(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.)
Some beautiful new designs of BGM washi tape recently landed at JetPens. I've always found washi tape to be fun, but this is the first time I'd have described it as "irresistible". The new seasons-inspired watercolor-effect patterns totally swept me off my feet, and the next thing I knew, there was a bag of tape in my mailbox.
Washi tape does, of course, have a very practical, utilitarian purpose--to highlight, underline, compartmentalize, or label planner pages and such. A lot of what's available reflect this purpose with plain colors or patterns to indicate certain tasks or hobbies. Some are just cute and fun and brighten up an otherwise mundane to-do list.
These new seasonal tapes take that purpose to another level. The delicate watercolor designs evoke moods and look more like art than an office supply. The ethereal inkblot-style designs would look amazing on pages that are used for watercolor illustrations or liquid ink tests. There's something soothing about the designs, too. A softness that doesn't just draw the eye, but helps it relax a little. It might add a little Zen to a hectic week.
The tape isn't just gorgeous, though, it performs well functionally, too. The adhesive is strong but resilient. It stays stuck where you put it but peels up easily and re-sticks without any fuss. I did have a little trouble with tearing when I was unraveling one of them, where the tape started to split lengthwise. I think that was more my error than a fault in the tape, though, as it hasn't happened again. It is delicate tape, so make sure you unspool it slowly.
The tape looks lovely on either light or dark paper, but the subtlety of the illustrations looks a little better on lighter paper. The background is quite sheer, and any grid or lines on the paper will be visible through the tape. The tape is thinner than many I've used before--like a very fine crepe paper that won't weigh down pages.
The tapes vary in price depending on the width and design. The narrower ones are a little over $3 and the wider tapes are around $4.50. That puts them right in line with the cost of other tapes.
I'm very thrilled with these tapes, overall. My primary use for them is labeling notebooks. I like to be able to tell at a glance which notebook I'm reaching for, and quickly orient myself to what's the top-front of the book. Since I tend to enjoy the paper in notebooks that have minimal branding or labels, a bit of lovely washi is very useful for pointing me in the right direction. And I've never seen any washi more lovely than this. My favorite is the jellyfish. I have to remind myself that if I put jellyfish on everything, it will defeat the labeling purpose of the tape. But it is oh, so tempting.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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