Hobonichi For Sale

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!

ALMOST WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: Tomoko Maruyama Notebook Review

I found this adorable notebook on a recent trip to Maido in San Francisco's Japantown (love it there!).

You'll need to forgive the quality of these images. The book is definitely pastel. The paper is ivory with blue and red dotted lines.  Designed in the US - printed in China.

Above: Unfortunately, the pages became separated from the binding when I opened the book.

Bottom Line: Not horrible unless you need the pages to stay in the book.  (Not trying to sound sarcastic here. Sometimes tidy pages out of the book can be handy, too.)

INK REVIEW: Diamine Ultra Green

Diamine Ultra Green Swab

 With the demise of Caran D'ache Amazon Green, I have been on the lookout for another green that I can love as much.  Maybe Ultra Green from Diamine is it.

I tested Ultra Green on a variety of papers including famed Tomoe River Paper. While I have some issues with Tomoe River Paper (it crinkles like mad and needs to be treated gently for this reason), I also think it is fantastic to get a true read of the color of an ink. Rather than being absorbed into the paper, the ink seems to sit on top of the paper - there is never even a little bleed-through or feathering with Tomoe River Paper.

gorgeous color

I love the clear and crisp qualities that this ink has to offer. Great clean green with good saturation (so important to me) and even a little shading.

In some ways, maybe I like this ink even better than Amazon from Caran D'ache.  Look at the highlighting test and the smearing (well, the lack of smearing).

Diamine Ultra Green Writing Test on Strathmore Cotton Paper

I love the swab below. The variation of color . . .

Diamine Ultra Green Writing Test on Clairefontaine Paper

Yep! This might be my new green - might have to do more testing first, though, yes?

Diamine Ultra Green Writing Test on Tomoe River Paper

Do you have a favorite green? Tell me all about it!

Just for Fun: Tomoe River Paper Swabs

Oh.My.Goodness.

Tomoe River Paper isn't for ink/paper/pen newbies. It can be difficult to deal with - it's super-thin, wrinkles easily, needs to be stored carefully, and wrinkles easily (worth mentioning twice).  It's expensive, ghosts like a sonofagun, and wrinkles easily (that's three).

But.

Oh.My.Goodness.

The above swabs were done as one of my earliest experience with Tomoe River Paper.  I did these (as I do all of my swabs) with a cotton swab saturated with the ink and the "scrubbed" onto the paper.  Even though the paper is super-duper thin (and wrinkles easily) <that's four>, there was zero bleed-through. None.

And.

Oh.My.Goodness.

The colors just...pop!...from this paper.  This is the way the ink manufacturers must mean for their inks to be experienced.

Here's a link to the full-size image. It's big. It's worth the load time.

Check this out...

Diamine Majestic Blue

And this...

Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu Syogun

So. If you're in love with paper and inks and pens and such - Tomoe River Paper is a must try. It's definitely not an everyday paper for me (wrinkles easily, you know), but wow. Wow.

Have you tried Tomoe River Paper?  What other papers do you love?