that you should know is that the ombre pads are composed of five small, rectangular ink pads laying side by side. As tightly as they fit together, there is still a tiny but discernable gap between them, so when you are inking, be sure to slightly move the stamp from left to right as you "tap tap tap" it onto the felt pad. That will fill in the gaps so you don't have a blank line down your project when you stamp.
On the triple-heart card below, you can see I got better at this: I stamped the lower right heart (big gap), the upper right heart (less of a gap) and then the left hand heart (no gap at all).
You can see I have a little practice to do to get them as perfectly blended as the awesome samples on page 151 of the new catalog, but I'll get the hang of it! You will want to have a practice sheet before you begin stamping your actual project.
It was SO fun to get all those beautiful shades with one go!
Secondly, it's important to know that the ombre pads are a consumable product. There are no refills (a refill for each of the five shades would cost more than a brand new pad!) so they are meant to be enjoyed and then tossed. I think they'd work best for a single project at a time, like say shower invitations or your family Christmas cards, as they won't keep forever after they're open.
Introducing….. the NEW Ombre Ink Pads from Stampin' Up!
TIP: I recommend storing these pads UPSIDE DOWN, so gravity has pulled the ink down to the surface of the pad when you go to use it. That's how you should store any ink pad that does not have Stampin' Up's patented pad-in-the-lid design, did you know that? So Versamarks, Encore Metallics, Stazons, etc–store them all upside down.
Bottom line, would I order and recommend these pads? Yes, as long as you're aware they are felt pads, designed for quick project fun and not a long-term, "workhorse" ink pad like our other Firm Foam pads.
I have the Bermuda Bay and Calypso Coral pads on order myself, after playing with the Rich Razzleberry one. ENJOY your new ombre pads–I can't wait to see what you make with them!
