PEP tangles - my Zentangle Inspired Art blog
Showing posts with label Products. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Products. Show all posts

Monday, 2 September 2013

Faber-Castell & Distress Stains


I continue to learn much from various art forms affiliated with stamping, & sometimes from quite unexpected avenues. I was introduced to Alexandra's work when she joined Penny Black as one of their Designers &, although I'm not a scrapbooker,  I always learn about some aspect of design, composition or a particular technique through her posts, as indeed I do from the other Penny Black Designers. Alexandra has also been a Guest Designer with Faber-Castell who have put together a prize for one of Alexandra's Followers (details are HERE).


A few months ago I mentioned the problem of mould on my Distress Stains. I was helpfully directed to THIS POST which mentions a similar problem right at the bottom of the post & that the manufacturers will readily replace any affected bottles of Stain. Apparently this was a problem that only affected the first batches of Distress Stains. After removing the mould I dabbed some test samples  onto scrap cardstock & now - ten weeks later - there is no sign whatsoever (see photo right) that there has been any contamination of my substrate. I decided not to contact the manufacturer as I understand that the initial manufacturing problems have been resolved & it's really no hardship for me to wipe off any subsequent mould from these particular bottles before I use them for anything.

Friday, 21 June 2013

Distress Stain Cultures


A quick question: the above photo shows some of my Distress Stains - I have the 36 basic colours plus Picket Fence - which seem to have acquired some interesting cultures which don't smell but I'm not quite sure how to deal with. I was about to take the whole set of 37 & just dispose of them & put Distress Stains & me down to not being compatible - but I wondered if there was some mileage in taking the tops off & whether the stains themselves would be usable in just spray form or I could use them for watercolouring with. I suppose the question really is whether the mould is inherent in the stains or it is just the gauze top that has somehow gone mouldy. My craft room is not damp & we have more than adequate heating.

I would appreciate any ideas or suggestions. I have had the stains for over a year so I'm not considering returning them or asking for a refund & as I prefer the inkpads themselves I'm not looking to replace them. I just don't want to use them for water colouring & thereby 'contaminate' any artwork only to find that my artwork goes mouldy.