GIVEAWAY/CONTEST: Diamine Ink Samples!

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Diamine recently released a set of eight inks to celebrate their brand’s 150th (!!) anniversary.

I ended up buying all of the bottles for myself – and got a set of samples for you!

The set includes 2 ml samples of the following inks . . .

  • 1864 Blue-Black
  • Blue Velvet
  • Carnival
  • Regency Blue
  • Safari
  • Silver Fox
  • Terracotta
  • Tropical Green

Well, except Tropical Green. I spilled about one ml of the ink. Arrgh.

How to win?
 
Come closest to guessing (over is fine) the number of inky cotton swabs in the gallon-sized bag shown below.  If more than one person guesses right on the number, the person who entered first will win the samples.
These are nearly all of the swabs I used during 2015. It’s been a busy year! Last year, the jar I use was only about half full, this year it overflowed with inky goodness.

I’ll be back after the beginning of the new year to announce the winner.

Until then…

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!



So, what’s your number?  
Contest open to US/CAN only.  Sorry to my friends in far away lands!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This isn’t a sponsored post. The samples (and my bottles) came from Goulet Pens, but they don’t know what I’m up to over here today. 

Hobonichi For Sale

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I’ve decided that the Hobonichi Cousin format just won’t work for me and I’m selling the 2015 planner and the cover as a set.
You can get details about the book and the cover at the Hobonichi website – here and here.
Original packaging not available. In perfect new condition. Completely unused (though I may have scribbled with the included pen once or twice).
Non-smoking home, but we do have dogs. w00f!
$55 including shipping to US addresses 
I realize these aren’t the best photos – please see the Hobonichi website for better photos and complete details regarding size.

I can be reached at christine (at) christinewitt (dot) com. Though I generally welcome the opportunity to wheel and deal, I am firm on pricing.

I’ll be back later this week with a very special inky giveaway!

INK REVIEW: Montblanc Corn Poppy Red

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Montblanc Corn Poppy Red Ink Swabs
 BaBam!  Biff! Boom! Pow!

Montblanc Corn Poppy Red has arrived on the scene.

My very first impression was that the ink is terribly wet. If flowed from my pen with such ease that I was sure it would take forever to dry.  I was wrong and the dry times are perfectly acceptable with no smearing at all at the twenty second mark.

Montblanc Corn Poppy Red Writing Sample

Here’s the scoop . . . delightful saturation, beautiful red color, flow is wonderful, definitely not water-resistant.

There was no ghosting and minimal show through on the HP 32 pound paper I was using. There was also the teeny tiniest bit of spread. Not enough to call it feathering, but definitely some spread. Just a touch. Maybe so little that others wouldn’t notice it? Probably not enough that it’s a deal breaker for me.

I regularly use HP 32 pound paper. I know it’s a good and consistent paper that works well with fountain pens. An then I wondered . . . how would Corn Poppy Red behave on other papers?

First I tried Apica CD 15 Notebook paper. This is their regular line, not the premium stuff.

It was not a pleasant writing experience. I felt as I needed to press just a bit harder with the pen (the MB Heritage 1912 that I adore so much) and even then, it just didn’t feel as nice.

Then, I tried my old favorite Rhodia 80 gsm . . .

And, man, that was some nice writing! Smooth with crisp lines. I approve!

I know you’re looking at the bottom line there and wondering what the heck happened. Silly me put the paper in the scanner before it was dry.  Anyone know how to clean ink off of a feed scanner’s rolly bits? Oops.

Bottom line? I like pen and ink combinations that work on all papers. There’s so much fuss in the world that when I pick up a pen, I just want it to go. I like Montblanc Corn Poppy Red, but it’s not love.

Whomp Whomp.

Tell me – what are deal breakers for you with inks? Color is the big obvious thing, but are there other things that you simply will not tolerate?

INK REVIEW: Diamine Autumn Oak

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Hello, Autumn Oak!
I’d been hearing good things about Autumn Oak from Diamine. Seeing is definitely believing!
With its name, I assumed the ink would be some shade of brown and not very exciting. So glad I finally decided to check it out.
Insane shading.  Writes great.  No ghosting or bleeding. Acceptable dry times. No water resistance. Not incredibly saturated, but definitely not watery.
Here’s the full review . . . 
And a link to the original file (it’s huge).
I mentioned in the handwritten review that Autumn Oak seems to be comparable to other orange inks.  The color reminds of Pelikan Edelstein Amber – though Autumn Oak definitely has more shading.
I wrote in the review, “I like it!” Based on my usage of it over the last few days, I’m going to revise that to . . . I love it!  There are definitely many orange fountain pen inks out there, but this one is definitely unique in terms of color and shading and it writes great.
Ooh – bonus images – I’ve been practicing my splash techniques.  Getting better!
Alrighty, your turn.  What do you think of Diamine Autumn Oak? Do you have an orange ink that you love love love? 
xo

INK REVIEW: Diamine Poppy Red

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It feels like it’s been awhile since I’ve been able to say this – I LOVE this ink.

Diamine Poppy Red fountain pen ink is a pure, bright red ink with a teeny tiny bit of potential for shading.  The ink dries faster than average on the page and doesn’t feel dry (nor too lubricated) in the pen. There is not much water resistance, but I didn’t expect there to be. There were no hard starts, no ghosting, no bleeding, no problems.  Just plain ole happy red RED saturated ink.

Check it out . . .

The swabs above are 1, 2, and 3 passes with a super-soaked cotton swab.

And here’s a close-up of some handwriting with it . . .

Seriously, I have nothing but good things to say about Poppy Red from Diamine.  This review is from a sample I bought from Goulet Pens. I will have a full bottle of it in the very near future.  Love, love, love.

Here’s the full review . . .

If you want to see the full-sized version of the handwritten review, here’s a link for you.  (It’s huge.)

What do you think? Love it? Maybe you have another go-to favorite red ink?

How was your Thanksgiving? Mr. Pentulant and I were at the beach for the long weekend. We had a great time. So relaxing.

xoxox

FOUND AROUND FRIDAY: Late Night Edition

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‘Tis the season, friends.  Work is super-swamped in a fabulous way, Thanksgiving is mere days away, and I’m happily losing track of the hours.

And yet, I’ve been doing a good job of keeping up with my reading.  Here we go . . .

Have you seen Serious Nibbage from Gourmet Pens and SBRE Brown? You should. Fun video reviews of some fantastic pens.  Serious Nibbage, indeed!

I need a Chop.

Penucopia talks about TWSBI, their history, some issues, and why they are so popular. A good read.

A look at the Levenger True Writer from The Pen Addict. This isn’t a pen I’ve given much consideration – maybe time to think again.

There’s not much time left to get in on the KarasKustoms and Mr. Mike Dudek Kickstarter. I’m in. Are you?

Speaking of Mr. Mike, Dudek Modern Goods recently released The Daily.  I’m a fan.

Folks over on FPN are pondering the imponderables.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Mr. Pentulant and I are putting up our Christmas tree and getting ready for Thanksgiving festivities.

xoxo