Monterey Bay Aquarium
Keni
if i look back, i am lost
JVL
hello vonnie
Peter Solarz
🩵 avery cochrane 🩵
Andulka
Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
NASA
⁂
KIROKAZE
DEAR READER
untitled
blake kathryn
art blog(derogatory)
sheepfilms
★
Stranger Things
Cosmic Funnies
seen from Australia
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seen from Canada
seen from Chile
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seen from United States
seen from Uzbekistan
seen from Australia
seen from Colombia
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seen from Malaysia
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seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
@talkamongstthetrees
Always the one who trips and falls. I’d say I do it to myself, but I can’t help it.
Iroshizuku Tsukushi, Murasaki-shikibu and Fuyu-gaki. Pilot E95S in Fine, Pilot Stargazer in Medium, TWSBI Mini in 1.1 Stub. Written on Midori GRAIN pad - Cream.
"We Used to Vacation" by Cold War Kids
Rhodia, Pilot Elite 95s, Iroshizuku Tsukushi.
"Roof of the Shed" by Masters of Reality.
Rhodia, Pilot Elite 95s, Iroshizuku Tsukushi.
Fresh in the mail from Vanness Pen Shop - Iroshizuku Minis! I'd first become aware of these adorable little bottles early last year, when they began showing up in Japanese stationary retailer shops. Pilot's US branch insisted that we'd see them over here in the states in 2015, but adoption has been slow. I knew the moment I saw the gorgeous packaging I wanted a set, but was I willing to keep waiting for someone like the Goulets to get them in or pay a hefty shipping fee from Engeika to have them shipped overseas?
Luckily for me, a little ol' shop from Little Rock, Arkansas had just what I was looking for. Or at least, they would eventually have what I was looking for. By the time I found the Vanness Pen Shop's website, many fountain pen fanatics had already torn through the shelves and left only dust, price stickers and crushed hopes. The Vanness family was more than willing to keep me up to date on the colors I desired as they came back in stock, which took a few weeks. The wait was absolutely worth it.
These special 3-packs come housed in a heavy, sturdy plastic case with a foam insert for the bottles to lay snugly in. The container was a bit larger than I imagined, about the size of 2 full size Iroshizuku boxes standing next to each other. Pilot touts the Iroshizuku line as a premium brand, and they never hold back on presentation. Inside of the hinged gift box sits the 3 bottles, with a small Iroshizuku pamphlet on top to greet you. For this set, I ordered two favorite colors and one I wanted to test drive: Fuyu-gaki, Murasaki-shikibu and Tsukushi.
Usability wise, the mini bottles don't have the little dipping hole in the bottom like the regular size bottles do, so I might have to siphon the last few fills out with a syringe to be able to use the whole of the product. The neck of the bottles are also a bit on the thin side, which may cause issues for larger pens like Pelicans and Montblancs. They're still made with thick glass and have a faceted twist cap like the larger bottles, though they use a boxy profile instead of the rounded shape of its brethren.
For the money, you're getting 45ml of ink total split between 3 different colors. While you are getting 5ml less than a full bottle at roughly the same cost, having multiple colors and the incredible packaging still makes this a very tempting option. The way each bottle looks like a small gem resting in place really lends the package an aura that speaks highly of the showmanship and pride Pilot has for this line. Call it a bit of hyperbole, but I'm really in love with this cute little set.
I'd highly recommend checking out the Vanness Pen Shop if you're interested in picking up a set. Their web shop is a little less polished than other sites, but the customer service is top notch. Included with my purchase was a small surprise in the form of a Backpocket Ink Tester. What better way to get it started than with the 3 colors in my Iroshizuku Mini box?
My Hobonichi Techo finally arrived! I've seen many questions about the size of the standard A6 size Techo compared to the A5 Cousin, even a few questions on the size of the planner in general. I once saw the size of the A6 Techo be compared to the size of a Japanese paperback novel - I can indeed confirm that they are the same size. To give a better sense of scale, I've shown off a standard size playing card (thanks to the Apple Red store page for the idea!) next to the planner book.
The size difference between the A6 and A5 planners is fairly substantial. If you aren't too bothered by the lack of English quotes and segments, I'd recommend the A5 Cousin for the elbow room alone. But hey, everyone's got their preferences!
Does anyone happen to know a trustworthy place to grab a Midori Cotton notebook from? They did not appear to be considered limited edition, but a celebratory design nonetheless. I enjoy my Midori MD notebook for its minimalistic simplicity and paper quality, and the thought of Midori producing a softer paper greatly appeals to me.
Sadly, I've been unable to locate a US retailer carrying them, and any UK retailer that did carry them appears to be sold out.
Images are not of my own, and have been sourced from Leigh Reyes, The Journal Shop, and Worship Blues.
I got guilt, I got fear, I got regret, I'm such a panic-stricken waste.
Lyrics by Mark Sandman/Morphine.
Pen is TWSBI Mini 1.1 Stub, inked up with the remains of my Organics Studio Walt Whitman.
Oh man!
Look at those cavemen go!
The Seven Seas of Rhye...ter.
A new year, and a new review! I haven’t posted anything in a while due to a lot of things eating away at my schedule over the past few months. With the hectic holidays over with, I’m going to bust out one of the things I picked up for Christmas: Nanami Paper’s Seven Seas Writer Notebook.
Having experimented with Rhodia, Midori, and other treated papers, I was always eager to try the next brand and see how my favorite inks would look and perform. Friends had spoken highly of the ghost-like, veil-thin Tomoe River paper with such enthusiasm that I knew I had to try some. I went in head-first with picking up the Seven Seas Writer, and I'm glad I have. From the moment I removed the wrap and held the notebook’s elegant packaging, I knew I was in for a treat.
The notebook itself is sturdy in the hands, while at the same time feeling light enough to carry around with you. Midori's stitched binding is high quality and lays very flat, but somehow Nanami Paper gets the Seven Seas to lay even flatter! Nanami Paper uses Buckram for the covers for this year’s notebooks. They can take some bending and abuse, which makes this a great traveling notebook. Guide lines are dark enough to be noticeable, but don't intrude upon your attention as you write. And yes, the Tomoe River paper is pure joy to use.
When looking at a single sheet, it’s almost as thin as tracing paper. I could press down slightly and see every detail of a picture or page under it. Some will not enjoy the amount of see-through that occurs on the Tomoe River paper, of which there is quite a bit. Even with such razor-thin sheets, the paper suffers no bleedthrough from even a 1.1 stub or dip pen. I hesitate to call it magic, but whatever it is that Tomoegawa uses to make their paper so unique, it allows for a stunning amount of shading and sheen for inks that produce such effects. Dry times are somewhat long though, so lefties will most likely not get along well with the notebook.
I keep mine tucked away inside of a Hobonichi Techo Cousin cover, which fits the notebook’s standard A5 size. I plan on investing in an actual Hobonichi Techo and another cover as soon as I can, as that planner also uses Tomoe River paper.
In my adventures with pens, inks and the paper I use them on, I often find myself pleased with what I’ve got… but wanting to try out the next thing. With the Seven Seas Writer, I feel like I’ve found exactly the paper I wanted and needed for daily writing. All roads on the journey for stationary lead to this. I'm sure I'll eventually get the itch to order another brand, but right now I feel even more at home with this paper than I did when I jumped from copy paper to Rhodia. At $29 for 480(!) pages, I can highly recommend this to anyone looking for a journal or workhorse notebook.
An exercise in serif and 'print-type' character designs. Posted mainly because it is some of the last of the Stormy Grey I have left. The definition was written in Organics Studio Walt Whitman. Practice inspired by Quixotism by Oren Ambarchi, an album I'm anticipating greatly at the moment.
My friend, Ray, of talkamongstthetrees, sent me an amazing apartment-warming gift: a sample of J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Ink - Stormy Grey! It sold out almost immediately when Goulet Pens got it in a few weeks ago, but Ray snagged some samples. I can’t believe he sent me one of them!
The other famous ink from the set of three 1670 Anniversary inks, Rouge Hematite (Bleu Ocean is very nice, but doesn’t stand out like the other two), is a scarlet color with flecks of iron suspended in it. I absolutely love it - you get beautiful shading but also the sparkle from the metal particles.
Stormy Grey is a wonderful grey - it took me a while to discover grey ink (thanks to Ray!), but good grey inks display gorgeous shading. the variations in light and dark give your writing extra visual interest. On top of the shading, there are also pulverized golden flecks (I’m not sure what metal it actually is) throughout the ink. Shaking your pen fairly vigorously, fairly often, helps bring them out. The eventual effect on the page is something like lightning flashes behind a storm cloud. It’s the best thing ever.
Top photo (sorry about the smudge) is using a 2.4mm Pilot Parallel Pen (without as much pen shaking between letters/strokes as would be ideal). The second image is my normal writing with a Pilot italic nib (taken from a Plumix, but mounted on a Metropolitan). I wasn’t sure you’d get enough of the metallic character with a non-calligraphy nib, but the writing with the italic nib is wonderfully sparkly! The little mushy note I wrote to my beautiful wife looks so good!
For calligraphy, the key really seems to be vigorously shaking the pen to detach the metallic bits from the pen walls.
No thoughts yet on ease of cleanup with this or Rouge Hematite, but it might not be pretty.
OVERALL, I am in love with this ink. It looks like Goulet Pens expects more in December. Sign up for an email alert when they get it back in and/or follow @GouletPens on twitter. Other outlets are supposed to get some as well, but Goulet Pens has won my ink-filled heart.
You’re going to want at least a sample vial or two of this ink. It’s really, really special.
I actually only got one of them, and I thought there was one person who deserved it most of all! <3
Stormy Grey! Lyrics by Fleet Foxes. Written on Midori GRAIN ivory paper. TWSBI Mini 1.1 stub.
Long overdue: Pilot Stargazer review
My first grail pen, finally mine at last. Almost a month ago, some amazing friends (including the PBCWrites) helped chip in for my big celebratory expenditure this year so I could finally get ahold of it. Almost a year has passed since I was handed my first fountain pen, the Pilot Varsity, and sitting here on my desk now is the Pilot Stargazer.
My mind became inexplicably transfixed by the Stargazer's pearl lacquer finish when I first caught sight of it. I felt as though I were gazing into the starry expanse I once dreamed of entering as a kid, before I realized things like money and physics would keep me from doing so. A familiar backdrop, almost as natural to one's self as breathing. Yet upon closer inspection the details emerge with a subtle vibrancy. Pilot has mastered the art of understated design with the Stargazer's unassuming styling and trim, while offering a depth to those willing to look close enough.
Adorned with a 14k gold, rhodium plated nib, the Stargazer has a nice feel when applied to paper. I found that it worked excellently on some mid-grade copy paper and my Rhodia pad, but noticed a strange bit of resistance against my Midori MD journal. Overall though, it gives very little in the way of annoying feedback while writing and performs smoothly at different speeds. The rhodium nib matches the rhodium furniture that accents the rest of the pen, giving it a sleek and uniform profile in the hand.
Speaking on sleekness, it should be noted how truly tiny the Stargazer is. The nib itself is a diminutive #3. The body of the pen matches lengths with a TWSBI mini when capped, but shrinks to become half a head shorter than the TWSBI when posted. Pilot's ever-popular bargain (steal, in my opinion) pen, the Metropolitan, absolutely dwarfs it. I was worried about comfort while writing after I saw how truly tiny the Stargazer is. Thankfully, it rests very comfortably in my medium/large hands when posted. Just be very careful as it may be too small for those with hands even a little bit larger than mine. The brass construction weighs just right as well, the thin body of the pen ensures a low enough weight to satisfy those who don't fancy heftier pens with the added benefit of metal construction.
No longer must I dream of holding this pen whilst scribbling down some story notes, practicing my Kanji/Hiragana/Katakana, or preparing an outline for a future review. I once envisioned myself staring off into space, one eye placed against a telescope lens while I wrote down what I could see on the other side. In my hands sat the Stargazer in all of its simple elegance, a professional-looking choice with character without any gaudy overstatement. One could say it is a silly thing to dream about using a pen, but this whole hobby is a little silly when you think about it, isn't it?
Dare to dream, friends. Write well.
Writing some of your favorite lyrics while trying new flairs with your handwriting is quite a relaxing way to spend a late Saturday/early Sunday. "Sorrow" by The National, written with TWSBI Mini 1.1 Stub, Sailor Jentle Yama-Dori (That sheen!!) on a Midori GRAIN pad, ivory paper half.
Sad to hear Organics Studio (apparently a somewhat local business to me!) is closing up shop for a little while, though the reasoning behind it is completely understandable. I ordered a sample vial in of their Walt Whitman, which was used for the above thought crafted by yours truly. I am not really a fan of any green ink, but the color is extremely understated in the WW ink. There's a beautiful shading from an extremely tarnished gold into a greenish brown to an almost black green.
We must be strong, positive.
Done on Rhodia with Pilot Metropolitan Medium, Organics Studio Walt Whitman.
Quick test sketch using the newly provided Yama-Dori sample sent to me by PBCwrites! The sheen can somewhat be seen here, though my camera phone had to be used so it isn't the best quality. Also used some copy paper instead of the usual Rhodia. TWSBI Mini 1.1 stub, Pilot Metropolitan Medium with Iroshizuku Kiri-same for the clouds and rain.
Inspired by historical events in political courts and the namesake of the ink - Murasaki Shikibu. TWSBI Mini 1.1 stub used. Rhodia paper. I must apologize for not being very active, things have gotten quite busy. I must also apologize for the phone camera quality, as my usual camera is temporarily unavailable.
