In Link Love

Link Love: Hmmph

Author AnaPosted on 12 Comments
Link Love: Hmmph

Cancel my trial of 2022

This meme got sent around my friends last week. At the time, I wasn’t convinced that 2022 had really started out all that badly. Then I had three different people tell me they were exposed to COVID, two that are suffering from it and I live in a community where the politicians have chosen to just avoid the issue altogether. Monday, I had a stress-filled day at work and then got home to discover someone had stolen my credit card number. If you’re going to steal my credit card and use it at a sporting goods store, trust me, my bank is going to flag that as a suspicious purchase. I will be spending the next week updating every web site or auto-payment linked to that card. So, on second though, I’d like to unsubscribe from 2022. Maybe, if 2022 sends me a coupon, I might consider resubscribing at a later date.

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In Pen Review

New Year, New Giveaway: Laban 300 Skeleton Fountain Pen in Rose Gold

Author Laura CameronPosted on 162 Comments

Back in February 2020 (I know, it seems like 10 years ago doesn’t it?) Goldspot Pens gave us the opportunity to borrow and review a Laban 300 Skeleton Fountain Pen in Rose Gold.  You can find our review here. Today, we’re able to give that pen away to one lucky blog reader!

So let’s get on with the giveaway shall we? The giveaway includes the gorgeous pen pictured here, with a F nib. This pen has been inked once and reviewed for the blog, but will be sent to you all clean and in like new condition!

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below telling me what ink you would put in your new pen!  (Play along and type in something. It makes reading through entries more interesting for me, okay?) One entry per person.

If you have never entered a giveaway or commented on the site before, your comment must be manually approved by our highly-trained staff of monkeys before it will appear on the site. Our monkeys are underpaid and under-caffeinated so don’t stress if your comment does not appear right away. Give the monkeys some time.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Sunday, January 16, 2022. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. ONE winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your actual 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. If winner does not respond within 5 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. 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. US and APO/AFO only, sorry.

DISCLAIMER: This pen was generously given to us by Goldspot (a lovely sponsor) for the purposes of review and this giveaway!

In Planners & Organizers

Journal Accessories: Mark’s Maste Washi, Tombow Fudenosuke, Uni Pin Pens

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Journal Accessories: Mark’s Maste Washi, Tombow Fudenosuke, Uni Pin Pens

Review by Tina Koyama

For more than a year now, I’ve been keeping what I call my “scribble journal” (you can learn about how it originated on my personal blog). Somewhere between a sketchbook and a daily log book, it’s a mix of doodly sketches from imagination and short notes. Although keeping a sporadic, longer-form written journal has been a lifelong habit, and I also keep separate sketchbooks, I have not been able to keep up this type of daily scribble journaling – until now. I’ve made other attempts in the past at combining writing with sketching, but somehow those habits never “stuck” for more than a few weeks. I seem to have finally hit on the right format that is both satisfying and is easy to maintain.

1 - page example

The format is simple: Like the log book I used to keep, the writing is a sentence or two describing an event about my day. For some of these log entries, I also make a small sketch – nothing more than a stick figure or a doodle that encourages me to draw from my mind (not an easy task for someone who has focused on drawing almost exclusively from observation for the past decade). They’re really just visual notations to go with the written notes. The sketches make the pages more fun to look back on than when the log was filled with writing only. I also find that the doodles trigger memories more easily: I see the sketch, and I recall more about what happened that day or related to the event, even if I haven’t written much.

I typically fill one page in an A5-size Leuchtturm 1917 hardcover notebook ($21.95) per day. I usually spend no more than about 15 minutes a day, usually in the evening, which makes it a sustainable, low-maintenance habit. Instead of thinking of it as a task I “must” do (as I sometimes used to feel about formats that didn’t stick), I look forward to it.

2 - full page example

Since I put no effort into designing attractive page layouts, using readymade date labels makes the pages look better. Last year I used the colorful Mark’s Maste Perforated Writable Washi Tape date set ($12.25/set), which was exactly what I needed to give the pages some consistency. 

3 - Mark Maste dated tape

This year I decided I wanted to work on my lettering, so instead of pre-dated stickers, I got a pack of Mark’s Maste Writable Brush Paint Title washi tapes ($8.25) and a roll of Mark’s Maste Writable Watercolor Title washi tape ($8). Both give my pages a quick splash of color where I can write the day, date and maybe a heading.

For those dates and headings, I’m using Tombow Fudenosuke brush pens with hard tips ($22.50/set of 10). Basic black Fudenosuke brush pens have long been a favorite for sketching, so these colorful versions containing water-resistant ink are a fast go-to. Easy to control like an ordinary pen, the brush tip is firm enough not to mush down under my heavy hand. They write beautifully without feathering or bleeding on washi tapes and on Leuchtturm paper (and the ink dries quickly for this lefty). I usually color sketches with colored pencils, but this year I might add color with the Fudenosuke pens, too. 

Finally, for writing and sketching, I’m using Uni Pin black pigment ink pens with a brush tip and a 0.5mm tip ($2.45 each). I sometimes use the brush tip to write the date on washi tape, too. Like the Tombow Fudenosuke ink, Uni’s pigment ink shows no feathering or bleeding and also dries quickly.

Let’s face it: I have and love having lots and lots of stationery and art supplies, but sometimes too many options can be stymying. This simple tool set keeps my scribble journaling process simple (and therefore easily doable). The year is fresh: I hope yours is off to a good journaling start with whatever format you use.

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.

tina-koyamaTina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

In Tools

Product Review: Yamato Tape Roll Sticky Notes

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Product Review: Yamato Tape Roll Sticky Notes

I’ve had a roll of the Yamato Tape Roll Sticky Notes (15 mm x 10 m in Lime, $4.85 per roll, refill packs available) in my knitting tool bag for a couple years now. This tape is perfect for marking the row in a knitting chart. I can peel it up again and again and move it up the pattern as I knit each row. Depending on how long the chart is or how many times I need to repeat the chart, the tape may lose its stickiness. I just pitch the dead bit and tear off a fresh piece.

It’s helpful on long charts so my eye doesn’t accidentally jump to the row above or below. I can also write notes on the tape, add lines to help mark the chart or otherwise streamline my process. I think this tape would well for other sorts of project tracking: recipes, assembly instructions like those epic Lego kits, cross stitch patterns, etc.

Since the Yamato Roll Stick Tape is just small bits of Post-It note, its great fro covering up mistakes in a bullet journal or other notebook too. It’s more opaque than washi tape.

Because there is a bit of adhesive transfer on the front side of the tape, I recommend using pencil or ballpoint on the tape (YMMV) as the surface isn’t super conducive to fountain pens or other water-based inks.

There is also a magnetic dispenser available but I’m not sure why my refrigerator would need post-it tape. An office fridge where you might need to label your food though… might be a great place for a magnetic roll and a fine line Sharpie!

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.

In feature, Ink Review

Ink Review: TWSBI Tangerine, Navy, and Crimson

Author Jessica ColesPosted on 3 Comments
Ink Review: TWSBI Tangerine, Navy, and Crimson

I’ve been reviewing only one new TWSBI ink each week but today I’m combining the remaining three colors: Tangerine, Crimson, and Navy. If you would like, read about Grape or Forest Green as well! I’ve purchased these from Vanness and they can be found at most retailers that carry TWSBI products.

I do appreciate the labeling of each box with the name and color swatch. Small, but accurate.

I’ll start off with Crimson. This is a neutral red that can look a bit pink in fine nibs. It also brings a bit of haloing in certain lights – faint but noticeable.

TWSBI Navy has a hint of green undertones and a more noticeable halo than Crimson. Navy is a bit darker than Taccia Indigo. I don’t think I would call this Navy – to me that indicates a darker blue.

TWSBI Tangerine is such a happy color. It is a bit less yellow than Akkerman Oranje Boven but contains a touch more yellow than Robert Oster Orange. Tangerine is absolutely a happy color!

To give a better idea of how these three inks look in a pen, here are samples on Cosmo Air Light paper (top), and Old Tomoe River paper (bottom).  Crimson was the sheeniest!

Finally, here are swatches of all five new TWSBI inks, first on Cosmo Air Light paper:

And again on Tomoe River paper:

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at the five newest TWSBI inks! The bottles are small but pretty in frosted glass. You can find these at any ink retailer for $6.50 each. $0.36/mL is a great price for these lovely colors.

DISCLAIMER: I purchased the items for this review with my own money and all opinions are my own. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: The End and the Beginning

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Link Love: The End and the Beginning

Even as we roll into our third year of the pandemic, the end of the year is still a time to reflect on the previous year and make plans, goals and, hopefully, new beginnings for the next year. This week’s Link Love is filled with reflections on 2021 and plans for a better 2022.

Despite everything, there’s a real sense of optimism from the posts this week. I found posts that celebrate the little things and a desire to make real, lasting changes for the future. Folks are reconnecting with what’s important to them and using their pens and paper to do so.

What are you planning for 2022?

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In Tools

A little old… a little new.

Author Laura CameronPosted on 3 Comments

If you’re like me you’re finding re-entry to the yearly hamster wheel a little tough this week. So I thought I’d ease the transition and share a bit of a high note from the end of 2021, and a little peek at how I’m starting 2022.

At the end of the year Ana and I thought we could feature what stationery gifts we enjoyed over the holidays. The only problem, I told her, was that I didn’t think I was getting any such gifts. But I was wrong! My boss spent most of December in Italy and she returned with presents for everyone.

I was tickled because she brought me a wax sealing stamp with my initials, and some gorgeous stationery from Florence. Part of the reason I was tickled is because I STILL have a package of stationery that I bought in Florence when I was there over 25 years ago. Regardless, the gifts are thoughtful and were just the kind of high note to end the year on.

Yesterday morning I rolled out of bed and into my office totally unprepared for another year. However, at least I had my planner needs covered. This year I ordered another Year of the Calendar planner. This year’s version, 2022, is the Year of the Snoop.

Last year I purchased and reviewed 2021: The Year of the Optimist. Despite the fact that last year didn’t turn out as planned, I did use the crap out of that planner. It proved to be the perfect planner to organize my work life. Daily boxes allowed me to keep a running to do list for each day, as well as note deadlines and appointments. I admittedly didn’t use a lot of the other features that much, but the cardstock pages handle any of my inks (fountain pen, gel, rollerball and more) beautifully and I never ran out of space. So I got this year’s model, which even comes with invisible ink! I may not be ready for 2022, but my planner is!

Wishing you a wonderful week of starts to the year. Next week I’ll give you more of a proper review!