(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)
What do butterflies dream of? Enchanted gardens, probably. Milkweed and big blossoms. Bottle that, and you have Troublemaker Ink Butterfly Dream, which has some enchantment of its own.
At first glance, it's a lovely dark green. Mossy, shady, dark enough to look nearly black, but with enough character to be interesting. In its lighter shades, it's a gem tone, like tourmaline or moldavite, an elegant green with an art nouveau attitude. And then you see the pop of blue shimmer, and look at the chromatography and fall even more in love. Rose pink, gold, lime green, and emerald all hide in this subtle tone. It drives home that tourmaline impression--like watermelon tourmaline. This is a complex color with a lot of subtlety in plain writing, but wildness when you turn it loose. It makes me want to fill pages.
The ink is on the dry side, with a bit of a dry feel and a super-fast drying time on the page. By 15 seconds, it was almost smudge-free, which would make it a great option for lefties. It was not unpleasantly dry to write with, though, and it flowed well, looking fabulous in any nib size.
There is a fair bit of shading to this ink, from that light bottle green to an almost black tone where it pools, and in the pools there's a deep blue shimmer that looks like magic.
When sprinkled with water, the green tones wash away, but the rose-colored undertones remain, so a tea spill may not eradicate all trace of writing, which is always good insurance.
The ink comes in a 60 ml plastic bottle. The rectangular shape makes it great for storage, but it can be a little tippy when filling, and the opening is on the narrower side. The bottle costs $24, which is an excellent deal.
This is the perfect blend of playful complexity in an ink that can be used in practical applications at work or for fun. It has merit for writers and artists alike. No wonder the butterflies like it so much.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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