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Category: Stationery

Monthly Pen Purchases: January 2023Monthly Pen Purchases
February 10, 2023
Rachel
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Monthly Pen Purchases: January 2023

Posted in Fountain Pens

As I mentioned in my Pen Resolutions Tag and Reviewing My Purchasing Habits posts, I’m trying to limit myself to 36 pen purchases this year. I think that going through my purchases will help me keep on track. So, expect monthly updates on how I’m doing.

A secondary goal I had for myself was to not buy anything in January. My idea was to put January’s allotment toward March to augment my BWIPS “budget.” And I did great, until the 21st. Somehow, in the last 10 days of the month, I bought four pens.

Keep ReadingMonthly Pen Purchases: January 2023
Pen Porn: Benu Talisman Ice and SnowInstagram 1-9-23. Pen Porn: Benu Talisman Ice and Snow
January 9, 2023
Rachel
One Comment

Pen Porn: Benu Talisman Ice and Snow

Posted in Fountain Pens

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for pen envy or impulse purchases resulting from viewing this post.

Per usual, you can click on the images to view them larger. I do my best to provide you with high-quality pen porn. 😉

I stumbled upon the Ice and Snow on Instagram. Although I thought I had finished with pen purchases for 2022, I had to have it. Between my love of winter and collecting the Talisman series pens that have shaped confetti — like the Wild Rose, Shooting Star, and Four Leaf Clover — there was no way I wasn’t going to pick one up.

As with other Talisman model pens, the Ice and Snow has its inspiration added to the material of the pen. This time, it’s Snow Quartz. According to the pamphlet that came with it, “snow quartz has an uplifting and kind energy and is typically used during challenging moments in life, when everything seems dark and grim.”

Benu Talisman Ice and Snow
Keep ReadingPen Porn: Benu Talisman Ice and Snow
Pen Resolutions Tag 2023Instagram 1-4-23. Pen Resolutions Tag 2023
January 4, 2023
Rachel
2 Comments

Pen Resolutions Tag 2023

Posted in Fountain Pens

I had a lot of fun with the Pen Resolutions Tag last year, so I’m doing it again this year. I’m also revisiting the resolutions I made last year to see how I did.

This idea was originally adapted from Theresa is Dead’s video: OH 2021… | BEAUTY RESOLUTIONS TAG video. The Beauty Resolutions Tag originated with Mel Thompson.

I’ll definitely revisit this again in 2024.

1. What is something you do regularly in your pen routine that you will try to stop?

Answer from 2022: Stop putting off pen cleaning. Did I do better? Nope. I keep forgetting to add it to my weekly spread in my notebook. And, if it’s not there, it doesn’t get done.

Answer for 2023: Since remembering to add pen cleaning to my weekly to-do list would get me to clean my pens, I need to get better at doing that. This is, at its core the same resolution I made last year, but I’m taking a different approach to see if I have more success.

Keep ReadingPen Resolutions Tag 2023
My Current Pen Wish List — Jan. 2023Instagram 1-3-23. My Current Pen Wish List
January 3, 2023
Rachel
3 Comments

My Current Pen Wish List — Jan. 2023

Posted in Fountain Pens

Once again, it’s time to revisit my wish list. I’ve bought some pens, decided against others, and found new pens I want.

I’ve kept the two-tier list structure: “Tier One” that I’m actively looking to acquire, and “Tier Two” that I’d pick up if there’s a good deal, or if the stars align perfectly.

Keep ReadingMy Current Pen Wish List — Jan. 2023
Reviewing My 2022 Purchasing HabitsInstagram 1-11-22
January 2, 2023
Rachel
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Reviewing My 2022 Purchasing Habits

Posted in Fountain Pens

As should have been obvious in my Pen Collection post, 2022 did not go as I’d planned. My stated goal was to limit my pen purchases to 24 pens. I failed in that. Miserably.

However, I sold 17 pens last year, and none of them was purchased in 2022. So at least I’m keeping up my streak of zero same-year sales.

While I disposed of more pens in 2022 than 2021 (14), my purchasing skyrocketed from 42 in 2021 to 54 in 2022. That puts last year as the second highest purchasing rate since I started collecting. It also had the second highest net collection increase : 37.

Keep ReadingReviewing My 2022 Purchasing Habits
My 2022 Top TensInstagram 12-30-22. My 2022 Top Tens
December 30, 2022
Rachel
4 Comments

My 2022 Top Tens

Posted in Fountain Pens

Once again, I’m sharing my current top pens. I took a somewhat different approach this year, so that I actually choose a top 10. I’m judging my pens based on appearance and the way they write. So I have two different top ten lists. Because of this, I won’t be comparing to last year’s top pens, which ended up being a top 28.

This was just as hard as I expected it to be. I’m fortunate enough to have an absolutely fabulous pen collection, so narrowing it down to my favorites grows increasingly difficult each year.

But without further preamble, enjoy my top 10 pens of 2022 by appearance and by nibs.

Keep ReadingMy 2022 Top Tens
Year in Review – 2022 PensInstagram 12-29-22
December 29, 2022
Rachel
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Year in Review – 2022 Pens

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Non-Fountain Pens

While it was difficult to do last year, ranking my pen purchases was a useful exercise. So, I decided to do it again. I have to say, I’m embarrassed by the long list of pens I purchased this year. I was hoping to buy less pens this year, not more. But I’ll discuss that in another post.

I realize that this is a long block of text. But, if I added a photo of each pen, it would take absolutely forever to get through. So, for pens that I’ve already discussed in a dedicated post, I’ve linked to that post (and the photos contained therein). For the rest, where possible, I linked to an Instagram photo from the pen maker or store they collaborated with. When that wasn’t possible, I linked to a good photo on Instagram (consider following those fine folks) or one of my own Instagram posts.

Keep ReadingYear in Review – 2022 Pens
25 Days of Dupes 2022 Wrap-Up25 days of dupes 2022 Instagram share image.
December 27, 2022
Rachel
6 Comments

25 Days of Dupes 2022 Wrap-Up

Posted in Ink

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series. If you were unable to purchase the Inkvent Calendar, then this likely helped settle your mind about experiencing the colors. I’m sure that these 2022 colors will eventually be released individually, so hopefully this series helped you decide which ones — if any — to get.

Comparing the Inkvent Calendars

I found this year’s Inkvent calendar disappointing. There were only two inks I couldn’t match perfectly, and I’m certain it comes down to not having the right ink, as opposed to those colors being super unique. This year’s calendar was released later than last year’s, and I didn’t have the time to place additional orders trying to find perfect ink matches.

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2022 Wrap-Up
25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 425 days of dupes 2022 Instagram share image.
December 26, 2022
Rachel
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25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 4

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome to the fourth post of 25 Days of Dupes 2022. Below you’ll find the inks for days 19-25. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some reminders:

  • The first image for each ink shows the inkvent ink and what I feel is the best match, swatched on Tomoe River paper.
  • The second image for each ink shows the inkvent ink and the different inks I tried matching it to, swatched on Iroful paper.
  • I swatched ink with a small paintbrush, and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib in the first image.
  • I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
  • I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks (sheen, shimmer, scent).

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 4
Pens for Sale for Athena
December 24, 2022
Rachel
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Pens for Sale for Athena

Posted in Cat, and Fountain Pens

Update 12/27/22: Thank you so much to those who have purchased pens! It’s truly appreciated.

I’ve had some pens for sale at Bertram’s Inkwell for a little while. I appreciate how easy Bert makes his consignment process. Under normal circumstances, I’m in no hurry to sell pens. They sell when they sell. That said, we’ve had something come up.

Athena’s Story

If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ve likely seen posts of our “outdoor” girl, Athena. She was once a feral kitten, and came to us for help when she was about 6 months old. She was outside our garage, meowing at us. And she never really left.

Keep ReadingPens for Sale for Athena
My 2022 Brand “Discoveries”Instagram 12-23-22
December 23, 2022
Rachel
One Comment

My 2022 Brand “Discoveries”

Posted in Fountain Pens

While I didn’t quite buy from 15 new-to-me brands like last year, I did purchase from 9. Now, when I say new-to-me, I don’t mean I’ve never heard of them, just that I’d never before purchased a pen made by that brand.

Nearly all of them are indie brands, which makes me happy as I like supporting indie brands. And my interest continues to be piqued by indie brands more than mainstream brands.

Anyway, let’s start with mainstream brands to get that out of the way, then jump into the indie brands. FYI: The lists are in alphabetical order.

Keep ReadingMy 2022 Brand “Discoveries”
25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 325 days of dupes 2022 Instagram share image.
December 19, 2022
Rachel
3 Comments

25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 3

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome to the third post of 25 Days of Dupes 2022. Below you’ll find the inks for days 12-18. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some reminders:

  • The first image for each ink shows the inkvent ink and what I feel is the best match, swatched on Tomoe River paper.
  • The second image for each ink shows the inkvent ink and the different inks I tried matching it to, swatched on Iroful paper.
  • I swatched ink with a small paintbrush, and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib in the first image.
  • I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
  • I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks (sheen, shimmer, scent).

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 3
Ridiculous PensInstagram 12-16-22
December 16, 2022
Rachel
2 Comments

Ridiculous Pens

Posted in Fountain Pens

Today’s post is somewhat inspired by a YouTube video. “Weird pen collabs” seemed like a fun topic, at least until I realized the only one I could find/think of was the Montegrappa & Harry Potter series. And that’s only weird for what Montegrappa chose to draw inspiration from. The Quidditch pitch, really? But I digress.

So, I modified the idea to ridiculous pens. The pens I chose are either ridiculously bad OR ridiculously good. On the bad side of things you have poor design and pricing. On the good side you have amazing showcase of materials and skill. I’m sure there are many other ridiculous pens I’ve missed, but I tried to go for a variety, and I think I succeeded.

Side note before I begin: I’m not judging the artistry or craftsmanship on the “bad” pens, just the decisions.

Now, let’s start small and work our way up, shall we?

Keep ReadingRidiculous Pens
25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 225 days of dupes 2022 Facebook share image.
December 12, 2022
Rachel
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25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 2

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome to the second post of 25 Days of Dupes 2022. Below you’ll find the inks for days 5-11. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some reminders:

  • The first image for each ink shows the inkvent ink and what I feel is the best match, swatched on Tomoe River paper.
  • The second image for each ink shows the inkvent ink and the different inks I tried matching it to, swatched on Iroful paper.
  • I swatched ink with a small paintbrush, and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib in the first image.
  • I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
  • I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks (sheen, shimmer, scent).

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 2
25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 125 days of dupes 2022 Instagram share image.
December 5, 2022
Rachel
3 Comments

25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 1

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome to the first post of 25 Days of Dupes 2022. Below you’ll find the inks for days 1-4. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some reminders:

  • The first image for each ink shows the inkvent ink and what I feel is the best match, swatched on Tomoe River paper.
  • The second image for each ink shows the inkvent ink and the different inks I tried matching it to, swatched on Iroful paper.
  • I swatched ink with a small paintbrush, and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib in the first image.
  • I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
  • I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks (sheen, shimmer, scent).

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2022 – Week 1
Pens Unique to a BrandInstagram 11-25-22
November 25, 2022
Rachel
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Pens Unique to a Brand

Posted in Fountain Pens

Part of what I like about indie-made pens is finding models, materials, etc. that are unique to a maker. Obviously, I don’t know every maker. Nor do I even come close to purchasing from every maker I know of. However, I want to dedicate this post to pens I know of that are unique to their respective makers. I’m listing these alphabetically by maker.

Keep ReadingPens Unique to a Brand
Slowing the ShoppingInstagram 11-23-22
November 23, 2022
Rachel
2 Comments

Slowing the Shopping

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Personal

If you read my ADHD post, you know I have troubles with purchasing things. As it seemed that at least some of you found that post helpful, I’d like to share one of my biggest weapons in managing my shopping impulses, especially with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and holiday shopping coming up.

For me, the most helpful thing has been what I call anti-shoping mantras. These short phrases and questions let me pause my thinking long enought to reconsider what I’m doing. This extra moment is often enough to allow me to stop myself.

Keep ReadingSlowing the Shopping
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