Dime Novel Raven Turn 2!
When I set out on writing a blog, I had few expectations. My entire plan was just to share my love of stationery and try to post weekly (which I haven’t always been successful at, but close). I never thought that so many people (there’s about 2000 of you monthly!) would read my blog and interact with me both online and real life. Not to mention folks from around the world, not just North America! I am so honored that you spend time with my stationery ramblings and share some of your own! The growth this year has been so amazing and I’d like to thank everyone who has shared my posts and helped people become aware of my writings. You are all awesome and I’m really glad you’re here!
Trying out these inks cards that I picked up from Yoseka Stationery has been a fun thing this year. I still haven’t come up with exactly how I want to use them, but I look forward to further experimentation. Also pictured is one of my favorite pen acquisitions this year, the Kaweco x Galen Leather Carmine.
Just for fun - here are the top 5 most-read posts over the past year:
A Handful of Kaweco Nibs - This was one of my early posts in 2023 where I outline my thoughts on the different sorts of Kaweco 060 nibs. I’m really happy to see that people are still finding that post so useful.
Use it for Life - I was thinking a lot about the intention behind my acquisitions in 2024 and in this post I outlined some of the purchases that I have made that will be with me for life, either the object’s or my own. I am pleased to report that, indeed, all of those things are still in use daily.
Stalogy A6: I finished one! - A little celebratory post about how I finally finished an A6 Stalogy, something I have attempted several times before. The notebook was exactly what I needed this year. Imagine my surprise when this post got mentioned on the Pen Addict podcast not long after I wrote it. I was just listening along and then heard my name and had to back it up to make sure I heard correctly. Dream come true, getting a shoutout from Brad Dowdy! :D
Playing with 4 Italic Nib Grinds - This is a topic I would really like to revisit in the new year. I’ve had some nib grinds in daily use for over a year now and I think it would be fun to see if my thoughts have changed about them. I also got some new ones since this post, so definitely a topic that is going on the list for the future.
Brown: Anything but Nondescript - This post was spawned during one of my evenings when I was tearing through my ink passport and looking for patterns. I was inspired to think about my top five inks in each color category (blue had to be a top 10), and brown was a great one to start with. To my surprise again, I got a shoutout on the Pen Addict podcast and spawned an ink conversation between Brad and Myke. So unreal.
It’s been a very adventurous year!
I feel like I have really been able to hit my stride this year and get more comfortable with using my own style and feeling like I add something to the community. When I got started two years ago, I was definitely straddling the line of writing things similar to other people and having my own inspirations. I love how we all share trends and ideas within this community, and it’s been wonderful to find my own voice and the confidence to share my own perspective. Again, thank you all for being here, this little project I started two years ago is growing faster than I ever dreamed possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I am currently in the midst of thinking about where I want to go in the new year with this blog and I am so looking forward to year 3! I hope to see you here!
Currently Inked
Diamine Wilted Rose Inkvent Black Edition - Kaweco Art Sport Terrazzo B ‘imperial’ - From what I have seen on Instagram and a few blogs, this is a slightly controversial color. I will say that I do appreciate that Diamine is branching out on their theme from just Christmas to winter season. I think it’s given them a lot more leeway to develop colors. I am really enjoying this one. I am a sucker for earthy pinks and this one just gives me vintage pink vibes. It’s giving me walking through an antique store. It’s also a great shader. Note: It is a little dry so I gave it the tiniest amount of White Lightning and it flows perfectly now.
Colorverse Aquarius Whispers Colorvent 2024 - Kaweco Art Sport Tiger’s Eye 14K ‘selvedge’ - When I swatched this ink my first reaction was “Oh, that’s pretty.” I have a feeling 2025 is going to be a turquoise/light blue kind of year and this one has really great depth. I recently swapped to a broader nib and it makes it even prettier. I have a feeling this one might make the top 3 Colorvent inks - maybe not in my list, but the fan list. I suppose we will all need to stay tuned.
Ferris Wheel Press Velvet Ballet - Kaweco liliput copper EF flex - This Christmas edition ink from a few years ago is still one of my favorites. It’s a velvety red (think dusty theater curtains) with a silver shimmer. In this nib the shimmer moves through the letters beautifully. I haven’t used this nib in a bit, but it always offers up some scratchy quill feeling and I really enjoy that.
Colorverse Kilonova - Kaweco liliput fireblue 14K M ‘journaler’ - In the first 15 days (it will be day 16 when this post comes out), Colorverse has offered up a lot of blues in the Inkvent, seven so far. I think this one is gorgeous with its rich blurple and coppery sheen. I’m interested to do a comparison of all the blues when the calendar is done to see the variation (and how they compare to my other favorite Colorverse blues like Bow Shock and Supernova).