A Fresh Stationery Haul: 8 Pens, Highlighters, and Journals Worth a Look

Introduction

A fresh batch of stationery arrived recently, ordered from JetPens and Amazon, and after unboxing everything and swatching every set in a new B5 dotted journal, a clear picture emerged of what is actually worth adding to your own collection. This roundup covers eight items: pastel fineliners, small brush pens, double-ended brush markers, a limited-edition gel pen set, decorative washi tape, two styles of muted highlighters, and a pair of A5 dotted journals.

The theme running through most of this haul is soft, muted color. Whether you are a bullet journaler, a scrapbooker, or someone who just enjoys good pens, there is something here for different needs and budgets.

Zebra Click Art Pastel Pens

After picking up the original 36-color Click Art set earlier in the year, this pastel version fills in the light shades that were missing. The collection is sometimes listed online as the pastel or pale set, so keep both names in mind when searching.

The color selection is the main draw. These are genuinely light pastel shades rather than washed-out versions of standard colors, which makes them useful for soft journal headers, subtle doodles, and layering without overwhelming a page. Swatched in a dotted journal, the tips lay down clean, consistent lines.

Monami 3000 Pens

These were picked up under the assumption they were small brush pens, and they turn out to be normal markers with a clever angle trick. Held at a slight angle, the tip produces a thicker downstroke that mimics a brush pen effect, which is a pleasant surprise.

The color scheme is muted and cohesive, and the pigmentation held up well in swatches. If you have found most brush pens on the market too bulky, the slimmer form factor here is worth a look.

ZIG Brushable Double-Sided Brush Pens

These have been on the wishlist for a long time, and availability has become patchy, so they were picked up partly before they potentially get phased out. Each pen has a different color on each end, so a 24-pen pack technically delivers 48 colors, which helps explain the premium price tag.

In use they write very smoothly, with vibrant, juicy ink. One honest caveat from swatching: a number of the paired shades look nearly identical on both ends, and only some pairs show an obvious difference. If you buy these, do so for the smooth brush performance and the chance to grab them while they are still around, not for guaranteed 48 distinct colors.

Uni-ball One Relaxing Summer 0.38mm Set

This limited-edition six-color set in the 0.38mm tip size features soft, muted summer shades. It was picked up late enough that the season has already turned, but limited editions tend to disappear, so the timing was less important than securing the set.

First impressions are positive: these write a bit smoother than other Uni-ball One gel pens already in the collection, and the ink flow feels more generous. The shades are saturated but toned down rather than loud. A couple of colors do feel reminiscent of an earlier limited-edition three-color set, so long-time collectors may notice some overlap.

MT Washi Tape (Clips Design)

This large roll prints dozens of small illustrated paper clips across white tape, and the intended use is creative: cutting out the individual clip shapes and pasting them over photos or clippings in a journal so they look physically clipped into the page.

As decoration alone, the pattern is charming and swatches nicely across a full page width. For scrapbook and collage-style journalers, it is one of the more inventive uses of washi tape around.

Zebra Mildliner Mix Pens

These six dual-tone pens are unlike anything tried before: one end of the barrel carries a darker shade and the other a lighter or entirely different color. The nibs need activating before first use. Per the packaging, you press the nib on test paper for 20 to 30 seconds and check ink flow on the nib, so expect a little patience on day one.

The chisel tip is interesting for highlighting, though less practical for writing unless you rotate to the pointed end of the chisel. There is real potential for interesting blends and effects in writing and doodling, but this is a set that rewards practice.

Monami Highlighter Gray Mood Set

This six-color highlighter set leans into a muted, gray-toned scheme, and the colors genuinely stand out on a shelf crowded with neon highlighters. Each pen has a small chisel tip that is noticeably thinner than typical highlighters, plus a fine point tip on the other end.

Pigmentation is nice and the muted shades are beautiful in swatches. For anyone who finds standard highlighters too loud for journal pages, this set is an easy recommendation.

Leuchtturm1917 A5 Dotted Journals

The final package contained two Leuchtturm1917 A5 dotted journals in different colors, bought for a specific purpose: restructuring how journaling is organized. Moving forward, B5 notebooks are dedicated to video ideas, monthly themes, pen review notes, and bullet journal planning, while these A5 journals handle personal diary and journal entries.

That split is a practical idea for anyone whose single notebook has become a catch-all. The A5 dotted format is a versatile size, large enough for comfortable layouts but more portable than B5, and Leuchtturm1917’s dotted pages are a dependable canvas for both writing and light artwork.

Overall Buying Advice

If you want soft color for journal decoration, the Zebra Click Art pastel set and the Monami Gray Mood highlighters are the safest picks. If brush lettering is your focus, the ZIG Brushables offer smooth, juicy strokes, but check the paired shades carefully and buy soon given uncertain availability. The Monami 3000 pens suit anyone who wants a brush-like effect from a slimmer marker. Uni-ball One’s Relaxing Summer set is a straightforward quality buy for muted everyday writing. The MT washi tape is a niche but delightful purchase for collage-style journalers, the Mildliner Mix pens reward experimentation, and the Leuchtturm1917 A5 journals make sense for anyone ready to separate creative planning from personal journaling.

Conclusion

This haul covered a lot of ground, from pastel fineliners to hardcover dotted journals, and the common thread is a muted, thoughtful color palette that suits calm, deliberate journaling. Not every item is essential, but each fills a distinct role, and a few, like the pastel Click Art set and the Gray Mood highlighters, earned their spot on first swatch alone.