Distress Oxide Ink Sprays are a brilliant addition to my beloved Distress Oxide Ink inkpads. I have been putting off buying them for a while because I have the inkpads in ALL colours available, forever wondering why on earth I would need the sprays in the same colours too! I bought a few to try them out and oh boy! I fell in love with them and bought some more. I have put them to test and would like to share my findings, ideas, tips and tricks with you in this feature.

What are Distress Ink Oxide Sprays?

Distress Oxide Ink are a watercolour medium. They are dye inks with added pigment, meaning they dry opaque yet still vibrant. They react with water so spraying water on top of them whilst they are still wet will create a reaction and the oxidised look on the final piece. I tried spraying them with water once dry, but I didn’t get the same result, so wet on wet is the key!
You’re probably wondering if you were to invest in the sprays… would you be able to use them with a blending tool. The answer is yes! But there is a BUT… sponging with the sprays is possible but you mustn’t rub the cardstock too much as the friction in a combination with the wet medium will cause the surface of the card to fray a little. So, if you are going to do it, go easy on it with a swift light application.

How do I get started with Distress Ink Oxide Sprays?

Breaking a blank page can be quite daunting when working with a new medium so I like to ‘test’ it by making swatches. They can be as simple as small squares of cardstock bound with a ring into a little booklet. It’s not only to document what supplies I have in my stash, but it also gives me an instant idea on what the colours look like, what the consistency is, how fast they dry and what they look like once dry.

What are the advantages of this medium?

A big advantage of having the spray is that you can colour a piece of a card swiftly and evenly with a minimum amount of effort. You know how long it can take to add ink with a blending tool all over your A6 size background and how much blending it involved to get it flawless, right? Well, a couple of blasts from the sprays and you’re done! A gorgeously flawless background is done! To me, this is a great timesaver and one of the main reasons I bought a few more bottles than initially intended.

What techniques can I achieve with Distress Oxide Ink Sprays?

I tried my favourite ink ‘smooshing’ technique with inkpads versus sprays? There was less warping of the cardstock when using the sprays, because you can apply more colour in one swoosh than with the ink pads smooshed onto the surface of your craft mat, diluted with water. I had to repeat the process three times using the ink pads and water to get the same coverage.

Stamping is also possible by adding ink to your craft mat and picking it up with the stamp. Or imprinting/stamping with your embossing folders… it can be done, but you will be looking at a distressed design. So, if you are a fan of stamping then the inkpads are the way to go.
Watermarking or shall I say, lifting ink with water, is also another favourite technique widely used in the crafting community. I find that lifted water splatters are more obvious and the contrast between the inked surface and the splattered area is higher when using ink pads with a blending tool than when the surface is sprayed. This is most likely de to the fact that more ink is deposited when using the spray so the water doesn’t reach the top of the surface of the card as easily. That’s understandable. This brings me onto my next point…

The oxidised look. I can’t seem to make my mind up on this point, because using a sufficient amount of ink from a pad can give the same amount of oxidisation when using the spray. I’m torn on this one, but because it is much easier to achieve this with sprays it’s the sprays that are winning me over.

Shop Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Oxide Sprays on CraftStash

Are there any draw-backs to using this medium?

One thing that stopped me in my tracks was when I was trying to write onto my swatches. I was using a regular black ball pen and after a few letters it stopped working. I swapped for a micron pen thinking it must be the end of the ball pen. Oh no, it was not! The micron pen didn’t want to co-operate either. At a closer inspection of what was happening, I found that the pens didn’t like the powdery residue on the surface. I tried writing on a card treated with the ink from the pad and it was not amazing, but it worked. It turns out that with more ink deposited from the spray also comes a ton of the powdery pigment substance. This would explain the slightly better oxidised look when using the sprays or why I tend to double or triple stamp onto inked surfaces to get a crisp black line. But I won’t be writing on these surfaces anytime soon!

Another oh-oh moment I had when I applied my crackle paste on top of the sprayed dry surface. As you do, I applied the paste and let it dry. When I came back full of anticipation, I found the crackle paste beautifully crackly, but also falling off. At a closer inspection and with a rub of a finger, it ALL came off! Scientifically speaking, the crackle paste must somewhat move on the surface whilst drying which prevents it from adhering quickly to the powdery surface and therefore doesn’t adhere at all. On the other hand, you will be left with crackled imprint on your background. As Bob Ross says… ‘There are no mistakes in art, just happy accidents’! I might have to explore this a bit more and apply it thicker and on a larger scale to create larger cracked imprints.

The verdict!

All in all, I am in love with the sprays and they now have a permanent place in my craft room and will be used on regular basis for sure! I hope this gave you a little insight on them. I am also sharing a few tips and tricks to help you with getting the best out of them.

Happy crafting,

Ingrid