This is my first purchase of Altenew inks. These inks are so easy to open. Having arthritis in my hands plus the fact my hands are small it is difficult for me to open a lot of the inks on the market. However, the shape of these pads fit into my hand perfectly, (see photo), but because the lid is so loose, I wonder if the pad will dry out more quickly than other pads where the lid fits very snugly. I love the way they stack. They take up much less space than other pads. I haven't done any blending on a project, but my sample has dried a little patchy, as did my sample stamping. However, the latter could be because I used a solid stamp, and it was new. Because of this, I have given it 4 stars. Now to the colors. Oh, my goodness, they are so beautiful, and, as you would expect from a set, work together amazingly. The Water Hyacinth is so pale, that I couldn't tell if the pad was dry, but, when I put my finger on it, there seemed to be plenty of ink on it. They are perfect for layering stencils and stamps and give so much depth to the finish project. I would absolutely recommend these inks and will be purchasing more.