Both Distress Ink and Memento Ink pads are smooth and firm, not spongy. The first technique I tried with Memento Ink was to stamp the pad onto my craft mat, spritz the ink with water, then mop it up with a couple of tags to create a speckled effect. I do this technique with Distress Ink all the time. So how did Memento Ink do? I used the shade called Teal Zeal and as you can see, it beaded up nicely when I spritzed it with water and was bursting with deep juicy color.
I dragged two tags through it and really liked the splotchy look I achieved, which was pretty much the same as the look I get with Distress Ink.
My second favorite Distress Ink technique is smudging ink onto my projects with sponges. I got out my sponges and Memento Ink in shades of Pear Tart, Pistachio, Lulu Lavender, Elderberry and Paris Dusk. Here's how my tag looked after some smudging fun:
In terms of Memento Ink's smudgability, I was very pleased! It blended nicely and gave me the type of shadowy weathered look I wanted. I proceeded to use Memento Ink to stamp on some pattern using the Honeycomb Texture stamp from 100 Proof Press. Once I had my background done, I finished the tag with this great villain stamp image, called Evil Man, also from 100 Proof Press. I heat embossed it in black and then added the white scribbly circle around my villain's head using acrylic paint.
I added a touch of pink Memento Ink (Rose Bud) to lighten it up just a bit and then hit the edges with black Gesso. Once it dried, I sewed some Prima flowers to the side. At the top, I used alphabet stamps to make my sentiment and topped it with a Hero Arts flower and some yarn.
Another thing that I really liked about Memento Ink is its packaging. The ink pads are labelled so conveniently and the lids fit very well. You can almost feel a slight bit of "suction" when you put the lids back on so you know that your ink is going to be protected from drying out.
So how would I rate my Memento Ink experience? High marks for ease of use, brilliant bold colors and stamping versatility. I absolutely look forward to using Memento Ink again and think it's a fantastic product. It's a great alternative to Distress Ink and it was good for me to get out of my rut and see what other amazing products are out there.