In feature

Product Review: Endless Explorer Refillable Cactus Leather Journal

Author AnaPosted on 4 Comments
Product Review: Endless Explorer Refillable Cactus Leather Journal

I was so excited to see the Endless Explorer Refillable Cactus Leather Journal at the St. Louis Pen Show at the Luxury Brands, USA table. There are not a lot of refillable “traveler style” notebook or journal covers available that are not leather. But Endless has created a cover made from cactus making is a strong, durable, leather-like material that looks good and feels good in the hand and is plant-based and eco-friendly. The cactus covers are available in Beige, Black or Maroon and retail for $60. These covers come boxed in a lovely gift box that reusable with one Storyboard dot grid notebook and a matching pen loop.

I find the beige color to look a bit more cool in tone than a true beige. It most reminded me of desert sage-y green and felt most appropriate for my first cactus leather journal cover. The exterior really does have the feeling of a thick leather but its cactus!!! The interior feels like suede. The edges are finished to match the cover and

The pen loop is a wide elastic strap that will attach vertically to keep the journal closed while providing an elastic slot to hold your favorite pen tool. I placed the Muji Fountain Pen in the slot and it fit just fine. I am not a fan of these vertical elastic strap however since they have to be completely removed to utilize the notebook and can then get lost, dropped, etc. I prefer looping my pen under the horizontal elastic with or without additional pen loop to secure the pen. Its just less stuff to keep track of or require table space when working.

The Storyboard Notebook included with the cover features 80gsm Regalia Paper. The paper is fountain pen friendly and is a popular alternative to many of the Japanese papers.

The journal includes three elastics but, unlike other notebooks, the extra elastics included with the Explorer Journal Cover are not sewn into the cover nor sold separately but simply looped around the cover material creating some color contrasts.  The main elastic is deep green and matches the horizontal closure elastics, the extra elastics are yellow and aqua.

There is an instruction sheet included to show how to attach additional notebooks using these extra elastics but I am inclined to utilize the techniques recommended by Traveler’s Company and loop the extra elastics inside the cover to keep the exterior minimal.

I am so accustomed to European measurements like A5 and B6 that when I read the size for the Explorer cover (8.1” x 5.7”) I just assumed it was A5 (148 × 210 mm). I think it would be helpful to include the metric measurements on the packaging.

The notebook included is the Storyboard Large Notebook ( 7.5” x 5.1”) which, for the record, is NOT A5 — see the above photo with an A5-sized Stalogy under the cover. Nope… not gonna fit.

I did grab one of my beloved Paperblanks B6-ish (125 × 176 mm or 6.9″ x 4.9″) notebooks which does look like it will fit though it might be a bit thick with the hardcovers. B6 cahier-style notebooks should fit fine into the Cactus Cover.

I love B6-sized notebooks but they are not as prevalent.

I really hoped that the Explorer Cactus Leather Cover would be A5 size which is such an industry standard for the pen community these days and definitely would provide more options for inserts and accessories. Maybe the next addition will be an A5-sized cover? Endless, please, make a larger cover! If you’re looking for a non-leather option for a journal cover and would like to try a B6 size, I would definitely recommend this cover. It’s so great to have non-leather options… finally!

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

In Link Love

Link Love: All The Notebooks July

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Link Love: All The Notebooks July

For many years, July was the start of two month-long projects: One Book July and World Watercolor Month. This year, World Watercolor Month is a-go and details about it can be found over on Doodlewash. One Book July, however, is not happening as an organized event this year. As someone who is already using multiple notebooks, I’m okay that One Book July isn’t happening… sort of.

With all monthly challenges, if you committed to doing any of them over the years, would you continue to do them even if the original creators no longer organized them? Laura and I have been doing a challenge every November for knitters called NaKniSweMo. We have continued to support it all these years even though the original organizer no longer participates. That said, I really like the concept of One Book July. It comes at just the right time for anyone looking to mix up their planning, journaling or organizing needs. In the month of July, when most people are either traveling or hitting the planning doldrums and the new year’s planner have not yet been announced, its the perfect time to grab a notebook and try to plan and journal in one book. Try bullet journaling (see the link below), mixing up your planning approach or just commit to doing morning pages for one month. You can maybe even fill up the whole book.

No matter how you decide to spend your July, I hope the links below provide lots of inspiration.

Pens:

Ink:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

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In Planners & Organizers

Mid-Year Planner Review

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Mid-Year Planner Review

At the beginning of the year, I posted about my planner set-up for the year which included the Midori B6 Pocket Planner in the Clover design ($23.50, out of stock but a Birds edition is still available)  tucked into my leather B6 cover from Bassy & Co ($81 and up) with my Stalogy Editor’s Series 365 Days ($21) everyday planner and note-taking notebook.

Since the beginning of the year, the pockets of my planner have become filled with an assortment of stickers, postage stamps and washi tape. I’ve gotten into collaging on my daily pages so having a few stickers to add along the way is a great option.

I am still loving the B6 size for my planner. It’s not as small as an A6, which I often felt like I needed more than one-page-per-day, but not as intimidating as an A5 which always seemed like too much space and too large a notebook to tote around everyday. If you haven’t tried B6 yet, I highly recommend it as the Goldilocks of notebooks.

This image above shows that I’ve filled about 2/3rds of the Stalogy daily planner and evidence of collage-y bits can be seen from the edge.

I added the Midori pen clip to the back of the Stalogy at the beginning of the year and have managed to keep it for six whole months without losing it. Good news since my rare Sailor ProGear Slim Stargazer has been riding around in the loop all year.

I mark my place each month and each day with the Midori gold Chiratto Index Clips ($8.50 for 8 clips). It makes getting to my current spot fast and easy.

I’m getting some mileage with the monthly pages to keep track of silly holidays like Graham Cracker Day (July 5), travel, pen shows and birthdays and such but I am not using the week-on-two-pages like I thought I would.

I had thought I would utilize the page on the right of the week-on-two-pages in the Midori for work-related tasks and notes but I have ended up keeping a notebook at work for these tasks and the pages go largely unused. Its extra sad because I really like the paper in the Midori Pocket Planner and the little illustrations throughout are cheery.

The only creature in my house that uses the ribbon bookmark is Apple. He thinks it’s delicious.

In the Stalogy, on days without a lot of activities (like a Sunday when you discover you have Covid-19), I have started adding collage elements with washi, stickers and some rubber stamps. I also bought a Polaroid Mint mini-printer to add the occasional photo to my planner.

I often treat my planner more like a log book of what I did, what I ate, where I went, who I saw, what I read, watch or listened to, etc. so adding photos in is a good way to log activities. If you want to be able to add photos to your journal or planner, many people recommend the Canon Ivy which is currently available. The Polaroid Mint has been discontinued. Both the Mint and the Ivy use Zink 2″ x 3″ printer paper. The color output is not great but the printer uses instant film technology and the printers don’t need ink cartridges making it a little easier to use. So, it makes fun, little retro-looking images that add some much-needed personality to my planner.

Usually, on Sundays, I try to pre-decorate a few pages. Since I am doing a (sort of) page-a-day for my planner/journal/logbook I just add a few decorative elements to add some interest for the week but I am not locked into using a whole page for one day. Some days, I might use two or more pages. I’ve found this open method so much easier for me since there is no pressure from day-to-day. Some days are super busy and active, and some days I skip altogether.

I don’t know how to solve for the largely unused Midori Pocket Planner. I thought about removing the monthly pages and pasting them into the Stalogy but I would want the whole year’s worth of calendar pages so where doe I put them? In the back altogether? At the beginning of each month but what about later months?

I would like to streamline a little bit but I haven’t figured out the best way to do that. As it is right now, the book is quite chonky so I suspect I will try to reduce the bulk I carry on a daily basis a bit.

How’s your planning/journal/notebook set-up serving you? Have you needed to switch it up?

Bonus helper photo:

Apple insisted on hanging out with me while I photographed this post so he wanted to put his paw stamp on this post. It’s “Apple-approved.”

In Pen Review

Mini-Review: Retro51 Rainforest Trust

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Mini-Review: Retro51 Rainforest Trust

The Rainforest Retro51 ($59) is an exclusive Retro51 design from Luxury Brands of America. Limited to just 500 units, the pen is a partnership with the Rainforest Trust, a leading rainforest and endangered species conservation organization. With each purchase of the Rainforest Retro51, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Rainforest Trust to help protect and maintain the animals and habitat for the future.

The design is a multicolor screenprint in lush greens on a black background with animals hidden in the greenery including showy parrots, sloths, monkeys and wild cats (my animal identification might be incorrect so if you know more accurate descriptions, please leave them in the comments).

My favorite part is the frog end cap. He’s such a cute little guy who peers at you every time you open your pen case or sticks out of your pen cup.

The classic Retro51 Tornado design with its Schmidt rollerball refill is always a go-to at the Desk for on-the-go writing and especially for gateway gifts for loved ones. If you have a friend or family member who loves the tropics and rainforest conservation, grab one of these before they are gone.

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

In feature, Ink Review

Ink Review: Taisho Inks, Part 2

Author Jessica ColesPosted on 1 Comment
Ink Review: Taisho Inks, Part 2

Taisho Roman inks are a new line from Teranishi and I’m continuing on this week with another two colors from the lineup. If you missed part 1 of this review, make sure to go back and read it!

I discovered the entire Teranishi ink brand at St. Louis Art Supply where the ink is offered in 40mL glass bottles for $21.50 (about $0.54 per mL) or in 1.5mL samples for $2.50. Because I have used samples for this review, there is no photo of the actual bottles but refer to part 1 for a look at them.

Taisho Roman Modern Red is a well-saturated red with a hint of shading and a touch of sheen occasionally.

However, I was surprised at how Modern Red reacted to various types of paper. Sometimes this ink shows as a bold, bright red. Other papers reveal the orange and brown undertones of the ink. The ink can also show very different textures on each paper.

Teranishi Taisho Roman Modern Red on Cosmo Air Light 83gsm paper:

Teranishi Taisho Roman Modern Red on Tomoe River (TR7) 52gsm paper:

Teranishi Taisho Roman Modern Red on Midori MD paper:

Teranishi Taisho Roman Salon de Violet is the second ink in today’s review. This purple also has a bit of shading and plenty of blue in the undertones.

Teranishi Taisho Roman Salon de Violet on Cosmo Air Light 83gsm paper:

Teranishi Taisho Roman Salon de Violet on Tomoe River (TR7) 52gsm paper:

Teranishi Taisho Roman Salon de Violet on Midori MD paper:

Which of the Teranishi inks is your favorite?

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were purchased by me for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Link Love

Link Love: Mid-Year Reflections

Author AnaPosted on
Link Love: Mid-Year Reflections

As we head into July, stationery and pen fans tend take a moment to rest, enjoy the summer holidays and then re-evaluate their planner or other analog set-up. It’s just how we roll. This week, several posts feature reviews and reflections on goals and stationery plans that were set into motion in January. How have your stationery or planner approach changed since January?

Also, two more sites have taken time to play along with our #21penquestions tag. Some great answers!

Links of the Week:

(although some people — who shall remain nameless–  don’t deserve it!)

Pens:

Ink:

Pencils:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

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