Bullet Journal Supplies: Simply Gilded

Hey there! I’m starting a Bullet Journal Supplies series on my blog. I know that you don’t need anything too fancy to use a bullet journal, and I don’t think my supplies are that fancy. I wanted to share my supplies because I think they are awesome and that should be shared and enjoyed by many! So, for the first installment of this series, I’m going to be talking about Simply Gilded, an online boutique washi tape shop.

Before beginning, I just want to share that I got permission from Irene, the owner of Simply Gilded, to use her images from her Instagram.

Like I mentioned in my Bullet Journal Supplies post, I use Simply Gilded washi tape to decorate my bullet journal. I was introduced to Simply Gilded washi tape in August 2017. I was introduced to her washi by some of the planner groups I’m in on Facebook. My first four rolls were Peach Sorbet with Light Champagne Gold Foil Bow, Pink with Rose Gold Foil Bow, Misty Moon, and Lavender and Champagne Gold Bow. A week later I ordered three more rolls, and the rest is history!

Irene currently sells on Etsy, however, she is moving all of her Etsy shop to her standalone site, which should be complete sometime this month! She got her start on Etsy but recently has been outgrowing Etsy’s platform, which is great! She said that her April release should be available on her Shopify site. Make sure you sign up for her newsletter so you can stay up to date with new release information!

Here are some pictures from her Instagram.

Black and Gold Bow Washi Set

Black and Silver Bow Washi Set

Galaxy 2.0 Washi Set

Galaxy 3.0 Washi Set

Valentine’s Day Bow Washi Set

In November, she launched a subscription box, which I thankfully was able to get my hands on. Each box has its own theme and comes with 4-5 exclusively designed washi, a journaling card, a sticker sheet, a surprise or two, bonus perks, and a chance to “double dip”! Slots open up around mid-month and she said a lot of slots will open in April and May. You can sign up for the sub box waiting list here.

Here are some of the washi sets from the sub boxes

November Sub Box Washi Set

December Sub Box Washi Set

Aren’t they beautiful? She takes amazing pictures of her washi!

Here is where my collection is stored.

My entire Simply Gilded collection

I have 14 columns of 5 washi tapes. After my March sub box comes, I’m not going to have any more room for washi in this box! A lot of them are lightly used, they’ve been swatched in my little notebook.

So what is washi tape and what do I use it for?

Washi tape is decorative adhesive tape. It looks like regular tape but it isn’t as sticky as regular tape. I use it to decorate my bullet journal. With my bullet journal, I usually pick two to three tapes, unless I use a sub box set, and make a theme for the month, or at least a color story. I line the sides of the pages with one of the washi tapes so it is easy to differentiate the months. Then, after I draw my layouts for the month, I use my washi to decorate around my designs. I also like to use washi is because it is easy to move around if I decide I need to change something.

Everyone uses washi differently. You can layer it over a small board and make a dashboard. You can also use it for other, non-planner things. I have lined envelopes with washi before, just to make them look cuter. Washi tape just makes your designs more beautiful.

What makes Simply Gilded washi so special?

I think that depends on the person. I love them because they are absolutely beautiful and hand-designed by Irene herself. She works very hard on her washi and it shows with the quality of the designs. Also, her customer service is ah-mazing! During non-release times, she is very quick to respond to customer messages. I only say this because the past two releases, Etsy has been a pain so she had larger than normal messaging volume. She is also very active in her Facebook group answering general questions and responding to comments. Membership of her group has skyrocketed it seems, so I definitely think she has done a great job keeping up with it. She also has hired some moderators to help her with the group. I would say that her business has expanded a lot recently. A lot of new releases, plus the sub box, plus working on her Shopify site, she has so much on her plate. However, she has handled it amazingly.

Like I said, it’s not just the washi tape, it is the community that Irene has created around her washi that makes me love Simply Gilded so much. You can tell through her designs and through her business model that she really does care about her customers. She always posts updates in her group, whether it’s just an update or because there was a hiccup with the sub box. Even though her business has grown so much in such a short amount of time, she has managed to keep her business personal to her customers. She is the definition of “Girl Boss”.

I highly recommend checking out her Instagram and Facebook group. Also, sign up for her newsletter, she probably will announce the opening of her Shopify site on there.