The Well-Appointed Desk

Every time I get ready to take a trip I have to plan out my knitting and what pens I’m going to take with me. This week we’re on the road, heading to Los Angeles to spend Thanksgiving with my family. We haven’t been able to be all together on the west coast since before the panini, so we’re thrilled to join up again.

I have lots and lots of knitting, but had to think about what I wanted to take with me in the pens and stationery category. It’s not one of our adventure trips, so I don’t think I need a journal. But I will be working on a new project that will ultimately be a knitting pattern I publish as a designer, so I do need a good place to take notes as I work.

Ultimately I settled on a tried and true combination for my EDC Thanksgiving Edition:

Unicorn Snot Sinclair – This bag is perfect to grab and go. Slots hold 3 pens (more if you don’t care about them touching) and there’s also a place for a pocket notebook. I’ve also added my driver’s license, credit cards and cash when I want it to double as a wallet.
Field Notes Lunacy – I’m not a Field Nut, but I do love a good Field Notes book. I pick up editions here and there, when they speak to me, and they’re perfect for jotting down everything I need to remember.

TWSBI Diamond Mini AL Grape – I bought this one over the summer and I have to say it is absolutely one of my favorite writers. I’ve always been a fan of the Eco, but the Diamond Mini fits in my hand super well and is totally comfortable for me to write with. Add to that, it always starts no matter how long it’s been sitting.
Kaweco AL Sport Vibrant Violet – This is another pen I can’t put down. Everything I said above applies, plus they’re so cute! And I love the metal bodies.
Spoke Roady in Purple – Rounding out the purple collection I’ve got the Spoke Roady in purple. I always carry a ball point/gel pen with me when I travel. I don’t know exactly why since I do prefer the fountain pens, but I think it’s just the ease of having a pen that will write on any surface with no feathering or bleeding. I also think it’s easier to hand over to someone else on the trip if they’re intimidated by a fountain pen.

So that’s it! That’s what I’m carrying. Will you travel this week? What’s are your favorites to take with you when traveling?

In Ink Review

Ink Sneak Peek: Inkdependence x Pennonia Borahae

AnaNovember 20, 2023November 20, 20236 Comments

Once again Mike at Inkdependence has teamed up with Pennonia to create an exclusive ink: Borahae ($13 for a 60ml bottle). I am on a mad kick for purple these days so this sample couldn’t have come at a better time. The ink is a deep rich violet purple with quite a bit of sheen.

Inks in order from top to bottom: Pennonia Borahae, Lamy Crystal Azurite, Waterman Tender Purple, Monteverde Mulberry Noir, Taccia Murasaki Purple, Colorverse 53 Haybusa, Diamine Bilberry, and Cross Violet

When compared to similar shades of purple, Borahae stands out as being a lot sheenier than most. While Lamy Azurite has a similar level of sheen, the color hue is different. Azurite is a bluer purple-violet. Borahae has more of a reddish undertone– under all that sheen.

Many of the inks I compared to Borahae, Monteverde Mulberry Noir felt closest but it did not have nearly the amount of sheen that Borahae has. Several of the other colors were brighter and more saturated. Depsite being a deep violet purple, there is something understated and a little dustier about the hue.

You can also add a little bottle of blue shimmer ($9 for 15g bottle) and add as little or a lot to the Borahae to give it a fabulous shine. I think selling the shimmer separate from the ink is a great idea and provides some flexibility to the end user depending on the pen or situation. Sometimes you feel like a little glitter, sometimes you don’t. I hope more companies offer this option.

Exactly how many bottle of purple ink does one person need? (Asking for a “friend”.)

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

In Link Love

Link Love: Without Comment

AnaNovember 15, 2023November 15, 20231 Comment

I’m running late on Link Love so it’s without commentatu this week.

You’ve wasted another perfectly good half hour reading Link Love and we couldn’t be more grateful. If you could take a moment to support our sponsors or join our Patreon, we’d be most grateful. Your patronage supports this site. Without you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!

In photo

Yarn & Ink: Hot Chocolate and Marshmallows

Laura CameronNovember 14, 2023Leave a comment

The days are perfect in Kansas City right now. Chilly mornings and evenings, and glorious 50’s and 60’s during the day. But those freezing mornings do make me want a cup of hot cocoa, which goes perfectly with this week’s knitting! While I found plenty of rich chocolate browns in my ink swatches, I don’t seem to have a perfect milk chocolate color. Hmmmm…

Featuring:

Robert Oster Toffee
Diamine Espresso
Diamine Chocolate Brown
Dominant Industries Autumn Forest Pearl
Shawn Newtown Townsend, in what I like to call Toasted Marshmallow

In feature

Stocking Stuffer Ideas

AnaNovember 13, 2023November 13, 20232 Comments

I know this is a little early but with Thanksgiving and the official Black Friday start to holiday shopping just around the corner, I thought it was as good a time as any to talk about how awesome stationery supplies are as stocking stuffers.

Whether you are filling a stocking for a pen collector or your cousin, there is a stationery option of everyone. With washi tapes and stamps, you can find something that aligns with their hobbies or interests. Do they bake? There’s a washi for that! Love cats or dogs? There’s stamps and stickers for that!

If you are participating in a gift exchange or Secret Santa, a mini notebook and a good gel pen would make a great gift.

Mini Notebooks:

A7-sized notebooks are the perfect size for pocket, bag and stocking. The Apica C.D. A7 Ruled Notebook A7 (4-Color Bundle for $7.50) will fill several stockings. Add in one of these Pentel Mattehop 1.0mm Gel Pens ($2.50 each) to make a fun little gift set. There are so many other options but if you’re shopping for a pen friend, you can’t go wrong with a Col-o-ring Ink Testing Book ($12 for 100-sheet pad)!

Washi tapes & Flake Stickers:

It would be impossible to list all the possible options for washi tape and flake stickers but here are a few of my favorite right now. I love the Bande Washi Tape Sticker Roll ($6 per roll and 12 designs to choose from). These are “flake stickers” so they come on a roll like washi tape but are individually die cut designs and there are lots of choices from flowers (shown) to toast and pancakes and snowflakes, soap bubbles, and more. I think just about anyone would like a roll of these.

King Jim Kitta Washi Tape ($4.55 each and dozens of styles available) are sold in little packets that fit inside a planner pocket or tucked into a backpack pocket. These are small, pre-cut strips of washi tape on peel-away paper so they are easy to use on the go. There are even sticker binders to hold the many, many packets you may collect or give as a gift.

The BGM Washi Tape ($6.50 per roll, lots of designs to choose from, Shooting Star Deep Sky design shown) are painterly and really varied.

Rubber Stamps & Stamp Pads:

I love the Iconic Diary Stamps ($6.40 each, 26 designs available, “Finishing Work” shown above). They are self-inking and have the kookiest line art drawings on each one. They add some humor to anyone’s day-to-day note taking and planning.

MU Clear Splice Stamps (start at $4.40, Whale & Moon set no. 13 shown, don’t forget to add a clear acrylic block, starting at $4.60) are sets of clear acrylic stamps that are stuck to a thin piece of plastic and can be peeled off and attached to an acrylic block to provide stability and stamping. They are less expensive than woodblock or self-inking stamps and store in a smaller space so they are good for travel.

If you are shopping for someone who loves art supplies, the The Daily Grind Series 3: The Art Dept.
(four designs, $11.00 each) are a great option.

If you’re purchasing a rubber stamp. be sure to grab a stamp pad. If you’re looking for water-soluble stamp pads, I recommend the Tsukineko VersaMagic Dew Drop Ink Pad Sets (starting at $11 for a 4-pack, Jewel Box Set shown). For water resistant colors, I recommend Ranger Tim Holz Distress Archival Ink Stamp Pad Mini Kits (Set of 4 for $14.00, multiple different sets available, Kit No. 6 is shown).

What are your favorite stationery goodies to give as a gift? Which of these items do you hope to see in your stocking?

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this post are from affiliate vendors (we receive a small subsidy for any products ordered from some vendors) and other links are self-promotion links to our own shop. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: Is it Black Friday Already?

AnaNovember 8, 2023November 8, 20231 Comment

Has anyone else noticed the “early Black Friday” sales that have already started? With the state of the economy, inflation and world issues, companies big and small are hoping to boost end-of-year sales. From my own personal experience, as well as my jobby-job, I can tell you that sales for products are down about 20-25% for most businesses. Maybe not in the must-have areas like food and such but all the “little extras” are being postponed or skipped this year and retailers are hoping sales and deals in November and December will help their bottom line.

What’s your plan for the holiday season this year? Are you and your family spending more or less this year? Are you putting more money towards dining, cooking and activities and less to material goods? Are you feeling the pinch financially this year? Leave a comment and let me know how you feel about the state of spending and the earlier-and-earlier “Black Friday” sales.

Gift Guides:

2023 Unique and Useful Holiday Gifts for Every Person on Your List (via Bullet Journal)
The Creative Boom 2023 Christmas gift guide for creatives (via Creative Boom)

Pens:

The giggling is the point: A visit to Penny Post’s Fountain Pen Test Drive Event (via mnmlscholar)
The Benu Euphoria Bourbon fountain pen: early thoughts 7th blogiversary post. (via Fountain pen blog)
Fountain Pen Day 2023 – An Interview with Mr. FPD (via The Pen Addict)
The Four Seasons of Mr. Sato (via Crónicas Estilográficas)
Review: NUJP Fountain Pen (via Pen Noob)

Ink:

Birmingham Glassmith on Clairefontaine Triomphe (via Inkcredible Colours)
Colorverse Korea Inks Part 2 (via Mountain of Ink)
Van Dieman’s European Honey Bee Eater Chin Ink Review (via The Pen Addict)
Some thoughts: Ferris Wheel Press Ferritales Ink (via Dime Novel Raven)
Ink Review #785: Monteverde Jungle Chameleon (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist)
Ink of the Week – Wearingeul The Song of Reed (via Fountain Pen Love)

Pencils:

American Lead Pencil Company sets (via Pencil Fodder)
Ears Big News: It’s Pencilvember Time! (via Fueled by Clouds & Coffee)

Notebooks & Paper:

Planning in 2024 (via Nero’s Notes)
Holiday Limited TRAVELER’S FACTORY Holiday Items and TO&FRO (via TRAVELER’S COMPANY USA)
What dot grid size is best for bullet journaling? (via All About Planners)
How to Travel With Your Bullet Journal (via Bullet Journal)
Reuse your Starbucks 2023 planner for 2024 (via Pen Noob)

Art & Creativity:

A New Documentary Follows the Ohio Environmentalists Making Paint from Toxic Mining Runoff (via Colossal)
REVIEW: Color Changing Pigment Salts Postcard Set from Boulder Colors (via Doodlewash)
Why Some of the Rainbow Is Missing (via Kottke.org)
The Art of Minimalism in Photography by Marcus Cederberg (via Design You Trust)
Art Materialism: The Art Movement Happening Right Now (via My Modern Met)
Control where people look using tonal values (via Drewscape)

Other Interesting Things:

Budget Thermal Printers (via Comfortable Shoes Studio)
Pen Show Pick-Ups: An Over-Due Overview (via The Poor Penman)
Why Fountain Pen Day is Important: Reflections on 12 Years (via The Gentleman Stationer)
Meet the Paper Bag Baron of East London (via Messy Nessy Chic)
The Little-Known Los Angeles Cemetery Where LA’s Hidden History is Buried (via Messy Nessy Chic)
This guy collects Do Not Disturb signs from Hotels around the World (via Messy Nessy Chic)
Best Celebrity Halloween Costumes of 2023 (via My Modern Met)
New Book Compiles Floor Plans From Iconic TV Series Locations (via My Modern Met)
3 recent newsletters (via Austin Kleon)

You’ve made it to the end of another edition of Link Love and, for that, I am eternally grateful. You can show your gratitude by supporting our sponsors or joining our Patreon. Without you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!

In news

Winner: Fountain Pen Day Pilot Custom 74 Giveaway

AnaNovember 8, 20231 Comment

Thanks to everyone who shared their Fountain Pen Day activities with us. It was a joy to live vicariously through every one of you. I did a little online window shopping at the various sales, followed Brad Dowdy’s adventures in Chicago at Atlas Stationers and wrote in my journal with my favorite pens.

And now for the winner of our giveaway!

I hope you had a great day, John, and this week will be even better when you will have the opportunity to use your new Pilot Custom 74!