The first step into getting prepared for 2016 was to set-up my new Hobonichi Techo A6 with the blue-green cover ($47). The color combo is absolutely PERFECT! Lime green loveliness inside with my second favorite color, turquoise, exterior. I had a decorative plastic protective sleeve I purchased a few years earlier from 1101.com that I added to the book. I quite like the overall look but sadly, this particular cover is no longer available. There is a different printed over available though or a clear cover.
Inside, in the array of card pockets provided, I put lots of tidbits like stickers, washi tape wrapped around old playing cards and a few other tidbits. I’m not hugely inclined to do a lot of decorating in the Hobonichi at this point but the washi tape will give me a way to attach receipts, notes or other ephemera into the book as need and the stickers can be added to the monthly calendar for events and birthdays. Mostly, I plan to use the Hobonichi as a daily journal so the decorative bits are really for those days when I haven’t got a lot to write about and may be inclined to doodle or draw or just put a great big “X” on the day and call it done.
I wanted a pencil board to put between the delicate Tomoe River paper pages so I made one from a piece of index card (read: plain manila file folder), cut to size with a decorative tab at the top. I used the fancy tab punch and some scrapbooking paper to make the tab and the adhesive tab sticker to cover it. It wasn’t necessary to add the tab but it makes it quick to pull the card out and flip it around from page-to-page. It only took a few minutes to make it so I can use it as a blotter card as well if my inks are not completely dry. If it starts to look dodgy after awhile I can make a new one. I used a bit of washi tape to put in the ticket stub from Star Wars: The Force Awakens opposite my pencil board as you can see in the photo below.
In the back of the book, I added a little A6 plastic folder that my friend brought back from Japan for me several years ago. As I was setting up the Hobonichi, I realized it was the absolute perfect size to fit into it and gave me a place to put a few more cards and stickers.
The Hobonichi provides the last two weeks of December as half-page sheets so that I have been able to slowly start moving towards using it as a daily journal. The narrow half columns are a bit limiting so I’m looking forward to having a full page to write or draw the day’s events. I have been using an extra large Moleskine softcover notebook so the Hobonichi was seems incredibly small in comparison. I’m hoping moving to the full page will help alleviate any feeling of being cramped since the Moleskine XL was a bit larger than I needed per day most of the time.
I’m also still a little concerned about ink smudging and adhesion on the Tomoe River paper. The whole left-handed thing can be a bit of a pain and I get caught up in writing and forget to make sure the ink is dried before I run my hand through it. I’ve already run my hand through it a couple times so I will definitely need to make a point of finding a few pens that are the best match with the Hobonichi and keep them with the book to avoid future messes. So far, my favorite pen with the Hobonichi is the Platinum Carbon Pen. The super fine line allows me to write very small on the graph lines and the ink dries pretty quickly. I’ll play more with the gel pens I stash in my office at work in the next couple weeks and see if any others become favorites.
Are you moving into your 2016 system yet?
So pretty!!
I’m using the same planner with the same cover and like you, am looking forward to having a whole page per day starting tomorrow. The pen I paired with it is a Sailor Lecoule with a pearl white body and peacock blue-green cap, with Iroshizuku Ku-jaku (Peaock) ink. I almost always buy M nibs but by a fortuitous coincidence I bought this one in F a couple of years ago, so I can write small and still have it legible. I’m not a scrapbooker in my planner so even though I always have washi tape for letters, I hadn’t planned on using it in my planner, but I like the idea of using it to attach things and to store it wrapped around a card, so I’m stealing both ideas. I’m waiting on some supplies from JetPens to complete my kit: Midori seal stickers (the Mt. Fuji set), a couple of Pilot Frixon stamps (“drinks” and “school”), and some speech bubble sticky notes.
I started on Dec 16th with the first half-page day available. I’ve found that blotting paper is fantastic with the Hobonichi when I can’t leave it open to ensure that the ink is dry before moving on. I keep a cut card of it in the back of my Techo at all times. Since it opens flat, I don’t use it often, just when I don’t have room or time to leave it open to dry.
I didn’t use my 2015 Hobonichi planner nearly as much as I wanted to. There’s probably four blank pages for every one written. I’m hoping to develop better habits in the New Year.
I have 2016’s ready, and will be spending some time on Jan 1 filling out important dates and goals for the month ahead. Since I’ll be journaling elsewhere, I use it as a planner or a book to jot down ideas/things to remember/new goals throughout the day.
I purchased one of the gloves that Jetpens sell, due to how much I run my hand through my words. I also put a blank sheet I cut out of cheap copier paper to place between pages. I have noticed there are many stamping inks that bleed through, so I need a piece of paper in front and in back of any stamping so. I like your washi tape idea. I have the zip cover with my Hobonichi this year. I love the number of pockets and the huge front pocket. The A6 is perfect for me and I have never been tempted by the A5 cousin.
Moving into the Cousin tonight, but I’ve been using the A6 for a couple weeks. Yeah, I’m using two of them. Different purposes, I swear.
The A6 lives in my purse au naturel, but I’m having fun transferring the Cousin into its cover with all its stickers, stamps, blotting paper, shitajiki etc.
Uni-ball Signo RTs are pretty fabulous on Tomoe paper and dry fairly quickly, though I would never vote against the Platinum carbon pen, which I love.
I’ve got a Cousin I”m starting today. I’m trying to write more in 2016, a little bit every day, and I feel like the quality of the Cousin will compel me to do that. I don’t plan to do anything terribly fancy with the calendar pages…just write in the important stuff. Love your post and photographs.
I’m using the Weeks. I was flirting with even smaller planners (weekly planner in Midori passport size), but the Weeks format works really well for me: events on the left, to do’s on the right. And it’s beautiful in sky blue paired with a Tsuki-Yo Pilot Custom Heritage 91. (Yours looks lovely!)
I’m using it as well, and (thank you Jon from Wonderpens) I simply cut a piece of J. Herbin Blotter paper to size, and it works like a charm. I barely notice it.
Finished my Techo this week and have moved on to my Weeks. I need a smaller version since I’ll be using my Midori full size more often now. Once that slims down a bit, I can even stick the Weeks inside or bind together with a book band. I’m liking the Weeks a lot so far but miss the fun cover of my old Techo. Love your version – nice with the lime Lamy!!!
all looks nice – but i need to have it with some ring-mechanic
do you offer it with such things…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/38172986@N05/galleries/72157663811628375/#photo_7410585500
https://www.flickr.com/photos/38172986@N05/galleries/72157663811628375/#photo_3405879866
plz answer – send me a mail
Some people have cut and reassembled their Hobonichi Techo to fit into a ring bound planner themselves. You can contact a local copy shop to see if they will cut the spin off and hole-punch to book to fit or you can carefully do it yourself with a craft knife and a hole punch. Amazon sells punches for the various sizes and styles of ring-bound planners. I bought an adjustable one that can fit any of the sizes of Filofax planners for about $25 last year. You may be able to find some videos on YouTube to show how people have modified their Hobonichi Techo planners to fit into a ring bound planner. Best of luck!
Hi, I just bought the 2017 Techo and I can’t wait to use it. Do you know of anyone who would like to sell his 2016 as I am too excited to wait till next year? I could use it for the last 3 months. Could not find anything on ebay or the net.