That would be a cool name for an ink. As it is, Dark Matter is a pretty neat name, too. As is Heart of Darkness. (no affiliation with either website, just using them as references)

Anyway.

I suppose Onyx Black isn't too shabby a name, either:





Would've posted this yesterday, but, well.... *blaAAAAAaargh*


*flops into bed, and passes out*

Here I've compiled all the blues I've owned/tried, for your viewing pleasure. Hopefully this will give you a better idea of how Diamine Majestic Blue looks in comparison to all the other blues I've reviewed :)

Top to bottom:
Noodler's Van Gogh Blue
Camel Royal Blue (maybe I didn't shake the bottle? :-/)
Private Reserve Midnight Blue
Noodler's Navajo Turquoise
Noodler's Aircorps Blue-Black
Noodler's Coral Sea Blue
Diamine Majestic Blue



I tried to write a sentence with two different pens for each ink, since the color of the ink can sometimes look different depending on what pen it's coming out of (Van Gogh Blue, for instance...and to a lesser extent, Coral Sea Blue).

...with Diamine Majestic Blue. What a beautiful color this is <3



Remember, folks, that Red n' Black notebooks tend to take longer to dry than most other notebooks. Not that this ink dries fast, either way. It doesn't. Just saying.

...with Diamine Pumpkin! :) Those of you who read my blog will know that this week I'm planning to cover the 5 inks that Diamine released for Spring 09: Pumpkin, Majestic Blue, Onyx Black, Poppy Red, and Chocolate Brown. Up first is Pumpkin. Enjoy!




I thought about drawing pumpkins, but those are rather plain, yes (though I did draw one very small one at the top, with a black -- well, orange -- cat.)? So instead I drew a phoenix (my version of it anyway) :D I love phoenixes. They're my favorite mythical creatures (plus, I'm a Scorpio and they symbolize the whole rebirth concept that the sign represents/comprises of). I wrote Flight of the Phoenix next to it, for no reason whatsoever other than procrastinating on other things, which I'm good at : ]P

I haven't ever stumbled across a review for Rhodia pencils, which I thought was unusual, considering how beloved the brand is. So, here is my humble contribution to the world of passionate pencil reviews:

RHODIA PENCILS

INTRO
I'm going to admit, right off the bat, that the reason I wanted to try one of these pencils so badly is because of the black wood color. I think that pencils with colored wood are just so cool-looking. I'm usually pretty utilitarian when it comes to writing instruments...but come on, colored wood! The question we must ask is, does this pencil match up to its better known half -- the Rhodia notepad?



CONSTRUCTION
The paint covering the barrel of the pencil is the same bright orange color as the cover to the Rhodia pads. It will most definitely jump out at you from a cluttered desk, which is a VERY good thing for me ;) This is by no means a "quiet" pencil; ebony-colored wood and eraser coupled with a bright orange body practically screams to be picked up and used. Which isn't a bad thing.

Sharpening seems to be a little tricky. When I used my sharpener (which is a pretty damn good sharpener), the pencil sharpened very jaggedly. This didn't bother me, since, jagged = sharp points with which to write. But if you're a pencil perfectionist, well...maybe your sharpener will be more cooperative than mine? Still, I think it did a good job:





The only type of embellishment or decoration on the otherwise plain orange body is the Rhodia logo, stamped in black on all three sides of the pencil, near the eraser. Yes, that's right: All three sides--


Head shot -- a front view of the triangular build.

This is a triangular-shaped pencil, not round or 6-sided (hexigon). This makes it far easier to keep from rolling off the desk; I'm sure many of you have experienced how frustrating it can get when even your hexagon-barreled pencils start to roll off of a desk. I know I have. So, a triangle-shaped body is great. PLUS, a 3-sided pencil is obviously urging you to try and hold it correctly (I don't, but I'm a lost cause), which is nice.


How to hold a pencil correctly. Step one...

THE LEAD
Why don't we let the scan speak for itself?

Scanned (a bit lighter IRL; it scanned dark):


Photographed:


The smudge resistance is above average, but definitely not the best I've seen. The lead is a nice average medium-dark that erases well.

And, they're pretty damn good for sketching:



Drew this guy in about 20 minutes while waiting for my grandma to prepare lunch. Rhodia pencil on a Rhodia gridded pad. I've never drawn/attempted to draw a fox before, and wanted to practice. I think it came out quite well.

PURCHASING RHODIA PENCILS
I'm not sure about B&M (brick & mortar) stores, to be perfectly honest, but Rhodia pencils can be found online at the following retailers:

www.thedailyplanner.com -- 3 for $5.95
www.vickerey.com -- 8 for $12.80
www.pencilthings.com -- 1 for $1.60
www.lisart.com -- 1 for $2.00
www.shopwritersbloc.com-- 3 for $4.50
www.swisherpens.com -- 1 for $1.60

CONCLUSION
No doubt, these pencils are quite pricey, at no less than $1.50 each. So the big question is, are they worth the cost?

Good question. I like these pencils very much; sadly, I haven't tried enough pencils to be able to do any sort of in-depth comparison. I'd recommend it to people who like to try different types of pencils, because I do think it's a well-made pencil. However, I can't say that I'm crazy to replace it once it's finished. Like I said, it's a good pencil...but, to me, just not good enough* considering the price. Would I purchase it if it were around $1? Probably. But $1.50? No, thanks.

*You have to also remember that I normally favor pens over pencils (though occasionally I do get the urge to write with a good pencil) -- especially fountain pens -- so please take this review, like all reviews, with a grain of salt.


Upcoming:
5 new Diamine inks for Spring '09:

Pumpkin
Majestic Blue
Onyx Black
Poppy Red
Chocolate Brown

Next week is gonna be Ink Week! XD

Well, since Carl CSSD could not be contacted....

Congrats to sentraser165, who wins instead ;) Please contact me at damaged.goods.lj@gmail.com so I can send you your prize.

Hope everybody had a great 4th of July!

Aaaaaand here's the second half!

INTRO
The graph pad I received for review from Exaclair's Karen Doherty (who is an amazing person to work with, btw) is decidedly smaller than the lined one; however, I find myself eager to use it more -- both due to the smaller ruling (and y'all know I have a thing for small rulings...the more lines on the paper, after all, the more words I can fit! Very economical...plus I like to write small) and the nifty size (roughly "5 X "4.5) that fits nicely in my purse. However, the gridded pad comes in all sizes -- the one I happen to have is teeny tiny. In fact, I saw a whole Rhodia display at Paradise Pen the other day...and am kicking myself for not getting the full-size gridded pad! Yup, I'm in love.




CONSTRUCTION
What's nice is that even though the pads are different sizes, they all have what seems to be the same amount of pages inside. This is refreshing, as it keeps me from feeling cheated of paper just because I wanted to purchase a smaller size.



The back of the smaller pad is different than the back of the larger one:



No measurements here; just the facts. Don't know what the 5 X 5 is about, though.

Time for a size comparison:


How big is it really? Compared to a stack of Post-It notes.

Like I said, the perfect size (IMHO). I'm always on the lookout for pads that I can slip into my purse for jotting down notes/addresses/memos/etc, not to mention doodles when I'm bored, so this is wonderful.
While we're on the subject, I haven't tried Field Notes yet, though I would like to. I wonder what the Field Notes grids are like, sizewise, compared to the Rhodia pad pages?

Whoops....I'm getting ahead of myself. Sorry. ADHD, remember? ;)

Like its big brother, this pad sadly can only bend so far back, prohibiting you from really using the back of the pad (I stretch the pad out on the table, awkwardly, and write on the back anyway to keep from wasting paper):



The paper is perforated on top for easy removal (unlike Red n' Black notebooks), while still being attached well enough to keep from accidentally ripping off (unlike Mead 5-star notebooks).

PAPER
The paper in this one is gridded. I believe that this is the original paper format of the Rhodia pads, since the lined one was marked as lined, while this one wasn't marked with anything at all. The lines are blue, and slightly darker than I'd like. It would be really nice if the lines were a pale grey like the Aplca notebooks are.....then it would be perfect. Oh well.


The gridded paper. The lines are definitely darker than what you see here.

The spacing between the lines, I think, is excellent. Here's a shot comparing the gridded paper to the lined one. As you can see, the spaces on the lined pad are wider than the ones on the grid, which makes sense. Check it out:


Lined VS gridded.


A close-up of the lined pad VS the gridded one.

I didn't bother doing a pen-ink test of the paper, since it's exactly the same caliber as the paper reviewed previously. Same exact paper, just...gridded, instead of lined. Instead, here's a link to the Rhodia (lined) Pad review, where you can check to see how well the paper fared against various writing instruments. To be honest, though, I think that if it can stand up to FP ink, it can probably stand up to most anything else (with the exclusion of Sharpies, naturally), since FP ink is the "problem child" of the stationary world, so far as paper compatibility is concerned (I say this with the utmost affection, of course).

PURCHASING RHODIA PADS
Rhodia pads can be found just about anywhere:

They're available at Borders bookstores;
at Pear Tree Pens
at SwisherPens
at Pendamonium
at Dick Blick
at The Daily Planner
at The Journal Store

Basically, many places that sell journals/stationary/paper are bound to have it, including your local art supply/stationary store. And you can bet that any fine writing store (whether online or brick & mortar) worth its salt will be carrying it.

CONCLUSION:
Probably the only two things that would improve these things are lighter, more subtle gridlines and some way to be able to write on both sides of the paper without turning the pad into a spiral-bound (don't ask me how, I'm no notebook engineer...). And, wouldn't an inner pocket be nice (sort of like Moleskines have) for stashing loose notes and such? I would also suggest a slightly heavier/stiffer cover since over time, the front cover will bend up like so:



However, I'll be the first to admit that these are all minor, nitpicky points, the latter of which can be fixed with a rubber band to keep the cover snugly against the pad. These small Rhodia pads are fantastic for on-the-go sketches, notetaking, whatever. I think that these will be my on-the-go memo pads of choice, at least until I try the much-raved-about Field Notes :P
As for the larger gridded Rhodia pads, I recommend them wholeheartedly to any artist or architect who wants a good gridded pad to jot down notes/ideas. This is definitely good paper that won't rip or fall apart on you. It's a bit pricier than your average, run-of-the-mill gridded pad, but it's also a great deal better in quality.

In a nutshell, these are hands down the best gridded pads I've ever used, and I strongly feel that they are an excellent investment to make for any artist/architect who's sick of bleedthrough and wants good quality paper to work with. I will certainly be purchasing more of these in the future. Highly recommended!

:)


Upcoming:
Rhodia pencil
Diamine new Spring 2009 inks:
-Pumpkin
-Majestic Blue
-Onyx Black
-Poppy Red
-Chocolate Brown

And, you know what? It didn't turn out half bad!

After seeing so many handmade envelopes on other snail mail oriented blogs, I itched to make my own. As fate would have it, my family recently purchased some really nice wrapping paper which I thought would make excellent material for a homemade envelope. Problem was, I'd never made one before.

Fountain Pen Network to the rescue!!! This wonderful, informative thread popped up a day or so after I started considering the idea of making my own envelope (there's that fate again...). And, how's this for irony: The correspondent whom this envelope was for also posted a how-to for making one's own envelopes on his blog as well. Psychic connection? (If you're a fan of snail mailing, I suggest you take a look at his very informative blog. It has some excellent snail mailing tips as well as colorful letters, and the like. And, no, I wasn't requested/paid to write this ;) )

For my first time at making an envelope, I was pretty pleased with how it came out!! I folded the wrapping paper double when making this envelope, since the paper is so thin.

FRONT

The address label matches! :D

BACK


I thought that the opening might be hard to find -- that it would blend into the design -- so I put a little note in. I'm a dork :)


Almost done...


Ta da!

Note how by the final stage, I used clear packaging tape to seal the edges of the envelope to keep it from falling apart during its journey, and lend it some durability.

My correspondent, when he received this, blogged about it here. He liked it! I have to admit, this was fun to make, too! I'll have to make more :D

Coming up next: Rhodia pad, part II!

That was the theme of this letter, anyway. Hello! Man, it's good to be back home.

I forgot to scan in the stationary I used (d'oh...), but it was lighthouse themed, and so I decorated the envelope as such. I've never decorated an envelope so much before, and really like how it came out.






A close-up of the address label -- a baby sea turtle pokes its little head out of the shell. Aww!

I cut out a square(ish) piece of paper, drew an anchor on it (no, I didn't use any references. Don't laugh at my anchor!) and used it to sort of "seal" the envelope shut. It just looked too plain, somehow, even with the waves/whale tail at the bottom and the sea turtle address label.

Well, here we are! The Rhodia review I've been yapping about. I'm going to be out of state (MD) for a karate tournament/get-together this weekend, so expect no new posts till Sunday evening at the earliest, Monday evening by the latest (hopefully).

Leaving super early tomorrow morning -- have a good weekend, all!

Since there are a lot of photos, I'm putting the review behind an LJ cut:

( Click here to read the review )


Upcoming:
Rhodia review, pt 2 (gridded)
Rhodia pencil
Diamine ink (Spring 2009 series): Pumpkin, Majestic Blue, Onyx Black

I was going to post the Rhodia review today, but didn't get a chance to finish uploading/editing the photos I took, so instead you all get to look at juicy, fungi-related...stuff. Heh. I'll wrap up and post the Rhodia review tomorrow. Tons of pics :D

I saw some mushroom themed stationary online which I liked immediately (I love mushrooms), and was thus inspired to make my own! Customized, no less. That's me out mushroom-picking in the woods*, surrounded by a dream haven of glorious, colorful mushrooms in all shapes and sizes (including, ok, fly agaric).



And a close up:



I like the bunny, hehe. I was inspired to put a rabbit in the picture when I saw one on my way to martial arts class. Then I saw it again on my way back home -- in the same exact spot, almost 2 hours later! For some reason this amused me to no end. So, this is my homage to you, Rabbit That Would Not Move.

Anyway, moving on...I liked the way this came out so much that I decided to make color copies of it to use as stationary for other snail mail correspondents. Which gave me the brilliant idea of creating several different stationary designs and making copies, so I wouldn't have to hand draw each letter I send out.

Here is the original (top) compared to the copies (below):



Hey, not bad. The colors stayed true to the original, for the most part.

Now, what should my next theme be?


EDIT: Forgot to add, that this was done using O'bon colored pencils...which are slated to be reviewed in the near future ;)


*I have indeed been mushroom/toadstool picking before -- my friend and I wanted to dry them to make colorful mushroom potpourri. Sadly, after leaving them out to dry it rained and our beautiful harvest was destroyed (read: gross and slimy) and had to be thrown. Boo.

Who remembers that Hindu goddess stationary which had previously been sent to me? Something about seeing a cutesy Kali:



...made me want to draw my own, slightly more realistic, version.



This is just a quick sketch I did. She's standing on the headless bodies of two demons she's slain. She does that a lot :-]P Kali, the destroyer of evil! I actually folded up and included this piece in the envelope I sent back to the correspondent.

EDIT: Confirmed with my dad. Kali is a goddess that destroys demons and evil (both within and without). She has absolutely NOTHING to do with time. I have no clue where the creator of GheeHappy got that notion from.

I'm unable to track down Carl CSSD from FPN. If I'm unable to get in touch with him within a week, I'll pick another winner.

*wonders where he is*

Since I'm far too cheap to spend money buying pretty stationary (I know, I know, I'm a total immigrant) I usually decorate the paper by hand before sending it off. Like this one, which was made for The Missive Maven, whom I know likes bats:



Yay bats!

The first page was decorated with bats; the second one was mostly blank (hey, I only have so much energy) with the odd doodle of a horseshoe crab here and there. When you work at a beach educating kids about the endangered horseshoe crab, and handle the creatures on a regular basis, they start to endear themselves to you. No, seriously. It's reached the point where I think that they are quite adorable. Like this one here:


Awww. See? Cute!



Oooh, and this is neat: The pirate-themed stationary which I made a while back was featured on The Missive Maven in this entry. Sweet!

Started a blogroll -- check out my user info/profile page! Not finished yet, obviously...

If you want me to link to your blog, comment and let me know. I'd love to swap links with you :)


*runs off to get ready to see Little Mermaid on Broadway*

And the winners are!




Carl CSSD!

kookychick!

Ernie Wayne!

Ondina!

ZeissIkon!


CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Please e-mail me your mailing addresses at damaged.goods.lj@gmail.com, so I can send you your bagasse pads.

To everyone that entered, thanks so much! You all gave a great list of suggestions for eco-friendly art and writing materials.

Happy Father's Day!

This has certainly been a long time coming. Blame work; trooping up and down the beach and wading around in a salt marsh with a classroom full of superexcited kids tires you out like nobody's business :]P But, here it is finally. Hooray!

LAMALI LOKTA PASSPORT JOURNALS

INTRO
These beautiful, hand-made Nepalese blank books were news to me. I acquired them in a trade over FPN, and am SO GLAD I did -- these are fantastic! The slightly off white paper is made from the lokta plant, "an unassuming shrub with the ability to regenerate every six years", according to the insert. In addition, the making of this paper is old custom, and "every step in the production process is done by hand: from the harvesting of the long, sturdy fibers to the careful binding of every journal. Each resulting item is a piece of art, combining elegant design with a rustic yet soft look and feel.
Lamali Lokta is made by artisan workshops committed to social responsibility, environmental conservation and maintaining traditional Nepalese culture. A portion of all proceeds goes towards rural economic development projects."
Wow. Now that is cool. Perhaps there is some exaggeration there; but in all honesty, it looks as though purchasing this item supports some really great things. Great cause, great paper...Consider me on board!




CONSTRUCTION
The covers on these notebooks are fantastically gorgeous. They are made of what seems to be thick, stiff (lokta?) cardboard: Textured, slightly wrinkled, and come in a variety of colors and patterns. Open them up...



...and this is what you see (minus the writing/doodling, of course ;P)

The three sizes that are available are as follows:

Large: 5.25" x 8.25"
Oblong: 3.5" x 7"
Small: 3.5" x 5"



The binding is sewn--



AND, it lays flat :)



All in all, it seems extremely study and flexible for its size and build. Unless you REALLY abuse it, I can't imagine this notebook getting twisted or disfigured in your briefcase or (in my case) a messy, disorganized handbag.

PAPER
Though they are referred to as notebooks, I really can't think of anybody using this as a notebook so much as a sketchpad (art notes?), due to both the construction and the paper that's in it. The blank pages feel smooth to the fingers, but definitely have tooth to them, typical of sketchpads (this paper has far subtler tooth than most sketchpads, though). It's nice and thick, good quality paper. How does it fare with fountain pens?



If you look carefully you can see areas where it looked as though the ink either feathered, or "missed a spot". Neither is true. That's simply due to the toothiness of the paper, making for uneven ink coating. This is a primary reason I wouldn't use this as an actual notepad; the inconsistency of the ink coating (as well as the drag) would bug me.
In addition there was no bleedthrough AT ALL. Even with the Sharpie there was mostly shading and less so bleedthrough. With all the other pens, there was zero shading as well as zero bleedthrough. Nice!!

HOWEVER! How does this paper fare with art materials? I am of the opinion that if it can survive water colors as well as fountain pens, it's a definite keeper and can stand up to pretty much anything else.



Done with watercolor, which I let dry and then attacked with colored pencils. Since I'm a perfectionist, and attempted to get the water shade even by diluting the watercolors with even more water and sponging it off, the poor paper suffered quite a bit of abuse under my hand. Even so, it held up amazingly well!

( Geeky art explanation here, skip if desired )

There are 40 unlined pages in each journal.


PURCHASING LAMALI LOKTA
I got my Lamali Lokta sketchbooks through a fellow Fountain Pen Networker, acquired through a trade. I....haven't actually been able to find places online where one can purchase them *embarassed*. The FPNer in question lives in Hawaii, and found them in a local arts store. Here's the web site, which is the only real info I've found about them:

www.savoirfaire.com

EDIT: Also, fabulous blog reader Okami found this source for obtaining the notebooks, through www.plazaart.com.

I know, it's a little obscure....but is it worth it? I think so.

CONCLUSION
To conclude, these mini sketchbooks are great for traveling. They're study, yet slim and reasonably flexible, and you can be sure that the paper won't rip or tear easily. No wonder that they're called "passport journals", then. I wholeheartedly recommend them, and if I can ever get a hold of that FPNer again, or find a place that has these, I will most definitely stock up. If you're an artist, or simply a notebook/journal/sketchbook junkie, give it a go!!


NOTE, however, that not all lokta paper is created equal. This particular brand using this particular paper-making process is fantastic for FPs and watercolors alike; however, I've heard very iffy things about other lokta-made products so far as FPs are concerned, and can't speak as to their quality as I personally have not tried them. If I do, I'll let you know :P

Upcoming:
Rhodia pad
Rhodia pencil (I'm curious as to this one, myself)
Diamine inks (5): Pumpkin, Majestic Blue, Onyx

WOW!!!

Blog readers, I feel that it is my duty to inform you of the following contest that Rhodia Drive, a blog about Rhodia notebooks, is holding. All you have to do is email them your contact info, and you are entered for a chance to win a gift pack overflowing with Exaclair goodies.

From the blog--

1) Send your complete name, mailing address to: info@rhodiadrive.com.
Please include the name of your blog or website if applicable.
2.) There will be 1 random winner each week. Each person may enter only once and may not win more than one prize. Non-winners automatically qualify for the next draw. Make sure you provide a valid email address. In case a winner does not respond within a week, we will pick an alternate winner.
3) There will be five (4) weekly drawings one on each of the following dates: June 14, June 21, 28 and July 5.
4) The gift packs will include an assortment of Rhodia, Clairefontaine, and Quo Vadis notebooks, G. Lalo stationery, and J. Herbin ink. AND..one of the new 90g Rhodia Webnotebooks!

Wow. That is seriously shiny!! Check out the actual webpage with the contest info on it here.

Good luck to all ye who enter! ;)

Remember that gothic WIP (work in progress) pen & ink piece that I was working on? The one with the angel on the tombstone? Well, it only took me about a MONTH, but I finally got around to finishing it XD



I used Sakura Micron art pens (click the link to see the review), but the roses were colored using Caran d'Ache Storm fountain pen ink, and I believe the blue butterflies were colored using Diamine Majestic Blue fountain pen ink (review forthcoming :) ).

Hmm. What do you think? Should I have left it b&w? Do the colors detract from the image or make it richer? Should only the roses be colored? Only the butterflies? Discuss.


EDIT: My one friend said that the colors seem to detract. Anyone else? Feedback would be appreciated...



Upcoming:
Lamali Lokta sketchbooks
Rhodia pad
Rhodia pencil
Diamine ink series (5): Pumpkin, Majestic Blue

Snail mail time!

I must admit, I was really excited when I got this envelope in the mail:

FRONT


BACK


HINDU MYTHOLOGY FOR THE WIN!!! =D

On the back, that elephant figure is Ganesha, the elephant headed Hindu god of knowledge and luck. He's very fond of ladoo (round sweets like the kind he's holding in the picture), and his mount/special animal is the mouse (In Hindu mythology, all the gods/goddesses have a special animal they ride on, and that represents them). Ain't that cute? He's offering a ladoo to the little mouse!
And, I'm sure Ilona didn't realize this, but Ganesh is the key deity of the area of India I'm from, Maharashtra. So that made my day :)

On the front of the envelope there, that's a disembodied head flying sideways after being whacked off...

By the goddess Kali!


She looks kinda Powerpuff-esque, doesn't she? On the bottom there it says KALI...Goddess of time and death. Ok, the time aspect I never heard of. But she certainly looks like she'd bring death, doesn't she? (in "real" Hindu mythology, she wears a red sari, not a dress made of severed arms. That's just odd.) What she's really known for, though, is slaying demons and evildoers left and right (which explains the disembodied head. She does that a lot.) Oh, and the picture really is cut off at the bottom of the stationary. Not quite sure why the artist decided to do that, but there you go.

The next sheet:



That would be Sarasvati, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge (on the bottom it just says "Goddess of knowledge"). She's usually seen with a peacock, though, not a swan. Oh well. I guess the artist was from a different part of India, where the mythology is a little different?

The back of the letter is cute as well--


The names of the various goddesses, in Hindi and English.

Needless to say, I absolutely loved this stationary and was quite tickled by it. One other sheet came with it:



I really liked the old-fashioned look of it (It didn't exactly go with the rest of the stationary, but it's fun to throw in a little randomness, yes? I think so :D)