If my bank account on opening expressed itself with an emoji, there would be angry looking face now. I, on the other hand, look proudly at my new acquisitions because how happy I am with them! After a period of being frugal, things started to nag at me anyway because certain things had been on my wish list for so long that I really couldn’t wait any longer. And why did I necessarily have to wait, too? I didn’t really have a reason for it but I always try to put off my purchases. If I still want them a week from now, they are not impulse buys and I really need them. 😉
Since watching more artsy-tutorials on YouTube I started to get very greedy anyway, so you could also see some of it passing by in my wishlist I posted the other day. Promarkers, Copic Markers, watercolors… I WANT IT ALL! But I had to make choices because even though I want everything, it’s just not feasible (and frankly, not at all necessary). The full set of Copic Markers costs more than €700! Maybe still looking for a rich guy 😉 Haha! Anyway, I did buy some really nice goodies and I want to share them with you. Take a look at my shopping haul from the past three months? Then when you see it like that, it’s not so bad, is it?
Cloth paper, watercolor block and Promarkers by Winsor & Newton
I was at Action for #realpostiscool and came across a watercolor block with prints that you can then paint. There are then gold elements incorporated on the page and a print that you do not see at first glance. Then when you paint, it stays (if all goes well) neatly within the lines and you can make fun creations this way (since watercolor always spreads to the places where it is wet). I haven’t tested it yet but will soon and maybe I’ll write a post about it. In any case, it looks very nice! In addition, I also found a block of linen paper (cardstock) – great for making cards or perhaps also to use for handlettering or watercolors. Just to see what works best on it is often hard to estimate anyway.
Then last in this picture – I bought two sets of Promarkers! I wanted them for so long and could get them at a small discount, so I tied the knot and bought both a pastel set and a basic set. So a total of 18 markers and a blender. I have already practiced a bit with it but keep these creations for you guys 😉 Can already say: best purchase so far!
Rhodia Dotpad
Rhodia’s famous notepad – perfect for practicing calligraphy and handlettering. I had been looking for this for a long time and Amazon unfortunately did not ship it to the Netherlands, but a few weeks after my search, it was just available through Penstore (one of my favorite webshops). Super happy I was! And I can tell you that it really works super nicely. The paper is of such quality that Indian ink and brush pens do not bleed through. Markers, such as Promarkers, which do print through but this paper is also less suitable for that.
Sakura Gelly Roll
I was looking for a nice, good white gel pen that I can use over watercolor or a brush pen, this for highlighting, for example. Now I already had a white gel pen and with that I had to go over the same area several times before it covered well. So not nice to work with. This white gel pen also struggles a bit at times but at least it works a lot better than my other pen. By the way, the gold and silver versions are top notch and also write very nicely! Set cost about €5 so that’s not too bad for three pens.
Tombow Dual Brush Pen
I already have several brush pens (from Pentel Touch to Akashiya Sai) which incidentally work very nicely but I wanted to try the Tombow version as well. Have to say I like these a lot better than Pentel because of the more flexible tip. I sometimes find the down strokes with your pen difficult (because then you have to create a thick line) but it is a lot easier with this pen. Now to work on my handwriting. 😉
By the way, the pen next to it is a cheap brush pen from eBay. Came in at the time of photographing so put it there. By the way, it writes exactly the same as the Pentel Touch but is a euro cheaper. Still makes a difference!
Leuchtturm 1917 notebook
After years of being a fan of Moleskine, I wanted to try something different again. I ended up with the German brand Leuchtturm. I had first bought the sea blue version with lines but for a Bullet Journal, pages with a dot, are a lot nicer. You can then go in more directions to create your own layout of your bullet journal, so I bought another version.
I’ve been using a bullet journal since February, and I find that in my mind it’s a lot more organized when I create a calendar that completely meets my needs. I still find a to-do list very useful, yet I often missed a general overview. I am still playing with the layout of the bullet journal but the beginning is there. By the way, want more information or inspiration for making a Bullet Journal? Then visit the site of Boho Berry – the queen of Bullet Journaling. Because of her I also started and I find her videos so inspiring and fun to watch! And her handwriting is enviable, I wish I could write that neatly.
I can be very brief about the Leuchtturm – I like the booklets so much better than a Moleskine! Paper I find writes nicer, doesn’t print through as much (actually not at all, even with a brush pen!), you have a table of contents that you can decorate yourself, two bookmarks and an envelope where you can put receipts. Some of the things the Moleskine has too but I find that I like this paper better anyway AND you also have a lot more pages to write on! A comparison between Moleskine and Leuchtturm can also be found on Boho Berry. No more Moleskine for me – that’s for sure!
Steadtler Brilliant Colours pens
Beautiful pens in fun colors! <3 I was actually looking for the ballpoint pen version but again had looked wrong. Still very happy with them and can use them well to practice my handlettering. By the way, this was done on my Rhodia Dotpad 😉 I don’t think my handwriting is great yet – I still get to practice a lot on the space between the letters, that each letter is the same thickness and facing the same direction. I enjoy doing it so I really don’t mind practicing! And so hopefully you can see my progress as well 😉
Micron pens
What is a web designer/graphic designer without Micron pens? These really are pens that everyone with a graphic arts profession needs. That’s how they came along in my article on Gift Tips for (beginning) graphic web designer. I have had them for quite some time now and really can’t live without them. I use them for everything – for logo design, making quick wireframes (alternating with pencil), handlettering or of course just writing with them. I love my Micron’s!
Faber Castell Polychromos
Even though I am a graphic designer, I would really like to do more with traditional media like drawing for example. Now I don’t need to create perfectly detailed drawings but if I can create illustrations that I can then use in logos, cards or posters then I am very happy with that. I find that I have more freedom on paper and if I can combine that with graphic design, the possibilities are endless and hopefully super original. If you follow me on Instagram you’ll see little things come by from time to time so be sure to take a look there. I had these pencils for my birthday, by the way. 🙂
Why Fonts Matter by Sarah Hyndman
I already have some books on HTML/CSS and jQuery, branding and handlettering but not yet specifically on fonts. When I came across the book Why Fonts Matter *while browsing on Bol.com, I looked up some reviews first. Very often it is the case that you buy a book but there is not really innovative information in it and I think that is a waste of money. However, this book had nothing but rave reviews so I bought it after all. I haven’t had time to read it yet, but while flipping through it I already came across some interesting information so I’ll be sitting down to read it soon.
iPhone 6S
The icing on the cake – an iPhone 6S! My phone subscription expires this week and it was time to pick out a new one. For two years I used the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and I was very satisfied with it, but after two years you want something else. I’ve actually had Android for years but I actually wanted a new system too, so I went for the iPhone this time and haven’t regretted it for a moment. By the way, the photos in this article were taken with it because I wanted to give the camera a good try (except for the photo with the phone itself, of course, haha!). We recently had a romantic candlelight dinner at work for our clients and rose petals came from that. And since I’m just so in love with my phone, I just used them for the picture. 😉
That was it again! I just want to emphasize that this was not purchased all at once but spread over three/four months, so don’t worry. I can still eat decently, haha! Once in a while it is also nice to go all out – at least then you remember what you are working all those overtime hours for (and believe me, there have been a lot of them lately). But now the cut really goes. I don’t need to bring markers, pens or paper for now. First go practice well with my current stuff and see what fun creations I can make with it. I’ll keep you updated!
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