The Well-Appointed Desk

Over the course of 2024, I ended up using a few inks more than other and they were not all inks I would have said were my favorites or most-used previously.

Since I have been trying a more seasonal theme for my planner/journal this year, I used a lot of warm browns and orange-y colors in the latter half of the year that I would not have normally chosen.

My fall-focused inks were the Robert Oster Campfire (limited edition, no longer available) and Kaweco Caramel Brown which were used in my journal in September and October. Callifolio Andrinople was my go-to for February. Monteverde Birthday Cake has unexpectedly become my everyday ink. Sailor Chu-Shu is one of my favorite not-black inks that I use whenever I want a dark natural color but don’t want to go all the way to black.

The last three colors are, of course, shades of green. The Pen BBS No. 342 is no longer available but is one of my favorite yellow-green inks. I used it for Spring as well as for the holidays. Vinta Karnival is such a joyous, ocean inspired blue green. And Diamine Olive Swirl is the ink that has lived in my TWSBI Eco that I use to sign invoices. The dark yellowy olive green has iridescent blue sparkles and give its such charm!

With the exception of the Diamine Olive Swirl, all these inks worked extremely well in my fine Japanese nib pens. The shimmer in the Diamine Olive Swirl is used in a 1.1mm TWSBI only and has worked all year without a clog or hard start issue, even in the hot dry months of late Summer.

If you want to watch me painting these swatches, enjoy the video below!

In feature

Special Offer: Free Shipping!

AnaDecember 16, 2024December 13, 2024Leave a comment

To celebrate our first Christmas as a full-time stationery business, I wanted to offer a special deal to all my loyal readers and supporters.

From now through Dec. 31, 2024, get free shipping on any order over $40 with the code FREESHIP40.

Coupon will only be valid in our Big Cartel shop.

Happy Holidays to you all! Thanks so much!

(Reminder: The USPS says that all packages must be shipped by 12/18/24 in order to arrive in time for Christmas. For more info, check their guide here.)

In Ink Review

Inkmas 5: Pelikan Edelstein Rose Quartz

AnaDecember 13, 2024December 13, 2024Leave a comment

Technically, Pelikan Edelstein Rose Quartz ($33.50 for 50ml bottle) was the Pelikan Ink of the Year for 2023. However, I didn’t acquire a bottle until this year and then I forgot where I put it. Despite Rose Quartz being a limited edition ink, there are still bottles floating around in various online pen shops. If you want to grab a bottle, I recommend doing it now before the only ones left are double the price on the secondhand market.

The photos of Rose Quartz are deceptively vivid. The color is much more complex and subtler in person. Having looked at various other web sites, I realize I am not the only person who had trouble catching the subtleties. This ink photographs much differently than it appears in person. I really do recommend grabbing a sample or bottle to get a true sense of this color for yourself.

That said, this is a surprisingly subtle, sophisticated pink. In my research, I saw various ink swatches online that do not do the color justice. Some looked washed out, others were glaringly bright. The actual color is a smoky pink with a multichromatic halo that is purple and coral. I notice the purply hints more on Col-o-ring paper. On Tomoe River, the ink shows a bit more orangey-coral hues. In the swatch, the granulating color is quite noticeable but when writing, especially with finer nibs, that granulation is less noticeable. For such a light color, even with a fine nib, the color is visible and actually dries a bit lighter than when wet which is a bit different than a lot of inks (J. Herbin’s lighter colors often write very light wet and darken as they dry. Rose Quartz is different which is great for anyone like me who uses more fine nibs but still likes lighter ink colors.)

When compared with other inks, Monteverde Rose Pink is probably the closest but its considerably brighter.In natural light, Robert Oster Australian Opal Pink looks the closest in hue though finer nibs write much lighter. The Sailor and J. Herbin inks are more reddish in hue making them feel more like dusty roses.

I definitely recommend that if you like pink inks, you should try to grab a bottle or sample of this ink. It photographs so differently than it appears in person. I wish I could find a good example that shows the color accurately but I couldn’t get my photo edited in a way that showed the color accurately nor could i find anyone else who could do it. It’s like it doesn’t want anyone to know how lovely it really is.

In feature, Ink Review

Inkmas 4: Sailor Mint Jelly and Apricot Jam

AnaDecember 12, 2024December 11, 20241 Comment

Inkmas Day 4 already! Today we have a pair of inks that were created by Sailor exclusively for the Dromgoole’s store – Apricot Jam and Mint Jelly. Thank you to Dromgoole’s for sending these inks for a review!

As delicious as these inks sound, please don’t taste them. The goodness is for your eyes only.

Apricot Jam is a yellow-leaning orange that is dark enough to nearly get into brown territory. The color reminds me very much of dried apricots or homemade apricot jam – one of my favorites on bread fresh from the oven.

Apricot Jam is close to 3 Oysters Hwangto although is brighter in writing. The shading is strong in this ink.

Mint Jelly is a great name for this ink as a pairing with Apricot Jelly although I think it would be better described as a sage green. I’m excited to see how well this ink pairs with the new Kaweco AL pen!

In writing, Mint Jelly is close to Vinta Inks Sirena Mermaid although it has a bit less blue. The swatch reminds me of the lighter portions of Sailor Manyo Ayame. I enjoy how closely this color flirts with the edge of gray.

A swatch of both Sailor Dromgoole’s inks on Cosmo Air Light paper:

The jelly inks on Midori MD paper:

And both inks on Tomoe River 52gsm paper:

Putting all three swatches in one photo shows how much the color can vary based on paper choice. From top to bottom, Tomoe River 52gsm paper, Midori MD paper, Cosmo Air Light paper.

I love the colors of these inks and the theme in the names – Apricot Jam is my favorite even though it makes me want fresh baked bread every time I say the name.

Each color can be picked up from Dromgoole’s for $20 for a 20mL bottle – this is an average price for Sailor inks at $1/mL.

Which one is your favorite?

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by Dromgoole’s for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ink Review

Inkmas 3: Octopus Inks Fairy

AnaDecember 11, 2024December 11, 2024Leave a comment

What does an Octopus Ink Fairy look like? Like a Sheen Queen! And not at all like the silly little doodle I made in my ink test.

Octopus Inks Fairy ink ($21.50 for 30ml bottle) is a magenta pink ink with a ridiculous amount of sheen. The sheen is a green-gold color so as the ink dries, the bright pink is deepened to a more reddish burgundy thanks to the mad sheen.

Dried, this ink is a deep magenta-burgundy. On Tomoe River paper the sheen is very visible. Your mileage will vary depending on the paper and how much of that golden sheen stands up on the paper but it definitely heps to mute the vividness of the magenta on TR.

With a little water added to the ink swatch, its easier to see some of the base ink color and the green-gold sheen around the edge.

I don’t have any other super sheeny pinks but I have a few magentas similar. I think Callifolio Andrinople is the closest to the base ink color of Fairy but L’Artisan Pastelier (Callifolio’s other brand) Encre Classique Carmin, Colorverse Andromeda and Caran D’ache Sunset (no longer available) have a similar vibe though slightly more burgundy and less sheeny.

FYI: Inktopus Sample Vial Holder ($7) is from Ink-a-Pet purveyor of fine animal-themed desk accessories crafted by entrepreneurial Calvin and his family and his furry animal companions.

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by Vanness Pen Shop for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: Looking Forward, Looking Back, Looking at Pantone and Thinking, “What?”

AnaDecember 11, 2024December 11, 20241 Comment

As December continues to roll along, the recaps and end-of-year wrap-ups are starting to roll in and posts with “2025” in the name are starting to appear. Is it weird that I track the movement of the year through other people’s blog posts?

Show your love for this site and treat yourself to even more content by subscribing to our Patreon. You’ll receive newsletters, special discounts, an exclusive podcasts and at higher tiers, a virtual meet-up and book club and special gifts in the mail. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

In Ink Review

Inkmas 2: Greens, from Grinchy to Spruce!

AnaDecember 10, 2024December 9, 2024Leave a comment

So this year I thought I’d take a bit of a different approach to our Inkmas. While I often try and share new inks with you, or re-share favorites from my past, this year I just didn’t feel like I had anything new to highlight. What I did think about is the amazing selection of inks I have swatched over time, and the ones I actually keep bottles of in my stash.

Each year I hand address my holiday cards, and so each year I’m searching for the perfect ink to do so. What do you get when you combine these two things? A look at options in a certain hue. Confused? You’ll see what I mean.

Today I’m tackling greens. What makes the perfect holiday green? Is it a wild and bright grinchy green? A traditional Irish green? Shades of dark foresty green? Does it lean a little blue like a Blue Spruce? Green is what you make of it. So let’s view a few different shades!

As you can see above, the tree I “drew” has the bottles I keep in my drawer. Up top, there’s the bright Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku-rin (Bamboo forest). That one seems vaguely Grinchy enough? Papier Plume’s Ivy Green is a good, rich green, fit for a holiday table or tartan. Yoseka Origin #1 and Van Dieman Styx Valley Forest Green fit right into those forest-y tones I was talking about. And rounding out those greens with a touch of blue? Waterman’s Encre Vert (Harmonius Green) and Robert Oster’s Spearmint.

If you want to talk about what I have on swatch cards (but not necessarily in stash), I’ve got a few more to add to the mix. Robert Oster’s Sublime is that yellowy green that Grinches dream of! PenBBS 219 is Watermelon Green. Mont Blanc’s Irish Green is a surefire hit, and Banmi’s Deep Green has a bit of that blue.

There are SO many more greens to choose from, but these are just a few of my favorites this season!

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.

Happy Holidays to you all! Thanks so much!

2024 Recaps & Moving Forward:

Oh, Pantone:

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

I love Typography:

Other Interesting Things: