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Before I start this post let me just say I am new to fountain pens and paper and all of this stuff, but I've watched a plethora of YouTube videos, browsed a large amount of websites, and done all I can so far to educate myself as to how all of this works. I have a fountain pen already that was a gift from my girlfriend (Parker Sonnet, Medium 18K nib), since then I've forced myself to relearn cursive handwriting and it has paid off. i think I'm ready to take the next step and buy a proper notebook for everything I write, as I've started to hand-write things much more than I used to prior to receiving this pen. After some research I've decided I want to buy a traveler's journal... Or rather, I think I want to buy one. I could really use both the passport size and the normal size, as I'd use both for a different purpose. That's when I came across fauxdoris, cheaper alternatives to the Midori. I came across this product in particular, and was wondering if anybody here on FPN has any experience with these? Two of the main reasons why I am considering this product is because A: The price and B: The dark green color option. Now here's where things will get slightly more complicated - I've not even made up my mind as to whether or not I even want a traveler's notebook. I've been looking at Rhodias as well, and they seem practical for fountain pen use. Currently I'm using a cheap 99 cent store notebook and the bleed through is so terrible it's unbearable. If I buy a fauxdori and eventually buy some Midori inserts, how does the paper quality compare in terms of bleedthrough etc. to other brands? If bleedthrough and feathering are minimal I believe that this may be an acceptable buy.

So my new Chic Sparrow notebook showed up the other day. I'm still waiting on a few more inserts so I can finish arranging it. But overall it's great, I can't believe I waited this long to buy something like this. http://imgur.com/fpngallery/nSIVf

BLOG: Making Leather Traveler's Notebooks http://thefrugalfountainpen.blogspot.com/2014/06/making-leather-travelers-notebooks.html

Like many others here, I shirked at the cost of those lovely Midori journals...but still wanted one. Taking inspiration from you clever FPNers, I came up with my own design that takes two of the little Clairefontaine 9x14cm books. It also has a pen loop and two bookmarks built in. I'm new to being crafty and am always looking for ways to improve things, so any suggestions are most welcome. I tried to paste some images in here but got an error message. I have attached them instead. If you'd like to see how it was done, I blogged some instructions here.