In photo

Quilt + Ink: A crafty palette

Author Laura CameronPosted on 4 Comments
Quilt + Ink: A crafty palette

Approximately two years ago I started working with a quilt company. And since I’m already in love with knitting, it’s no surprise to anyone that I ended up quilting. Fabric, like yarn, comes in such a lovely array of colors and each collection I find has fun color palettes. So this week, inspired by a scrappy quilt I just finished, is a new ink palette:

  • Pilot Iroshizuku Yama Budo – the pink is perfect, and the quilt has bits of green as well!
  • Robert Oster Dark Star Blue – gotta love those navy colors.
  • Kaweco Paradise Blue – that light turquoise contrast against the navy is everything
  • J. Herbin Vert Olive – got love a bright green. This one hits the darker notes in the green fabric.
  • Robert Oster Signature Viola – the purple is hard to see, but it accents some of the pink floral blocks, as well as the buds and green vines.

In Tools

Product Review: Shachihata Daily Log Stamp – Weather and Days of the Week

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Product Review: Shachihata Daily Log Stamp – Weather and Days of the Week

I was really curious about the Shachihata Daily Log Stamps. I grabbed the Weather and Days of the Week ($26.50) as I was hoping that it might make a fun, new way to add the date and the weather info to my daily page spreads. The stamp includes an assortment of weather icons, a line for a key note or observation, the days of the week listed to be circled or highlighted and space for the date which can be written in by hand or can be added using the built in rolling date stamper which is hidden in the handle.

There is a rolling date stamp embedded in the handle that can be rolled to add the day, month and year above the weather icons. The instructions re in Japanese so I followed along with the photos until I figured out what I needed to do.

The rolling mechanisms are small and a bit fidgety but they are neatly hidden in the handle. To access them, twist the handle and then pull up on the handle to slide the tub away from the stamp area and reveal the turning gears to rotate the stamping wheels.

Once the date is set, the black screw in the end cap under the plastic lens must be turned using a coin or a screwdriver in order to lower the date stamp in line with the the icons.

This is SUPER fidgety so its definitely something you probably want to decide if you want to use or not as it is not easy to change the date part on the fly.

Also, the date shows up as DAY then MONTH then YEAR which is more common in Europe and Asia so know that going into to trying to set the date.

It turns out I prefer the stamp without the rolling date. I prefer to write it in myself. The numbers are not as aesthetic and the date in the reverse order for me is disorienting. If the month was written out it wouldn’t bother me as much but with it being all numbers I lost the plot a bit.

After trying the rolling date a few times, I got my coin back out and moved the rolling date stamp back up so it wouldn’t print when stamping. It makes for a rather expensive weather stamp when you choose not to use the rolling date stamp part.

Also, be aware, this is not a self-inking stamp like the Midori Paintable Stamps so you’ll need to have a stamp pad handy to use this style stamp. The advantage is being able to choose a color other than black for the stamping but if you are planning to color in the weather icon with fountain pen or marker, be sure to use an archival or waterproof stamping ink or you will end up with a smeary mess.

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 Fashionable Friday

Fashionable Friday: Pantone Color of the Year 2024 Mocha Mousse

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Fashionable Friday: Pantone Color of the Year 2024 Mocha Mousse

While I am never certain if Pantone’s Color of the Year choices are an accurate predictor of color trends or if, because Pantone says its the color of the year, it just becomes the color trend of the year. Irregardless of this, there is something warm and soothing about a warm neutral brown and it pairs beautifully with lots of other colors. So, no matter how you might feel about the Mocha Mousse color, maybe seeing it in concert with some of your favorite inks and pens might change your mind?

Thanks to my sponsors for providing some of the images I use for Fashionable Friday. Please consider making your next purchase from one of the shops that support this blog and let them know you heard about them here. Thanks for your support and for supporting the shops that help keep it running.

In feature, Tools

Product Review: Splice Stamp Sets

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Product Review: Splice Stamp Sets

I have fallen in love with the MU Clear Splice Stamps ($4.40 per set). Each of these tiny clear stamp sets feature delicate, tiny stamps perfect to accent a journal or planner. There are over 50 stamp sets available but I chose designs that featured plant life mostly. There are a few other elements scattered throughout the sets and each set includes about four to nine designs.

In my first test, I used stamps sets No. 1 (Anemone & Branch), No. 3 (Vine & Branch), No. 17 (Flowers & Branches) and No. 20 (Full Moon). I had previously purchased one or two of the vine and leaf designs (No. 11 & No. 28, I think) and I loved using them with coordinating ink colors in my planner so I was really happy to expand the range of plant life I have available to me. The array of silhouette and outline plants makes it easy to create a quick, little wildflower garden along the edge of the page.

The Moon image from set No. 20 was one I was looking forward to using but I had trouble stamping it cleanly so it didn’t look the moon, just a messy large dot. To be honest, it was the only stamp I was disappointed by but the other nature elements n the No. 20 set are lovely so I would still re-buy that set if I had to.

There were a couple of ink splotch-type stamps in the set that I wasn’t sure I was going to like but I love how they look, especially layered together in different colors. These are going to get used a lot more than I initially thought.

Across the four sets, there were two anemone-like flower shapes, one larger and outline and one smaller and solid that, when combined, creates a beautiful little design. By simply turning the stamps and stamping again, I was able to make an instant pattern. Alternating the colors would add even more variety and dimension. Again, I was aiming to get all the plant elements so I wasn’t focused on these flowers when I was choosing which stamp sets to purchase but now I am in love!

My second page of tests were the two smaller sets — smaller in image sizes, not in number of stamps per set — No. 31 and No. 14. Each stamp set included nine unique icons and they are tiny. It was also an opportunity to use the tiny acrylic pegs (set of 2 for $4.90) to mount the stamps.

These tiny stamps are definitely unique and feel elegant, not childish. I like the scale of the stamps that work well with smaller journals and planners allowing a little decorating and embellishment without covering the whole page.

I love clear stamps. While they do require clear acrylic blocks to get the most out of them, they take up a lot less space than traditional woodblock stamps and allow for using a range of ink pad colors.

If you’ve never tried clear stamps, these sets are inexpensive and small so it would be worth trying.

Tools:

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 Link Love

Link Love: A Moment of Silence

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Link Love: A Moment of Silence

Between the winter storms last week and the fires in LA this week, 2025 has been a lot already.

I’ve also been sick for weeks and this illness has manifested itself as laryngitis and I have been without a voice for five days already with no clear indication that it will come back anytime soon.

So, everyone, take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat a couple times. Bring in peace, no matter what is going on in your world and exhale stress, worry, fear and frustration. Write down what makes you happy or what you want to do to make life better. Take a moment to hug someone or something. We can get through this.

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

Have you considered joining our Patreon? This week, Patrons got an extra free printable for helping to “gamify your life”. If you join today, you can download it too! Your patronage supports this site. Thank you!

In Ink Review

Ink Review: Diamine Blue Edition Gingerbread

Author Laura CameronPosted on 3 Comments

It’s a new year, which means a new Pantone color: Mocha Mousse. I admit, much as last year I like the idea of the color, and the visuals surrounding the color, but not the literal paint chip. However, it means I get to delve into brown inks this year which is fun, because I don’t have many of those!

First let’s start with Mocha Mousse:

So the color is a medium brown, with a hint of red/pink to it? (I’m not good at color theory!)

The first ink I thought might be an ok match (darn you computer screens) is Diamine Blue Edition Gingerbread (50mL for $17). In the ink swatch online I thought maybe the red tones would match a little. Now that I look at them, I don’t think that as much.

Gingerbread is a medium brown ink with more of a yellow undertone. It is warm and toasty, and shades nicely. In writing, it looks a bit different depending on the nib you’re using and how much ink is flowing:

But it’s definitely too dark, and more yellow.

In terms of browns I have in my stash of swatches, I went looking for something a bit redder.

Robert Oster Toffee has a bit of tone right, but is still largely too dark. Pilot Iroshizuku Tsukushi doesn’t look bad in the lighter sections. And the little bits of J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre that work are those two little reddish bits at the top corners, but of course the sheen is all wrong.

All in all, not a great sampling eh? Stay tuned for more to come!

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.

In Pen Review

Pen Review: Marvy LePen Flex Pens

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Pen Review: Marvy LePen Flex Pens

I’ve previously reviewed the Marvy LePen Flex Brush Pens (Jewel Colors Set) but I wanted to try more colors of the Marvy Le Pen Flex Brush Pens ($2.10 each) and particularly wanted to try some of the more unusual colors. I also wanted to try the brush version of some of my favorite colors in the original LePen models (I’m looking at you, Oriental Blue!).

I chose to purchase individual pens over a set so that I could be choosy about the colors I selected. I prefer more complex colors that are often available in starter sets though the Pastel Color Set does include almost all the colors I bought. The only one I missed was the Pal Blue.

The Flex pens are the same size and shape as the original LePens but the caps on the Flex have a milky or translucent end cap. The big difference of course is the fiber brush tip which is a slightly soft, flexible brush tip. When compared to the Pentel Sign Brush Pens, the tips on the LePen Flex is softer and will flex more easily with less pressure.

I acquired nine more colors:

The Dark Grey and Oriental Blue are everything I hoped. They are the same shades as the original Le Pens but brushy and I am HERE FOR THAT.

The Dusty Pink, Coral Pink and Wisteria are lovely, Springy colors and will probably going to get a lot of use in February and on.

There are a few colors that are better than their names: Brown and Teal. The Brown color is a warm rich, dark chocolate color that is gorgeous. The Teal is a deep blue-green and deserves a more descriptive name but I’ll use it regardless of the blah name. The Ochre is almost more of a pumpkin or squash soup color. I can’t wait to use it in the month of October. It’s all the pumpkin spice vibes. I officially rename it “Pumpkin Spice”.

I am thrilled that I was not disappointed in any of the colors I purchased. Honestly, I hope Marvy releases even more colors. I’d love a tomato red, lime green, and some dark colors like green-black, brown-black, etc.

Overall though, the Marvy LePen Flex series is a great addition to the LePen line and I’m glad to have them in my collection.

Tools:

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.