In Link Love

Link Love: Quo Vadis Planning Addendum

Author AnaPosted on

Quo Vadis blog screenshot

I’ve got a  whole lot of Quo Vadis love going on right now. So much so that it felt like it deserved its very own shout-out. If you are not familiar with Quo Vadis, they are a division of the Clairefontaine/Rhodia/Quo Vadis paper dynasty specializing in agendas and planners and, of course, the delicious Quo Vadis Habana notebook line.

Over the last few weeks (and to be honest, pretty much all the time), the Quo Vadis blog has an on-going series about time management and planning techniques. It specifically related to their planner systems of course, but I’ve found that a lot of the tips and recommendations will work regardless of whether you use a Quo Vadis planner or another system. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me sooner that the planning and time management tips Quo Vadis provides could apply to any planning system. Looking at it with fresh eyes, I realize that there is so much good content here!

And, of course, I couldn’t help but love the content since Laurie Huff of Plannerisms fame has been at the keyboard. This is a woman who knows a thing or two about planning!

The best thing about the posts on Quo Vadis, and the Quo Vadis planning tools as a whole, is that they focus on getting the content in your planner rather than the decorating or beautifying that is the focus of so many other blogs and videos. Don’t get me wrong, I love that people use their planner as a creative outlet. I love seeing how people embellish their planners and journals. However, I have been looking for the core fundamentals of effectively using a paper planner for weeks and it was right here all along.

So if you are looking for some great planning and organization techniques, you might want to check out some of these posts:

Quo Vadis is also gearing up for a 2016 Page Per Day writing challenge. If you’re considering writing more in 2016, this challenge may help to keep you motivated when facing those blank pages. There is a Facebook group for participants using Quo Vadis tools for the Page Per Day Challenge. You can “play along” with whatever tools you want to use, however, the group is exclusive to Quo Vadis users.

If you think you might be interested in participating in the 2016 Page-Per-Day challenges:

 

In news

Giveaway Winner: Staedtler/Stabilo Marker Set

Author AnaPosted on

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner vs. Stabilo Point 88 0,4

Thanks to everyone who commented and entered to win this week’s giveaway of a set of Staedtler Triplus markers or Stabilo Point 88 markers, sponsored by JetPens.

Screen Shot 2015-09-19 at 9.04.18 AM

Screen Shot 2015-09-19 at 9.17.39 AM

Congrats to Julia for being the winner of the Staedtler/Stabilo marker set giveaway. I’ve contacted Julia via email to make arrangements.

Best wishes to everyone and happy coloring/color-coding/doodling!

In Fashionable Friday

Fashionable Friday: Hello Yellow!

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments

Fashionable Friday - HelloYellow

  • Victorinox Classic Yellow Pocket Tool $16.95 (via Goldspot Pens)
  • Omas Ogiva Cocktail Fountain Pen in Vodka Lemon $395 (via Goulet Pens)
  • Hello iPhone Case $39 (via Shop Ampersand on Etsy)
  • Diamine Shimmering Sands Ink (available soon from Pen Chalet)
  • Lamy Safari Yellow Broad Point Fountain Pen $29.95 (via Goldspot Pens)
  • Florence Printed Envelope Set $15 (via Snow & Graham)
  • Library Card: Yellow socks $10 (via Out of Print)
  • Leuchtturm1917 Medium 2016 Weekly Planner in Lemon $19.95 (via Goulet Pens)
  • Sun-Star Kadomarun Round Corner Punch in Yellow $7.25 (via JetPens)
  • Sailor STORiA Pigment Ink in Spotlight Yellow $32 (via JetPens)
  • Diamine Sunshine Yellow (80ml Bottle) $10 (via Anderson Pens)
  • General’s Semi-Hex HB Pencils $7.20 per dozen (via Pencils.com)
  • Tombow 2558 Pencil HB $1 each (via JetPens)
  • Rhodia Rhodiarama Blank Yellow Notebook A6 $18 (via Goldspot Pens)
  • Paperblanks Midi Blank Journal in Gold Inlay $24.95 (via Anderson Pens)
In feature

Paper Pastries Rubber Stamps

Author AnaPosted on

Paper Pastries Stamps

Paper Pastries has been in the news lately for the LA Pen Pal Club which is so exciting. But what I’ve been all swoony about is this pile of stamps I recently received from Margaret. Since we both make stamps so we decided to swap.

Margaret makes her stamps herself and will also make custom designs for return address stamps, monograms or pet silhouette stamps. So clever!

I love the Greetings From stamp which I plan to take with me when I travel in the future — if I ever get a day off.

I also love the Hello, Mr Postie stamp that I think would pair perfectly with my Keep the Post Office Public stamp. Clearly, we make a good team!

I really think I should have gotten the left-handed letter stamp and ordered a custom return address tea pot stamp for my tea-pusher pal, Laura.

Paper Pastries Stamps

Also shown here:

Thanks again to Margaret for the swap and I hope you like her stamps (and all the other wonderful stuff she stocks in her shop) too! If you’re in the LA area, be sure to try to visit the next LA Pen Pal Club event. For future events, check out the Paper Pastries blog.

In Link Love

Link Love: Man Who Stole The Chivor?

Author AnaPosted on 3 Comments
lee.gorton@gmail.com http://gleenorto.tumblr.com/
My knitting and pen-loving comrade, Glee Norto has offered up another fabulous Link Love art this week. Check out more of her goodness at her Tumblr, Instagram or Twitter. And maybe pull out a few of your favorite mix tapes from the 80s and 90s to serenade you while you click those links!

Pens:

Ink:

Paper & Notebooks:

Planning & Organization:

Other Interesting Things:

Submit your Link love art: To be the featured artist on an upcoming Link Love, write, draw, photograph, or doodle an original “Link Love” image. It can be lettering, calligraphy, your own interpretation of Link or anything else you think might relate to the weekly list of pen/pencil-centric blog links. Email your submission to me at chair @ wellappointeddesk.com. Please include any link information you’d like in the image credit (your name, Twitter handle, Instagram, blog, etc). Also include any information about inks, tools, paper, etc used in your creation. Please let me know that I have permission to publish your work in Link Love and that the image is your original piece.

In Pencil Review

Pencil Review: Koh-i-noor Special “Magic” Color Pencil

Author AnaPosted on 12 Comments

 

Kohn-i-noor Special MAGIC Colored Pencil

After the article several weeks ago from the NY Times about the tools used by famous artists, I fell under the spell of the multi-colored colored pencil used by Milton Glaser. My friend Kirsten confirmed that Mr. Glaser really does use these pencils. He taught one of her graduate classes at the School of Visual Arts so she confirmed the story with some degree of authority. To say I’m jealous she saw his pencil handiwork in person would be understating things a bit.

It took awhile to find a dozen of these gems. I ended up buying them from a vendor on Amazon who was in Europe. The listing officially calls these pencils “Koh-i-noor Aristochrom Magic – 12 Pencils with Special Multicoloured Lead“. For the sake of ease, I refer to them as Koh-i-noor Magic Pencils. The box of one dozen was $14.50 plus $8 shipping which makes these pencils more expensive than Palomino Blackwings. But needs must, right?

The pencils came in a slightly mangled yellow box with the Koh-i-noor/Hardtmuth logos on the box. They had been shipped in nothing more than a kraft envelope so the mangling was a result of the postal system. The box isn’t anything special so the fact that all the pre-sharpened pencils were safe meant the box served its purpose.

Kohn-i-noor Special MAGIC Colored Pencil writing sample
This pencil was freshly sharpened using the KUM 2-step long point sharpener. Beautiful!

Inside were the dozen pencils I most coveted. The pencils are hexagonal with gold metallic paint and the only branding is ink jet onto one facet in black. The text includes “060”, a lengthy stock number and bar code, “Koh-i-noor” and “3400”. I wish the branding had been foil stamped onto the pencil instead of the super-cheap looking ink jet but these pencils are probably not very popular or produced in extremely large quantities so they don’t get as much attention as a traditional graphite or single color pencil.

The end of the pencil is shaped into a low profile cone shape and is not dipped. Its exposed natural wood. Its a weird detail that I’m not crazy about but the simple gold paint on the rest of the pencil makes up for the unusual treatment of the end. I’d love it if the end were dipped in a glossy black to give it a truly regal feel but there aren’t a lot of options for “magic” pencils so I’ll take what I can get.

The real reason I love these pencils is the three-color lead. Red, blue and yellow pigments are blended into the lead in small chunks so that, as the pencil is used, the color changes. The blue is a deep indigo blue and the red and yellow are pretty much primary colors. What I discovered over the last few weeks of using these pencils is that by turning the pencil a little bit as I’m using it, I can force lighter or darker colors to appear as I need them.

Kohn-i-noor Special MAGIC Colored Pencil writing sample

The composition of the pencil lead is definitely wax- or oil-based as it is not water soluble. This makes it easy to add other materials like watercolor paint, water-based markers, ink, or pen without blurring your linework. It also means that the marks don’t smudge, which is quite pleasant.

On regular paper (like my Rhodia test paper) the Magic pencil does not erase well. I suspect that on a primed surface like gesso, it might be easier to erase but for doodling and sketching, be prepared to leave the lines where they are. Loose-y and goose-y is the best way to enjoy these Magic pencils.

I know these pencils won’t appeal to everyone but I they are such wonderfully unique tools that I couldn’t resist sharing them.

In Pen Review

Review: Staedtler Triplus Fineliner 20-color Felt Tip Marker Set

Author AnaPosted on 109 Comments

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Review

I was recently let loose in Target during back-to-school shopping without any adult supervision. In my melee of shopping enthusiasm, I couldn’t resist buying the largest set of Staedtler Triplus Fineliner felt tip markers they had.

The set included an array of standard colors and six neon colors as well. The set came in a sturdy plastic case with a flip top lid that would create an easel stand. It reminded me so much of those wonderful 64-color boxes of Crayola crayons with the built-in sharpener that I was helpless to resist. To an adult, fresh markers are just like a brand new box of crayons.

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Writing Sample

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Writing Sample 2

The Staedtler Triplus series is notable for being quite long pens with a rounded triangular shape that makes them comfortable to hold.

I was surprised with how sophisticated the color palette was for this set including colors like a yellow ochre and rich reds and blues. These were certainly not watery kids’ markers in regards to the colors. The neons are lots of fun but the neon yellow is not dark enough for writing — maybe underlining or filling in shapes. Also, the grey marker was too light for writing but might be nice for drawing or coloring.

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Review

The whole time I was using the Triplus markers I found myself comparing them to the Stabilo Point 88 markers I purchased not too long ago. There are a lot of similarities in regards to price as well. The Staedtler set cost me about $24 at Target while the mini sized Stabilo 18-color set was $15 from Jet Pens. Stabilo does make full-sized versions of the Point 88 markers which is entirely comparable in size, price and selection to the Staedtler Triplus markers.

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner vs. Stabilo Point 88 0,4

The tips on the Stabilos and the Staedtlers are basically identical despite the numeric coding suggesting that the Stabilos are wider. I could not actually discern any difference in the writing samples I did. Colorwise, the two sets differed with the Stabilos having a wider range of traditional colors and the Staedtler having the wild neons instead. If you compare the Staedtler 20-color set listed on Jet Pens to the Stabilo 25-color set, the colors are very similar. The two sets are competitively priced ($25 and $22) but the Stabilo set offers five extra colors where the Staedtler set offers a more durable carrying case.

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner vs. Stabilo Point 88 0,4
Sorry this photo is a little blurry. (too much caffeine!) But you get the gist.

While I really enjoy the neon colors in the set I purchased, I wish I had seen the 20-color set available on JetPens that does include a wider array of grey shades plus yellow, orange, and aqua which I miss in the reduced set I purchased.

Would you like to win a set of 20-color Staedtler Triplus Fineliner markers or a 25-color set of Stabilo Point 88 markers from JetPens? I’m giving one set of markers away to a lucky reader. Leave a message in the comments and tell me which set you’d prefer and what you hope to use them for to be entered to win.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Thursday, Spetember 17, 2015. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Wednesday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 30 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS first class. US residents only please.

Finally, for an awesome chart comparing several type and brands of colored marker sets, check out JetPens’ Guide to Choosing a Felt Tip Marker.