In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 1: Sailor Irori

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Inkmas Day 1: Sailor Irori

Long before there was Inkvent, there was Inkmas and we are delighted to dash through your internet with a little splash of holiday inky cheer.

I decided to do some quick reviews of some of my favorite inks this year. They aren’t the newest inks or the most popular brands of ink right now but these are inks that are tried-and-true favorites. Jesi and Laura will take there own approaches to Inkmas so stayed tuned as we countdown to Inkmas Eve.

For the first day of Inkmas, I wanted to pull back the curtain on an ink I’ve used to test every paper that has passed through the door. It’s Sailor Irori.

Originally, it was sold as Sailor Jentle Irori in the low, short pots but can now be purchased as Sailor Shikiori Irori (Hearth Red) ($18 for 20 ml bottle).

When I say every paper has been tested with this ink, I mean that when we were selecting paper stock for the Col-o-ring every paper I tried was tested with Irori. I did this because of the unique sheening properties of this ink. The sheen is a subtle gold but it’s there and the red is a little electric, a little warm and I wanted whatever paper we chose for the Col-o-ring to capture these subtle qualities. Since that time, every new paper that I test, I do a little swatch of Irori to see how different the ink looks. It’s not a bad thing to have an ink look different depending on the paper. Some warmer, ivory stocks will make Irori look more orange while brighter whites will make it look almost fire engine red. The width or softness of the nib used will also affect the overall look but, in the end, Irori is my inky litmus test.

SHEEN!

There are a few similar inks available but may not as easy to acquire: Bungubox Lycoris Red which is slightly pinkier and Taccia Aka Red which is a pretty close match. I added a swatch of Diamine Ho Ho Ho just to keep in the spirit of the holidays even though its a bit cooler red.

What’s your litmus test ink?

Tools:

DISCLAIMER: Some 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: A Little Yuletide Cheer

Author AnaPosted on 7 Comments

As I continue to convalesce with bronchitis and laryngitis, I don’t have the energy or stamina to go out shopping or decorate for the holidays so I am doing it digitally. I want to bundle up in a tartan plaid scarf and wear sparkly holiday polish while sitting in a local coffee shop sipping peppermint mochas and writing with a glittery pen filled with holiday cheery ink. Now if I could just get my mocha in one of those cute vintage Santa Head mugs!

How are you sharing the joy of the holidays?

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In feature, Link Love

Link Love: Inkvent is Upon Us!

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Link Love: Inkvent is Upon Us!

With the turn of the calendar to the month of December, I heard a cacophony of paperperforations being torn the world over as folks cracked open the first days of their Inkvent calendars. Some might be making up their own countdown calendars. Other are opening chocolate calendars, coffee or tea calendars or even yarn mini skein calendars in preparation for little bits of holiday cheer. Take joys in the little moments this December.

Gift Guides:

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Ink:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

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In feature, photo

Yarn + Ink: NaKniSweMo Edition

Author Laura CameronPosted on 5 Comments

This past November was NaKniSweMo, which I’ve discussed on the blog in past years. Basically, during November when writers are trying to pen a novel of 50K words, us crazy knitters are trying to knit a sweater of 50K stitches.

This year mine is really more of a NaKniSwe-Almost since I’ve still got half a sleeve yet to go on my sweater. But the swoon-worthy teals and greys inspired this week’s Yarn + Ink palette:

For the knitters in the back, I’m knitting Sorrel using a collection of yarns from my stash. Here’a fuller picture of how it looks presently:

In Planners & Organizers

On Planners: The end… and the beginning

Author AnaPosted on 6 Comments
On Planners: The end… and the beginning

I started my Stalogy B6 ($21.60) in October of 2022. The advantage of setting up a planning system that is based on Bullet Journal/Commonplace Book/Freestyle is that you can start and end whenever the mood strikes.

In January, I added the Midori Pocket Diary ($16.80) in my beloved leather cover by Bassy & Co (my conifguration was about $85). Over the months, I cut the pages of the Midori calendar and pasted them into the the Stalogy to create monthly spreads. The paper in the Midori planner is fountain pen friendly and the tabbed monthly calendar pages  were fun and functional. However, the week-on-a-page with notes in the Midori did not end up being useful for me. I had planned to use the weekly pages for work notes but it ended up being more efficient to use a separate notebook for the office.

Midori monthly calendar pasted into my journal

Once I started customizing my Stalogy, adding the calendar pages and even pasting in the extra lined pages as inserts to add additional pages, my journal/planner/notebook took on a life of its own. I even got  out stamps, stickers and washi tape to help liven up pages.

A very overstuffed Stalogy
A tabs-eye view of the Stalogy

Each month, I added a tab to indicate the month and was wild and free with the types of tabs. I could have been more consistent but I grabbed what was handy, sometimes just using a turn of washi tape. I like the freedom and fun it created.

I pasted in lots of little tidbits: receipts, business cards, photos printed from my digital photo printer and even some leaves and flowers. The book slowly became a time capsule as well as a visual reflection of the year.

There’s even some ink sample pages from a fountain pen show this year that kept turning up until I stuffed them into my journal as a keepsake.

I didn’t think I’d ever be the type to do this sort of journal keeping but it has brought me such great joy and I was so sad to reach the end of the book.

Midori Gold Foil Transfers and cat teeth marks

I’ve been so enamored with this silly mess-of-a-planner that I applied some Midori rub-on decals in gold foil ($5.75 per pack) to the cover.

Side view of the Zen Art Supplies Sketchbook in my Bassy & Co leather cover

Rather than start another Stalogy 365 in December, I am spending December working in the Zen Art Supplies B6 sketchbook ($13.95). It has heavier pages than the Stalogy with 120gsm cream paper. The paper was a bit too smooth for me for a sketchbook but as an interim journal, it feels good to use up some of the MANY notebooks in my stash and is working out well.

I also have started embellishing my pages with festive holiday elements and mark my spot with a Book Dart ($9.95 for 50). I might even add some more holiday elements. While I am still sick at home, I can have a little holiday festivity in my notebook.

Are you moving forward in your current planner or planning for a new planner? What part of the planning/journaling process is your favorite?

Previous posts about my planner set-up for 2023:

DISCLAIMER: Some items in this post include affiliate links. The Well-Appointed Desk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Other items may have been provided for review by vendors, refer to links for specifics. Please see the About page for more details.

In Fashionable Friday

Fashionable Friday: Out of the Broom Closet

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Fashionable Friday: Out of the Broom Closet

It’s been too long since I’ve done a Fashionable Friday but this week seemed like a good time to do a little fantasy shopping. As the days get darker earlier and earlier, my inner witch floats to the surface . I want to light candles and spend the long nights, reading and writing so why not build a perfectly accessorized witchy desk?

Merry Spookymas!

DISCLAIMER: This post includes affiliate links. The Well-Appointed Desk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: The Post-Holiday Funk Edition

Author AnaPosted on 3 Comments
Link Love: The Post-Holiday Funk Edition

I hope everyone found some great deals this weekend. I got a FREE case of the crud while traveling for the Thanksgiving weekend. Its not a gift I recommend nor am I planning on re-gifting it. It’s made it difficult to function this week. And sleep. So, I apologize in advance for nonsensical posts, poor grammar and typos.

A quick reminder to tune in to the Pen Addict Podcast today and hear me and Brad talk gift guide ideas (recorded before I got sick so you won’t have to listen to me sounding like I gargled with gravel).

Until next week, stay well!

Gift Guides and Such:

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

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