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Category: Stationery

Ink Battle: Van Dieman’s and Wearingeul

Posted in Ink

This ink battle is between Van Dieman’s Feline Collection Catnip and Wearingeul Vayu. Both inks are in a pen fitted with an unaltered Jowo #6 Medium nib. The paper is blank Muji loose leaf A5 paper.

For this particular Ink Battle, I’m comparing two ink samples, trying to decide which to purchase. Catnip and Vayu are both seafoam green

Between myself and Jim buying inks, we own far too many. This means I have some inks that are incredibly similar in color. And, because of that, I need to figure out which inks to keep and which to dispose of. Sometimes, I have samples of two or more similar inks that I'm trying to decide which to buy, or if I should buy one ink when I already own a bottle of a similar one.

Enter ink battles. I put the similar inks into pens with the same nibs (two Jowo #6 M, two TWSBI F, etc.), or I create ink splats and doodles, to test them out to see which I like better. Or, I may find out that they’re sufficiently different to keep.

You can assume I have no problems with any ink that appears in an ink battle. I may find, when using the inks side-by-side, that there are performance differences, but the point of the battle is to choose a favorite ink, a "winner". These choices are often subjective, and you may disagree with me.

An ink battle — unlike ink dupes — is between inks I like. I enjoy using them enough to have them in my "for use" ink collection — as opposed to my repository of inks for testing dupes. If an ink performed poorly or caused problems, I wouldn’t keep it. And, if that were the case, an ink battle would be unnecessary.

Reminder: You can find all of the ink battle posts on the tag page.

Pen Rotation Changes

Posted in Fountain Pens

I mentioned in my Pen Resolutions Tag 2025 post that I’d “made some major changes this November,” referring to Nov. 2024. While I’m rather behind in sharing them, better late than never, right?

Standard Rotation Changes

The biggest change was to my standard pen rotation and storage. Remember less expensive, more expensive, and indie-made? Well, no more of that. While I still have 3 groupings, they are now:

What Makes a Good Ink Bottle?

Posted in Ink

This post is a response to UK Fountain Pens’ post, What Makes a Good Ink Bottle? Reading Anthony’s post got me thinking about what I think makes a good ink bottle. After all, I know I’m a bit odd with how I fill my pens.

From the original

While I highly suggest you take a couple of minutes to read Anthony’s post, as a recap, or if you don’t have time, he posits there are four main factors to a “good” ink bottle:

My Current Pen Wish List – Jan. 2025

Posted in Fountain Pens

NOTE: This post closes out my 2024 end-of-year and 2025 start-of-year series, and I’m looking forward to a break. I will likely post once a week at most through the end of February.

I think my wish list this year is the smallest it has ever been. But, before I jump in, I will acknowledge that I didn’t, technically, cross anything off of last year’s list. I received the three pens I’d commissioned at the beginning of the year: the 3D scrollwork sleeve, the Eowyn, and the Pride and Prejudice pen. And I commissioned, but haven’t yet received, the Tailored Pen Co. Trekker.

Pen Resolutions Tag 2025

Posted in Fountain Pens, Ink, Paper, and Stationery

This is the fourth time I’m posting under this tag. You can see the previous years’ answers on the “start of year” tag page. 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.

With each year I’ve answered these questions, I’ve found some of them harder to answer. While I originally tried to stick as close to the original makeup version as possible, I need to make some drastic changes to some of these questions. I tried to choose questions that will work for many years moving forward so I don’t have to keep changing them.

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

Answer from 2024: I’m pretty happy with my pen routine for now, especially after the changes I made in November. I think I need to come up with a new question for next year. Clearly, there’s nothing to comment on from last year’s answer. Funnily enough, though, I made some major changes this November, too. I’ll try to post about it soon.

Reviewing My 2024 Purchasing Habits

Posted in Fountain Pens

I’m not sure I’m going to continue this post in future years. I cover my purchases in my pen collection stats post, and I go over my purchasing goals in my pen resolutions post (coming Wednesday). That means the only truly unique information in this post is the purchases by month table. Is that enough to keep this post going?

Moving on… how did I do last year? If you saw my stats or collection posts, you know I actually came in under my 36-pen goal!! Go me!!!

My Pen Collection Stats – End of 2024

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Non-Fountain Pens

Another year, another overview of my collection. This is still one of my favorite posts of the year. Based on metrics, you all seem to prefer the “highlights” infographics version of this that I did last year over the in-depth dashboards I’ve put together previously. So, I stuck with that style.

For anyone who needs, or wants, an accessible version of the graphics below, I put together a text-only PDF version of this post. I’ve also made sure that the most important data in the graphics is also in the text of this post. So, you can choose the method of reading this post that most appeals to you: text, graphics, or PDF.

24 Days of Dupes 2024 – Wrap-Up

Posted in Ink

Phew, that’s a wrap on the first 24 Days of Dupes! Please let me know in the comments if you’d like to see me match the 2024 Inkvent calendar; it would probably be in late February into March.

As I mentioned in the opening post, Colorverse has no plans to release the full line of Colorvent inks like Diamine does with Inkvent. However, Colorverse does plan to release the “top 3” inks. More on that in a bit.

24 Days of Dupes 2024 – Week 4

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome back to 24 Days of Dupes 2024. Below you’ll find the inks for days 19-24. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe for any of these inks, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap-up post.

Some info:

  • You can click the swatch images to view them larger.
  • I swatched each ink with a small (#2) paintbrush and wrote with a Sailor Compass Hocoro Dip Pen.
  • All inks are swatched on Muji A5 loose leaf paper in dot grid ruling
  • While I try to edit the images so they look as close to real life as possible, 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 can’t fairly call any ink a perfect color match, as I’m not comparing them scientifically, I’m just using my eyes. Therefore, I won’t be going any further than calling an ink a “near-perfect color match.”
  • Reminder: I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks — sheen, shimmer, etc. — only the base color.
  • When I mention “writing samples,” I’m talking about where I’ve written 2024 Colorvent (Calendar) on the right-hand side of the page.

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Makeup Stationery Tag

Posted in Stationery

This post is a little different than my standard tag post. I found A Clockwork Reader‘s video Makeup Book Tag! first, which gave me this idea. In the description of that video, they list “Creator’s video: no longer available.” However, Angelica Nyqvist recently posted The Makeup Book Tag | MY FAVES FROM BOTH WORLDS 😱 to her second channel where she credited Belle Terese‘s video makeup book tag! 💋📖 | bookmas day 7 ❄️ (2024) and sarawithoutanH‘s video MAKEUP BOOK TAG (2016), neither of which credit a tag creator. All that to say, the original idea isn’t mine, but I have adapted the idea to the stationery world.

Since I’ve unintentionally gotten known for #MakeupMonday and #FPCosplayFriday, this seemed like an appropriate tag to do. I had to seriously change some steps, because I just don’t use those makeup products, but I made this work for my routine. Without further ado, let’s jump in.

Year in Review – 2024 Pens

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Non-Fountain Pens

I’m proud of myself for coming in under my fountain pen purchase limit this year! Even if I count my two reserved pens — a Nahvalur and my in-progress Stanford Pen Studio commission — I only acquired 27 pens this year, 9 less than my limit. Go me!

Like last year, I’ve included photos so you can see the pretties. Where possible, I’ve also linked to my dedicated blog posts. Now, enough chit-chat, onto the ranking!

24 Days of Dupes 2024 – Week 3

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome back to 24 Days of Dupes 2024. Below you’ll find the inks for days 12-18. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe for any of these inks, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap-up post.

Some info:

  • You can click the swatch images to view them larger.
  • I swatched each ink with a small (#2) paintbrush and wrote with a Sailor Compass Hocoro Dip Pen.
  • All inks are swatched on Muji A5 loose leaf paper in dot grid ruling
  • While I try to edit the images so they look as close to real life as possible, 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 can’t fairly call any ink a perfect color match, as I’m not comparing them scientifically, I’m just using my eyes. Therefore, I won’t be going any further than calling an ink a “near-perfect color match.”
  • Reminder: I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks — sheen, shimmer, etc. — only the base color.
  • When I mention “writing samples,” I’m talking about where I’ve written 2024 Colorvent (Calendar) on the right-hand side of the page.

Enjoy, and happy inking!

2024 New Pen Releases, The Tag

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Ink

Time for another addition to this yearly tradition. If you’re curious, you can check out the 2021, 2022, and 2023 entries. This idea was originally based on the “New Makeup Releases | THE TAG” video from Angelica Nyqvist.

This tag is about evaluating the releases — in this case pens & inks — from the past year. But, this year, I have to add a caveat. My focus has been on indie makers, and I’ve mostly ignored mainstream manufacturers. I had to do some research to find the answers to many of these questions. Let me know if you agree or disagree with me.

My 2024 Brand “Discoveries”

Posted in Fountain Pens

Can you believe it’s already the middle of December? I don’t know where this year went, but it’s time to start my end of year retrospective posts.

Before I dive into this post, I want to remind you all that I “discovered” these brands like Columbus “discovered” America. That a brand is on this list doesn’t mean that I didn’t know it existed before this year, it means that the brand did not have any representation in my pen collection before 2024.

Continuing the trend I started last year, I once again purchased from less new brands. Technically, I only bought from two new-to-me brands: one pen, and one ink. However, among other “unique” situations, I gave a brand I’d written off a second chance, and I bought my first modern pen from a brand.

24 Days of Dupes 2024 – Week 2

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome back to 24 Days of Dupes 2024. Below you’ll find the inks for days 5-11. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe for any of these inks, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap-up post.

Some info:

  • You can click the swatch images to view them larger.
  • I swatched each ink with a small (#2) paintbrush and wrote with a Sailor Compass Hocoro Dip Pen.
  • All inks are swatched on Muji A5 loose leaf paper in dot grid ruling
  • While I try to edit the images so they look as close to real life as possible, 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 can’t fairly call any ink a perfect color match, as I’m not comparing them scientifically, I’m just using my eyes. Therefore, I won’t be going any further than calling an ink a “near-perfect color match.”
  • Reminder: I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks — sheen, shimmer, etc. — only the base color.
  • When I mention “writing samples,” I’m talking about where I’ve written 2024 Colorvent (Calendar) on the right-hand side of the page.

Enjoy, and happy inking!

24 Days of Dupes 2024 – Week 1

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome to the first post of 24 Days of Dupes 2024. Below you’ll find the inks for days 1-4. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe for any of these inks, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap-up post.

Some info:

  • You can click the swatch images to view them larger.
  • I swatched each ink with a small (#2) paintbrush and wrote with a Sailor Compass Hocoro Dip Pen.
  • All inks are swatched on Muji A5 loose leaf paper in dot grid ruling
  • While I try to edit the images so they look as close to real life as possible, 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 can’t fairly call any ink a perfect color match, as I’m not comparing them scientifically, I’m just using my eyes. Therefore, I won’t be going any further than calling an ink a “near-perfect color match.”
  • Reminder: I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks — sheen, shimmer, etc. — only the base color.

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Paper System Changes, Update #2

Posted in Paper

I meant to write this post a couple of months ago, around the beginning of October. But, hey, better late than never, right?

I’ve divided this post into four major sections, so if you’re only interested in some of them, feel free to jump directly to them. Each section has a short update to my previous paper system changes post, followed by the new information.

Topics: Sizes & Uses | Paper | Layouts | Accessories

The short version of this post — the TLDR, if you will — is that things are going significantly better, but I still have a few issues to work out.

As a short aside, I’ve gotten used to bringing multiple binders when I go to work. It no longer bothers me. But, I rarely bring more than my blog binder with me elsewhere. I need to get back into the habit of bringing my Mini 5 (M5) binder with me more often.

2̶5̶ 24 Days of Dupes 2024 – Intro

Posted in Ink

We have a new calendar this year! Colorverse debuted their foray into the advent calendar world, Colorvent, and I snapped one up, because I love Colorverse ink. I’m considering duping the Inkvent Calendar sometime early next year, let me know if that’s something you’re interested in seeing. Of course, because it’s a completely different calendar, there will be some differences, but there will also be a lot of similarities.

What’s the Same?

As I have the past couple of years, I will be posting once a week with all of the inks from that week, with the day based on Christmas. Since Christmas is on Wednesday, my Colorvent posts will be on Thursdays. My first dupe post will be on the 5th, with the inks from December 1-4. My final dupe post will be on the 26th, with inks from December 19-24. And I’ll have a wrap-up/reference post on the 27th linking to the 4 dupe posts and listing the best dupe for each ink.

Changes

The biggest difference is the number of days. The Colorvent Calendar has 24 days to Inkvent’s 25. However, I don’t want to post on Christmas day, so the final weekly post, as I mentioned above, will still be on the day after Christmas.

SPS Series: Wrap-Up For Now

Posted in Fountain Pens

Welcome, or welcome back, to my Stanford Pen Studio (SPS) series. If you haven’t seen my previous posts, I suggest you check them out to see the amazing work the SPS collective produces. This is my final entry in this initial run on SPS. However, I will continue this series as they partner with more artists, and already have an entry planned for their newest partner, Renée Gerstner.

I also want to remind everyone that I’m not affiliated with SPS, I’m just an avid fan of the people and the work they do.

SPS Series Posts: SPS Overview | Brandon Lodewyk | Carla Nel | Di Möhr | Hanna Farmer | Kseniia Nel | Lana Le Roux | Lisa Strachan | Val Myburgh | Yulia Glas | Zelna le Roux | Initial Wrap-Up


This series has tested me more than any other blog series so far. Do you have any idea how hard it’s been to scroll through so many Instagram accounts, look at so much art, and keep myself from purchasing? I want ALL the pens, and ALL the art.

OK, full disclosure, I didn’t get through this series without any purchases. I bought some art from Yulia Glas. I tried to resist, I really did, but I couldn’t help myself.

I’ve enjoyed this series more than most of my other blog posts, too. It’s been great learning more about each artist, and helping to support them. I’m also happy to know that Di and Dave are as great as they seem.

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