While I am never certain if Pantone’s Color of the Year choices are an accurate predictor of color trends or if, because Pantone says its the color of the year, it just becomes the color trend of the year. Irregardless of this, there is something warm and soothing about a warm neutral brown and it pairs beautifully with lots of other colors. So, no matter how you might feel about the Mocha Mousse color, maybe seeing it in concert with some of your favorite inks and pens might change your mind?
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I have fallen in love with the MU Clear Splice Stamps ($4.40 per set). Each of these tiny clear stamp sets feature delicate, tiny stamps perfect to accent a journal or planner. There are over 50 stamp sets available but I chose designs that featured plant life mostly. There are a few other elements scattered throughout the sets and each set includes about four to nine designs.
In my first test, I used stamps sets No. 1 (Anemone & Branch), No. 3 (Vine & Branch), No. 17 (Flowers & Branches) and No. 20 (Full Moon). I had previously purchased one or two of the vine and leaf designs (No. 11 & No. 28, I think) and I loved using them with coordinating ink colors in my planner so I was really happy to expand the range of plant life I have available to me. The array of silhouette and outline plants makes it easy to create a quick, little wildflower garden along the edge of the page.
The Moon image from set No. 20 was one I was looking forward to using but I had trouble stamping it cleanly so it didn’t look the moon, just a messy large dot. To be honest, it was the only stamp I was disappointed by but the other nature elements n the No. 20 set are lovely so I would still re-buy that set if I had to.
There were a couple of ink splotch-type stamps in the set that I wasn’t sure I was going to like but I love how they look, especially layered together in different colors. These are going to get used a lot more than I initially thought.
Across the four sets, there were two anemone-like flower shapes, one larger and outline and one smaller and solid that, when combined, creates a beautiful little design. By simply turning the stamps and stamping again, I was able to make an instant pattern. Alternating the colors would add even more variety and dimension. Again, I was aiming to get all the plant elements so I wasn’t focused on these flowers when I was choosing which stamp sets to purchase but now I am in love!
My second page of tests were the two smaller sets — smaller in image sizes, not in number of stamps per set — No. 31 and No. 14. Each stamp set included nine unique icons and they are tiny. It was also an opportunity to use the tiny acrylic pegs (set of 2 for $4.90) to mount the stamps.
These tiny stamps are definitely unique and feel elegant, not childish. I like the scale of the stamps that work well with smaller journals and planners allowing a little decorating and embellishment without covering the whole page.
I love clear stamps. While they do require clear acrylic blocks to get the most out of them, they take up a lot less space than traditional woodblock stamps and allow for using a range of ink pad colors.
If you’ve never tried clear stamps, these sets are inexpensive and small so it would be worth trying.
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
Between the winter storms last week and the fires in LA this week, 2025 has been a lot already.
I’ve also been sick for weeks and this illness has manifested itself as laryngitis and I have been without a voice for five days already with no clear indication that it will come back anytime soon.
So, everyone, take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat a couple times. Bring in peace, no matter what is going on in your world and exhale stress, worry, fear and frustration. Write down what makes you happy or what you want to do to make life better. Take a moment to hug someone or something. We can get through this.
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It’s a new year, which means a new Pantone color: Mocha Mousse. I admit, much as last year I like the idea of the color, and the visuals surrounding the color, but not the literal paint chip. However, it means I get to delve into brown inks this year which is fun, because I don’t have many of those!
First let’s start with Mocha Mousse:
So the color is a medium brown, with a hint of red/pink to it? (I’m not good at color theory!)
The first ink I thought might be an ok match (darn you computer screens) is Diamine Blue Edition Gingerbread (50mL for $17). In the ink swatch online I thought maybe the red tones would match a little. Now that I look at them, I don’t think that as much.
Gingerbread is a medium brown ink with more of a yellow undertone. It is warm and toasty, and shades nicely. In writing, it looks a bit different depending on the nib you’re using and how much ink is flowing:
But it’s definitely too dark, and more yellow.
In terms of browns I have in my stash of swatches, I went looking for something a bit redder.
Robert Oster Toffee has a bit of tone right, but is still largely too dark. Pilot Iroshizuku Tsukushi doesn’t look bad in the lighter sections. And the little bits of J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre that work are those two little reddish bits at the top corners, but of course the sheen is all wrong.
All in all, not a great sampling eh? Stay tuned for more to come!
DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
I’ve previously reviewed the Marvy LePen Flex Brush Pens (Jewel Colors Set) but I wanted to try more colors of the Marvy Le Pen Flex Brush Pens ($2.10 each) and particularly wanted to try some of the more unusual colors. I also wanted to try the brush version of some of my favorite colors in the original LePen models (I’m looking at you, Oriental Blue!).
I chose to purchase individual pens over a set so that I could be choosy about the colors I selected. I prefer more complex colors that are often available in starter sets though the Pastel Color Set does include almost all the colors I bought. The only one I missed was the Pal Blue.
The Flex pens are the same size and shape as the original LePens but the caps on the Flex have a milky or translucent end cap. The big difference of course is the fiber brush tip which is a slightly soft, flexible brush tip. When compared to the Pentel Sign Brush Pens, the tips on the LePen Flex is softer and will flex more easily with less pressure.
The Dark Grey and Oriental Blue are everything I hoped. They are the same shades as the original Le Pens but brushy and I am HERE FOR THAT.
The Dusty Pink, Coral Pink and Wisteria are lovely, Springy colors and will probably going to get a lot of use in February and on.
There are a few colors that are better than their names: Brown and Teal. The Brown color is a warm rich, dark chocolate color that is gorgeous. The Teal is a deep blue-green and deserves a more descriptive name but I’ll use it regardless of the blah name. The Ochre is almost more of a pumpkin or squash soup color. I can’t wait to use it in the month of October. It’s all the pumpkin spice vibes. I officially rename it “Pumpkin Spice”.
I am thrilled that I was not disappointed in any of the colors I purchased. Honestly, I hope Marvy releases even more colors. I’d love a tomato red, lime green, and some dark colors like green-black, brown-black, etc.
Overall though, the Marvy LePen Flex series is a great addition to the LePen line and I’m glad to have them in my collection.
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
I wanted to test some of the Midori Paintable Stamps ($13.25 each). First, I wanted to understand what “Paintable” meant but also how well I could find a use for these designs. I chose four different designs to experiment with how I can use them. I picked up the Book, Wreath, Calendar and Cat.
The first thing you need to know about the Midori Paintable stamps is that they are self-inking, which means there is black ink imbedded into the stamp itself. I don’t know if the stamp can be re-inked but its nice to be able to carry the stamp without needing an additional stamp pad.
Each stamp is approximately 2.25″ square. The casing is a little larger than the usable stamp area but the stamp, with the lid capped, is only about 5/8″ tall so they are fairly portable.
The ink in each stamp is black and the “paintable” part is that the ink is waterproof. So, like Henry Ford once said, “you can have any color as long as it’s black.”
I tested these stamps on different papers since I was pre-warned that the Midori Paintable Stamps can tend to bleed through on Tomoe River. On 100gsm dot grid paper, the stamps required slightly more pressure to get a complete impression. Using stamps can often take a little bit of practice so I recommend having some scrap paper to do a couple test stamps if you’re worried about “messing up”.
This is a view of the back of the paper on the 100gsm paper. The ink bled as much or more than the actual stamp image.
I tested the stamps on Tomoe River as well and the stamps required a lot less pressure to get a full impression but I did need to press gently over the whole stamp to get the design imprinted onto the paper completely. I didn’t get 100% perfect stamping but after my first attempt with the Calendar stamp, I think the others turned out fine.
This is the back of the Tomoe River paper and there is a similar amount of show through and bleed to the 100gsm dot grid paper. The inks that I “painted” show through as much, if not more, than the stamp ink.
Of the four stamp designs, I like the Wreath and Cat design best. They offer the most flexibility and can be used to test inks, make a header or a place for a note on a journal page.
The Book stamp, which was the one I was most excited about, has not worked for me space wise. I think, as someone who writes in English, the spaces available for placing information is too small. The book spine for the book title is tight and there’s no room for author name so it has to be put inelegantly in the lined area on the book cover which I assume was space for a review. NO WAY can I write a legitimate review in that space. I tried just putting the title and author in the cover area but it ended up looking kind of wonky as well.
The Calendar stamp left me underwhelmed. As a month overview, I’d rather purchase pre-made stickers for the year to add to my journal or planner like the Stalogy, Midori or even Well-Appointed Desk designs. As a tracker, the Calendar stamp would probably be okay if I remember to write the dates with a waterproof pen so that I could color over them without the ink smearing. So, really, with the Calendar stamp, “It’s not you. It’s me.”
Overall, I find the Midori Paintable Stamps an interesting concept and I look forward to using a few of them in my planner this year to see if I can make more interesting page layouts and designs using them.
Ink: Montegrappa Harry Potter Collection Limited Edition (no longer available)
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
I love stationery supplies! I’m sure most people reading Well-Appointed Desk can understand the feeling of not only enjoying stationery supplies but also hoarding these supplies. I’ve decided 2025 will be the year I try to at least start using all supplies I can find in my own stash and make my daily planner a crazy mish-mash of stickers, washi tape, markers, paint, and photos. Here’s a look at the things I have in my bag today.
Last year I received a mini photo printer that can print directly from my phone but did not use it all year! I’ve started printing out one fun photo every day now.
I received a package of Zebra Clickart markers in a white elephant gift exchange (best white elephant gift EVER) so I’ve added those to my rotation of items to use this year.
I’ve had this Galen Leather protractor for years and haven’t worked it into my regular rotation before. I love the weight and the ability to draw straight lines with it.
I picked up a couple of sticker books last summer but all of them look so amazing! I keep waiting for the perfect setup that needs such fancy stickers, but now I’m done waiting. I have an entire day in my planner so far consisting of frogs and crows and it is delightful.
I’ve only called out a single washi tape from the Well-Appointed store here because I haven’t kept track of where the others come from. When I travel, I wind a length of tape around a thread keeper card so I don’t need to bring the whole washi tape. It works well for short trips.
My challenge this year extends to everyone else. What do you have in your stash that needs to come out and be enjoyed?
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were paid for by me. The links in this post that lead to Amazon are affiliate links that pay Well-Appointed Desk a small percentage of sales used to purchase items for review. Please see the About page for more details.
