It’s only in 5 recipes, and I’d never write with it alone, and it’s a pigment-based ink, but… here’s Naples. I want to be able to use it as a highliter. I want to be able to mix it judiciously in the upcoming Inkistry shenanigans, and I wonder if it would make the resulting ink…

This might be the color that has made me smile the most so far. Say hello to Ladybug! It’s just such a cute red. And I can imagine there are tons of Inkistry possibilities with this one. And sure enough, it’s part of the recipe for 50/1423 published Birmingham recipes.

Apparently I still don’t have the name of the ink collection correct! These inks are called “Atomink Elements”, and they can be used in Keystone Formula recipes (using all dye-based Elements) or Everlasting Formula recipes (using at least on a pigment-based Element). But no matter what you call them, these are some pretty cool inks…

It’s another Everlasting Formula (pigmented ink), and today I’d like you to meet the Keystone ink that goes by “Ice Age” (almost sounds like a wrestling name, if inks had wrestling names). I’m not sure what I expected from this one, but it gave me some thoughts, looking at the seven Birmingham recipes this ink…

Here comes Hibiscus! It’s the bright light blue one needs to see on a grey Ohio winter day. It hurts with happiness and begs to be written with 🙂

Ink at Birmingham is made in fairly small batches, with the result that some inks (including Keystone Formula inks) are often out of stock for long periods of time. I still require two basic Keystone inks: Fire Hydrant, which by alphabetical order should be today’s ink, is on its way as it just became available…

What an ink today! And by “what an ink”, I mean the minute it hit the paper I thought “how can you ever combine this with anything?” So I had a quick look at those 144 recipes from Birmingham’s website, and indeed, today’s ink is only used in one of them, and it is only…

Back to blue, which is not necessarily the color I’d associate with the noun given it, but… meet Electron! If there’s an association, I would say it’s an “electric” blue! And as you’ll notice in the closeup, there’s stuff going on more than just plain old blue. Nice experience seeing this emerge on the page.

Another pigmented ink today, which means it’s “Everlasting”. Chimney Soot is rocking my world, because I’ve always been fond of “black ink with stuff going on” (Van Dieman’s Route 66 is my favorite example in this category.) Chimney Soot is a terrific near black.

Meet Amaryllis! Despite the delicate-looking color, she’s no pushover, as this is a pigmented ink (unlike the dye-based inks used so far). In addition to being in the Keystone lineup, this ink is also part of Birmingham’s “Everlasting Formula”, meaning it’s water-resistant. I like it!