Flowery February Ink Palettes

It’s February, and I’m two weeks late with this post unfortunately. This first palette is right up my alley. I love deep saturated colors in winter. Sailor Ink Studio 964 is a fabulous teal, and goes really well with the rest of these inks.

Monteverde Olivine is my favorite out of these five. I enjoy the deep olive color and smooth writing experience.

I love this photo so much. Paper Plume 011 was a limited edition, but I still ink it up occasionally.

Robert Oster Eucalyptus Leaf is a fabulous green, especially for the winter season.

What are you inking up this February? Let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: All opinions and swab images are my own. This post is not sponsored, and it does not contain affiliate links.

July Favorites

I can’t believe July is halfway over! There’s just a handful of weeks before the kids go back to school. I’ve spent most of the summer working, playing with my kids and swimming. I’ve had some requests to share my current favorites so here ya go!

Pens:

TWSBI Mini Rose Gold with a medium nib (version 1): I don’t love TWSBI pens in general, but I do own a lot of them because the nibs are pretty good and they are affordable. They are great for testing out inks but I don’t usually use them for my everyday writing. There’s something about the TWSBI Eco that doesn’t sit in my hand well-I do prefer the Eco-T over the standard Eco. This TWSBI Mini when posted, however, is the perfect fit for my hand. The nib is smooth and the perfect size-not too broad and not too fine.

Zebra Sarasa Grand in White (aff. link) with a Zebra Sarasa Dry 0.7 refill: This has become my daily writer that sits on my desk. I use it 10,000 times a day, and my kids frequently steal it off my desk. Sometimes I have to hunt them down to get it back. I’ve used up 2 of these refills in the last month-I use them that much.

Nagasawa Decimo Original Gradation Kaigon Stone Gray with Rhodium Trim: Wow that pen name is a mouthful. I love how pretty and neutral this pen is-I don’t have enough neutral pens. As much as I love the Pilot Vanishing Point, I’ve kinda fallen in love with the Decimo just a little bit more. I love how slim it is-it makes it more comfortable for me during long writing sessions.

Inks:

Sailor Jentle Black: This is going to be the first ink that I empty the entire bottle. I love this ink so much. I currently have it in three different pens just because I enjoy it that much. You can see in the photo above where I compared it to some of my other favorite black inks.

I’ve been color coding my notes a lot this month, so I have almost every color in the rainbow inked up. I do need to add a blue black ink in there. I love all of these inks.

Paper:

Levenger Circa Midway: I have been planner jumping for years. Years! I’ve tried everything from Hobonichi to Erin Condren. I tried a Levenger Circa notebook like 8 years ago and didn’t love it-I felt like the pages came out too easy and it was too hard to turn the book over on itself. Someone suggested that I try heavier paper with metal rings so I decided to take a leap and give it a try. I got the Midway size, which is 1/8 of an inch off of Happy Planner Classic size, and upgraded it to 1 1/2 inch aluminum rings.

It arrived the last day of June and I quickly printed off dividers and planner pages so I could use it for One Book July, which it turns out I stink at. I tried a lot of different styles-I tried 6 different planner daily pages until I found the one that really works for me. So far I’m using it as a combo planner/bullet journal and I’m really enjoying it. It’s just the right size. I’m using HP 32 lb paper in it, which isn’t my absolute favorite-it’s a little too glassy for my taste, but it holds up to fountain pens well and I’ve yet to find a better copy paper since they discontinued my favorites. I still need to do another Copy Paper Conundrum post part 2 (you can find the first one here), so in the comments let me know what your favorite copy paper is so I can test them out!

Taroko Breeze Notebook: I love these notebooks so freaking much! I’ve got three ones going right now and they all have been really great quality. I’ve abused this one so much and the binding has held up beautifully.

Currently:

This month I’ve been working on organizing my swabs (I use the Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress). My swabs have been a mess for months (it’s seriously bad as the photo above shows). I had them sorted by main color, so when I do a review I have to sort through 350 blue swabs to find the similar colors. I finally got around to breaking them up into smaller categories like light red, medium red, dark red, red-violet, cherry red, etc. Hopefully this makes the review process a little faster. I’ll do a blog post about the process soon, but you can find more photos of the process on my Instagram page.

Most Recent Purchase:

Lamy 2000:

I finally broke down and ordered another Lamy 2000 during the Endless Pen 4th of July sale. Years ago I purchased a Lamy 2000 Makrolon and a Lamy 2000 Black Amber together when I was still new to fountain pens. The Makrolon was an EF nib and I hated it as soon as I tried it, so I sold it. The Black Amber had a fine nib that I didn’t like either, but it ended up having some pitting near the nib so I couldn’t sell it, and I still have it. I wanted to try one with a medium nib but wasn’t sure I wanted to buy one just to try it, but I finally just pulled the plug and purchased one. It arrived just this week and so far I like the nib, but the nib is broader than the other Lamy medium nibs I have. It does have a bit of a sweet spot, but I can deal with that. I like the size of the pen and that it doesn’t have a screw cap.

Wish List:

I have a few things on my wish list-things I’m thinking about purchasing soon. Here’s a few things I’m looking at:

Esterbrook Model J Blackberry Ebonite Fountain: I’ve purchased a few Esterbook Esties, both the standard and oversize and so far I’ve had a good experience with the brand. I’ve fallen out of love with the Estie however, and ended up selling all but one of them (If anyone is looking to buy an Esterbrook Estie Maraschino with a broad nib let me know). I’m looking at trying the Model J to see if I like it better. I love the hammered band on the body. I’m trying to decide between the Violet and the Blackberry colors.

BENU Talisman Sandalwood:

I know this pen isn’t available yet, but I’m seriously debating ordering it once it becomes available. I have the BENU Talisman in Cat’s Eye and absolutely love it. It fits my hand well, has a smooth nib and is a cool color. Most of the BENU pens are way too flashy for me, but this one is a bit more subdued and perfect for the autumn season.

Clairefontaine Fontaine Aquapad Watercolor Paper: I love using watercolor paper for playing with ink and to my knowledge this is a new product for Clairfontaine. I want to try it out and make some ink charts with it.

Diamine Inkvent Calendar Black Edition:

Each year I’ve reviewed the inks in the Inkvent Calendar and I’m interested in this year’s edition.

Other Thinks I’m Enjoying:

SBREBrown’s What I've Learned in Thirteen Years of Reviews Video: I’ve been a long time fan of Stephen’s and appreciate his views on making reviews.

Half Baked Harvest Quick & Cozy

I have the first two Half Baked Harvest cookbooks and absolutely love them. Not only are the recipes wonderful but the photography is amazing. I can’t wait until this new one comes out in November.

Flourished Hope’s The 5 Part Journaling System That Changed My Life Completely (How to Journal): I appreciated her take on journaling since I’m trying to improve my system.

So that’s it-my favorites for July. What are you loving this month? Let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. This page does contain two affiliates link for Amazon and this post is not sponsored.

2300 Inks!

We have surpassed 2300 ink reviews so it’s time for another favorites post! Today is the first day of fall so we’re going to focus on autumnal inks! Today I’ve been inking up all my favorite fall inks and pens.

Reds:

I love all four of these!

Pinks:

Pink isn’t really a fall color but there are still some good deep pinks.

Oranges:

Gimme all the orange inks in fall! Monteverde Fireopal is a favorite in the autumn.

Yellows:

I wasn’t a big fan of KWZ Honey when I first tried it but it has really grown on me and now it’s a favorite!

Greens:

I love all the olive greens in fall.

Teals:

Sailor Yama-dori is a long time favorite of mine. It’s just so good!

Blues:

Diamine Tudor Blue is probably my favorite fall blue.

Purples:

Colorverse Pillars of Creation is so under-rated! Why is no one talking about this ink?

What are your favorite fall inks? Let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. There are no affiliate links on this page and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Green Inks Part 2

Here are swabs for all of the green inks I have reviewed so far. If you click on the swab it will take you to the review of that ink. I will update this page every time I review a green ink.

There are too many green inks to fit on one page so here’s part 2. You can find part 1 here.

2200 Inks!

We have surpassed 2200 ink reviews so it’s time for another favorites post! We are now into summer so today let’s focus on my favorite bright colors.

Reds:

Irori is my long-time favorite red ink!

Pinks:

You can’t go wrong with any of these pinks, but Momo is definitely the brightest.

Oranges:

I love how water resistant Carmen is but Gerbera is probably my fave summer orange!

Yellows:

I love all four of these yellow inks!

Greens:

Ryde Green is probably my favorite summer green!

Teals:

Diamine Marine was the first ink I ever bought, and it’s still one of my favorites!

Blues:

If I had to pick one favorite Robert Oster blue it would be Blue Water Ice.

Purples:

Amethyst is my favorite summery purple!

What are your favorite summer inks? Let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. There are no affiliate links on this page and this post is not sponsored in any way.

2100 Inks!

We have surpassed 2100 ink reviews so it’s time for another favorites post! We are now into spring (well, most of us…sorry Utah!) so today let’s focus on my favorite spring colors.

Reds:

Whisper Red is probably my favorite spring red. It’s the one I feel is a true pastel red.

Pinks:

Out of these four Kosumosu is probably my favorite, but I love all four.

Oranges:

Peach is my favorite out of the three, but you can’t go wrong with any of them.

Yellows:

I love Honey Bee every time I use it. It’s a lovely yellow but still readable.

Greens:

I love almost all greens in the spring but Bungubox Kaoru is a fave.

Teals:

I reach for Soft Mint over and over in the spring.

Blues:

Milky Ocean is my favorite spring blue, simply because of the spectacular shading.

Purples:

I love all four of these purples.

What are your favorite spring inks? Let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. There are no affiliate links on this page and this post is not sponsored in any way.

1900 Inks!

We have surpassed 1900 ink reviews so it’s time for another favorites post! We are almost into fall so today let’s focus on my favorite fall colors.

Reds:

There are so many good fall reds! Robert Oster Australian Shiraz is one I reach for over and over.

Pinks:

I don’t love pinks in the fall, but Diamine Raspberry Rose is a good one!

Oranges:

Like reds, there are so many good fall oranges! You can’t go wrong with almost any orange inks.

Yellows:

KWZ Honey is a sneaky ink. The first time I used it I didn’t really love it-it just never clicked for me at first. Now it’s one I reach for often.

Greens:

I love olive greens in the fall. R&K Alt-Goldgrun is a must-try for every ink lover.

Teals:

Robert Oster Monsoon Sky is a more recent interest, but it’s such a good ink.

Blues:

In the fall I reach more for blue-black inks rather than traditional blues, but Diamine Oxford Blue is always in season.

Purples:

Pillars of Creation is possibly my favorite purple right now. It’s so good.

What are your favorite autumn inks? Let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. There are no affiliate links on this page and this post is not sponsored in any way.

1800 Inks!

We have surpassed 1800 ink reviews so it’s time for another favorites post! We are so close to summer that I decided to focus on my favorite summer inks.

Reds:

I don’t reach for a lot of red inks in the summer but i love all three of these.

Pinks:

There are so many good summery pink inks but I love a good coral in the summer!

Oranges:

Gerbera has been a long standing favorite of mine but Yu-yake is a classic.

Yellows:

Yellow inks are hard! Most of them are too light to be easily read but I like all three of these.

Greens:

I always seem to forget about Apple Glory but it’s such a good one!

Teals:

Marine was the first ink I ever bought and it’s still one I reach for often.

Blues:

Robert Oster has so many good blues but Blue Water Ice is a long-time favorite.

Purples:

I don’t know why Tender Purple isn’t talked about more-it’s a great ink.

What are your favorite summery inks? Let me know in the comments below!

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. There are no affiliate links on this page and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Diplomat vs Octopus Fluids

Diplomat recently released 15 new inks made by Octopus Fluids. As soon as I saw them I knew they looked very familiar. I immediately swabbed them up and compared them to the Octopus Fluids inks I reviewed previously. Each of the 15 inks is a re-branded ink by Octopus Fluids. Below you will find photos of the new Diplomat ink next to the original Octopus Fluids ink. You can find Diplomat inks for sale at Vanness Pens.

• Diplomat Black = Octopus Fluids Schwarz

• Diplomat Sepia Black = Octopus Fluids Sepia Schwarz

• Diplomat Pine Tree = Octopus Fluids Pinie

• Diplomat Caramel = Octopus Fluids Karamell

• Diplomat Burgundy = Octopus Fluids Burgunder

• Diplomat Red = Octopus Fluids Rot

• Diplomat Orchid = Octopus Fluids Orchidee

• Diplomat Orange = Octopus Fluids Orange

• Diplomat Moss Green = Octopus Fluids Moosgrun

• Diplomat Deep Green = Octopus Fluids Tiefgrun

• Diplomat Caribbean = Octopus Fluids Karibik

• Diplomat Deep Blue = Octopus Fluids Ultramarinblau

• Diplomat Royal Blue = Octopus Fluids Konigsblau

• Diplomat Purple = Octopus Fluids Purpur

• Diplomat Lilac = Octopus Fluids Flieder

Overall, Caribbean and Deep Blue are my two favorite Diplomat inks.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Love & Hate Inks

Happy Valentine’s Day y’all! This weekend I’ve been playing with some of my favorite pink inks for Valentines and it made me think about some of the inks I absolutely love and some I can’t stand to use. I love reading about other peoples’ favorites so here are a few inks I both love and hate.

Inks I Hate:

Noodler’s House Divided is probably the #1 ink I hate. Why? Because not only does it feather like a baby duck, it also tends to separate dyes-the red stays where you put it but the blue underlying dye separates out and travels up to an inch away from the red. I get that the ink creator was trying to make a political statement with this ink, but I prefer the ink to say what I want it to, not what someone else does.

Organics Studio Amino Acid seems like a normal blue with a little bit of shimmer, right? Well, it seems fine at first but over time the ink broke down which not only damaged the paper I wrote on but also ate some of the interior of one of my pens, so this ink is a no-go for me.

3 Oysters Navy Blue had a weird thick, stringy consistency. I greatly disliked the ink just based on the flow and consistency. It didn’t smell weird and I know it was a fresh samples so it wasn’t moldy or anything, just had a funky consistency.

Tono & Lims Universe and Moon. Universe is a clear ink with silver shimmer which weirdly reminds me of sparkly nail polish top coats from my teenage years. Both of these inks fluoresce under UV light so I know they have some use out in the world, but not in my world.

Inks I Love:

Platinum Carbon Black is an ink I always have in a pen, it currently lives in a TWSBI Mini Rose Gold. I use it almost everyday. It’s highly water resistant and gives a great writing experience.

Sailor Ink Studio 224 has awesome shading and is a little more readable than the ever popular Sailor Ink Studio 123.

KWZ Butterscotch aka Meet Me in St Louis 2019 is such a great ink I wish I had ten bottles of it. It’s smooth and has the most gorgeous shading. I use it constantly in the autumn. I might cry when my bottle is empty.

Sailor’s Sailor is a beautiful blue, shades really well and is nice and smooth. It’s just an overall great ink.

Pilot Iroshizuku Tsutsuji is a fabulously bright, fun ink. It’s well-behaved and has a nice wet flow.

So now it’s your turn! Let me know what inks you love and hate in the comments below.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. There are no affiliate links on this page and this post is not sponsored in any way.