As you've probably realized, I still use fountain pens over ballpoints (although I confess to drafting outlines of longer documents with my beloved Pentel mechanical pencil).

One of the things that has always posed a problem is that  moment when someone asks to borrow a pen, and I have to quickly evaluate whether or not I want that person to use whatever pen is currently being rotated. Gold nib vintage pen, erm, no I don't think so. Lamy Al-Star, sure.

But surely as a fountain pen lover I should be trying to "convert" everyone and evangelize the joys of fountain pen usage. How do I do that? So I've been looking for a cheap fountain pen option that provides a good quality experience but won't break the bank. And I think I may have found it. This option is perfect for giving as a gift or keeping a spare in a desk drawer at work should someone express an interest. It is also a great option if you are intrigued and want to learn more about fountain pens without investing into something if you are unsure.

The Jinhao X450.



This pen is made in China. You can currently pick them up on EBay for as little as $4 CDN including shipping. The pen is quite heavy - one of the heaviest I own - so not a great option for a carry around, but it feels solid and sturdy in the hand. The finish is beautiful. There are several colours (mine is green marble) to choose from. Trimmings are gold coloured.



The nib is a large size 6 and has some flex providing some line width variation). My pen also included a cartridge converter so I can use either an international sized cartridge or can install the converter and use bottled ink.

Here is a writing sample using the Jinhao X450 Medium nib with Diamine Raw Sienna.

I am obsessed with my new toy! If you've been following this blog for a long time, you'll know that I migrated to an Epson Stylus 1400 wide format printer (13 inches wide) for my digital scrapbooking and photography needs back in 2008 (yes, really). I have been diligently using this printer for years (it works great) but the cost of ink cartridges vs sending print jobs to Costco made me stop using it a couple of years ago. Basically if you aren't using it a lot then the ink cartridges dry up and you don't get your money's worth.

However, Costco printing isn't always convenient when kids come to you the morning of a school presentation and ask for a baby photo (for getting to know me day), photo of an ancestor (for an immigration project) or a wolf (for research project) - yes these are *real* scenarios.

In addition my Project Life has stumbled as I want to send a year's photos at a time, but really who wants to write a year's worth of "about this photo" and who can even remember why the photo was taken, where it was etc.

So enter the Canon Selphy. Ok, so I kind of hate the name of this printer. I mean, I'm Gen X, I don't do selfies. However, the name is the only bad thing about this printer.


First of all, it's cute, did I say adorable!! It almost fits into the palm of your hand. While it's not the smallest printer on the market - it might be the smallest that prints a full 4x6 photo.

But what else?
Well it has wifi. So I might be late to the game on this, but printing from your cell phone, iPad or direct from your camera is huge. But you'll also be able to print from USB connection to your computer or laptop, and use an SD card to review photos and select them to print using the built in screen.

What about cost?
This printer was $119 CDN from Amazon. I also picked up a package of paper and ink cartridges (to print 108 images) for $40. There's a real advantage to this printer because they guarantee you can print exactly 108 images - no more no less. The package contains 3 packages of 36 sheets paper, and 3 ink cartridges. That works out to CDN $0.37 per print. Sure it's more than Costco (which charges CDN $0.10), but much more convenient when you only want a couple of images at a time.

Watch my Canon Selphy unboxing:


If you want a Canon Selphy, please consider using my Amazon links below. It doesn't cost you anything extra, but helps fund the cost of hosting this website and producing these videos.

As a collector of fountain pens, I have amassed many vintage fountain pens. For many of these there is little information available to explain the features and benefits of specific models.



I recently pulled out a Pelikan Celebry fountain pen circa 1998 and inked it up to be a daily writer for the next few weeks. I have created a quick video review of this pen along with a writing sample.


Please leave a comment on this post or on my YouTube channel if you find this video helpful and want to see more fountain pen reviews :)

Wondering what to do with that lovely new fountain pen you just bought? Or maybe you feel guilty about that vintage fountain pen you inherited but has been lingering in a drawer....

Here are 12 things to do with your fountain pen:

1. Write a letter. Yes, really. People love to get letters. It doesn't have to be long but it shows that you care.
2. Keep a journal or diary. Feeling anxious? Write your thoughts in a journal. Traveling? Write down your experiences. 
3. Practice your handwriting. After several years of not writing regularly, I had to re-learn cursive. Your fountain pen will really help you produce beautiful handwriting.
4. Write a novel. I have 2 novels started. I'm not sure when I will ever finish them but they are like worlds waiting for me to join them - to pop in and out to see what the characters are up to.
5. Write a cheque. I can't remember the last time I did but signatures look so much nicer in real ink. Use bulletproof (permanent) ink if you are worried about forgeries/fraud.
6. Sketch drawings. Even a bad sketch looks better in ink. Try using a bulletproof (permanent) ink and add some watercolour washes.
7. Make a list. Shopping lists, to-do lists, honey-do lists, books to read, bucket list.
8. Notes. Class notes, meeting notes, self-study notes (for when you want to master a subject).
9. Write a greeting card, post-card or love-note. Handwritten love notes are more romantic than text messages ;)
10. Write an inspirational quote.
11. Draft a blog post or essay.
12. Use a planner or bullet journal.

I have been loving my new butterfly effect journal by Jane Davenport. The butterfly effect journal is an epiphany to me, it is the best notebook/journal/planner I have ever owned. Let me explain why.

I don't need a planner - I keep appointments on my iphone - using gmail for personal and microsoft exchange for work. But I hate using my phone for To Do lists and reminders. It seems to take more effort to enter them than to just do the item, plus I always forget to look at it.

So I like to keep To Do lists on paper. Usually I use a notebook of the lined variety and use a symbol to indicate "To Do", "In Progress", "Done". I scratch through the entire list in a diagonal directly when I'm done so I know I don't need to look at it anymore. I also like to art journal. This is a relatively new thing for me. It started out as individual paintings and then migrated into a journal. I use a watercolour Moleskine and a plain paper Moleskine. That's *two* Moleskines if you are counting. Oh, but wait, there's a third journal, it's for writing and has lined paper. But hang on a minute, I have another lined journal I use for poems (yes I like writing poems) and another grid journal for practicing lettering/calligraphy. So now we're up to 5..... but none of them are full. In fact, only 1 is even at the half way mark. It takes a long time to fill up a notebook with poetry because I'm not doing it all the time. And of course, I can't possibly carry 5 notebooks around with me and never have the one I want. This stalls my creativity (like I need an excuse).

So enter the butterfly effect journal. I know you're wondering "what's so great about the butterfly effect journal?" Well, this style of journal is entirely new to me. I feel like I have been living under a rock because it's actually quite common (at least according to YouTube).

My Jane Davenport mermaid "butterfly effect journal" *before*

The butterfly effect journal is a Traveler's Notebook (TN for the initiated) style popularized by the Midori TN. While the Midori TN is a leather cover notebook, Jane Davenport (mixed media artist from Australia) has created a canvas notebook that utilizes the same concept as the Midori TN. The notebook has no paper in it, and you purchase and add inserts into it as required. The inserts can be lined, grid, plain, watercolour paper, marker paper and so on, and there are other items available like plastic covers, business card holders and zippered pockets. Basically its a customizable notebook to suit your lifestyle. Also available are planners - month, week, day to a page or opening.

This means that I can add inserts using different types of paper for different purposes. In fact, I don't even have to buy inserts, I can make them myself or even use loose leaf paper folded down the center (cut to the right size, approximately 8x8 inches). Problem solved. I can go from 5 journal to a single journal and carry it around with me for when inspiration strikes. As each insert is filled, it can be removed and a new insert added to replace it.

So why "butterfly effect"? Jane noticed that when the book folds back on itself it looks like butterfly wings.... so cute!

My butterfly effect journal - being a butterfly!