Distress stickles v. original Stickles

[scrap-happyuk]

Well, I have been looking at the Distress Stickles for a while now - I have loved everything Tim Holtz does and so have been contemplating this current purchase. However, I have a *coughs* few bottles of Stickles already, so do I REALLY need this next set? Or is it just another marketing ploy to get me to part with my dosh?

Any opinions will be gratefully received - and for goodness sake be honest! If they are pants then please let me know!

[purklepoi]

they are not pants but I prefer the original ones.

[lizzydripping]

Less shiny & sparkely but OK.

Liz

[MaryAnne]

I'm curious

The thing about the Distress embossing powder is it has the "release crystals" in it that don't melt. After you emboss you are meant to sweep those away, giving a pebbly look to the embossed image rather than a smooth and shiny one. Do the Distress Stickles have a similar thing to them? ie they are not meant to cover as completely as the regular ones?

I love the originals and have a ton of them, and while the Distress ones are softer colours and obviously match the Distress colourway, I'm just not sure I need them either. Any more info, other than they are not as shiny??

[mummybecks]

I have a 'couple' of bottles of both, and the pieces of glitter in the Distress ones are less fine than the originals, and when you spread them, they do not completely cover the surface in glitter - ie more 'distressed'! They also have a larger nozzle on the bottle, so are best for larger areas. If, for example, you were just wanting to highlight the centre of a flower, or write a title, or put a glittery edge on something, you would be better off with the originals. If you wanted a grungy look for die cut alphabets or shapes, the distress ones are great.

[lizzydripping]

Nothing like the powders unfortunately other than the cover. I actually emailed TH & suggested it might be good if they produced a "glue" that gave the same effect as the powders. With a glue you could build up lumps etc so things would look really distressed. As you said they are softer & I suppose they give the effect of a little shine showing through something that has aged. But to be honest not really what I was looking for, so only have the one. As for the stickles!!!

Liz

[sixofone]

I have a couple of bottles of the distress stickles, but wouldn't buy anymore. As for the regular ones... ''Guilty as Charged''

[bonjen3]

I don't like them, I think they look like I've done a bad job of "colouring" in with them, too many gaps / blobs

[MaryAnne]

We are like magpies, aren't we? So attracted to the sparkly...

I love the "distressed" look but frankly, distressed glitter seems to be a bit of an oxymoron - either you want it sparkly and glittery or you want to grungy, aged, and distressed! when I add glitter ir's because I want it to have a particular look. I can't seem to mix the two very well.

[Soul-Ann]

I'd have agreed with the comments above after buying a bottle months ago. I was expecting a distressed version of stickles, whereas it's very different in application and end result. Maybe they should have named it something different aye.

That first bottle got thrown into a tray with disgust until one evening, when looking at dark brown rubons on a LO that were too 'flat'. I went over the lines with the distress stickle and coloured the brads I'd used as blossom centres.

The effect it gave was slightly raised, glassy and gives dimension. Although they take far longer than normal stickers to dry. At least overnight in many cases.

For very fine lines with the DS I used a paintbrush, which is something normal stickles can't do as their too watery and don't give enough 'shine', or so is my experience. Although it can be tricky with the DS as you have to be generous with it to build up a height, yet not form thick lines iywkim.

I also find DS lend themselves well to male and vintage LOs, as they still have a glassy shine but not too glitzy.

Now I love both equally as long as I treat them as different types of products, because they are so different in every way except for the name.

[Soul-Ann]

We are like magpies, aren't we? So attracted to the sparkly...

I love the "distressed" look but frankly, distressed glitter seems to be a bit of an oxymoron - either you want it sparkly and glittery or you want to grungy, aged, and distressed! when I add glitter ir's because I want it to have a particular look. I can't seem to mix the two very well.

I agree - I can't use both on the same LO. Simply because they have different styles. One is light, fresh and airy, the other more of an aged, heavier look. I find the two styles tend to clash.

[scrap-happyuk]

We are like magpies, aren't we? So attracted to the sparkly...

I love the "distressed" look but frankly, distressed glitter seems to be a bit of an oxymoron - either you want it sparkly and glittery or you want to grungy, aged, and distressed! when I add glitter ir's because I want it to have a particular look.

See that's exactly what's been holding me back - I don't understand why I should need them?!

I'd have agreed with the comments above after buying a bottle months ago. I was expecting a distressed version of stickles, whereas it's very different in application and end result. Maybe they should have named it something different aye.

That first bottle got thrown into a tray with disgust until one evening, when looking at dark brown rubons on a LO that were too 'flat'. I went over the lines with the distress stickle and coloured the brads I'd used as blossom centres.

The effect it gave was slightly raised, glassy and gives dimension. Although they take far longer than normal stickers to dry. At least overnight in many cases.

For very fine lines with the DS I used a paintbrush, which is something normal stickles can't do as their too watery and don't give enough 'shine', or so is my experience. Although it can be tricky with the DS as you have to be generous with it to build up a height, yet not form thick lines iywkim.

I also find DS lend themselves well to male and vintage LOs, as they still have a glassy shine but not too glitzy.

Now I love both equally as long as I treat them as different types of products, because they are so different in every way except for the name.

But after reading this fantastic summary I am going to have to "try" a bottle or two after all

Thanks for all the honest replies.

[samsq]

I agree, the Distress Stickles do provide a more low key definition to projects which is great. I feel they should be regarded in their own right rather than being branded as a Stickle.

[CraftyPrincess]

I've got some and haven't got on with them either so thank you for the great tips
I bought one just for the colour really but it just looked patchy & messy and not distressy

[ScrappyDandyDoo]

I bought them a couple of weeks ago nad really like them - they aren't really glittery more matte with a very slight sparkle and are fab for making things look grungey I didn't want glittery just a bit of grunge and dimension
I'm using them on a heritage project I'm working on at the min
Although if I had distress powders I prbably wouldn't haved bought them
I've used them on this (on the frame and flowers) and this (on the flower, letters and jigsaw pieces) but unfortunetely you can't see them very clearly.
I'll trya and take closer pics later

Julie xx