Hahaha, Grace and her shabby stuff! 😂. Mike from Inkdependence uses a letter opener that he bent slightly and it works great. I like the pallet knife idea, I’ll have to try that
Ikr! I can’t believe that marble turned out to be so dang awesome a swatchign tool. Totally unexpected, but I’m loving it and def gonna be using to swatch random things. 😁
Great color choices Grace! I bought the speedball and while it doesn’t lay down a lot of color, I’ve found that if I out line the space and then fill it it seems to work ok. But I do need to get a glass instrument. Ah shimmer inks, the bane of my pen life… I see shimmer, I want shimmer, I get shimmer,I hate shimmer….😭
What I use to make an ink swatch is the top of a larger plastic bottle cap (like from Gatorade bottles). It works the same as the metal condiment cup from your first vid, but it's something more readily available for me, plus it is way more compact to store with my supplies. The cap I use is slightly translucent so I can see if I'm getting an even distribution of the ink on my paper...so to me that makes it better than a metal condiment cup which is opaque. I prefer a cap that is completely flat...I have other similarly sized caps always available like a milk gallon cap, but the ones I have here have a little indent in the middle so it doesn't make as smooth a swatch as the Gatorade cap.
I tried 3 different metal cups and didn't find out until I got the 1st 2 in that they had an indent in the middle. Bummer. I'm with you on being able to see through to see the distribution of the ink swatch on the paper. It's all experiment at first trying out new tools isn't it to see how they vibe with us. Thanks for watching! 😊
I really liked the small palette knife the best for giving you an idea of the ink from a very broad nib to a finer nib. A lot of time, the swatches appear much darker than what the actual ink is going to write in your F or M nib, but the small palette knife I think did the best job (easy to clean, cheap and easy to find…there’s probably one in my husbands tools, or something similar anyway. The B nib is nice as well. I’ve also liked seeing people do them with the Pilot Parallel in 6.0, dipped once and drawn across til dry. Gives you a nice ‘organized’ swatch. I was also thinking those little clear spoons for condiments that they sell at the Dollar Tree (in the party section) would be small and easy to control, wash, and if ruined, you have a bag of them for $1.25…really, any clear plastic spoon would probably do the job…the little condiment spoons might be easier to control. But, I just really like how realistic the small palette knife (the one used on the orange) did.
I'm glad you enjoyed this 2nd set of quirky tools. Altho I like the palette knife, my folded nib still is my most fun tool to use. I've seen the Parallel pen being used to swatched, just recently as a matter of fact, so will have to remember to add that to the next video. I agree, any clear spoon will do. Great idea about the condiment spoons too!
Out of today's tools, I like your results with the bread clip the most actually. I use the back of my glass dip pen or the Kakimori brass nib to swatch.
Girl go get that bread clip and swatch away! Let me know how it goes for you. I will def be using it from now on, maybe not regularly as some of my other tools but I cannot lie....it swatched ink beautifully! 😍 Also, funnily enough, I don't use my Kakimori nib as much anymore. Started getting globs of ink drop onto the paper as I'm writing, even tho I wiped it on the neck of the bottle or vial beforehand. 🫤
You discovered great new tools! The marble is as my fav!! I don’t know if I would enjoy it- probably not with the marble covered in ink rolling around my room making a mess but it’s cute 😂
I know! I actually like how the marble swatches but it would have to live in it's own spot-pick up to use, rinse, set it back in. It did roll a lot as I was setting up for the video. Thanks goodness I hadn't used it yet. 😆
I use the Speedball B series. Its good for use in gridded notebooks and keeping the ink from going all over when you have limited room. It also fits inside most of the bottles you want to swatch. These other methods are more work and awkward.
@@wildlyimaginable lol unlike you I have not lost my marbles :P So I have one to hand to try it. I do love Fuji Sugata! Check your other BPC inks and any Diamine xmas ones you have for a similar duochromer.
Oooh! Wanna share what "tools" are just lying around that you jsut reach out and use. Are they quirky, fun, different or even challenging but still you keep picking it up? 🤷🏽♀️
@@wildlyimaginable anything that won’t stain and the ink doesn’t soak into? The handle end of a spoon I just ate lunch with. Junk mail. A paper clip. 🙃
I believe it was @inkdependance who I saw using the letter opener, but with the blade rather than the handle. The pocket knife is probably closest, but I think the advantages of the letter opener are that the blade is thin (so fits easily in most ink bottles) and the handle is not very thick which makes it easier to slide it flat along the paper's surface. Another option similar to the bread clip might be to ise an old credit or gift card, but cut it lengthwise to the width of the bread clip. Then you'll have a bit more material to hold onto. I think out of all the methods you've tried, the plastic wrap from your previous video is the most interesting to me.
Had not thought of an old credit/gift card option altho I used to use them all the time when I did mixed media. Duh! Not sure I'll continue down the letter opener or pocket knife lane, mainly because I like the offset nature of the palette knife. Seems easier to move the ink like that. And yes, I think the plastic wrap method definitely take the win overall. Have you tried it yet? I'll keep looking and trying new ones tho. Thanks for watching & contributing, 3rd party, in this latest video! 🥰
Wearingeul makes a glass muddler for the masses. I wonder if a local glass maker would make a marble on a stick. I use a vintage E.S. Perry/Osmiroid italic broad dip stub, and a small brush that I think was originally meant for eyeshadow. I live your blue nib holder, btw!
I saw the one that Wearingeul makes and it's okay. I'd seen one that a glassmaker from Japan makes in a video from the San Fran pen show and whoa...it's gorgeous. That blue nib holder was an impulse buy on the way out from our PNW pen show in 2023. Love it!
@@wildlyimaginable I saved you sn unusual tool that I thought you might like. It’s a plastic single edged blade like the ones in a box cutter. It’s similar in thickness to the bread clip but a little easier to hold.
I cannot get enough of that folded nib. Link's in the description too. That's the only place i could find it online. It's not even in my local art store. 🫤
omgosh can't belive you tried my lazy hack haha. Would you beleive my marble isn't a real marble either 😂 It's a glass bead they put in a type of bottled drink to seal it and you press it into the bottle and it fizzes and you drink! It's not really a regular thing you find where I live so when my friends and I had it one day I kept the glass "marble" as a souvenir haha. I have now moved on to more messy (and fun) experiments. Remember when we were kids and made paintings with marbles by putting the paper with globs of paint in a box and chucking marbles in there? Also works with ink! So much fun! I also use the back end of a dip pen... its so easy hehe. Love this series can't wait for the next one (if you decide to do another :P ) PS. an earaser
Oooh, definitely there's another video coming and....it might or might not 🤭 include an eraser. Ha! Btw, I had to use your idea. It was one of the 1st on the list for this 2nd time around. You can guess by now that I'm having loads of fun searching for and swatching with each new one. 💃🏽
@@wildlyimaginable I love that you're having fun, and encouraging us to have fun too! The bread clip! Amazing! Dark horse for sure and now I just have a messy page of bread clip ink trails and I love it!
@@pilesofthings Woohooooo!!! I love it. Experimenting and playing with inks is so much fun! AND.....a flipping bread clip??? Who knew? That's why I call it the lowly bread clip. Where have you seen that being used other than closing a bag? 😆🤣
Going to have to add the bread clip in my swatch box :). I hope to see you at the Nov. pdx pen meet up. Will bring a sailor pro gear for you to try the size. Is there any advice of what to bring to my first meet up?
Hey Darla 👋🏽. so glad you're gonna be at the next meet up and for bringing the PGS pen for me to try. Our meet up is a fun, low key couple hours of hanging out. As for what to bring... -- any new/fave pens you want to share, get feedback on or get answers to questions you might have about it & requests for hard to find items. -- ink bottles or samples vials to donate to our Ink No-Kill Shelter (inks you no longer want but don't want to discard). -- notebook for taking notes or trying out new inks and pens -- card or cash for pens that others are selling (Stewart usually brings a huge selection of his vintage pens). The place where we meet, Lucky Lab, has food and drink available that they bring to your table if you get hungry too.
Well that's a diff description for it, heehee. It's my folded nib that I use to give me a larger more full-bodied swatch of ink. It's one of my fave tools I always have out. Took me a while to find but left a link to it in the description.
The weirdest swatching tool I have resorted to was the seam ripper I had on hand to unsheathe the Inkvent bottles. Results: solid meh, worth getting out of the chair and finding something better
I was trying to tell you through the screen not to swatch Pumpkin again. 😅 I said nooo Grace noooo. I am confident that I would have gotten confused and made a similar mistake.
I guffawed reading your "noooooo" comment. 🤣 I kept saying to myself when I was setting things up, "Grace just don't mix up the inks" over and over and over again. And then repeated it to myself 1 more time right before began. And what do I do...mix the dang inks up. smh. Thanks for looking out for me 👊🏽
I’m watching intently like it’s an Alfred Hitchcock movie, what’s going to happen next? 😂
heehee. and by now you know the ending.
@@wildlyimaginable ❤️😂
Hahaha, Grace and her shabby stuff! 😂. Mike from Inkdependence uses a letter opener that he bent slightly and it works great. I like the pallet knife idea, I’ll have to try that
Mike’s the best! Totally love that he got creative too, 😉. Let me know how the palette knife works for you and which size you used.
Fun! I really like the Telsa Coil when it dries! 😮
Totally! It’s like a weird beauty. I cannot tell you how much I looked over and saw that ink thinking it was still wet and yeh...totally dry.
Tools Galore!!!! Quirky indeed...the marble madness just blows me away! Brilliant. :)
Ikr! I can’t believe that marble turned out to be so dang awesome a swatchign tool. Totally unexpected, but I’m loving it and def gonna be using to swatch random things. 😁
Ki coffee saves the bread clip day! And, who would've thought, but it works pretty great as a tool (and lives up to the quirky name!)
ikr! Thanks for suggesting I check with them. 🥰
Great color choices Grace! I bought the speedball and while it doesn’t lay down a lot of color, I’ve found that if I out line the space and then fill it it seems to work ok. But I do need to get a glass instrument.
Ah shimmer inks, the bane of my pen life… I see shimmer, I want shimmer, I get shimmer,I hate shimmer….😭
Thank Lej! I know what you mean... I've also been there on the shimmer ink rollercoaster! 🎢 BUT, seems I cannot stop buying/using them. 😭
What I use to make an ink swatch is the top of a larger plastic bottle cap (like from Gatorade bottles). It works the same as the metal condiment cup from your first vid, but it's something more readily available for me, plus it is way more compact to store with my supplies. The cap I use is slightly translucent so I can see if I'm getting an even distribution of the ink on my paper...so to me that makes it better than a metal condiment cup which is opaque. I prefer a cap that is completely flat...I have other similarly sized caps always available like a milk gallon cap, but the ones I have here have a little indent in the middle so it doesn't make as smooth a swatch as the Gatorade cap.
I tried 3 different metal cups and didn't find out until I got the 1st 2 in that they had an indent in the middle. Bummer. I'm with you on being able to see through to see the distribution of the ink swatch on the paper. It's all experiment at first trying out new tools isn't it to see how they vibe with us. Thanks for watching! 😊
I actually use polished stones sometimes. It's very fun
Now that's diff too.
@@wildlyimaginable when I send you your swINK, I'll put in a stone, too!
@@FountainPenNews Oooh, cool beans! Planning to get the next video out in early November so timing is perfect.👌🏽Thanks!
I really liked the small palette knife the best for giving you an idea of the ink from a very broad nib to a finer nib. A lot of time, the swatches appear much darker than what the actual ink is going to write in your F or M nib, but the small palette knife I think did the best job (easy to clean, cheap and easy to find…there’s probably one in my husbands tools, or something similar anyway. The B nib is nice as well. I’ve also liked seeing people do them with the Pilot Parallel in 6.0, dipped once and drawn across til dry. Gives you a nice ‘organized’ swatch. I was also thinking those little clear spoons for condiments that they sell at the Dollar Tree (in the party section) would be small and easy to control, wash, and if ruined, you have a bag of them for $1.25…really, any clear plastic spoon would probably do the job…the little condiment spoons might be easier to control. But, I just really like how realistic the small palette knife (the one used on the orange) did.
I'm glad you enjoyed this 2nd set of quirky tools. Altho I like the palette knife, my folded nib still is my most fun tool to use. I've seen the Parallel pen being used to swatched, just recently as a matter of fact, so will have to remember to add that to the next video. I agree, any clear spoon will do. Great idea about the condiment spoons too!
Out of today's tools, I like your results with the bread clip the most actually.
I use the back of my glass dip pen or the Kakimori brass nib to swatch.
Girl go get that bread clip and swatch away! Let me know how it goes for you. I will def be using it from now on, maybe not regularly as some of my other tools but I cannot lie....it swatched ink beautifully! 😍 Also, funnily enough, I don't use my Kakimori nib as much anymore. Started getting globs of ink drop onto the paper as I'm writing, even tho I wiped it on the neck of the bottle or vial beforehand. 🫤
Another great video. No suggestions for swatching tools. I am loving the look of Copper Patina though. Xx
Thanks Clare! And isn't that ink DEE-VINE! Ooooh! There are other Troublemaker inks on my wish list just from loving and using that 1 ink. 😍
how fun, thanks for sharing Grace !!
Glad you enjoyed Marie 😊
Just what I need quirky tools. ❤
I got you Pam...😉
You discovered great new tools! The marble is as my fav!! I don’t know if I would enjoy it- probably not with the marble covered in ink rolling around my room making a mess but it’s cute 😂
I know! I actually like how the marble swatches but it would have to live in it's own spot-pick up to use, rinse, set it back in. It did roll a lot as I was setting up for the video. Thanks goodness I hadn't used it yet. 😆
I use the Speedball B series. Its good for use in gridded notebooks and keeping the ink from going all over when you have limited room. It also fits inside most of the bottles you want to swatch. These other methods are more work and awkward.
Yeh some of them I will NOT be including in my regular ways to swatch. Try the marble tho. THAT was more fun than I expected.
@@wildlyimaginable lol unlike you I have not lost my marbles :P So I have one to hand to try it. I do love Fuji Sugata! Check your other BPC inks and any Diamine xmas ones you have for a similar duochromer.
@@blktauna Hahahahahaha. Cracking me up you are. Thanks for the duochrome suggestions. On it!
😅 why not, indeed!? Honestly I just use whatever’s lying around. 💕 fun times Grace!
Oooh! Wanna share what "tools" are just lying around that you jsut reach out and use. Are they quirky, fun, different or even challenging but still you keep picking it up? 🤷🏽♀️
@@wildlyimaginable anything that won’t stain and the ink doesn’t soak into? The handle end of a spoon I just ate lunch with. Junk mail. A paper clip. 🙃
@@emmaythegray Emmay, you are a person who gets my insane curiosity about things. Anything is fair game. Ha!
I just got the B nib and love it.
That B nib and my folded nib are the ones I use the majority of the time I swatch inks now. What the heck knew? 🤩
I believe it was @inkdependance who I saw using the letter opener, but with the blade rather than the handle. The pocket knife is probably closest, but I think the advantages of the letter opener are that the blade is thin (so fits easily in most ink bottles) and the handle is not very thick which makes it easier to slide it flat along the paper's surface.
Another option similar to the bread clip might be to ise an old credit or gift card, but cut it lengthwise to the width of the bread clip. Then you'll have a bit more material to hold onto.
I think out of all the methods you've tried, the plastic wrap from your previous video is the most interesting to me.
Had not thought of an old credit/gift card option altho I used to use them all the time when I did mixed media. Duh! Not sure I'll continue down the letter opener or pocket knife lane, mainly because I like the offset nature of the palette knife. Seems easier to move the ink like that. And yes, I think the plastic wrap method definitely take the win overall. Have you tried it yet? I'll keep looking and trying new ones tho. Thanks for watching & contributing, 3rd party, in this latest video! 🥰
Wearingeul makes a glass muddler for the masses. I wonder if a local glass maker would make a marble on a stick. I use a vintage E.S. Perry/Osmiroid italic broad dip stub, and a small brush that I think was originally meant for eyeshadow. I live your blue nib holder, btw!
I saw the one that Wearingeul makes and it's okay. I'd seen one that a glassmaker from Japan makes in a video from the San Fran pen show and whoa...it's gorgeous. That blue nib holder was an impulse buy on the way out from our PNW pen show in 2023. Love it!
@@wildlyimaginable I saved you sn unusual tool that I thought you might like. It’s a plastic single edged blade like the ones in a box cutter. It’s similar in thickness to the bread clip but a little easier to hold.
@@penguin1780 Oooh! Thanks Vanessa!
I need a folded nib, the other two I have. 😊
I cannot get enough of that folded nib. Link's in the description too. That's the only place i could find it online. It's not even in my local art store. 🫤
Grace time 🥰😍🤩
Hit it! 😁 🥰
Oh knives! 😮
Ikr! Who woulda thought!!!!! The pocket knife especially!
Use a hemastat to hold the bread clip !
My goodness gracious Wendi Sue, YOU are brilliant. And I have one from my basket making days too! Just gotta remember where I stashed it...mmmh 🤔
@@wildlyimaginable that's always the question, isn't it? WHEREEEEE?
@@FountainPenNews Still haven't found it but got 1 more place to check in the garage 🤞🏽
I recommend using a pair of tweezers or a paint brush :)
Do tell me more about the tweezers. Mmmmh....🤔
omgosh can't belive you tried my lazy hack haha. Would you beleive my marble isn't a real marble either 😂 It's a glass bead they put in a type of bottled drink to seal it and you press it into the bottle and it fizzes and you drink! It's not really a regular thing you find where I live so when my friends and I had it one day I kept the glass "marble" as a souvenir haha. I have now moved on to more messy (and fun) experiments. Remember when we were kids and made paintings with marbles by putting the paper with globs of paint in a box and chucking marbles in there? Also works with ink! So much fun! I also use the back end of a dip pen... its so easy hehe. Love this series can't wait for the next one (if you decide to do another :P )
PS. an earaser
Oooh, definitely there's another video coming and....it might or might not 🤭 include an eraser. Ha! Btw, I had to use your idea. It was one of the 1st on the list for this 2nd time around. You can guess by now that I'm having loads of fun searching for and swatching with each new one. 💃🏽
@@wildlyimaginable I love that you're having fun, and encouraging us to have fun too! The bread clip! Amazing! Dark horse for sure and now I just have a messy page of bread clip ink trails and I love it!
@@pilesofthings Woohooooo!!! I love it. Experimenting and playing with inks is so much fun! AND.....a flipping bread clip??? Who knew? That's why I call it the lowly bread clip. Where have you seen that being used other than closing a bag? 😆🤣
Going to have to add the bread clip in my swatch box :). I hope to see you at the Nov. pdx pen meet up. Will bring a sailor pro gear for you to try the size. Is there any advice of what to bring to my first meet up?
Hey Darla 👋🏽. so glad you're gonna be at the next meet up and for bringing the PGS pen for me to try. Our meet up is a fun, low key couple hours of hanging out. As for what to bring...
-- any new/fave pens you want to share, get feedback on or get answers to questions you might have about it & requests for hard to find items.
-- ink bottles or samples vials to donate to our Ink No-Kill Shelter (inks you no longer want but don't want to discard).
-- notebook for taking notes or trying out new inks and pens
-- card or cash for pens that others are selling (Stewart usually brings a huge selection of his vintage pens).
The place where we meet, Lucky Lab, has food and drink available that they bring to your table if you get hungry too.
@@wildlyimaginable Awesome - thank you. Can't wait :)
what is that mini cleaver looking thing on the blue holder?
Well that's a diff description for it, heehee. It's my folded nib that I use to give me a larger more full-bodied swatch of ink. It's one of my fave tools I always have out. Took me a while to find but left a link to it in the description.
@@wildlyimaginable thanks!
In case yours go missing, I bought a bag of bread clips on Amazon - there were dozens, and it was cheap.
Haha! Ever since that video I've gotten a few from peeps in my local pen club.
The weirdest swatching tool I have resorted to was the seam ripper I had on hand to unsheathe the Inkvent bottles. Results: solid meh, worth getting out of the chair and finding something better
Yeh, that one is kinda weird. Love the comment "Results: solid meh" 🤣🤣🤣
I was trying to tell you through the screen not to swatch Pumpkin again. 😅 I said nooo Grace noooo. I am confident that I would have gotten confused and made a similar mistake.
I guffawed reading your "noooooo" comment. 🤣 I kept saying to myself when I was setting things up, "Grace just don't mix up the inks" over and over and over again. And then repeated it to myself 1 more time right before began. And what do I do...mix the dang inks up. smh. Thanks for looking out for me 👊🏽
👊🏾😉@@wildlyimaginable