The Well-Appointed Desk

Notebook Review: Apuntes Medium Hard Cover Notebook- Piso Beige

The Apuntes Medium Hard Cover notebook in Piso Beige ($19.50) is made in Mexico City. It features 90gsm ivory paper and 200 plain pages. The book has a paper-wrapped hardcover and is approximately B6 (172mm x 108mm / 6 3/4 x 4 1/4 in). It’s also available in other covers and dot or lined (school-style).

The Apuntes notebook has an elastic closure. I don’t utilize these a lot on a day-to-day basis but when I put a notebook in my bag, I do like to be able to close the book if I don’t have another cover for it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Keri Smith’s Wander Society and the idea of having a sort of ready-to-go sketch/writing kit. This notebook is in that sweet spot. It’s not too small and not too big to fit into a small bag along with a small collection of pencils and pens so that I can have a readymade sketch kit for a hike/walk in my neighborhood.

There is a little gusseted pocket in the back which, I’ve noticed is not featured in any of the Tomoe River notebooks but is often in the other notebook brands. It would be a perfect place to tuck receipts, leaves or other little tidbits.

I tested out an assortment of pens, pencils and brush markers and the paper is smooth with just a tiny bit of tooth. It’s slightly toothier than Rhodia but a similar creamy color. Since the pages are stitched it does lay flat but since the covers are glued I had to work the covers a little to loosen the glue to get the pages to lay flat.

There’s a little showthrough but not so much that I couldn’t use the opposite side of the page. There was no bleedthrough though. The fountain pens I used did not feather at all. Bonus!

All-in-all, this is a delightful little notebook. The matte finish paper cover is understated and the ivory pages are easy on the eyes. The paper texture is that sweet spot — not as slick as Rhodia but not as toothy as Midori Cotton. The price point is a little higher than some but its a good quantity of pages and fountain pen friendly from a small maker.

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 feature

Taking It One Hand at a Time

AnaApril 3, 2020March 30, 20204 Comments

by Tina Koyama

My Leuchtturm weekly planner is eerily empty. As a mostly retired introvert, my calendar is never overly full, but it hasn’t been this blank since seventh grade. Jazzercise on Mondays, yoga on Wednesdays, an Urban Sketchers meetup every second Fridays – all gone for the foreseeable future (thank goodness the trash pickup is still on Thursdays, or I’d lose all my weekly markers).

A week or so after Washington State’s (and the US’s) first COVID-19 deaths became public, my anxiety level was ramping up as fast as the infection curve. Drawing always takes my mind off other things, so I wanted to keep going with my usual sketching habit, but I was having difficulty focusing. Nothing grabbed my eye, and I kept fussing about which (of my admittedly vast supply of) art materials to use. I needed something to draw that I didn’t have to look for or be inspired by first. One morning I simply grabbed a Bic ballpoint that I had last used during InkTober and started drawing my own hand (which happened to be “handy”). It worked: The act of focusing on the drawing calmed my agitation so that I could move on to other tasks.

Over the next few days, I drew my hand each day. When I shared the sketches on social media, I joked that I had become more aware than ever of my hands, squeaky-clean but increasingly chapped as they were.

I know that many writers and other creatives start their day by writing “morning pages” in the Julia Cameron tradition. I decided that drawing my hand every morning would give me the same kind of daily focus I needed to get through this global disaster. It gives me a bit of structure on my empty calendar. Like writing morning pages, it clears my mind while also giving me time to reflect if I’m ready to. Sometimes the act of sketching shakes loose some thoughts that are worth following up, so I end up journaling afterwards.

For now, I’m sticking with simple materials so that I can grab any paper without worrying about whether it’s compatible. A favorite notebook has become one by Shizen Design that Ana gave me a while back. It contains five bright colors of paper bound into one book, and the thin paper seems to do best with ballpoint and pencil, so I get an easy color fix without fuss.

Take care, everyone, and wash your hands. Please share in the comments how you are getting through each day. You can follow my daily hand sketches on Instagram.

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

In Ink Review

Ink Review: Colorverse Goldspot Special Edition Aurora Borealis

AnaApril 2, 2020April 2, 20204 Comments

According to the Goldspot web site, the colors created for the Colorverse Aurora Borealis special edition set ($36 for a two-bottle set) were inspired by the colors of the Pilot Vanishing Point Twilight & Crimson fountain pen.

In the larger 65ml bottle is Solar Wind, a bright, clear water blue. The smaller 15ml bottle is Magnetosphere is a deep violet purple.

In writing tests, Solar Wind is light and bright and Magnetosphere is a deep violet. Both do not appear to have any sheeing, and there’s a little shading in Solar Wind but Magentosphere is too dark to shade much.

In straight color comparisons, J. Herbin Bleu Azur and Sailor Jentle Yuki-Akari are the closest in hue and value. MontBlanc Mile Davis is more indigo blue than the slightly aqua of Solar Wind.

Comparing Magnetosphere to other inks reveal that Noodler’s Purple Martin is probably the closest match. Waterman Tender Purple is more violet blue but sheens. Colorverse Joy in the Ordinary Delicious Sleep is a little bit lighter.

The real treat with this set is that Aurora Borealis was designed specifically to be mixed together. To best show the range of colors that can be created with Solar Wind and Magnetosphere, I decided to make a loose watercolor using the two inks. With spatters, washed and a dip pen, I blended the colors.

Depending on the ratio of colors, the range is pretty lovely. Adding water creates lovely washes of color as well.

There’s even some sheening as a result of blending the colors.

If you are just looking for inks to fill your pens, these are lovely colors but there are less expensive options. If you’re looking for a set to experiment, paint and blend to create your own colors, then this is a lovely set.

Tools:

Paper: Rhodia Uni-Blank No. 16 with 7mm guide sheet, Canson XL Cold Press Watercolor
Pens: Midori bullet pencil modified dip nib holder with Zebra G titanium nib ($33.50 per 10-pack), Shawn Newton Esterbrook Nib Holder with #9668 nib
Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book ($10) & Col-o-dex Rotary Cards ($15)
Brush: Silverwhite Round #2, Princeton Neptune Round #4 & 1/4″ Liner
Ink: Colorverse Aurora Borealis Solar Wind & Magnetosphere Special Edition for Goldspot Pens ($17 for 50ml bottle)

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Goldspot Pens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: (Week Three Quarantine)

AnaApril 1, 2020April 1, 20201 Comment

It looks like our stay-at-home/self-quarantining orders are going to last at least through the month of April. Many of us are learning to live a different sort of life, what seemed unthinkable a few weeks ago, is now starting to feel routine. Sometimes scary, sometimes just plain weird.

Last week, my hair stylist texted me to say that all appointments were cancelled through the month of April so my carefully maintained pink hair is starting to show its “true colors.” Weeks of sitting on the couch and not having to walk miles around an expansive office is starting to show as well.

So, I am ramping up my fitness routines: walking regularly now that the weather is warm and riding my stationary bike (yes, this time I mean stationary, not stationery) to help stave off the COVID-20 (as in pounds).

I am maintaining my logbook which I use to track the things I do each day. It used to include things like “lunch with Stephanie” or “dinner at the Tompkins, mmmm, pizza!” but now is a list of the films and tv shows I’ve watched, books I’m reading and knitting projects I’m working on.

Are you tracking anything? Or journaling?

Ink Review: Monteverde Horizon Blue

Laura CameronMarch 31, 20207 Comments

Review by Laura Cameron

For the last few years I’ve focused on the Pantone Color of the Year when doing my ink reviews. But it’s already the end of March and I still haven’t done any reviews of this year’s color, Classic Blue.

A month or so ago, when I was cruising through the JetPens site, I found Monteverde’s Horizon Blue (30mL, $10.50). I don’t know that it’s quite Classic Blue, but it is an awfully brilliant blue that I just had to have.

I find Monteverde inks tons of fun. They come in tons of gorgeous colors, work well in all my fountain pens, and are inexpensive enough that I don’t mind springing for new colors.

Horizon Blue is, as I said, a bright brilliant blue. It shades a bit, without any discernible sheen.

As it turns out I don’t seem to have this exact blue in my ink stash! When I went looking for comparisons, the only thing that came close was Colorverse Supernova, and when shading, Supernova tends more towards turquoise (I don’t have Colorverse Quasar available to swatch, but I think it might be closer to Horizon Blue). I thought Diamine Blue Velvet might be close, but that is more muted and slightly more purple.

I’m not sure what my next blue ink will be, but I couldn’t be happier with Horizon Blue!

Paper: Crossfield Journal ($24), Col-o-ring Oversize ($15)
Pen: Delike Glass Signature Pen ($37.80)
Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book ($10) and Col-o-Dex Rotary Cards ($15)
Inks: Monteverde Horizon Blue (30mL, $10.50)

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In feature

Fountain Pen Review: Opus88 Flow Fountain Pen

AnaMarch 30, 2020March 30, 20205 Comments

The new Opus88 Flow fountain pen (€116) features solid resin colored cap (this model, in red) and a translucent, acrylic body with threads of color (this model features red, yellow and black threads). The Flow uses the same Japanese eyedropper filling system that all the Opus88 pens utilize.

The body of the pen is filled with ink and the twist mechanism on the end of the pen controls a shut-off valve that either allows or prohibits ink from reaching the nib. This system eliminates the burping issue that other eyedropper pens can suffer from. The series of rubber/silicone gaskets at each seal point also eliminates the need for silicone grease to keep ink from leaking at other points on the pen.

The nib is etched with a different logo than I’ve seen on other Opus88 pens. The Flow features a large #6 nib.

Yes, the Flow is a big pen. It measures 148mm (5-13/16″) capped and 137mm (5-3/8″) uncapped. I have two of the daintier Opus88 pens, the Koloro and the Fantasia and it’s clear to see the size difference.

The Flow doesn’t post but it’s still almost as long unposted as the Fantasia is capped. The diameter of the Flow is wider than the other two pens as well.

Just to give some perspective, the above photo shows the Flow with some other pens. From left to right: Sailor Pro Gear Slim, Lamy Safari, the Opus88 Flow, Aurora Optima and Kaweco Sport.

It’s pretty easy to see, even with the other pens posted, the Opus88 Flow is bigger than most of these.

The Flow is a lot lighter pen in the hand than I had expected considering how large it is. It’s also not nearly as uncomfortable in my mouse-sized hands as I was expecting either.

The Flow weighs 30gms, capped and filled and 20gms uncapped and filled. The Common Weights Chart below give some perspective. The Flow, despite being big, isn’t that heavy.

I’m pretty sure the nib on the Opus88 Flow is a #6 Jowo nib. I was able to easily swap out the nib (keeping the feed and housing from the Opus88 because the housing has a rubber gasket on the bottom) to a 1.1mm Bock nib that I had floating around.

The nib swap worked great and any nib that requires more ink with this pen is probably a good thing.

Overall, I am a big fan of the brand Opus88 and the Flow is a good addition. I would like to see Opus88 keep or add smaller pens to their line-up. All their current pens are large and getting larger. But the filling system, clear bodies and swappable nib options make them a great option for many people. And its priced right too.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Appelboom for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Fashionable Friday

Setting up my new home office

AnaMarch 27, 2020March 30, 202010 Comments

While much of the world is starting to adapt to a life of working from home, I am in the process of setting up a home office in preparation for my new life. What form that will take exactly, I’m not sure.

I was recently laid-off from my job of 19 years. This lay-off occurred just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread across the globe. Unlike other people who have lost jobs as a result of the pandemic, I was already unemployed and largely staying at home before our current shelter-at-home policy took effect.

I had not really started thinking about how or where I would work until the shelter-at-home requirements had been put into place. My timing is terrible, I know. The BWI Pen Show and the Arkansas Pen Show were immediately after my lay-off and I hoped they would provide an infusion of funds and much-needed time with friends and penthusiasts.

Once I returned home after the Arkansas Pen Show, I realized it was time to get serious about dusting off my resume and portfolio and start planning for my new life, whatever form that may take.

Part of that planning included needing to set-up an actual work space at home. Previously, I had been making do, working from the kitchen counter or precariously balancing my CINTIQ on the edge of a tiny tabletop when freelance work was needed. This was not comfortable or the least bit ergonomic.

Initially, we were planning to acquire various new pieces from IKEA including an adjustable standing desk, new drawer units and accessories however the whole non-essential travel ban made it necessary to think inside the box. By that I mean, we needed to poke around our packrat house and try to locate items we could use or reuse. Bob found an old, extra-large (30″x40″) drafting board in the basement that he had purchased at a yard sale several years ago. He got out the power sander and some stain and urethane and refinished the drafting board into a new worktop for me. He also found an old set of IKEA legs at the print shop and mounted them on the bottom. Voila! a new-old desk.

It has enough room for my CINTIQ touch screen, laptop, bluetooth keyboard and some pretty bits so that it doesn’t feel too austere.

We rescued an old metal drawer unit from the print shop as well that I could use to put various ephemera bits. It currently has our postal scale (yes, we are still shipping out orders!) and I’ve added a couple of my Dudek pen blocks so I have both beautiful and useful writing tools at the ready.

Also on my desk are:

Galen Leather washi tape dispenser ($35 via Vanness PenShop)
Japanese tea warmer ($18.99 via Amazon)
Bunny Desk Scissors ($29.95 via Amazon)
Anker Soundcore Boost Bluetooth speaker ($59.99 via Amazon)
Kathy Weller “We are the Weirdos” mug ($20.50 via Etsy)
Kate Spade stationery box ($30)
sheep pushpin keeper ($9.95 via Amazon)
Pelikan Star Ruby Fountain Pen ($167.95 via Goldspot Pens)
Lamy 2000 Multi-Color Ballpoint (€56.20 via Appelboom)
Parker Jotter Fountain Pen ($24 via Goldspot Pens)

And before anyone asks, it looks like the cover on my laptop is no longer available on Amazon but similar designs can be found here.

Have you set-up a work-from-home space? Are you making do on your couch or kitchen table? Or are you still able to go to your job wherever it may be?

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.

DISCLAIMER: The item in this review include affiliate links. The Well-Appointed Desk is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Please see the About page for more details.

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