Occasionally I get a sample of something I must have a bottle of. Such was the case with PenBBS #140 Bloom (60mL for $16). If you’re looking for metallic dust, you CANNOT go wrong with PenBBS. They have the finest sparkle I’ve seen, and Bloom is a gorgeous orangey red with gold glitter.
The sparkle is actually incredibly hard to capture. It’s easily seen as you look at the ink swatches, but I have to turn the camera just right in the light to get that sparkle and shine there.
I think this one would be a fun one for the holidays; especially to address your holiday card with? It’s bright and cheerful and the hint of gold makes it feel super festive.
In terms of what it compares to in my ink stash, I was sure I had lots of comparisons and then didn’t find as many as I thought. It’s a little more orange than PenBBS #220, Watermelon Red, and parts of it actually look quite close to J. Herbin Corail des Tropiques which I really didn’t expect. I was eager to compare it to Papier Plume’s Heart of Gold, but I found that Heart of Gold was much more tomato/orange.
My only complaint about Bloom is that it comes out fairly lightly in writing – I wish I could get more of that color saturation. Maybe I’ll throw it in a wider, wetter nib and give it a try on this year’s holiday cards!
- Papers: Maruman Mnemosyne N182A Inspiration Notebook A5 ($10.50), Crossfield Journal ($24.00),
- Pen: Delike Glass Signature Pen ($37.80)
- Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book ($10) and Col-o-Dex Rotary Cards ($15)
- Inks: PenBBS #140 Bloom (60mL for $16)
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