GIVEAWAY/CONTEST: Diamine Ink Samples!

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. 

INK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Diamine Sepia

Handwritten Review - Diamine Sepia

Happy Wednesday!

Today, I'm giving away a full-sized bottle of Diamine Sepia Fountain Pen Ink.  I know, I know you were hoping it was the pen. Sorry.   #sorrynotsorry

When I learned that Goulet Pens was sending me the Fall 2014 Edition of  Edison Nouveau Premiere and a bottle of ink, I suggested that they could also send me a sample of the same ink. "I'll use the sample and giveaway the bottle."

I had no idea which ink they were sending, but when I saw that it was sepia, I was so glad I was only getting the sample-sized.  Brown inks are a waste on me. Ick.

At least they used to be. And then I fell in love with J Herbin's Lie de The. 

And now this:

Diamine Sepia Ink Swap

Let's dive in . . . 

A beautiful golden brown - with perhaps a bit of red?

No green or gray to muddy things up.

Shading makes me happy.

cRaZy shading makes me crazy happy.

I love this ink. The color is great, saturation is good, there is definitely shading. No bleeding, minimal show through (ghosting).

Water resistance isn't super-important to me. Good thing, too . . . .

You'll also note on the full review (click here for full-size version) that the color seems to be less saturated as I get further down on the page.  Totally user error. I was having trouble filling from the sample bottle and ended up with ink clinging to the converter. A small twist of the converter got me going again.

Here's the review I wrote for the pen review. Click here for the full-size.

Bottom line?  I've added this ink to my wish list so that I can keep my word and give you this full-sized unopened bottle.

Leave a comment below to be entered to win. Remember to tell me how to get in touch with you. Open to US mailing addresses only (so sorry, international friends). Entry must be received by Wednesday, September 17. Winner will be announced on Friday, September 19.

Of course, you can always order Diamine Sepia from Goulet Pens.

Good luck!!

xo

EDITED TO ADD: After you've entered to win this ink, run on over to Ink Nouveau and enter to win the pen! I'm catching up on my blogs and just saw that you enter to win until the end of today!

PEN REVIEW: Edison Nouveau Premiere Autumn Harvest (Fall 2014 Special Edition Fountain Pen)

Edison Nouveau Premiere

Fall 2014 Special Edition Fountain Pen

Hello Fall!!!

The Fall 2014 Edison Nouveau Special Edition fountain pen has been released.

Edison Nouveau Premiere 

Fall 2014

Screw Cap

They are calling it Autumn Harvest.

I was thinking the fall edition might be conservative and concerned that could mean that it wouldn't have been. . . uh . . . as wonderfully special as those two.  CraZy!

Shades of brown mixed with hues of gold - light mixed with dark - flecks and flakes mixed with discreet swirls.

This is a fountain pen that can go anywhere with anyone and fit in comfortably. It can be dressed up with a business suit or go casual with jeans.


Gold-tone trim (fancy people call this the pen's "furniture"). Two-toned steel nib (mine is a broad and I think you should go broad, too).

Convenient Converter Fill

It has an almost vintage feel to it, yes? Vintage, but not old. The design is so modern.

This isn't your grandpa's fountain pen (not that there's anything wrong with that!).

OK, so it's pretty handsome, but how does the Edison Nouveau Premiere Autumn Harvest (Fall 2014 Special Edition) Fountain Pen write?

Swoooooon

Click here to see the full-sized handwritten review.

Things to know . . .

. . . . Goulet Pens graciously sent me this pen in exchange for my honest review. As a special edition, they are predicting that the pen will be available through November 2014. If sales are greater than expected, they could be out of stock sooner. You can get yours for $149 right here.

. . . . I have a giveaway (and more pictures of this beauty) coming up on Wednesday - hoping you'll come back and check it out.

Your turn . . . love it? hate it? Does it make you look froward to fall?

INTERNET FAMOUS!!

You guys!!!

I had no idea they were going to, but Goulet Pens mentioned me in The Goulet Communique today!

I am thrilled. And honored!  In fact, I texted Mr. Pentulant with something like the following:

omg omg omg

omg omg omg 

OMG OMG OMG

I'm Internet Famous!
Gotta go. Bye!

Their shout-out is sending a bit of traffic this way (so appreciative!) and I thought it would be fun to post a little something about who I am and what I do here.

Let's see . . . my name is Christine and I love all things pen-related. 

I think that sums it up!  I hope you poke around a little, like what you see, and stick around.

xoxo


P.S. Follow me on Instagram - you won't be disappointed.

P.P.S. The Goulets were kind enough to send me the following items in exchange for my honest opinion.

Edison Nouveau Premiere Summer Edition (swooon!)

Apica Premium C.D. Notebook (loved it!)

Monteverde 36-Pen Case (mixed feelings)

P.P.P.S.  What? You don't know about The Goulet Pen Company?  I'll do a full post about them sometime soon, but really, go buy some ink samples, ok?

PEN ACCESSORIES REVIEW: Monteverde 36 Slot Pen Case

Monteverde 36 Slot Pen Case Review

Let's dive right in . . .

• holds 36 pens (18 on each side)
• padded nylon cover with faux leather accents
• velour interior
• stiff partition to keep the pens on either side of the case from rubbing together
• zipper close (single pull)

There are some good things about this case . . .

• padded nylon cover seems durable
• rounded corners help prevent wear and tear
• exterior looks good - nice even, tight stitching, and I like the half-moon "grip" area of the case 
• velour interior is super-soft

Before we get to the rest of this review, I should let you know that I received this item from Goulet Pens in exchange for my honest review of it.

There is one ungood (it's a word, autocorrect!) thing about this Monteverde Pen Case . . .

The elastic seems a bit too loose for slimmer pens, and most better cases have two pieces of elastic holding each pen.

Here are some more pictures . . . 

See how the pens above lean against each other? It just took a tiny nudge.

If you think I'm showing off my Lamy collection, you're right.

At just $40, this case is a good deal. If they exist, I couldn't find other pen cases that hold as many pens in this same price range. Because of the situation with the elastics, I wouldn't use this for my best and most expensive pens - call me paranoid - but I would use it for every day pens. In fact, after I took these photos, I loaded it right up with a bunch of my vintage pens and feel that they are well-protected.

Your turn - how do you store your pens? And..uh...exactly how many pens do you have to store? (I should do a nib count here someday!)

xoxo

PS..after I had this review written, but not yet published, Brian Goulet took a quick look at this Monteverde Case. He shakes the heck out that thing and says he uses this case himself. Check it out.

PEN REVIEW: Edison Nouveau Premiere - Summer 2014

As soon as the mail carrier knocked quietly on the door (she doesn't want to disturb the dogs...haha), I jumped up because I knew what was going to be on the porch waiting for me.

Days before, I'd seen the preview and knew I was going to own this pen - the Edison Nouveau Premiere - Caribbean Sea (Summer Edition 2014).

I have its Cherry Blossom - Spring 2014 sister. And I practically squealed when I saw the color of the Caribbean Sea.

Anyway . . . what I didn't know was that within a few days of learning about this pen (a Goulet Pens exclusive from Edison Pen Co.), I'd have a note from Rachel Goulet - yes, the Rachel Goulet!!! - asking if I'd review some items for them from time to time and in exchange I'd get to keep the items. Are you kidding? Of course I will! I love what they're doing over at Goulet Pens and how they're doing it. I'm a frequent customer and huge fan. I'm seriously honored that they would ask me (just don't tell them that I probably would have bought this pen anyway, ok?)

So..that's the disclaimer, I received this pen at no charge to me and I'm being totally honest about what I think of it.

I love it.

The name of this pen is perfect - Caribbean Sea. The color is a gorgeous blue-green with lots of depth, swirls, and sheens. I couldn't stop taking pictures of it from different angles, in different light, on different surfaces. If you like the way it looks in my (very amateur) pictures, you'll love the way it looks in person - seriously.

The shape of the Premiere is . . . interesting. It has the pointiest cap ever. In fact, I challenge you to find a pen with a more pointy cap.

I love that the section (the part you grip) is contoured and there is no steep drop-off between it and the body of the pen. It's very comfortable in the hand.

The cap can be posted, but I'm finding that I like writing with it unposted better. It's definitely not a weight issue - more that the pen is longer than average when posted and that may take some getting used to.

Of course, looks are only part of the equation when it comes to fountain pens.  How does it write?

I'm going to pat myself on the back for choosing the perfect color to go with this pen: Toucan Bright Blue. (More on Toucan inks coming soon.)

Here are some scanned handwriting samples. Click here to see the full-sized handwritten review.

Someone on Instagram asked me how the nib compared with the nib of a Lamy Safari. My answer is that the Edison Nouveau is more buttery smooth than the Lamy Safari. Some people like a little feedback when writing and others like a super duper smooth experience.

I'd say that the flow is a bit wet - but I like that. This nib is a medium, by the way.

I just checked and the Carribean Sea is sold out.  I'm pretty sure it will be back in stock, though - summer has just begun!

OK, that's that. What do you think?  Did you order this one as soon as it came out? Will you be waiting for it to come back into stock?  And...do you match your ink to your pen colors?

I'll be back later this week with an ink review!

xoxo

Edited to Add:  It's in stock - get it here!