I have two brands to show: MU Series Print-On Stickers ($3.35 per set of two sheets) and Midori Transfer Stickers for Journaling ($5 per sheet).

Each set includes instructions on the back in both Japanese and English which is helpful. Unlike regular stickers or washi, transfer/rub-on stickers are rubbed onto the paper and will not have any noticeable edges. They can be opaque or transparent which makes them fun for layering over collage or other elements in your journal or notebook.

Tools needed:

In order to use these rub-on transfer stickers, you’ll need scissors (I am using the Allex S-165F Office Scissors with non-stick fluorine coating, $16) and something to rub the stickers down. I used a bone folder but a coin, the side of a plastic card (like a credit card) or the end of a ruler would work too. You can also buy a wood tool like the MU Print-On Transfer Wooden Applicator ($1.95).

How to Apply Transfer/Rub-on Stickers:

Both sets include the sheet of stickers and a backing sheet. The backing sheet protects the stickers from sticking to the inside of the packaging. I recommend keeping the packaging to store the sheets after using to keep them protected. When applying the stickers, remove the protective sheet from the back of the sticker.

For best results, cut out the sticker you want to apply so that you do not press on the other stickers and accidentally apply them.

With the backer sheet removed, place the sticker where you want it on the page. I found it helpful to put a pencil board or other stiff board under my page as it made it easier to rub down the stickers. In the image above, I am using my bone folder to rub down the sticker. Work around the image in a methodical way to be sure you’ve rubbed all the details down.

Peel up a corner gently to make sure all the elements have been applied. You can put the transfer back down this way and rub a bit more if all the art did not apply to the page.

Once done, remove the transfer film. In the case of the Muji transfer stickers, some of the art did not transfer. I think more pressure or a harder under-surface would have made the transfer apply more cleanly.

Even with the tiny bits that didn’t transfer, the art looks really bright and pretty on the page.

I walked through the same process with the MU stickers as well.

After I cut out the art, I removed the backing sheet and I placed it in the position where I wanted to apply it.

I rubbed it down using the same technique as the Midori transfer stickers.

Then I removed the transfer film. In the case of the MU stickers, the artwork applied completely with no residue.

Based on my overall results, I am more inclined to recommend the MU transfer stickers over the Midori as they seem to apply more easily and also the cost less for more stickers. Of course, for you, the designs will be a deciding factor. There are more playful, whimsical designs available from Midori transfer stickers as well as metallic gold transfer stickers which look SO COOL! The MU transfer stickers are available in more nature-themed and watercolor-style designs.

Are you going to try these out for yourself? Which styles do you like better?

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens and Vanness Pen Shop for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Journal Supplies: Rub-On Stickers appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

As we move into the last half of the year, my daily bullet journaling has been a bit more sporadic. I’ve skipped more than one day in a row and I wanted to inspire myself to get back into regularly writing the daily ebbs and flows of my days.

So, I decided to purchase a few sets of stamps in hopes that doing a little pretty-ing of my journal/planner might help inspire me to be more active with it. I could have gotten more brush pens or stickers or other methods for embellishment but I decided to start with stamps and go from there.

I found an assortment of fun and interesting clear stamps on JetPens that I decided to try.

I started with three sets of MU My Icon “Splice Stamp” clear stamps ($4.40 per set). I purchased the Moon Phase Set (Lunar Phases), a Wildflower set (Flowers – B) and a Frame Set (Large Frames -A). There were 16 different sets available on JetPens and they were all pretty so it was hard to pick just three.

I also bought the BGM Ink & Pain Clear Stamp set (no longer in stock!). I didn’t realize when I bought it that it would be out of stock so I apologize for (potentially) tempting you with a product that is not available. I thought it was cute and I wanted to see how someone else did an ink bottle stamp. The large ink spots and spills are not particularly useful to me — I can make a mess all on my own, thankyouveddymuch. But I thought the paint tube and star chart was cute.

In better news, I also got the BGM Cat To-Do Clear Stamp Set ($10.25). The largest stamp in the Cat To-Do sheet is the “checklist” stamp that measures approximately 2.5″ x 1.5″. There is one stamp with Japanese writing (according to Google Translate it says YEAR/MONTH/DAY with a bit of space between each word to fill in your current info) but the others are written in English. The stamp in the lower right corner looks like a cat sitting on a lunch bag which is perfect for adding in info about what you had for lunch or if you like to meal plan.

The final set of clear stamps I found on Etsy and was so charmed by the little tarot symbols that I had to buy it. This set came from Writual Planner Shop and sells for $45. Its a bit pricey but it is the only stamp set I’ve seen like this so I purchased it. I’ve been learning to read tarot and I thought the stamps would be a fun way to keep tracking of the cards I pull each day. The set includes the full Major Arcana and a stamp for cups, wands, swords and pentacles so I just have to write the number next those for the full deck. Really, the set was so stinkin’ cute it was hard to resist. The tarot stamps came with a small acrylic block and a free teeny stamp pad which was nice to have included!

Acrylic Blocks:

If you’re unfamiliar with using clear stamps, you need to adhere them to a firm surface in order to use them. Many makers of clear stamps recommend clear acrylic blocks. The advantage is that you can see where you are placing the stamp so you can be a bit more accurate in aligning the stamp to the rest of the content on your page. I have, over the years, acquired an array of different sized acrylic blocks. Some have printed guidelines on them, round corners, one even has a hole to attach the block to a keychain.

While purchasing the clear stamps on JetPens, I found this set of MU round acrylic pegs ($4.90 for the set of 2). The set include one peg that is 2.3cm in diameter and one that is 1.8cm in diameter. Since I purchased a couple sets of stamps that were quite small, I thought this would be a great addition to my acrylic block collection.

The pegs are long enough to be easy to maneuver at 2.5cm tall. They are also kind of cool to look at — these little pillars of clear acrylic.

The smallest of the clear stamps that I purchased fit neatly on the end of the peg. I kind of want to find more tiny stamps to use these cool little pegs.

I have heard that some folks just stick the stamp to the clear lid from their stamp pad which I think is supremely clever and cuts down on buying a lot of extra stuff. The Ranger Archival Stamp Pads ($7 and up) I sell in my shop do not have clear lids so I think I’ll stick to using the clear blocks for the time being. If I switch to less permanent stamp pads (most of the water-based pads have clear lids) I will have less to carry in my kit.

Using the Stamps:

I tested the stamps on both Tomoe River and my daily bullet journal notebook, a Paperblanks 120gsm notebook.  I wanted to see how the stamps and ink pads performed on both papers as they are the papers I use most frequently. Dry time was pretty reasonable for the Ranger pads on the Tomoe which was a surprise.

When using clear stamps, there is less need to press hard to make an image. In fact, the lighter the touch the better because the material is much squishier than the traditional woodblock stamps. If I pressed too hard on the stamp pad or on the paper, the line widths of the artwork would get a little wider than needed.

On the Paperblanks paper, I added my dates for the coming week and layered the stamps a little bit. It took about 15 minutes to test drive the stamps and then combine into a little collages for each page. I love the cat doing the splits. He looks so stoic. The large frames stamps are perfect for my date on each page. The frames just elevated my dates a little bit. I may start adding color with pencils or brush pens to make my little dates pop a bit more.

Final Observations:

Overall, I’m pretty happy with my stamp purchases. I don’t think it’s a big deal that the Ink & Paint set is sold out because there were only a couple stamps on the whole sheet that I liked. Suffice to say, you’re not missing anything there. I love the MU My Icon “Splice Stamp” clear stamps. The lines were delicate and the designs were beautiful. I will definitely be picking up a few more sets of those. I realize that the tarot stamps are probably a bit specific to my interests but maybe it will inspire you to looks for stamps you could use in your own planner/journal that relate (fitness trackers, books, film, music, etc).

Let me know if you are looking for any themed stamps or what hobby you are into these days.

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Journaling with Clear Stamps appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

So this seemed like a perfect time to talk about what is working and what needs to be improved.

I chose to create a page-a-day for notes, to-dos and other details. I often add things I ate (if I cooked something or we ordered take out, etc), what I’m reading or listening to and anything we watched — movies, series, YouTubers, etc.  I keep a monthly calendar in a separate notebook in front to keep some upcoming events like appointments, events, etc that can be transposed to the individual day. I am not as good about adding upcoming events to the paper calendar however and may move to using a digital calendar for those events and then transpose them to the day-on-a-page as I go along so I’m not rewriting info multiple times. Most of my appointments already exist in the digital form complete with reminders so I don’t miss them so it seems unnecessary to write them in the paper calendar.

It is nice to have a paper calendar however for quick reference ” what day is June22?” or “four weeks from today is when?” without having to pull out my phone and open the calendar app.

I am really loving the B6 size (approx. 5″ x 7″) though it limits the availability of ready-made notebooks. Luckily, the Paperblanks Midi Format size is very similar in size to B6 and the 120gsm paper weights are quite fountain pen friendly. The notebook I used for the first half on 2022 was one of the 100gsm Flexi cover models which is not the best for fountain pens but held up about as well as Leuchtturm1917 — so bold, italic and stubs may bleed on the 100gsm stock but not on the 120gsm which is what I’ll be switching to for the second half of the year.

Early on in the year, I made cursory efforts to use washi tape and other elements in my daily pages but by March, it was mostly all text with the occasional bit of paper or ephemera taped into the book.

I need to be more specific about the bullets, asterisks, boxes and other symbols I use in my journal. I am very random about them but would like to make i more clear to myself that a dot is ______, and a box is _____, etc. Do you have a specific system for symbols to discern between to-do, event, or info?

By writing the day at the start of everyday, I had the luxury of using multiple pages when necessary or maybe only a half page on really uneventful days or if I forgot to write anything in the later part of the day.

Overall, I feel like I have found a system that works for me and is getting me writing regularly, even if its just bullet points and random brain dumps. Its not tidy, beautiful or instagrammable but it is getting crap out of my head and onto paper.

How is your planning set-up working for you this year? Have you switched up at all or adjusted your system at all since the start of the year?

The post Planner Status Update, Mid-Year Report appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.