tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-356866232024-03-13T20:21:11.767+10:00The Laurel TreeFountain Pens / Ink / Paper / Pen Photography / ArtLaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-68679390414347320282020-10-24T07:00:00.003+10:002021-02-14T19:35:04.789+10:00Still AroundIt’s been ten years since my last post. In that time I've experienced a few of ups and downs. While I still have all my fountain pens, I don’t buy any more. I still buy ink and paper, but mostly I buy art supplies.I experienced a years-long creative death, but I’m slowly reviving. We had a beautiful Spring, and I’ve been out and about with a friend almost every Thursday. It does feel like Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-5647605551302407712010-09-13T22:08:00.001+10:002010-09-13T22:08:36.437+10:00Introducing AlexanderWell, it's been a few months, so here's a look at what I've been busy with:
Alexander will be two months old at the end of this week. :)Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-21661186545492427242010-05-02T12:05:00.003+10:002010-05-20T16:20:50.978+10:00Bookbinding = JoyA couple of weeks ago I attended a 2-hour bookbinding class. It was rushed, slightly stressful, and showed a very quick-n-dirty approach. No written instructions, no precise cutting or time to take care, just 18 people frantically trying to keep up with a harried instructor who had a plane to catch. At the end of it, though, I had an intriguing little book, and had learnt (more or less) how to Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-18255893621964160232010-03-26T22:45:00.004+10:002010-03-26T22:51:12.918+10:00Rotring Technical PensLast week I picked up a nice set of 8 Rotring Isograph technical drawing pens on eBay. The last time I saw a set in an art store it was near $300, but happily I paid only a third of that.Because I used to be a Cartographer, technical pens aren't new to me. I have dozens... my own from when I was in college, and also most of my mother's (she used to be a Geographical Draughtsperson). I also have aLaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-12213137984510113972010-03-22T20:55:00.002+10:002010-03-23T10:00:07.185+10:00Sailor Spring InksTwo of the four new Sailor LE inks arrived in my mailbox today - Waka-Uguisu and Sakura Mori. You can see below how Waka-Uguisu compares to a couple of other yellow-green inks in my collection (click to enlarge):As you can see, Sakura Mori showed some interesting orange-pink colour separation when I brushed the samples out onto 160gsm CP watercolour paper. The ink does not show this much of a duoLaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-48963285763565497812010-03-20T15:55:00.002+10:002010-03-20T15:58:30.642+10:00Artist Trading CardsI tried my hand at a "Artist Trading Card" last night. I was given a pack a little while ago, and decided to see what they were all about. These two sites will give you a pretty good idea:ATCs for AllIllustrated ATCsI have always had miniaturist tendencies, so I find working on a 2.5" x 3.5" canvas quite enjoyable. I was going to do a simple watercolour, but then I got all nervy and reverted to Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-68649360907952999682010-03-18T22:20:00.003+10:002010-03-18T22:23:00.604+10:00Pens for MarchI have some nice pens in the rotation this month. There are the regulars, and then some which I feel I haven't used in ages.Regular selections:Lamy Lady, 0.4 Cursive ItalicNakaya Piccolo, Elastic SEFNakaya Piccolo, EFPelikan M640, XXXFChanging selections:Aurora Optima Mini, XF StubEsterbrook J, 2550 EFMontegrappa Micra, XXXFPilot Capless Décimo, FSailor Smoke Green, EFLaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-6281731519396683412010-03-18T22:05:00.004+10:002010-03-18T22:24:17.868+10:00Paper Review - Il Papiro of Italy Just a quick note to announce a new paper review which I have posted at the Fountain Pen Network!You can read it here: Il Papiro of Italy - Luxury Writing Paper and Envelopes.Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-15278438551098521712010-03-14T15:25:00.004+10:002010-03-14T15:32:15.926+10:00Shiny and New Again!This afternoon I spent some time tidying up pens which had been inked for far too long. After much soaking and gentle cleaning, the first batch of pens are drying nicely:Now it's time to clean the second batch... then the fun of re-inking can begin! :)Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-91742369984246764572010-03-10T13:50:00.000+10:002010-03-10T13:54:00.407+10:00Incoming Ink!Well, after a dry spell ink-wise, I have two nice Sailor Spring Limited Edition inks on their way to me:Waka-Uguisu (Mid Yellow-Green)Sakura Mori (Cherry Blossom Pink)Pink ink is something really unusual for me to buy, the only other pink ink I have is Levenger's Pinkly. Sakura Mori is far more subtle and sweet. I still have no idea about what pen I would put it in...The Waku-Uguisu is much moreLaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-81415242270505258932010-03-07T17:05:00.002+10:002010-03-18T22:23:35.115+10:00Some New Paper - Il PapiroI thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Melbourne last month - what a wonderful city! My husband and I are hoping to go again later in the year.I only got to check out one pen shop while I was in Melbourne, and that was Taft's in Westfield, Doncaster. I was very unimpressed... since I have not been to any other Taft's stores, I can only assume that the Doncaster store is carrying just the "popular" Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-15256616476640390112010-02-02T10:20:00.000+10:002010-02-02T10:21:36.708+10:00Ack, 2010!Late as it is, here is my first blog post for 2010. A year of change, oh yes!I'm off to Melbourne in a couple of days, where my husband and I will spend a week wandering about the city and playing tourist. My husband asked me to make a list of places I wanted to visit, but so far all it contains are pen shops and art shops.Now, if you have emailed me, or written to me, I will reply soon! I haveLaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-8440100476436469302009-11-10T07:45:00.009+10:002009-11-10T12:05:34.027+10:00Bad Laurel, No BiscuitSo, I really hate admitting things like this, but confession is good for the soul or something, right? :PWell, on the weekend I opened up one of the cases I use to store Japanese pens in, and selected two Platinums which I was planning to ink up for the week ahead. The pens in question can be seen in the above image, (4th and 5th from left). These are pens from the early 1970s, when Platinum was Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-47545880543807967872009-10-09T21:35:00.005+10:002009-11-05T19:54:27.362+10:00Artistic MusingsI've been having a serious problem with time lately, as in, where the hell is it all going? (Do you know it's eleven weeks until Christmas?!)Anyway, a couple of things for today's post:Watercolor Travel Kits (A Winsor & Netwon Rant)Daler Rowney PastelsWatercolor Travel KitsToday, a fellow artist showed me her latest little 'splurge' - a W&N Artists' Watercolour Field Box Set. Now, I love Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-37945795044156684282009-09-25T10:05:00.004+10:002009-09-25T10:31:15.440+10:00September UpdateThere isn't a lot to report this month: no new pens, no new inks. I have managed to spend a few hundred dollars on art supplies, though. (I know, I know...where have my priorities gone?)Anyway, so I have been keeping myself busy with some arty stuff - like small works with soft pastels. Now, I always considered myself an aspiring painter, specifically a watercolorist, yet it seems as though at Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-53869924824040520522009-08-06T22:25:00.002+10:002009-08-06T23:04:41.634+10:00The Prettiest Celluloid!Behold! OMAS Scarlatto / Scarlet Red Celluloid!Just look at how LUSCIOUS it is:Red red red!Interestingly, the left Princess pen from 1993 has 'OMAS Extra' on the body (as do all my others), while the new Princess on the right from 2002 has 'OMAS Italy' on the cap.Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-10898065769585596232009-07-20T12:22:00.001+10:002009-07-20T12:31:03.418+10:00Pilot Iroshizuku Autumn InksThe latest three Iroshizuku inks, Fuyu-Gaki, Tsukushi, and Yama-Guri, plus a couple of comparisons to show which way the ink colour shifts.Click to enlarge!Enjoy!Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-35485488718253960742009-07-17T17:19:00.000+10:002009-07-17T17:35:35.731+10:00Forgotten Art Supplies : Nostalgia (or not!)Thanks to some informative tweets from Graham McArthur about content on Drawger.com, I recently found the "The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies".It made me smile to see rapidographs, elipsographs, Letraset, film erasers, stencils and scribes... I trained as a Cartographer, and was amongst the last to be taught traditional drafting in addition to CAD. Also, my mother used to work as a Geological Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-13971677733913835112009-07-17T14:25:00.000+10:002009-07-17T15:18:51.304+10:00July UpdateIt's been a quiet few months in pendom for me of late. Work, art and friends have been taking up more and more of my time. But, there are some small tidbits of (old) news to share...Pilot Iroshizuku Autumn InksThree gorgeous new inks came out several weeks ago, and I must say that the Autumn edition is my favourite Iroshizuku release so far. With the gorgeous red-orange fuyu-gaki, Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-54114366715451350112009-05-08T19:47:00.003+10:002009-05-09T00:52:35.062+10:00Old becomes new!Behold my new pen! Somewhat of a Pilot Super clone with that big (brassed) cap band, this pen is actually made by "Ever", a low-tier maker active in 1950's Japan. I rediscovered this humble pen in my junk box this afternoon, and became especially interested in it when I noticed that the inlaid steel nib appeared to be exceptionally fine. The potential for exceptionally fine nibs always excites meLaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-51661957814000811432009-05-02T10:49:00.010+10:002009-05-02T15:30:07.431+10:00Pilot Iroshizuku Ito-Ya InksThe other day I received two bottles of Pilot's 'Tokyo Limited Edition' ink. These were made especially for the stationery store to end all other stationery stores, Ito-Ya, Ginza district, Tokyo.Click to enlarge!Three inks were produced: Shimbashi-Iro, Edo-Murasaki and Fukagawa-Nezu. Not being a fan of blue, I passed on the Shimbashi-Iro, but the rich red-violet and green-grey tones of the otherLaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-61774596816975002009-04-24T18:04:00.025+10:002009-05-06T15:28:26.610+10:00OMAS Princess #5Recently another long-awaited OMAS Princess fountain pen joined my collection - a 1997 Arco Green Princess with gold-filled trim!This is the fifth Princess in my collection, and the sixth OMAS celluloid I have had the pleasure of owning. The diminutive Princess and Dama models were released along with the Paragon as the Classic Celluloid Collection in 1991. The Princess is as beautifully made as Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-67070044655183786022009-04-13T23:23:00.007+10:002009-04-14T12:38:04.832+10:00Nakaya Piccolo III - ReviewI have just posted the review for my third Nakaya :Piccolo Chinkin Palmet - Shu with Colored PowdersLaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-81342536117010804812009-04-13T10:35:00.001+10:002009-04-14T10:45:32.493+10:00Nakaya Piccolo III - Photo!So this morning I woke up to a fantastic post by SJM1123 in a recent thread on the FPN about Japanese lacquerware decoration. The post links to a wonderful database of techniques, including Chinkin, which is what I chose for my third Piccolo.I was so inspired by the videos that I got the camera out and started snapping away. Here is a teaser from the shoot:I couldn't find my remote cable Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35686623.post-70981145645590976082009-04-03T20:55:00.002+10:002009-04-05T19:01:30.752+10:00Just Inked: OMAS Princess #4 Today one of my stunning OMAS Princess fountain pens returned to me after spending some time with Deb Kinney. The nib is now a very nice Kinney 0.3mm Cursive Italic, and much more usable than the original (shudders in horror) B nib.This 1997 Princess is all inked up with Iroshizuku Yu-Yake. The soft shade of orange goes beautifully with the Senape / Saffron Blue / Autumn Blue celluloid. (I Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14251611016399151825noreply@blogger.com2