Blog

Seize the Dave is a little bit about a lot of stuff: writing, calligraphy, poetry, origami, books, music, role-playing games, the occasional cocktail recipe, and anything else that comes to mind.

inky goodness

For your snowy Friday afternoon reading pleasure: Leigh Reyes once again puts us all to shame with her artistic abilities and demonstrates a wet-on-wet technique with water and fountain pens. Over at Ink Nouveau, Brian Goulet lets us know about two new “fast dry” inks from Noodler’s.

happy birthday, to seize the dave

One year ago today, I started Seize the Dave over on tumblr, with a poem about an octopus. Since then, I’ve written more poetry and short stories than I have in all of my prior years combined. I’ve met lots of awesome people in the pen and paper world and gotten the hang of writing ink and paper reviews. I’ve participated in the Friday Flash fiction community and I’ve shared origami and sketches of snails and walrus bees.

ink review: noodler's baystate blue

Rating: 3.0 February 22, 2011 My first thought, upon opening the bottle of Noodler’s Baystate Blue, was “Holy cats, that’s blue.” It is not a subtle ink. Rather, it is an electric cobalt blue that positively jumps off the page. It’s highly saturated, as many Noodler’s inks tend to be, and it exhibits no shading. It simply lays down a solid, bright, blue line. Baystate Blue has generated a bit of controversy lately.

i have things to give away - the winner

Two weeks ago, I posted a contest to give away some Diamine ink samples. I updated the post to include the winner I’d randomly selected from the comments, but I’m not sure that it was noticed. So, the winner gets a post all her own! Connie - please email me with your contact info so that I can ship out your inks and notebook. If I don’t hear from you by the end of the week, I will have to select another winner.

paper review: ecosystem sketchbook

Rating: 4.0 February 15, 2011 I’ve been a big fan of ecosystem notebooks, having positively reviewed their hardback lined journal and created an iPad cover from a large, lined softcover journal. When I found out that they were releasing a sketchbook, I made it a point to get a copy to review, and I have to say that I’m pretty pleased. The basic setup is very similar to a standard ecosystem hardback notebook: rounded corners on the paper and cover; a bound-in, 100% organic cotton bookmark; a sturdy elastic strap to keep the cover closed; and a paper pocket inside the back cover.

books about calligraphy

In a discussion this week with Brian of the great Goulet Pen Company, he asked what books, if any, I’ve used to learn about calligraphy. I pointed him to The Calligrapher’s Bible, by David Harris. It contains instructions for how to write 100 different alphabets. He also discusses the tools of the craft, including pens, brushes, and paper; and gives solid advice on paying attention to composition and layout. Each alphabet contains an example of each letter, complete with stroke order, as well as instructions for pen angle and how to handle other, specific nuances.

ink review: platinum pigment rose red

Rating: 4.0 February 8, 2011 Platinum Pigment Rose Red is my first experience with pigment-based fountain pen inks. The vast majority of fountain pen inks are dyes dissolved in water or other solvents, but pigment-based inks have micro-particles that are suspended in solution. They are specifically formulated for fountain pens, with particles small enough and solvents benign enough that they won’t clog the feed or interfere with the capillary action of the nib.

i have things to give away, part the first

Now that I’ve made it through all of the samples of Diamine ink that I was sent, I’m happy to pass some of them on (the others I will keep to provide comparisons on future reviews). Each sample is about 15ml (half a 30ml bottle). So, for a chance to win samples of Diamine Imperial Purple, Diamine Red Dragon, and Diamine Midnight, just leave a comment on this thread. You will have until Midnight EST on February 11th to enter.

bbq sauce

A friend of mine asked me to share my recipe for BBQ sauce, so I thought I’d share it here as well. The ingredients for the base sauce are delicious on their own, but the addition of the ingredients for the hot or sweet options really make it shine. If you try it, I’d love to hear your feedback. Ingredients 2 cups ketchup 2 cups tomato sauce 1 1/4 cups brown sugar 1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses 2 tablespoons butter 4 teaspoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon cumin Hot

ink review: diamine midnight

Rating: 4.5 February 1, 2011 When I first put Diamine Midnight to paper, I thought to myself that it was a nice, but not particularly interesting dark blue ink. Then I looked closer, and closer, and closer – and got drawn right in. For those willing to pay attention, this ink has a wonderful sense of depth that captures the variability and mystery of the nighttime sky. In fact, in the more saturated sections, there’s a hint of red that peeks out, giving it an almost sinister look.