I've just pre-ordered the 2023 Inkvent (my third year in a row). I love the surprise element of it! I know the quality of properties of Diamine ink and that I don't have to buy a whole bottle, yet get more ink than your average sample vial. It's the best of both worlds - the familiar Diamine ink, so no surprises with flow/quality, and at the same time, a surprise present every day. And who doesn't like presents? ;)
favs in order for me are : 🥇 4:57 ... OLIVE SWIRL 🥈18:50 ...DUSTED TRUFFLE 🥉22:09 ...YULE LOG 26:45...MEMORY LANE 30:02...JINGLE BERRY 1:12...DIAMOND Celebration
Olive Swirl is cool because depending on the angle of the light, the shimmer either looks green or pink. I loved my daily morning ritual with the Inkvent calendar last year, and am definitely getting another one. I don't do subscription boxes anymore, but a once a year holiday ink surprise box is so fun to me. :)
I wouldn't buy a subscription box that includes large bottles of ink due to the chance of not liking one or two. But the Inkvent Calendar is such a fun idea and the bottles are smaller. If I don't like a few of the colors I can give the bottles away. But chances are, based on all the passed Inkvent Calendars I've seen swatched, I'll like most. I'm planning to get the 2023 Invent Calendar just for the fun of it.
I think Inkvent is a good one to try because the bottles are small enough, like samples. But yes, bigger subscription boxes with whole bottles are too much for me.
2022 was my first Inkvent box, and I loved it. One of my favourites was Bliss, and I don't think I've not had a pen inked up with it since. I need to find a full bottle of it, or keep my fingers crossed the 2023 box will have something very close to it.
Please do a video on your ink and pens spreadsheet! I am just getting to the point where I have enough pens/inks that I want to create a spreadsheet and would love ideas on how to track everything.
Notes on Karyna’s Video So many thoughts while watching you swatch some of my favorite inks from Diamine inkvent! 1. Did you know that Olive Swirl’s glitter looks green or red depending on how the light hits it? Totally makes me think of the olive in a martini at a fancy Christmas party. I have it in my Sailor MF nib right now and love it!! 2. One More Sleep - every time I use this one I remember Muppets Christmas Carol (if you haven’t seen it, watch it with your kids! It’s a family favorite for us). There’s a song that goes “…after all there’s only one more sleep ‘til Christmas.” 3. Dusted Truffle always starts out such an ugly (to me) greenish brown but dries a gorgeous pale brown with silver shimmer! Love it! Also, I think they are so well-named! Like Dusted Truffle makes me imagine being in a high class chocolate shop at Christmas time. 4. About real time vs voice over… girl, I feel you. Swatching inks is so meditative. I’m not sure I’d want to even talk while doing it, except maybe to myself. I’ll watch whatever you do. 😁 5. I got the inkvent last year when I was brand new to fountain pens and I LOVED it. So I think it’s a great gift for people who are just getting into the hobby. Further into it though, this year, I’d rather spend the money on ink bottles of samples I’ve loved. 6. Memory Lane was in my top 3! Love that shade of purple and I highly prefer silver shimmer over golds. I have this ink in my Benu Briolette Luminous Orchid and it is a perfect match!! So glad you got to try these and I loved watching it!
Thanks Kat! Great notes on all the above. I think I'll mix up the ink swatching depending on how I feel. Some days it's just easier to film it all in real time and just upload it with very little editing, versus having to do another voice over on top. I appreciate all the encouragement!
Thank you for this video Karyna! It was nice to revisit these colors. I have been sleeping on Olive Swirl!! BRB....going to ink something up with that right now!!!
I love how you use the cap of the ink vial, to make the swatch. Saves a lot of time, instead of drawing a square and filling it in, like I've been doing! Lol.
I like the idea of a subscription box. It sounds like a way to circumvent the tendency of a controlling mindset to keep us from discovering things about our tastes we don’t know like we think we do. When I started collecting and using fountain pens, I thought I’d never want to own a pen I can’t post. Turns out, it’s not really that big a deal. Some pens I thought would be the only pen I’d ever want to use, I barely used before storing. Some pens I thought were ugly: trusty favorites! I’ll try at least a one-time surprise box at some point in the future just to see if I discover something I’d miss out on if left to my own devices. Ink, not so much as pens for me though. Ink is fun to watch, but it’s too easy to end up with more ink than you can use. I could probably paint a wall with inks that looked pretty, but are dry or too light etc. Forget about the ones (I admit) purchased for their names and/or bottles.
I totally see that - if you're open to trying new things, a subscription box is a great way to do that. I think if you're actively using all of those inks, it could pile up very quickly, though.
I wanna start the binder like yours but Wonder Pens is all out of loose leaf trp! I have festive joy from the ink vent that was gifted from a friend. It sometimes has a green sheen but it’s a flat purple usually
I’m with you on the surprise element. I know it’s a better price than if you got them all individually, but I’d rather get less for the same price but choose the colours im getting than end up paying for stuff I don’t really want 😅
I've never tried any of the Inkvents, but there have been several inks from Inkvent that have caught my eye lately. Yule Log is beautiful and so is Olive Swirl. I'm always down for a grunge green--especially with shimmer. Another one not in your swatches: Spiced Apple! I saw that one on Kristen's (Life Inspires Design) channel and fell in love. Beautiful swatches, Karyna! Love your videos.
I've bought the two last inkvents. I didn't like the 2021, but 2022 I loved. I don't think I'll buy the next one as I still have so much to use from the previous ones. The fact that I still haven't inked some of them up yet... 😅 Yule Log and Olive Swirl were some of my favourites when I swatched them. But Upon a Star impressed me when I finally inked it up. The sheen wasn't too over powering. I have not inked up Dusted Truffle yet. There was two scented inks that were so wet that they feathered, so I haven't used them.
I’ve thought of buying the ink vent collection one year to fill in gaps in my color variety. I wish I had a local pen friend so we could split the cost and divide the inks so it wouldn’t be such a commitment.
I'm sure you could post in Reddit to see if there is someone nearby who would split with you - or even share the cost and shipping if they were okay with you sending it to them.
I haven't done inkvent because I am not into shimmer and have too many bottles already. That dusted truffle is making me want to try again! I would totally do a Stationery Selection subscription box, but I think I would be disappointed in other ones as I'm kinda picky.
Is the Kakimori brass nib worth it? I’m always looking for something to use for swatching and sampling different colors without having to ink up a whole pen, but the cheap glass dip pen I got ain’t it.
Man, olive swirl was one that I had major FOMO over when I saw it last year. It feels like the sender doesn’t enjoy shimmer inks and sent them all to you. Great way of culling her collection.
Dusted Truffle, Yule Log (looked like chocolate when you first laid it down) and Olive Swirl! I just wish I didn't struggle so with shimmer inks; I tend to avoid them.☹
I would check Amazon for Tomoe River Paper if that is what you prefer. But when it comes to choosing paper, I recommend swatching on paper you will use daily. If you journal with Tomoe River Paper, then ink swatch on that. But if you just have a regular journal or just use regular copy paper on a day to day basis, I would use that.
Blue blood is dugong bughaw in Tagalog. Sorry, can't help wincing when you were saying the name. Kikay Crafts is Filipino and did a good job with her swatch and mini history lesson with Vinta inks.
Thanks - I'm Filipino, too, but grew up in Canada so Tagalog is not my first language so I'm not going to say these properly on the first try. Sorry to make you wince.
No worries, Filipino fountain pen/ink companies are spreading so I expect to hear more people mispronouncing the names, sadly. Love your work with the swatches and looking forward to you finishing this series.
I am 100% the same way Please dont send me something untill I've oked it cause if I dont like it I'm going to feel guilty for passing it on and if you want to buy something for me or get me a gift card make it a mastercard gift card then I can spend it where ever I want :)
Thank you! And yes, I totally get where you're coming from. I even told my husband not to even bother with gift cards anymore. Just ask me what I'm saving up for, and he can contribute!
I've just pre-ordered the 2023 Inkvent (my third year in a row). I love the surprise element of it! I know the quality of properties of Diamine ink and that I don't have to buy a whole bottle, yet get more ink than your average sample vial. It's the best of both worlds - the familiar Diamine ink, so no surprises with flow/quality, and at the same time, a surprise present every day. And who doesn't like presents? ;)
That is a really good way of looking at it!! 😁
I've ordered mine, too. It makes such a great gift for my Sweetie who also loves the pens and inks.
favs in order for me are :
🥇 4:57 ... OLIVE SWIRL
🥈18:50 ...DUSTED TRUFFLE
🥉22:09 ...YULE LOG
26:45...MEMORY LANE
30:02...JINGLE BERRY
1:12...DIAMOND Celebration
Yes! Your too 3 are my favourites too!
Olive Swirl is cool because depending on the angle of the light, the shimmer either looks green or pink. I loved my daily morning ritual with the Inkvent calendar last year, and am definitely getting another one. I don't do subscription boxes anymore, but a once a year holiday ink surprise box is so fun to me. :)
Ooh I never noticed that! Need to go try that on Olive Swirl now.
This was so much fun! I loved your mood, so fun and happy! Dusted Truffle was my fav!
Thank you! These were so fun to swatch!
I wouldn't buy a subscription box that includes large bottles of ink due to the chance of not liking one or two. But the Inkvent Calendar is such a fun idea and the bottles are smaller. If I don't like a few of the colors I can give the bottles away. But chances are, based on all the passed Inkvent Calendars I've seen swatched, I'll like most. I'm planning to get the 2023 Invent Calendar just for the fun of it.
I think Inkvent is a good one to try because the bottles are small enough, like samples. But yes, bigger subscription boxes with whole bottles are too much for me.
loving these inks, especially the olive swirl
2022 was my first Inkvent box, and I loved it. One of my favourites was Bliss, and I don't think I've not had a pen inked up with it since. I need to find a full bottle of it, or keep my fingers crossed the 2023 box will have something very close to it.
I really think the Yule log is my favorite, thanks for sharing 😊
Good choice!
Please do a video on your ink and pens spreadsheet! I am just getting to the point where I have enough pens/inks that I want to create a spreadsheet and would love ideas on how to track everything.
I want to see this too!
Notes on Karyna’s Video
So many thoughts while watching you swatch some of my favorite inks from Diamine inkvent!
1. Did you know that Olive Swirl’s glitter looks green or red depending on how the light hits it? Totally makes me think of the olive in a martini at a fancy Christmas party. I have it in my Sailor MF nib right now and love it!!
2. One More Sleep - every time I use this one I remember Muppets Christmas Carol (if you haven’t seen it, watch it with your kids! It’s a family favorite for us). There’s a song that goes “…after all there’s only one more sleep ‘til Christmas.”
3. Dusted Truffle always starts out such an ugly (to me) greenish brown but dries a gorgeous pale brown with silver shimmer! Love it! Also, I think they are so well-named! Like Dusted Truffle makes me imagine being in a high class chocolate shop at Christmas time.
4. About real time vs voice over… girl, I feel you. Swatching inks is so meditative. I’m not sure I’d want to even talk while doing it, except maybe to myself. I’ll watch whatever you do. 😁
5. I got the inkvent last year when I was brand new to fountain pens and I LOVED it. So I think it’s a great gift for people who are just getting into the hobby. Further into it though, this year, I’d rather spend the money on ink bottles of samples I’ve loved.
6. Memory Lane was in my top 3! Love that shade of purple and I highly prefer silver shimmer over golds. I have this ink in my Benu Briolette Luminous Orchid and it is a perfect match!!
So glad you got to try these and I loved watching it!
Thanks Kat! Great notes on all the above. I think I'll mix up the ink swatching depending on how I feel. Some days it's just easier to film it all in real time and just upload it with very little editing, versus having to do another voice over on top. I appreciate all the encouragement!
I love the Inkvent calendar because it really helps get me into the Christmas spirit and it’s a reasonable cost for all of the awesome inks you get.
Very true! Although I hate being surprised - I would rather choose which inks I want in my box! 😂
I have this inkvent set and never noticed that it tells you what kind of ink it is!!! 😂 🤣😂🤦♀️ I just love using all the inks!
It's great that they have that info on the side of the bottle!
Thank you for this video Karyna! It was nice to revisit these colors. I have been sleeping on Olive Swirl!! BRB....going to ink something up with that right now!!!
Ooh which pen did you ink?
Olive Swirl is my favorite with Dusted Truffle being a close second.
That seems to be the general concensus!
Wow, gorgeous colors ⚾️
Thanks so much 😊
I love how you use the cap of the ink vial, to make the swatch. Saves a lot of time, instead of drawing a square and filling it in, like I've been doing! Lol.
Less time and less mess! 😁
I like the idea of a subscription box. It sounds like a way to circumvent the tendency of a controlling mindset to keep us from discovering things about our tastes we don’t know like we think we do. When I started collecting and using fountain pens, I thought I’d never want to own a pen I can’t post. Turns out, it’s not really that big a deal. Some pens I thought would be the only pen I’d ever want to use, I barely used before storing. Some pens I thought were ugly: trusty favorites!
I’ll try at least a one-time surprise box at some point in the future just to see if I discover something I’d miss out on if left to my own devices. Ink, not so much as pens for me though. Ink is fun to watch, but it’s too easy to end up with more ink than you can use.
I could probably paint a wall with inks that looked pretty, but are dry or too light etc. Forget about the ones (I admit) purchased for their names and/or bottles.
I totally see that - if you're open to trying new things, a subscription box is a great way to do that. I think if you're actively using all of those inks, it could pile up very quickly, though.
I wanna start the binder like yours but Wonder Pens is all out of loose leaf trp! I have festive joy from the ink vent that was gifted from a friend. It sometimes has a green sheen but it’s a flat purple usually
I bought my TRP from Amazon! They should still have some left.
I’m with you on the surprise element. I know it’s a better price than if you got them all individually, but I’d rather get less for the same price but choose the colours im getting than end up paying for stuff I don’t really want 😅
Absolutely agree! There's very few things I like to be surprised by.
I've never tried any of the Inkvents, but there have been several inks from Inkvent that have caught my eye lately. Yule Log is beautiful and so is Olive Swirl. I'm always down for a grunge green--especially with shimmer. Another one not in your swatches: Spiced Apple! I saw that one on Kristen's (Life Inspires Design) channel and fell in love. Beautiful swatches, Karyna! Love your videos.
Thank you! I definitely think I will have to at least get samples of the new calendar when it is available.
I've bought the two last inkvents. I didn't like the 2021, but 2022 I loved. I don't think I'll buy the next one as I still have so much to use from the previous ones. The fact that I still haven't inked some of them up yet... 😅 Yule Log and Olive Swirl were some of my favourites when I swatched them. But Upon a Star impressed me when I finally inked it up. The sheen wasn't too over powering. I have not inked up Dusted Truffle yet. There was two scented inks that were so wet that they feathered, so I haven't used them.
Good to hear about Upon A Star - I've discovered the sheen can really set off headaches in me if too overpowering.
I’ve thought of buying the ink vent collection one year to fill in gaps in my color variety. I wish I had a local pen friend so we could split the cost and divide the inks so it wouldn’t be such a commitment.
I'm sure you could post in Reddit to see if there is someone nearby who would split with you - or even share the cost and shipping if they were okay with you sending it to them.
I oved all of them!
I might buy it. Not sure where to find it 😂but I love the idea of an inkvent calendar!
You can get the Inkvent Calendar at most retailers! You can use KARYNA10 for 10% off at Atlas Stationers.
I haven't done inkvent because I am not into shimmer and have too many bottles already. That dusted truffle is making me want to try again! I would totally do a Stationery Selection subscription box, but I think I would be disappointed in other ones as I'm kinda picky.
I'm like you - I'm very picky and if I don't know what I'm getting, I'm not going to be happy with it!
Is the Kakimori brass nib worth it? I’m always looking for something to use for swatching and sampling different colors without having to ink up a whole pen, but the cheap glass dip pen I got ain’t it.
I love my Kakimori brass nib - a lot sturdier than a glass nib, holds a ton of ink, and I love the line variation!
Man, olive swirl was one that I had major FOMO over when I saw it last year. It feels like the sender doesn’t enjoy shimmer inks and sent them all to you. Great way of culling her collection.
Olive Swirl is stunning - and yes, I got the load of shimmer inks and will do my best to appreciate them!
Dusted Truffle, Yule Log (looked like chocolate when you first laid it down) and Olive Swirl! I just wish I didn't struggle so with shimmer inks; I tend to avoid them.☹
I don't mind using them, even in my more expensive pens. As long as you've got a good cleaner (or even pen flush), I don't worry too much.
Hi I've got this year's invent calander could you recommend the best reasonably priced paper for swatches as I'm a pensioner thank you
I would check Amazon for Tomoe River Paper if that is what you prefer. But when it comes to choosing paper, I recommend swatching on paper you will use daily. If you journal with Tomoe River Paper, then ink swatch on that. But if you just have a regular journal or just use regular copy paper on a day to day basis, I would use that.
Dusted Truffle! ❤
Yule Log!
I got mine, have already opened it-there are only 5 inks I do not like that I will need to pay forward to someone.
Good to know!
😮
I think i prefer when you do voiceovers for these. I want you to enjoy the ink swatching process, and not feel flustered to have to talk during it.
Thanks. Either way I do it, voiceover or real time, I won’t be able to please everyone. I think I was flustered here because I was sick.
@@KarynaLovesToPlan it’s true. Everyone has different preferences. But we’ll still watch your videos either way.
I’m like you, I don’t want to buy an ink and then don’t like it
Blue blood is dugong bughaw in Tagalog. Sorry, can't help wincing when you were saying the name. Kikay Crafts is Filipino and did a good job with her swatch and mini history lesson with Vinta inks.
Thanks - I'm Filipino, too, but grew up in Canada so Tagalog is not my first language so I'm not going to say these properly on the first try. Sorry to make you wince.
No worries, Filipino fountain pen/ink companies are spreading so I expect to hear more people mispronouncing the names, sadly.
Love your work with the swatches and looking forward to you finishing this series.
Thanks Claudine. I'll definitely work on pronunciation going forward - I may not get it perfect, but I'll certainly try!
I am 100% the same way Please dont send me something untill I've oked it cause if I dont like it I'm going to feel guilty for passing it on and if you want to buy something for me or get me a gift card make it a mastercard gift card then I can spend it where ever I want :)
Thank you! And yes, I totally get where you're coming from. I even told my husband not to even bother with gift cards anymore. Just ask me what I'm saving up for, and he can contribute!