New vs. Old Tools! Ink Blending Brush & Sponge Comparison
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- New vs. Old Blending tools! Is new worth the money?
Hi friends! Today we are going to compare the new "make-up" style ink blending brushes to color dusters (they look like shaving brushes) as well as blending sponges. What blenders do you like best?
An overview of the materials (Affiliate links used when available)
Here is the stencil I used: amzn.to/314GI1d
New Ink Blending Brushes. I purchased mine at a stamp show, the multi-pack I bought was $20 from double Trouble but they are sold out online. Prior to purchasing, I used a friend's set who said she ordered this set on Amazon half what I paid at the show:
*I was so impressed I bought a set! amzn.to/2WuWrYP
These are the Life Changing Brushed from Picket Fence Studio if you want the best of the best. (or at least the first ones to be used with crafting) shrsl.com/1n7mr That set has the 4 larger brushes for $25
Pros of the new "make-up style" brush:
*Captured fine detail for stenciling
*Very Smooth ink blending with both dye and pigment inks
*Easy to clean, most ink transfers to paper with hardly any left on the brush. Wipe brush of a rag and move on to next color without needing to wash it.
*Very smooth fades when working off a mask on for rouging the edge of a paper.
*No awkward ink blotches even when you stat on the paper instead of off the edge. Foolproof blending.
*These can be compactly stored on your table in a small jar
Cons of "Makeup Style Brushes"
*It takes longer to apply the ink over a surface
*They can be more expensive than other methods HOWEVER you don't need as many as they wipe clean so easily between colors
*You could snap the neck of the brush and stain your wrists if you hold the brush at the end rather than supporting it at the head/neck area. My natural inclination was to hold it at the neck with my finger supporting the back of the bristle area and it was very comfortable to use. Not much pressure is needed this way.
Color Dusters (Judikins, Rubber Stamp Tapestry and the new Tim Holtz/Ranger ones in the silver tubes are all examples. Also called ink sweepers and sometimes come on long handles. These have stiffer course bristles made of hog)
Judikins color dusters: amzn.to/2WvzAMM
Tonic: amzn.to/2WRcAXU
Tim Holtz: amzn.to/2XAo6UO
Rubber Stamp Tapestry: pegstamps.com/...
Pros of Color Duster style brush:
*Quick soft blends
*Easy to use
*The more you use a brush the better it gets as the ink buildup in the brush primes the bristles
*They won't wear out
Cons of Color Duster style brush:
* You need a brush for every color family (reds, pinks, oranges, yellows, browns, greens, blues, purples, greys, black)
*You get a less defined look when used with a stencil or mask.
*Although you get a very even application of color with little effort the stiffness of the bristles give the blend a bit of texture
Foam style blenders. Examples of this are:
Ranger blending foam: amzn.to/2Xt7nT8
Colorbox Stylus: shrsl.com/1n7o7
Fingertip daubers: shrsl.com/1n7oa
My Homemade make-up wedge and bottle cap blenders (my favorite!)
Pros of Foam Blenders/ Blending sponges
*Inexpensive
*You can achieve a bold saturated color or a softer blended color (skill required)
*The more you use them the better they get (until they wear out)
*They are inexpensive enough to have a blender for every inkpad you have and many brands (such as Ranger) have a reusable handle that you can swap out the foams on so you can store a lot is a little space.
Cons of Foam/Sponge blenders:
*You need a sponge for every color family, many crafters have a sponge for every inkpad to ensure they don't cross contaminate their pads as it is easier to transfer color from the sponge to a pad.
*They take practice to get good results
*It takes longer with foams than color dusters to blend.
*They eventually wear out and start to break apart but you can get a couple years out of them.
I also wanted to mention the Darice sponge daubers I showed at the end. I like them for coloring stamped images but not for use with stencils or large areas because I don't think they can take the heavy use. Unfortunately I can't find them online. I got them at a stamp show years ago.
What is your favorite? I think they are all useful and you can pick one and be happy with the result. The most important thing is that you practice and learn to use what you have.
New vs. Old Blending tools! Is new worth the money?
#thefrugalcrafter #Ink #cardmaking
Great tutorial. Thank you Lindsay. I've bought quite a few on Amazon as I use them in my classes. These have been so helpful for people that have had difficulty blending. They are VERY popular. While using them, the girls just wipe them on a paper towel when changing colours. After class I wash them as I would my paint brushes - with a little warm sudsy water and blot them on a towel and they dry quickly and back to new again. I use them with Distress, Oxides, Archival, Pigment and Dye base inks all the time. The pigment inks dye the bristles a little bit but do not affect them when used in other inks after I've cleaned them.
Thanks for the info!
Lisbet Cox, have you tried using these new brushes with pan or chalk pastels? I have Pebbles chalk pastels and pan pastels and wondered if these brushes would work with them. Thanks Lisbet, I look forward to your response.
I ordered some recently from Amz. Thank You for your input & also how you clean them. Your Comment was very helpful to me along w/ Lindsay's video. 😉🙂
Lisbet Cox which tool are you talking about? Its not clear as Lindsay reviewed several.
@@TheFabulousIdiot Sorry - just saw your message. Yes I've used them with Pan Pastels and chalk pastels. They work great. Clean up is easy as well.
I appreciate you taking the time (and expense) to show us comparisons. It's just too expensive and scary to try new products on my own. Thank you for doing the hard work for us!!
LOOOOVE the idea of the sponges in the bottle caps! Inspired!
Me too! Such an inexpensive way to create your own tools!
Me too! Looking for someplace to buy the bottle caps in bulk!
I gently rubbed mine on a fragrance free baby wipe, it got rid of the clumping mostly
Love this video. Answered a lot of my curiosity. Love your honesty and you think of so many ways to throughly test a tool. As a detail person your more scientific approach keeps things more apple to apple and fair and that makes me so happy. Besides being a wealth of knowledge and generous with your time and budget with us, it’s so nice spending time listening to you.
Lindsey I have been watching you for years and I love your videos and your honesty. Wish I was half the artist you are.
The expensive makeup brushes ($80+) snap at the neck too. Flawed design. Happened after 2 years of daily use, but not what you would expect for the price.
Thanks for another helpful video x
I now have 9 sets of the $8.00 brushes, one for each color family. I do a lot of blending and it saves time not having to clean between each color change. and I use one of the brushes for applying anti-static powder (best results EVER!) I clean them off with a microfiber cloth. I hold the handle with my hand my index finger on the head of the brush. I use a glass mat to control how much color is on the brush, and it helps using all the ink by picking up off the glass. I do like the color dusters for adding effects like rough sand, tree leaves and such. I really like your comparison videos, very helpful!
Lindar C Great idea to use the make up brushes for applying anti static powder. I need to try this!
I have a set of cheap makeup brushes like Lindsay shows in the video and I hold them by the handle when using them and they have not broken. I got them through Wish and they are pretty pink colored ones where the bristles are white and have pink tips. Beautiful. I love them. So much easier to blend with.
I bought these brushes from China - a set in a zip up bag and I am thrilled with them- the fact you can go from colour to colour is such a bonus and it takes so little to clean them up - great video thank you
I absolutely loved the repurposing of the chess pawns. That's brilliant. The bottle caps are good too but the pawns give you a handle and they look good as a bonus. Great idea
Man Lindsay, you do the best product comparison videos! You are incredibly thorough and I so appreciate that! I have the faux blending brushes and the LCB and have yet to find any difference. As you stated, I do find both the faux and LCB do have flexibility on the narrow part of the handle and definitely recommend holding it by the head of the brush. Have yourself a wonderful day, Lindsay, and until next time....
I'm no expert at blending so thanks for showing these. I like the clarity of the make-up brushes and the fact that it doesn't put a lot down so no big blobs go down and then you have to blend like crazy to get rid of them...
I use my make-up type brushes with distress oxides and find that if you spritz a little water on your kitchen towel before you wipe the ink off it cleans the brush fine and doesn’t leave a residue :)
Thanks for the tip!
I never thought about going over to the women's makeup and getting some of them brushes good idea thank you for sharing
One year on and this is still a super helpful comparison. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing Lindsay -- so nice to see these comparisions so I can make an informed decision!
Great comparison between all the applicators. Thank you. You definitely showed how all 4 could be useful. 🙂
Hi, Lindsay!
GinaK recently added the Life-Changing Brushes to her store. She made a video a day or two ago with some new release products and she showed the ways to hold the brush depending on what look you desired.
Recently, I bought a big box of stamping stuff from a lady. There were several Distress Ink Pads, but they were older. I bought the Tim Holtz Refresh Spray to see if I could save them. Note: if you decide to do this...Don't use the spray bottle!!!!! Get an eye dropper and use that. The spray goes on to the pad and my hand. :)
Oh no! I just got the glitter duster and I find the same thing (except for water its glitter everywhere!)
@@thefrugalcrafter Thank you for sharing that! I wondered if it would make glitter fun to use. I don't generally use glitter, but that was supposed to "control " it. It doesn't sound like it belongs in my craft room
@@thefrugalcrafter lol! Like someone sending a glitter bomb in the mail.
I’m with you on the glitter duster-I just saw someone demonstrating the glitter duster at the Stamp and Scrapbook Expo in St. Paul. It seemed to intensify everything I hate about glitter-the mess.
@@audregaer3281 Thank you! Its DEFINITELY off my want list!
I was dumb and got the life changing then got a set at Walmart - no difference.
Thanks for taking one for the team and letting us know:) you have extras to craft with friends now!
I bought a set of makeup brushes off Amazon for $8.99 first and used them for several months. I saw that you could get a few of the life changing brushes for $12-ish so I got those. Absolutely no difference at all.
I feel your pain. Did the same thing then my mom pointed out that Amazon has a set of makeup brushes for $10. No difference at all.
Check out Five Below. Theirs are only $5!
Holy CARP, that's a HUGE difference in crispness. Thanks for this, chica!
I bought the makeup brushes on amazon; love them! They’re so easy to clean even when you need to wash them. I use them for my makeup ( separate brush for my face of course, and love the flawless blend. I’m sold and glad I didn’t spend more money on the life changing brushes. There are some craft items, where you need to spend the money but these are not one of them.
Omg, I just bought a pack of those cheap makeup sponges the other week with vague thoughts of using them for inking cos I couldn’t find the brushes anywhere... but I hadn’t thought about gluing them into bottle caps! Genius! I know what I’m doing tonight!
thank you, I always watch you for these testing thingys lol. Just love you to pieces
Oh noes!!!! Not to pieces! Just lots of loves!
I so appreciate you showing us the differences in the brushes and the inks. helps a lot when you are learning as I am. Thank you.
That was fun, thanks for trying all the different inks and tools. It's hard to pick a favorite tool. But can't go wrong with the sponge!
Good point you brought out about not using perm ink on the make up brush. I didn't even think of that! Silly me! I love the idea of how you made the sponge dabber. I don't care for the Ranger ones. I like alot of their products. Just not those. I thought I was the only one that says holy moly. I subscribed. I enjoyed your banter.
I bought just 2 makeup type brushes but didn't know I could use the same one for different colors. So happy about that.
I use a wet stamp shammy like item (I got mine on Amazon for cheap) and just wipe my brushes off on that. It keeps them clean and will get off any residual ink that might be on them.
But they will stain, there's really nothing you can do about it. I just use the same ones for pigment/dye/hybrid and haven't had any problems.
Love those clouds!!! The sky looks almost real. I'm just learned about coloring through a stencil so any info is great. Thanks.
I'm a slow adopter of anything and I always research before I buy. I was on the fence until this demo. Trust Lindsay to do a simple comparison that's easy to see and understand. I found a vendor on Amazon that sells two brushes so I can try them out. If they work for me I'm going to buy a set all the same size and color code the handles with acrylic paint since I'm not always Ms Clean when it comes to brushes, etc. My sky blue does not need even a whisper of grunge dirty-brown rust. Getting one of the super small ones is a big draw since shadows are an endless frustration for me.
I think brushes are one of the best crafting items I've ever bought, top 5 at least. I got three of the eight dollar sets on Amazon (recommend by another you tube-er) and I do wash them at the end of my crafting project, like a paint brush. They dry thoroughly overnight, you might get some staining. I would absolutely, positively, buy more.
I love you! I am just getting into inking and don't have the funds to buy a ton of "stuff", so I was looking for some ideas for DIY ink blending tools. I have makeup wedges, and I have bottle caps. Why didn't I think of that? Thank you, Lindsay! Once again, you have saved me some big bucks!
Thank you, I just got my set and your tips are very helpful. Great to know they are easy to clean, I did wonder about that. You always inspire me, best craft videos on you tube, and that is the truth.
Loved the multicolored stenciled background you created, Lindsay! Love my brushes, but I place my finger on the make-up brush and its sides. Love the softer look they offer. Great tutorial and TFS! 😘✨👍🏾
Great comparison video! I do love my makeup brushes for inking. I got my set of 4 at CVS. They are usually $9.99, but with their coupons it only cost me $2.99! Also they do go on sale. Another thing with the makeup thing with the brushes, I find, I like that I can get a nice light to dark effect easier than with the sponges.
Thanks for this comparison video Lindsay. I also purchased some make up brushes at Amazon for $8.95 vs the Picket Fence ones and was very satisfied with their blending performance. It was nice to see these side by side comparisons. I used a dollar store micro fiber cloth for rubbing away the ink.
Hi Linsey. I love your homade bottle cap robbers. What a genius idea. Karen.
I just had to have these brushes for make up and hated them. Now I have a use for them. Thank you.
I have the faux "life changing" and two of the "life changing" brushes, and haven't noticed a difference. The price of the life changing brushes is insane. I will start holding them the way you do since I am worried about them breaking. Wonderful demo. Thank you.
I found some inexpensive stenciling brushes (6 for less than $5.00) and they make good color dusters. I rarely use pigment inks, so I can use a makeup sponge for those. I use the makeup sponges all the time, but never thought about gluing them into bottle caps. Now I will. I usually just toss them! not too frugal, eh?? LOL! Thanks for sharing!!
Good idea! I bought cheap pack of small stencil brushes for quick coloring with ink pads on stamped images and it worked great!
I bought Amazon "Life Changing like" cheaper brushes that have black handles and white bristles so I could use one for blues, one for reds etc. I find the buildup of ink is a benifit but so far I've only used them for dye ink. It's nice to have the white bristles so I can easily see the color families.
I look forward to making and using some foam blenders with oxide inks. Thanks for the lesson!
Thank you for doing this comparison, In my opinion you did a fair assessment and used a variety of color to really see what you get. I watched another crafter who used 4 colors of green to show blending with these brushes and they all looked the same. It was not a good comparison at all, so once again thank you for your time and expertise in demoing these!
Interesting idea creating your blender with a makeup sponge. I tried the makeup sponge before buying a Ranger blending tool. I found they absorbed much more ink and had to use a lot before getting enough color on the page, so I don't think they are really the same, but the results are obviously similar. The good news is there is no need to abandon the old for the new, we can always use either. Thanks for your video.
Thank you for the good comparison. I have several foam applicators from Ranger with many foams, however I have been eyeing the life changing brushes. I was really happy to see a cheaper alternative to those brushes. I don’t stencil or ink blend that often. Jeannine
How cool ! I love the make up sponges , and a bottle cap. ,! Ty for sharing the differences
You rock!!! Thanks for showing all the variables.
Awww, man! I love the new brushes and now that I see how crisp and clear they do on the stencil I'm going to HAVE to get them! Thanks for the comparison, it really helps to see what the differences are!
Thanks so much for doing this Lindsey! I was wondering how they compared.
TFS ❤️great comparison.. i have all of these types and must say I much prefer the makeup brushes. In my tests I get much crisper image and the brushes cover more quickly and have less strain on the hands and wrists... since i have arthritis in both hands, this means a lot to me.
Yes! Fabulous! Makes quick work of blending. Thank you.
You said that sometimes you're in a rush and you'd probably just use the sponges. It may me wonder if you could sponge once and then use the make up brush to finish in the lines to gain that crisp look. I really enjoyed seeing the reveals. Thanks for doing this one!
Thank you Lindsay. This really did help me decide to buy some makeup brushes. I was thinking it was a lot of hoopla over nothing, but the stenciling done with the makeup brushes had more definite lines. These days I’m more into paint than ink so there’s no rush. I’m hoping Ranger decides to release Tim Holtz’s entire color line in Archival. Then I’ll really want the makeup brushes.
Needed this info! Thanks! LOVE that stencil - hard to find tho for good price. Awesome as always!
So happy to see how well the makeup brushes worked since I bought some not long ago but haven’t used them yet. Looks like I made a good choice! Thank you!
Very helpful video Lindsay , they all seem to have there own specific looks from them .
I have to second it! Yes!....Great tutorial. Now, with the demonstration, I can choose which ones are my favorite and must-haves.
Thanks for the show of color and tools used.
I really like the detail that comes out with these brushes.
I never enjoyed doing blending until I got the makeup brushes. They are awesome!
OMG. I have SO many bottle caps. I LOVE the idea of using them to make daubers. Thanks!
Thank you Lindsay! It looked like your homemade sponges did just a good of job as the makeup brushes! I can't wait to use my makeup brushes this weekend. The ink daubers didn't work for me, I'm too rough. Thank you for this comparison video!!!!
Yes I thought so too
I made my makeup wedge-in-a -cap set after watching a video from you quite a while ago and really like them. I have a bunch of the Judikins color dusters and I like them too. I use either one depending on what look I’m going for. I love the softness of color that I get with the color dusters. If it hadn’t been for your tutorials I wouldn’t have either of them. I didn’t realize the brushes you used in this video were makeup brushes. I had seen them before and always assumed they were new crafting tools. I appreciate you doing this comparison tutorial. And thanks so much for providing all the links.
Very helpful to know they work differently with different inks.
Another great video! Thanks Lindsay. I got a set of duorime from Amazon. 7 brushes for $8.00 delivered prime and I love them!
Thanks so much Lindsey.
Thank You Lindsay for doing this video!! It was very Helpful to me.😉🙂
I've recently ordered a couple sets of the Makeup Brushes from Amz, $8.99/set - 1 set for Dye inks & 1 set for Pigment inks.
I'm a messy crafter. When I'm done crafting it usually looks like a craft bomb went off. lol
Take Care Lindsay .. hugz, Jill🤗😊tfs
This was great, Lindsay, thank you! I find the make-up brushes perform better when using a light touch and are more useful for subtle blending rather than the bolder blending using the sponges. Each one has its use. To me, there's no comparing the two because of the two separate results you get from them. I would use a more gentle touch with the brushes and then go to town with the sponges.
TFS they are a must have for sure in the end when you did the clouds. Not to mention how crisp they perform as well.
I love watching your videos like this. I always learn something new. Today it was the homemade sponges. What a great idea. I am also pleased that you tried out the makeup brushes. Thank you so much for the wonderful tips and ideas!
Thank you for the side-by-side comparisons.
Thank you for sharing your opinion. I guess that’s why there are so many tools since we all have different likes and uses for them. I never had lunch with those cheap makeup sponges...they just deposited the ink in a clump. (I’m sure it’s my style that makes it do that) Didn’t like the dusters since the color was way too pale for me and too textured. I like smooth blends....so the brushes are fabulous for me. I have some Amazon ones and some PFLCB. I have found over time the cheap ones don’t continue to spread the ink smoothly and I need to wash them more often. I find the PFLCB to be much more consistent in depositing color. That’s my 2 cents. Lol
I think the make brush worked best, but the first ink worked better than the ranger.
The makeup you only need one tool, my wedge sponge didnt last very long, maybe cuz i was doing the edges.
Thanks for this comparison.
Thank you so much! Great video! OMG! Thanks for the make-up sponge in a cap tip!
As I’ve said...you are the crafter’s Yoda! This was an excellent tutorial. I watched other crafters but before pulling the trigger on these make up blending brushes I had to see Yoda Lindsay’s tutorial first! Thanks!👍🏾🌸
Great comparison. I bought the Amazon make up brushes and love them. I kept a couple out to actually use them for make-up and love them for my mineral power make-up too. Thanks for the technique class!
Wonderful tutorial. You have so many awesome tips. Thanks for sharing them. I was blown away by your clouds.
SO very helpful!! I feel much better about having various applicators, and you've shown the different effects I can get with them. How resourceful you are in creating your own sponge daubers. TFS.
Hi Lindsay 👋 thank you for sharing your thoughts on the different types of products it was very interesting and helpful have a lovely weekend 💞🦋🐕
Love this tutorial! I have colorbox as well as Tim Holtz from years ago but really digging the results of the make-up brush option and GREAT tip on the wedge sponge in a plastic cap for a VERY budget friendly option.
This is a great comparison of all different tools for blending.
You are wonderful! Thanks so much for this demonstration.
I like that you use a makeup brush! Great idea!
Great tutorial. The top right and bottom right have a more magical look to them and would be great for a project. Thanks
This is so cool that you did this video as I bought the exact brushes on Amazon as you did! I was hoping they’d be ok since I couldn’t afford the expensive ones and you’ve proved they work good. Thank you Lindsay for again showing us that we don’t have to spend a ton of money to make nice items!
Thanks for the great comparison. You saved me a lot of trouble and $$$. 😊
Thanks for another excellent video. Useful and informative. If you ever do decide to purchase or borrow the actual “life changing brushes”. I’d love to see that comparison, to find out if there is any real difference at all between the two.
See what other commenters have said about those. Most who have tried both say there's absolutely no difference, so why not spend the difference on inks or paper?
I watch your videos all the time. They are educational and entertaining too. You are such a trip.... say like "smutz." It is fun and enjoyable to learn from you.
Great review/comparison! It was helpful to be able to see the different textures created by the different tools! Thanks!
Nice tutorial! Both stencils are really pretty and the way the new handled sponges work they really make the contrast pop. Those clouds were beautiful, too. Thanks for the comparison.
Was wondering about those makeup brushes and now I know. Love the idea of sponges in the bottle cap. Enjoyed your comparison video.
Very helpful. Thanks Lindsay.
I remember Tim Holtz saying you shouldn't use make up brushes with the oxides, abd then use the brush with water based inks. Reason being the pigment in the oxide has an oily component that will remain in the dense bristles. He suggest to keep a separate set of the LC brushes for your oxide inks.
I found with the makeup brushes if you wipe them on a damp paper towel it cleans then great. Then wipe them on a dry one. You can change inks with no issues then.
I clean my makeup blending brushes on a baby wipe and then dry it on a micro fiber cloth between colours. Tfs 😁
I can blend again! I like the look but the blenders were difficult. The makeup style brushes from Amz are much easier for my arthritic and tendonitis prone hands. Thanks Lindsay :)
Thanks for stopping by Diana! I missed you!
Love the video. Thanks for comparing the Oxide to Stampin' up ink. I'm still using SU from 2003 😱🤣 yes '03! Almost need a new set. I'm sure to skip oxide and go straight to Distress now. 🤷🏻♀️😍
Love the Chess pieces,,, going shopping in the basement for our never used set. 🤣 That's the Coolest 😎 ideal ever! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽ohhh, I forgot,, I get my makeup brushes from Big Lots. About $2 a piece.
Thank you for showing the differences! Beautiful stencil too! ❤️
THANK U. Have been curious about the life changing brushes but their price would be life changing to my budget! I will try the more frugal brushes.
Hi Lindsay! I really want to thank you for this tutorial (and all of them). I have a few blenders between homemade (a few inspired by you) and sponges to the Ranger daubers that I like for many things. Scrapbook.com also has these really large brushes. They all give different effects. BUT those makeup brushes, which I was able to source on amazon.ca for a good price (Heaven forbid in Canada). OMG - those just blend so well. If you want a crisp impression thru stencils or a perfect background blend, it is the way to go. The small brushes work really, really well with fine line stencils and fonts. I love distress looks - my Dad did it years and years ago. It's a great old technique that is new-ish again, but sometimes you just want clarity as well. And if it had not been for seeing this video reviewing the brush tool - it would still be dealing with fuzzy edges. I can't recommend them more highly. But yes - you do have to hold them at the head, since the handle is weak at that point... but I just love them!!! Thanks so much again!