Monthly Archives: February 2014

Waxed Canvas Lunch Bag

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Waxed Canvas Lunch Bag

Some days ago arrived this waxed canvas lunch bag. Since then it became my favorite bag and I’m even so proud to show it at my colleagues. Waxed Canvas and vegetable leather are packing inside a great design my lunch. And the more I’m using it the more it’s coming beautiful. Just like leather.That’s fantastic.

I ordered it on Etsy and it’s made by Overlap Studio. They work with waxed canvas and this is only one of their fantastic products that I strongly suggest.
I have so much awaited this lunch bag that once arrived  I was happy like a baby at the Boxing Day.

Stopping here singing the overall qualities of this waxed canvas lunch bag, I obviously started sketching it during yesterday lunch break. I placed in front of me, and inside there is also a plastic box that makes it fatter.

I’m really worried about what I’m writing here. I’m loving so much my TWSBI VAC 700 with F nib that I don’t use my workhorse Lamy Safari with EF nib since some time. Also I’m loving the Noodler’s Lexington Gray ink that is perfectly waterproof.

And that’s what is the result on my Stillman&Birn Beta sketchbook.

waxed canvas lunch bag 01

Just adding some quick strokes with my Platinum Fude pen to raise some blacks and I’m feeling to not touch more this sketch.
I’d loved also to use again the Rotring At Pen for the lettering filled with Diamine Indigo. Here I badly pictured this sketch under the bad light of my office in a rainy day, but the hue is fantastic blue black.

If you are asking your self if I carry with me all this equipment everyday in my luggage I say yes. And I have even more that I carry in my hand made leather pen pouch.

Cheers!

A great swap this february

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A great swap is here!

I was missing a swap since a long time. It’s not that I don’t want to make a swap with friends, it’s simply that I didn’t find the time to make it. Also choosing the right things to swap is hard. I usually go to swap something that I love and not something that I don’t need. That’s to me a big difference.

Well this the time for a great swap.

February swap 01

Everything is brand new. Everything has a good reputation and quality.

I’m swapping this Noodler’s Konrad Tahitian Tortoise fountain pen, still untouched. Just to go out of the box. February great swap 02

one of my pocket Leather cover (the #5 made) and the glorious Moleskine Cahiers.

February great swap 03

Although Moleskines are not the best with fountain pens, the before mentioned fountain pen can be tweaked. That means that you can almost run dry with ink (and in this case will be excellent for ‘skines) or you can have a gusher. Anyway, it’s here!   What to do to take part to this great swap? Simple! Just comment on bottom of this post  what you would like to swap. Be creative! Everything is art related is fine: books, materials, brushes, paper, great hand carved mugs, another pen, another notebook… I don’t know!

Whatever. Just be creative.

My new leather pen case

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My new leather pen case

My new leather pen case is something that I’m very proud.Well I need it. I made it. My way. I’m often travelling (now a bit less honestly) but even on the daily commute it’s good to protect my fountain pens and some more. And as a sketching aficionado but also pen addict is good to have some case like this one.

As most of my leather projects so I have the travel in mind. That means to me no use of metals, keep it simple but reliable and easy maintained with a minimum care. And I love the vegetable tanned leather that takes patina and to hand-made everything so… 🙂

I also make my personal leather balm for this kind of finish, that is so good that if I change only one ingredient of the recipe I can use it also for my skin. I care.

I always keep it (over)stuffed, probably too much stuffed. Even the Rotring Art Pens. Too much. But that’s the way it works! You think to keep you minimalist  and light and on the bare minimum. So  I made this leather pen case small, and I started start like that.

leather pen case 04

 

No way, at least for it works only for at least one month. Then later I will again my daily bag fill with lots of stuff, lots of pen and all odds. I just miss my mechanical pencil here because I lost it.

leather pen case 01

I also added my personalization touch, an anchor and my initials. I use elastic cords as much as i can in my leather project so to feed my “travel” concept. They are also reliable, easy found all over the world so easily replaceable. And you can replace easily also with some more. Just as example in Africa I replaced my broken elastic cord of my travel leather covers with some raw cord. It worked.

leather pen case 02

Just a side view of hand stitching or the “saddle stitching”. It’s still the strongest stitching for leather, and I use mostly waxed linen thread. I do it at the old-fashioned way, and this leather pen case takes strength with it. I kept the side gussets not that deep. Still wanting something not too thick. And I care about the borders and all details.

leather pen case 05
As many friends know I have also a small shop on Etsy. Feel free to take a look at it, even to leave a feedback or to say hello Stefano! And mention my site. That’s better. 🙂

 

Woo hoo

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Arrived today the first delivery of Stillman&Birn Beta notebooks.
I’m so happy, finally a good news on this heavy and rainy day.

20140212-180436.jpg

Next coming more sketchbooks, Gamma and more Beta. Still not having luck to find some Alpha.
Here in Europe they go sold out very easily, and I can understand why. They are good quality notebook, fairly priced.

So I think I should start to sketch even more. Yes but when?

During nighttime? I cannot go out for a sketch and I should rely on what I shoot with my camera or noted with my phone. Indoor. In house!

Let’s see!

Cheers

Ps: yes I should make (my not professional) a review of these notebooks.

A baby and a trolley

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A baby and a trolley

The title of “A baby and a trolley” I admit can sound cryptic and weird. Something like a bad horror movie. At the opposite it’s a funny, lovely truth.

A baby and a trolley 02

I usually stop and observe my toddler movements and when actioning. My wife probably looks to me like Forrest Gump with chocolate in my hands. But I’m focused on my beloved angel. And I feel fascinated by him.

The story is all about our baby that is barely walking. He’s curious and now that is taking the first steps I think he feels like a compact-sized Indiana Jones. Moreover he’s attracted for everything is up to one meter from the floor and some more above.

This story is also about a red old kitchen trolley where the “nonna” (grandma for english speakers and reader) usually places baskets full of food or fruits or other kitchen stuff. It is also used to serve food when doing the rare big lunches that many are imagining the italians always do. Nope.

So this story about a baby and a trolley is more or less that this funny small elf is strongly attracted from the rattan baskets over this small trolley. He knows that currently there are only some nuts and few plastic bags over it but  he want to reach this top. Irresistible.

A baby and a trolley 01

So I was shocked by this scene and I took several pictures of that. And as countless more. I believe that babies of one year old are like small genius with the only limits that they cannot speak properly. Probably it’s even better… 🙂

A baby and a trolley 03

Yes, there is always mamma that is guarding him at one or two steps beyond. But it’s funny the same I suppose.

I made this sketch using the Faber-Castell Pitt Pen instead of the Lamy Safari workhorse. I strongly recommend it since sketch very well and it’s fully waterproof.
One day I will decide the best pigmented pen choosing from Faber Castell Pitt Pen, Staedtler Pigmented and the classic Pigma Micron (outsider there are the Zig Pens also…). Currently the run is from the first two of this list.

 

Colors are Winsor&Newton washed by Kuretake Zig Waterbrushes. The journal is my current must, the Stillman&Birn Beta notebook. (I want more!!)

A view from the park

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A view from the park

A view from the park is all about fun. But this time is was not my fun but the fun that my baby and my wife had to be together.
Stuck in the house to do some work, the rest of the family went out.
I received a call, and despite the windy and cloudy day they stayed out for some time.

While working I received a picture on my phone, a view of the city monument from inside the park.
I was not there with them live, but I am always with them even if not moving from my seat.

That’s the reason once received the picture I sketched it in a lunch break over my fantastic Stillman&Birn Zeta notebook.

a view from the park 01

Probably this is a bit sad post, but it’s all about the fun they had. And I missed those moments where I prefer to stay with them instead working. It was Sunday.

Sketch done on the fly with all my favorite arsenal: Lamy Safari filled with Noodlers Gray for the outlines. Watercolors always (and only) by Winsor&Newton Artists’. Kuretake Water brushes. Platinum Fude Pen filled with Platinum Carbon ink. Stillman&Birn Beta 5″x8″ Sketchbook.

Sadness over me, I wanted to be there.