Thanh’s Favorite Stationery for Colorful Journaling & Sketching | ZenPop Japan
Meet Thanh, the illustrator behind @thanh.illustrates.
With a style she describes as colorful and grumpy, Thanh brings together cozy vibes, playful details, and expressive little moments. Her stationery choices reflect that same balance: practical tools for writing, drawing, journaling, and traveling, with just enough charm to make every page feel personal.
From matcha-colored fountain pens to buttery pastels and tiny stamps for daily logs, Thanh’s favorites are full of texture, color, and small joys. Here are the tools she reaches for when writing, sketching, café journaling, and turning everyday memories into cozy pages.
Meet Thanh
- Name: Thanh
- Instagram: @thanh.illustrates
- Style: Colorful and grumpy
- Inspiration: Cozy vibes
Thanh’s Top 7 Stationery Picks
1. TWSBI Eco Matcha Fountain Pen
How I use it:
I use this fountain pen for long writing sessions.
Why it’s special:
“The large ink tank makes it perfect for long writing sessions, and the nib is incredibly smooth. I’m genuinely surprised by this level of quality at such a reasonable price. Also, I simply can’t resist anything matcha-colored.”
2. Kokuyo Pasta
How I use it:
I use these for drawings.
Why it’s special:
“I love drawing with pastels, but it can get quite messy with oil pastels. These Pasta pastels are perfect because they have a hard case and my fingers don’t get dirty. The texture is buttery smooth and easy to blend.”
3. Sanby Endless Stamp Small No. 5
How I use it:
I use it as headings for my diary entries, such as “menu,” “weather,” and “reflections.”
Why it’s special:
“The letters are the perfect size, and they fit beautifully into the grid size of the Hobonichi Weeks. The options are endless.”
4. Staedtler Pigment Brush and Liner 0.2
How I use it:
I use them for urban sketches and doodles.
Why it’s special:
“I’m obsessed with these pens because they don’t smudge when I layer watercolors on top. The pigment is beautifully saturated, they dry quickly, and everything stays crisp and clean.”
5. Delfonics Pouch S
How I use it:
I use this pouch for café journaling or for carrying art supplies while traveling.
Why it’s special:
“I’m such an overpacker and usually use only half of what I bring. The Delfonics S pouch makes me pack more intentionally and stick to the essentials.”
6. Kokuyo Glue Tape (Dot Liner)
How I use it:
When traveling, I love collecting ephemera. I use Kokuyo glue tape to stick paper scraps and receipts into my journal and turn them into little collages.
Why it’s special:
“It’s simply super practical.”
7. Beverly Stamp
How I use it:
I use it for daily logging.
Why it’s special:
“These are just so cute and add cuteness to my journal.”
Reflections from Thanh’s Desk
Looking across Thanh’s stationery choices, a playful thread appears: color, comfort, and practical creativity. Her favorite tools are not only useful, but also full of little details that make journaling and sketching feel more personal.
From the matcha green fountain pen made for long writing sessions to stamps that turn daily logs into tiny moments of charm, each item supports a cozy creative rhythm. Thanh’s desk reminds us that stationery can be both functional and full of personality — a place where colorful tools and grumpy-cute moods can happily sit together.
What tools make your journal feel more like you?
Maybe it’s a pen color you always reach for, a pouch that keeps your essentials close, or a stamp that makes each page feel a little more alive.
If you’re curious to explore tools like the ones Thanh uses, discover more in our collection of Japanese stationery designed for cozy everyday creativity.
