When my sister planned our family vacation in Portland, Oregon this summer, I knew I had to visit Oblation Papers & Press. It’s a beautiful, well-curated shop full of stationery, pens, inks, and vintage typewriters. It’s a writer’s dream shop!
Of course I had to purchase some of their exclusive inks. After much deliberation, I chose Oregon Marionberry and Oblation Olive. The staff was very patient with me as I hemmed and hawed over their swatches. They also sell stickers featuring their exclusive inks. Of course I bought one.
Packaging & Inspiration
Before I discuss the color, let’s admire the packaging for Oblation Olive (currently sold out). The box and ink label were made via their in-house letterpress. The cap has been dipped in wax and stamped with a fleur-de-lis seal.
The care they’ve put into the packaging makes me feel like I’m sitting in my cottage with my dip pen, ready to write a letter to my dearest loved one. I enjoy running my fingers over letterpress work because you feel the words. If you visit the store, you can catch a glimpse of the back room where their letterpress machines are.
Based on the bottle and the wax on its cap, I’m guessing Oblation Papers worked with Papier Plume to create a custom color inspired by Portland’s olive trees. My quick Google research says that the trees are drought-resistant and are popular in urban landscaping in Portland.
I love that they’re creating inks inspired by the Pacific Northwest. I’m a sucker for inks that tell a story.
Ink Swatches & Writing Samples
Oblation Olive is a yellow-leaning, desaturated earthy green that—no surprise—looks like a green olive. There’s a little bit of shading depending on your nib but don’t expect a lot of it.
It’s not water-resistant, which means you can do fun things with it! I drew some an olive branch using a Kanwrite EEF Ultraflex nib. Once the ink dried, I used water and a paintbrush to create a controlled bleed, essentially “coloring” in my drawing. I’m quite pleased with how it came out.
The ink is well-behaved. It’s not dry like other Papier Plume inks I’ve tried in the past. (Though they updated their formula a month ago.) I currently have it inked in my Leonardo Momento Zero Rangoli with a Kodachi nib. It’s been a pleasure to use.
Ink Comparison
I don’t have a lot of earthy greens in my ink collection, but let’s do a comparison. Oblation Olive is most similar to Kyo No Oto Kokeiro. Troublemaker Kelp Tea is more desaturated and Troublemaker Tuslob Buwa is darker and browner.
I’ve had Oblation Olive inked in my pen for a month now. It’s been a delight to write with.
Tools:
Paper: Taroko Stationery Breeze A5 Dot Grid 68gsm Tomoe River & Hahnemuhle Sugar Cane Watercolor Paper
It’s that time of year — it’s Inkmas time again! We take this time each year to celebrate our love for ink and hopefully catch up on all some of the ink reviews we’ve put off all year. We’ll be doing quick reviews, comparisons and collection overviews — or whatever strikes our fancy. From now until Christmas Day, we’ll be posting an Inkmas post per day (except Wednesdays which we still reserve for Link Love, of course).
We hope you’ll these posts and we will be happy to check off a few inks from our TBR (to be reviewed) list. Stayed tuned, make yourself a holiday beverage and settle in for some festive ink fun!
I really wanted to try the TO-MEI HAN Ka-Sa-Ne Clear Stamp Sets in the Japan and Nordic designs ($27.50 each). Each set includes three texture stamps and then a series of simple flat shapes that can be layered with the patterns or with each other. I liked the simplicity and experimentation that could happen with these so I decided to take them out for a test drive and see how easy (or difficult) they are to use. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
Gift Guides are starting to pop-up for the pen community. I feel like we go from planner season announcements to Fountain Pen Day to gift guides to best-of’s and finally year end wrap-ups. Its the pen community version of traditions, right? Then we’ll start all over again with plans for the upcoming year. It’s the pen seasonal cycle!
If you missed Link Love last week, Brad invited me to participate in our annual Gift Guide tradition on the Pen Addict podcast.
Let me know in the comments if I missed any pen community seasonal milestones. Start of pen show season?
Do you enjoy Link Love and the content on this site? Please consider joining our Patreon. You’ll get access to our exclusive podcast, printables, newsletter and more. Patrons supports this site. Without them, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!
While you’ve been busy noshing pumpkin pie and shopping the Black Friday sales, we’ve kept an eagle eye on next year’s Pen Show Schedule. Where will we see you next year?
I’ve wanted to answer OliveOctopus’ #12PenPersonQuestions but haven’t had the time until now! As a newish contributor to The Well-Appointed Desk, I thought this could be the get-to-know Thien-Kim post.
1. If you consider the different ways you can engage with pens and stationery—as a user, a collector, a hobbyist, a creator, a maker, a vendor—which roles fit best and what percentage of 100% would you assign to each? Are you happy with the balance?
I’d call myself 70% user/hobbyist, 15% creator, and 15% instructor. As a writer and analog planner, I use my pens and stationery every day. I keep a(n almost daily) journal, my illustrated journal, and my bullet journal. Before joining this site, I would’ve hesitated to call myself a creator. However, I’ve written about my stationery on my Substack and shared photos on Instagram. I guess I’m a creator. Instructor wasn’t one of the choices, but I’ve been teaching more classes lately. I truly enjoy teaching so I had to include it.
I drafted my third novel in these very fountain pen friendly composition books
2. What is something you want to understand better or develop more informed opinions about?
I want to learn how to make fountain pen ink from scratch. Or maybe watch someone do it. I probably don’t need another hobby. I already mix my own inks, but I love the idea of my little laboratory so I can whip up a batch of ink inspired by my favorite Vietnamese foods or my latest novel. (A woman can dream.)
3. In the pen community, what’s something someone has said or done that stuck with you?
This pen community is so generous and kind. It still amazes me how someone will put an St. Dupont fountain pen in my hand and say, “Try it!” It’s not just being able to try pens out of price range. A couple of years ago, I jokingly asked the Pen Addict community if anyone wanted to adopt an introvert during my second DC Pen Show because I didn’t know very many people yet. Wendy of Nibsandflourishes made a point to befriend me, let me try out all of her amazing pens, and introduce me to more pen friends.
A very dapper crested guinea fowl artwork by Thien-Kim Lam
4. There are now 25 hours in a day, a bonus hour is available to use however you like as long as pens or stationery are involved—how do you spend your hour?
I’d like to make more art. Not just in my illustrated journal but playing with watercolors and gouache. I’m also behind on updating my reading journal. have some bookbinding supplies waiting for me to make some sketchbooks and notebooks. I’ve starting making my own watercolor paints from scratch and would like to do more of that. It’s very meditative!
5. In the pen community yearbook, what would your superlative be? (i.e. “Best ______”, “Most _______” “Most likely to _______”)
I’m never good at these. I’m mostly likely to either waffle on buying a new pen OR impulse buy. There’s no in between for me. I either debate for ages or impulse purchase.
I love an ultrafine flex nib!
6. How do you feel about your handwriting?
I get a lot of compliments on my handwriting, but I don’t think it’s that special. I like it, especially when I’m using my Stylosuite XXXF flex nib. I wasn’t taught cursive in school due to moving schools and missing the year it was taught. (One school taught it one grade above me and my new school taught it the previous year.). A lovely teacher taught me calligraphy when I was in fifth grade and some of that muscle memory stayed with me.
7. What is something you are proud of doing, achieving, or overcoming?
Publishing my novels! I started writing my first novel when my kids were really small. It took me over four years to finish the first one. I wasn’t sure if a traditional publisher would want my books centered on Vietnamese American characters, but here I am, with three published romance novels. I snuck in my stationery obsession in Full Exposure when one character surprises his love interest with a trip to Papier Plume! The other thing I’m proud of is how I’m coaching and teaching emerging writers to tell their stories of their heart.
8. You’re going on a writing retreat anywhere in the world—where would you go, what would you write, and what would you write with?
I’ve done solo writing retreats in a hotel in the past. I usually choose a hotel with a small kitchen so I can eat the foods I like and mainline pots of good coffee. I also chose locations near restaurants so I wouldn’t have to cook every day.
I used to dream about writing in a cottage somewhere semi-rural until a friend offered her home for a weekend retreat. Within my first hour there, I found an entire snake skin molt and noped the hell out. I packed up and left and apologized to her profusely.
So now my dream writing retreat will have creature comforts and as few creatures as possible. Any suggestions?
I’ve been mulling pigments to make my own watercolors and gouache.
9. What’s a current or favorite creative outlet?
I can only pick one? I’m polyamorous crafter; I want to do a lot of creative things! I have supplies for all sorts of different creative activities. I work on my watercolors and illustrated journals the most because they’re the easiest to pick up and put down. One day I want to get back into acrylic painting, embroidery, and beadwork.
10. What’s something that causes you benign envy—the kind of admiration and desire that leads to inspiration or motivation?
The people who complete 30-day or daily challenges like Inktober. I’m not the type of person who can do the same thing everyday. Either I forget or life gets in the way. And once I miss a couple of days, it’s all over. I’ve mentally given up.
11. What’s a comfort item, material, or color?
My partner bought me a very soft, plushie of Snorlax, one of my favorite Pokemon. It gives me comfort when I have a pain flare up or when I’m feeling down.
12. What would be a dream collaboration, project, or partnership?
Oh gosh, contributing to Well-Appointed Desk has been my dream for a few years now. I sorta stalked Ana until she gave in. (Kidding. I only stalked her at the DC Pen Show last year and she was super cool about it.)
Did you miss Ana’s and Laura’s responses to the 12 Pen Person Questions?
To celebrate you and our wonderful stationery community, we are offering a special discount for Black Friday. All orders over $25 qualify for a 10% discount in our shop all day Friday, 11/28/25 (12:01AM-12:00 Central time). Use the coupon code BLKFRI25 to take advantage of this special offer.
Thanks for supporting The Well-Appointed Desk and small businesses everywhere!
(Sale not available on Etsy or for any international orders).
