Loved this series! Thank you for sharing with us. Of your controversial opinions, I agree with 1, 3 & 4 wholeheartedly - I have no experience with writer's blood or raspberry rose so I can't give an opinion on item 2. But I'd add one to your list which is that there is such a thing as too much SHEEN. There are some inks that have so much sheen that it changes the color of the ink. This is especially true when the sheen is a different color than the ink itself. And this just ruins the ink for me.
I received my samples of raspberry rose and hanging rice and I'm excited to use them in September. I had 5 pens inked this month and 2 of them being carry overs from last month and I'm finishing them one after another just in time for the end of the month. Same thing happened in July so I feel pretty proud for using them consistently. I started a new notebook and planner this month too and they are handling the inks well. There's just something about a new notebook that is exciting.
This looks like so much fun and I love your bottled ink log. I ordered a metric ton of paper from paper Penguin co to start a pen log and an ink log using Filofaxes I have lying around, but have yet to start the project. I’m hoping once work slows down in a few months, I can dedicate more time to it! Love hearing your thoughts as always. Thanks for sharing with us!!
I have to agree with controversial opinion number 1 (sadly). I was so obsessed with shading inks for a while but my eyes don’t like a full page of it. My summer project has been pairing bottles to pens - and as I ink anything I rate lower than B+ I immediately clean and try a new pair. Have fun at pen show!
Hi Seemownay, this looks like it was a lot of fun! On the topic of the mold problem with your Vinta Ink - I haven't seen you swatch any Van Dieman's inks, but I've had that same problem with their new formula inks - Specifically the new Tassie Seasons Summer Hail Storm and the new Wilderness Series Spotted Sun Orchid - both of which were absolute favourite inks of mine before they changed the formulas. I bought bottles AFTER they changed the formulas and noticed so much mold in the bottom corners of the bottles that I wound up just throwing them out - hardly ever used them. They were stored in my dark media cabinet and the caps were both tight. Another thing I noticed with the new Van Dieman's formula was a red/pink stain that got left behind with spills. It stained everything it touched after the original colour of the stain came out. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the mold or if that stain caught the mold and stained it so I could see it better, but the mold was definitely the colour of the stain. Have not determined a non-toxic way to remove yet.
I never tried Writer’s Blood, but see lots of ppl using it. When I recently used Raspberry Rose, I thought it kind of reminded me of Writer’s Blood…so glad you’ve confirmed for me that Raspberry Rose is a brighter version of the cult favorite Writer’s Blood :) I don’t enjoy dry inks, but I also just purchased my first Pelikan (yet to arrive) so I am curious if my need for dry inks may lie with this incoming pen. And yes, I also recently found out that there is such a thing as a too-wet ink. I was surprised when I used Private Reserve Purple Mojo and it seemed like it just fell out of the first pen I used it in. Bad feathering…I had to change pens two more times until I got to a Japanese EF and the ink finally was manageable. Surprised me to find that out. I usually enjoy the well-lubricated inks in general Thank you for sharing your project and process. Always a pleasure to hear you speak and share your thoughts.
I definitely agree re: shading. An ink can be super super light and still be mostly legible, but the moment a light ink has shading it becomes illegible to me.
Really sad about that vinta ink, it’s so beautiful. That’s one of my favourite ink shades-though I do prefer it a bit lighter. I have sailor shikiori Fuji-sugata and like it a lot but it’s a bit more pink leaning. I really loved my sample of Monteverde purple mist, but I read horror stories about Monteverde inks moulding so I’m wary of buying a bottle. Just purchased Diamine jacaranda online today and I’m hoping it lives up to my expectations 😅
This video was a lot of fun and some of your "controversial" opinions cracked me up😂, maybe I am easily amused, which could actually be a good thing, come to 🤔 think of it😅. I don’t find any of your thoughts/opinions controversial. I love shading inks, but I like a slow gradient, between the dark and the lighter tone of the ink. Diamine Amber, for example, looks lovely at the bottom of the letter, but the top is so light, that it is almost illegible ☹️ and this should be forbidden😊 Is there really anybody out there who loves extremely dry inks, that sound like sandpaper while writing ✍️😬? I personally don’t like ink that go to the other extreme and are oversaturated, so they are thick and guey in the pen, neither do I like too much sheen. But !! I do love inks that shade just perfectly, like the recently discovered Diamine Harmony . I am wondering, if Troublemaker Foxglove might be a substitute for the mouldy Vinta ink?
Loved this series! Thank you for sharing with us. Of your controversial opinions, I agree with 1, 3 & 4 wholeheartedly - I have no experience with writer's blood or raspberry rose so I can't give an opinion on item 2. But I'd add one to your list which is that there is such a thing as too much SHEEN. There are some inks that have so much sheen that it changes the color of the ink. This is especially true when the sheen is a different color than the ink itself. And this just ruins the ink for me.
Yes to Raspberry Rose being the new Writer‘s Blood. 🥰
I received my samples of raspberry rose and hanging rice and I'm excited to use them in September. I had 5 pens inked this month and 2 of them being carry overs from last month and I'm finishing them one after another just in time for the end of the month. Same thing happened in July so I feel pretty proud for using them consistently. I started a new notebook and planner this month too and they are handling the inks well. There's just something about a new notebook that is exciting.
This looks like so much fun and I love your bottled ink log.
I ordered a metric ton of paper from paper Penguin co to start a pen log and an ink log using Filofaxes I have lying around, but have yet to start the project. I’m hoping once work slows down in a few months, I can dedicate more time to it!
Love hearing your thoughts as always. Thanks for sharing with us!!
You have inspired me to go through my ink bottles. So many inks I am not using!
I have to agree with controversial opinion number 1 (sadly). I was so obsessed with shading inks for a while but my eyes don’t like a full page of it. My summer project has been pairing bottles to pens - and as I ink anything I rate lower than B+ I immediately clean and try a new pair. Have fun at pen show!
Hi Seemownay, this looks like it was a lot of fun!
On the topic of the mold problem with your Vinta Ink - I haven't seen you swatch any Van Dieman's inks, but I've had that same problem with their new formula inks - Specifically the new Tassie Seasons Summer Hail Storm and the new Wilderness Series Spotted Sun Orchid - both of which were absolute favourite inks of mine before they changed the formulas.
I bought bottles AFTER they changed the formulas and noticed so much mold in the bottom corners of the bottles that I wound up just throwing them out - hardly ever used them. They were stored in my dark media cabinet and the caps were both tight. Another thing I noticed with the new Van Dieman's formula was a red/pink stain that got left behind with spills. It stained everything it touched after the original colour of the stain came out. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the mold or if that stain caught the mold and stained it so I could see it better, but the mold was definitely the colour of the stain. Have not determined a non-toxic way to remove yet.
I never tried Writer’s Blood, but see lots of ppl using it. When I recently used Raspberry Rose, I thought it kind of reminded me of Writer’s Blood…so glad you’ve confirmed for me that Raspberry Rose is a brighter version of the cult favorite Writer’s Blood :)
I don’t enjoy dry inks, but I also just purchased my first Pelikan (yet to arrive) so I am curious if my need for dry inks may lie with this incoming pen.
And yes, I also recently found out that there is such a thing as a too-wet ink. I was surprised when I used Private Reserve Purple Mojo and it seemed like it just fell out of the first pen I used it in. Bad feathering…I had to change pens two more times until I got to a Japanese EF and the ink finally was manageable. Surprised me to find that out. I usually enjoy the well-lubricated inks in general
Thank you for sharing your project and process. Always a pleasure to hear you speak and share your thoughts.
I definitely agree re: shading. An ink can be super super light and still be mostly legible, but the moment a light ink has shading it becomes illegible to me.
Really sad about that vinta ink, it’s so beautiful. That’s one of my favourite ink shades-though I do prefer it a bit lighter. I have sailor shikiori Fuji-sugata and like it a lot but it’s a bit more pink leaning. I really loved my sample of Monteverde purple mist, but I read horror stories about Monteverde inks moulding so I’m wary of buying a bottle. Just purchased Diamine jacaranda online today and I’m hoping it lives up to my expectations 😅
abhahaha those controversial opinions!
This video was a lot of fun and some of your "controversial" opinions cracked me up😂, maybe I am easily amused, which could actually be a good thing, come to 🤔 think of it😅. I don’t find any of your thoughts/opinions controversial. I love shading inks, but I like a slow gradient, between the dark and the lighter tone of the ink. Diamine Amber, for example, looks lovely at the bottom of the letter, but the top is so light, that it is almost illegible ☹️ and this should be forbidden😊 Is there really anybody out there who loves extremely dry inks, that sound like sandpaper while writing ✍️😬?
I personally don’t like ink that go to the other extreme and are oversaturated, so they are thick and guey in the pen, neither do I like too much sheen. But !! I do love inks that shade just perfectly, like the recently discovered Diamine Harmony . I am wondering, if Troublemaker Foxglove might be a substitute for the mouldy Vinta ink?