Vanness Pen Shop has become more than just a pen shop in the last few years. Lisa, queen of indie inks, is now actively creating her own inks. Just in time for the holidays, Vanness has released two holiday-themed inks: Sweet Tater Pie (review coming later in Inkmas) and Cranberry Sauce (14.75 for a 30ml bottle). I am one of those weirdos whose favors cranberry sauce over almost everything else on my holiday plate. I love the sweet, tangy contrast to the rich savory cornbread stuffing and creamy mashed potatoes. Of course, I would want to review Cranberry Sauce first.
The color is solidly richly cranberry reddish pink with a red wine undertone. While the ink does not appear to sheen, it is a good shader showing a range of tones from red wine to pinky, saucy cranberry jelly.
Surprisingly, I was able to find many similar colors in my ink collection but many are discontinued or pricey. Colorverse Conjecture was part of the Johannes Kelper set, Birmingham Pen Company’s Gerbera Pink is from their previous ink-carnation, Montblans’ Antoine de Saint-Exupery is, well, a limited edition Montblanc ink. Oster Dusty Pink is a bit more purple-y and Ferris Wheel Press Royal Rhubarb is a little more brick reddish. So, if you’re looking for a sweet, tangy cranberry color, Vanness Cranberry Sauce will have you craving seconds.
Tools:
- Paper: Rhodia Uni-Blank No. 16 with 6mm guide sheet
- Pens: Midori bullet pencil modified dip nib holder with Zebra G titanium nib ($33.50 per 10-pack), Acrylic dip nib pen (Approx. $15), James Finniss Serendipity Nib Holder ($79 AUD) with Franklin-Christoph SIG fine nib
- Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book ($10) & Col-o-dex Rotary Cards ($15)
- Brush: Silverwhite 1500S Round #2
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Vanness Pen Shop for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
Looks like Black Swan in Australian Roses. Beautiful!