In news

Shop News: Peter Pauper Stickers & More

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Shop News: Peter Pauper Stickers & More

Before we launch into shop news, I want to remind anyone attending the CA Pen Show, there are still spots available for my classes.

Let’s fall in love with inks together on Friday, Feb 14 from 3:30-5:30pm! SECRETS FROM THE INK COLLECTOR: Swatch & Catalog Your Collection will be your chance to dive deep into how to organize, catalog and make sense of your burgeoning (or potentially burgeoning) ink stash. Each class participant will receive a swatching starter kit filled with tools and goodies to help get you started in your ink collecting journey.

On Saturday afternoon from 11:30am-1:00pm, let’s make some magic using nothing but pens, ink and our intentions! In the SIGILS: Make Magic with Pens & Ink, I will show the simple steps to make a magical symbol from simple marks and then how to use colors to strengthen your intention. Your journal can be a place of magic and this class will start you on your journey. Class participants will receive a free copy of my SIGILS Zine to use as a reference.

Both classes will be taught in person at the CA Pen Show next weekend. Sign up for your classes now to be sure to get a spot!

Restocks!

Creeping Moon is very popular in the shop and sells out fast. We are thrilled to get our favorites back in stock including the Apothecary Bookshelf Washi Tape, the beautiful, the durable, beautiful B6 hardcover notebooks and my favorite book clip, The Draco dragon book clip.

Shelley Couvillion washi tapes are also back in the shop including the Forgotten Armory, Magic Mail and Dark Library which are all cut like postage stamps (not actual postage!). Lots more are available in our Washi Tape dept.

New Products!

I love Peter Pauper Press’s sticker collections. I’ve been using several of their books in my monthly planner/journal set-ups so I’m so happy to be able to offer them in the shop. I was even able to get a few new collections for the shop that will be sure to turn up in upcoming planner set-ups. Each book comes with oodles of stickers for a very attractive price. I think you’ll love them too!

The Studio Series Letterpress Stamp Set from Peter Pauper Press is a great value set of upper and lower case rubber stamps plus punctuation, all with wood peg mounts and comes in a wood box. Individual stamps measure about 1/2” x 3/8” and are great for planner/journal titles.

Game Night Favorites!

If you’re ready to get your game on, we have you covered with notepads, coasters and stickers. Geek out with us!
Check out our:

Artist’s Open House: This Saturday, Feb. 8 in KC!

Finally, if you live in the Kansas CIty area, both Well-Appointed Desk and Skylab Letterpress will be participating in an Artist Open House in Brookside on Saturday, Feb. 8. We’ll have lots of merch  available  along with creators TagTeam Tompkins and Amuck Design.  Snacks and mingling too!

In feature

Notebook Review: Hobonichi Fireside Chat Notebook – B6 – Blank

Author AnaPosted on 3 Comments
Notebook Review: Hobonichi Fireside Chat Notebook – B6 – Blank

The Hobonichi Fireside Chat Notebook (B6 Blank) ($14) is a 40-page deliciously B6-sized notebook with a cardstock cover that features a quote from the mysterious “Mr. Safety Match,” whose wisdom occasionally appears in the daily quotes of Hobonichi planners. Most notably, these notebooks are filled with Tomoe River S paper. The yellow cover features blank pages other than the little smiley face printed in the bottom right corner of each two-page spread that references the quote on the cover.

The spine is stitched with thread in a lovely turquoise color.

While I’m not crazy about the quote on the cover, it has a very “you’d be prettier if you’d smile” vibe. I like blank paper and stickers can cover up the quote in no time. I wish it had just been a plain cover but someone must have thought it would be clever to use these quotes.

The Hobonichi logo is blind debossed in the back cover. I wish they’d just done that on the front instead of the quote.

The realy reaosn I purchased the notebook was wanting a Tomoe River cahier notebook in B6 size and I’m delighted to note the paper works as expected.

Some wetter inks do show through but with 52gsm Tomoe River, it is to be expected.

Other options of this notebook are available in lined, dot grid and graph with different colored covers and different quotes so if you like B6-sized notebooks but want a different printed guides, there are options. All are $14 each.

I think I’ll use this as my “ink first impression” notebook for the year — a place to test and sample inks before I swatch. And yes, it will be covered in stickers in a New York Minute.

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: Happy Lunar New Year!

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Link Love: Happy Lunar New Year!

Lunar New Year was actually a few days ago but I wanted an excuse to share the new Year of the Snake postage stamp (link to article below). I love this series from the USPS and love that they continue to create new designs each year. May your year be filled with joy, prosperity and peace. We could all use a heaping helping of that right now!

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

Thanks for reading this week’s Link Love. If you subscribe to our Patreon, you will have access to our bi-weekly podcast, TL:DR, filled with even more news and information from the pen community. There are also lots of other perks and your patronage supports this site. Without  you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you to our current Patrons. You are the best!

In Fountain Pen Review

Fountain Pen Review: NAGASAWA “Odyssey Snow White” LE

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Fountain Pen Review: NAGASAWA “Odyssey Snow White” LE

The Nagasawa Odyssey Snow White LE fountain pen ($375) is an exclusive Sailor fountain pen, based on the “Pen Style 2005 Mine” design, released through NAGASAWA in Japan and made available in the US through Vanness Pen Shop. The Pen Style 2005 Mine shape is a little different than the classic Pro Gear Slim design as the ends are a bit more blunt and the pen is a bit shorter. The longer I hold it and look at it the more fascinated I am by the subtle differences.

The Odyssey Snow White LE features a milky white resin with (what they describe as antique gold nib and hardware but that looks more like) rose gold to me. The end caps, clip and 14K nib all feature the same warm gold finish giving the pen a surprisingly unique look and feel. The metal hardware makes the Odyssey Snow White LE feel weightier with a slightly different balance as a result.

Each pen is numbered on the nib.
Close-up of antique gold showing engraving of rooster and “Kobe” text as well as “!882” and “14K”
Compared to a standard Pro Gear Slim, the Pen Style 2005 Mine in slightly different length.

The overall design of the Pen Style 2005 Mine Odyssey Snow White LE looks so similar to the ProGear Slim but there are notable difference in the end caps, cap band and, when capped, the pens are slightly different lengths.

Comparison of length when posted. Almost identical in length posted.

Even the clip is slightly different but it just the removal of the engraving details. The Pen Style 2005 Mine Odyssey Snow White LE is just simpler in design, more modern.

The Pen Style 2005 Mine with the metal hardware makes the pen a tiny bit heavier than a standard PRoGear Slim: Capped, the Snow White LE is 23gms to a ProGear Slim at 19gms with the converter filled. Uncapped, the Snow White LE is 14gms, just 1gm heavier

The nib is the MF, medium fine. Its similar to the F Fine nib but just a tiny bit wider.

The Odyssey Snow White LE is a unique and beautiful pen. It is pricey but that may be as much a result of the LE nature as it is the unique model and hardware finish. I think its a lovely edition to any pen collection.

Tools:

DISCLAIMER: The 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 Fashionable Friday

Fashionable Friday: Roses & Chocolates

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Fashionable Friday: Roses & Chocolates

I want to celebrate my friends, family and favorite foods and flowers in February. (Boy, I love an aliteration!) Grab your favorite roses and chocolates and celebrate yourself, your friends and your loved ones. Romance yourself!

Fashionable Friday: Roses & Chocolate

OMG! I forgot to include a polish color this week so I suggest hopping over to Mooncat and checking out their array of fabulous reds and browns! My favorites are The Arsonist and Bottled Rage which are quite ironically named!

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

Planner/Journal Progress: One Month In

Author Jessica ColesPosted on 2 Comments
Planner/Journal Progress: One Month In

Every year I start a huge puzzle during the Christmas season. This is the only time of the year when I’m inside every day long enough to dedicate the time to a project of this size. But by the middle of January, the pace has slowed, the easier portions of the puzzle are done and the harder work makes progress less apparent.

I bring this up because the same thing has happened on my planner progress. The first few days of a new planner are easy and fun – it almost fills out itself. But then mid-January hits.

For me, a major work trip was the reason I slowed down in my planner entries. A week-long trip of full work days that left no spare time at the end of the day.

So what are my plans to get back on track?

My first goal has been to simply do ANYTHING. Write a single word. Put in a sticker. Tape something into my planner that lets me know I existed in the world on that day. Some days all I can do is slip an item in-between the pages so I can tape in the item later in the week. I added an entrance sticker from a museum, origami from a project, receipts from a fun purchase.

I don’t want a few days (or a couple weeks) to change my momentum for the entire year. I’m trying to make a dent in the pile of journaling supplies I’ve hoarded over the years which helps immensely – stickers, tape, and stamps make the process easier and faster.

My favorite tool this year is still my photo printer. It’s easy to document some of my day through a fun photo. Today’s photo? My friendly neighborhood squirrel, Jerry:

What is your favorite way to keep yourself motivated to be in your planner or journal this time of the year?