Daycraft is a Hong Kong based stationery producer that offers a range of notebooks, diaries and accessory. One of the most notable things is the array of products with contrasting edging.
This is the Animaland Elephant Diary, a small diary for 2012 that measures 4.25″x6″. It starts in September 2011 and goes through the end of December 2012. The cover is stiff paper wrapped board with a light iridescent sheen. It is filled with colorful artwork, a satin bookmark ribbon (end has been sealed so it won’t fray) and features a week-at-a-glance.
In the front of the book is a listing of international holidays, year overview calendars for the current year, previous year and next year, nutrition and health info and a place for a birthday or gift list. The diary also came with a sheet of coordinating stickers to embellish your entries.
At the beginning of each month is a full color illustration and space for writing. They have crammed 18-months into a book that’s less than 0.5″ thick so the pages were bound to be thin. But the paper is a warm ivory and the lines are gray and dotted so they are no too obtrusive.
I tested a Uni Jetstream 0.5 (in red and black), my Kaweco Sport with F nib and de Atramentis Pigeon Blue ink, pencil, my new Pilot Prera with F nib and black ink.
On the reverse side, I tried a Coleto Hi-Tec-C in purple and red. You’ll notice a bit of show-through from the Kaweco and even the Prera but the gel ink Hi-Tec-C and Jetstream are not so noticeable.
In the back are some pages for logging expenses, four pages for contacts, some pages for notes and a page for personal info. The last eight pages are perforated into thirds and embellished with small illustrations for notes and what not.
Overall, the diary is a nice little book. I do wish the paper was a little bit thicker to accommodate a wider range of writing tools but it is so small and compact that I find it very useable.
Expect a new version of this notebook to be available soon for 2012-2013. $119HK (approx $15.50US)
I received a couple other items from Daycraft as well. First up is the Cookie Bookie. It is designed to look like cheese and crackers and amuses me to no end.
It measures just under 5″ square and features 144 pages of orange lined paper. The covers are puffy leather-like stiff board with orange embroidery floss to simulate cracker tufts.
The paper is lined with 6.5mm fine black lines and a heavier paper stock than the diary. According to the Daycraft catalog it is 90gsm. I love this notebook! $129HK (about $16.75 US or on sale through the MOMA store for $8.95)
The last book I received was this white embossed “Gutenberg Notebook“. It measures about 4″x6” (A6) with pliable leather-like cover with uppercase letters embossed on the front and lowercase letters embossed on the back. The interior pages have 6.5mm fine black lines and a much heavier stock than the diary. The catalog lists the paper as 100gsm and describes it as white though I think its more of a soft white. $129HK (about $16.75 US)
All the Daycraft products can be purchased on through their web site and they offer FREE worldwide shipping.
So, if you’ve stuck with me to the end of the post, I have a deal for you. I am going to give away both the Cookie Bookie and the Gutenberg notebook. So, leave a comment below and tell me which notebook you want and why.
FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by midnight CST on Friday, June 8, 2012. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winners will be announced on Saturday. Winner will be select by random number generator. Please include your email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. Shipping via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money.
I like the Gutenberg notebook
That Gutenberg notebook is dreamy. I love the concept of decorating a notebook of words with the alphabet, but then, I am a sucker for text.
As classic and lovely as the Gutenberg notebook is, I’m going to have to admit that I covet the Cookie Bookie. Such a fun concept!
I love the Gutenberg’s binding. It’s clean and gorgeous.
Love the Cookie Bookie! I don’t usually go for ‘cutsie’ but this is irrestible!! Plus I love cheese and crackers. LOL! Thanks for offering such a fun giveaway.
The Gutenberg notebook looks cool.
I would love a Cookie Bookie! I think it’s adorable!
The Cookie Bookie is so cute; I cannot resist!
I would like the Gutenberg. The other one is just a bit too orange-y for me.
I’d have to say the Gutenberg because I love the detailed letters embossed into the cover. Also I prefer white paper. The Cookie Bookie is adorable but I don’t love crackers or orange enough to handle it all the time. lol Thanks for the giveaway! 😀
OMG I LOVE orange and I think the “cookie bookie” is hysterical. I would love to write all sorts of quirky thoughts in this. As a medieval/early modern historian, I love the Gutenberg aesthetic, so I wouldn’t kick it off of my desk either. I have a seriously terrible notebook addiction! Thanks for this giveaway!
Like the Guttenberg notebook. The idea of using the letters on the front and the rear is simple yet elegant.
I LOVE the cookie book! I think it would be a fantastic place to capture all the fun things my kids say.
As a media fiend, I would love the Gutenberg. I am also due for new notebook soon.
Power to you,
-royc.
I would love to have the Gutenberg because of the embossed letters that I would just love to use for rubbings that I could add to my art journal. Even once the journal was filled, the covers would be useful. Thanks for sharing info about these and a chance to win.
Hey, thanks for another giveaway! I like the Gutenberg best; I’m traveling to Germany this summer for the first time and think it would be a really neat place to keep my memories of my journey.
Thanks!
I wanted the day craft diary it looks awesome!!
i am throwing in my number for that debossed blackletter gutenberg journal.
it is straight-up G!
this summer is a staycation summer with home&studio projects. this journal would be a great book to chronicle it.
happy thursday to you!
As a writer, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE the Gutenberg notebook. It would be awesome to write poems or collect quotes in there, and just the right size to carry around! And it’s so classy!
Guttenberg for sure. Blackletter is my favorite, even in white.
I have heard awesome tings about Daycraft products and would love to try it out, especially the Guteberg Notebook! The mere nomenclature of the notebook excites the inner medieval history nerd inside of me 🙂
Looking at the cookie bookie makes me hungry, but I love the color of the pages. Still, if I had to choose one, I’d pick the Gutenburg. It would be a great little fountain pen journal for writing down which inks are in which pens.
Thank you for the chance to win.