This Tim Holtz Distress Ink, by Ranger, in Walnut is a rich, dark stain of and old walnut tree perfect to create a dark wash of color. Tim Holtz's Distress Inks differ from regular ink pads. They stay wet longer, which allows you to blend and shade on paper, cardstock and photos. Other dye inks dry too fast especially on photos. Also unlike regular in pads, the Distress Inks will travel across the surface of your artwork and spreads out further creating different tones. These are wonderful to work with and a must for any artist. Read below to find out what Walnut Stain is ideal for. This technique below is taken directly from Tim Holtz's site: www.rangerink.com/tips_distress.html TO DISTRESS: I like to use water when I am distressing. I think it gives the papers more of a weathered texture, so here's how I start. Working on any type of paper (manila, cardstock, or text weight), crumple the paper up - always press in the center of any heavyweight cardstock or manila stock - this will break the surface tension of the paper and allow you to crumple up the paper easier without tearing it. Next rub the Distress pads over the surface - you can work with several different colors or just one - WALNUT STAIN IS IDEAL FOR THIS. Then spray the inked surface with water (you will immediately notice the ink "travels" outward when water is applied as these inks are designed to react with water). Heat the surface to dry - and here's why... Although you don't have to Heat Set these inks for any reason, I like to dry the water using either my Heat-It Craft Tool or an iron. This will allow for more tone control and keep areas dark and others light. Ironing the paper will also give you a much smoother surface to stamp on without compromising the aged finish. *If you allow the surface to air-dry most of your color will end up on the edges only because the paper will bend and buckle when wet, forcing the ink and water to the edges. Notice that these Distress Inks retain their color value even when wet and dried. Other brown dyes will break down in color (sometimes leaving a pink and green hue).