TADA notebooks are handmade by Elisa and Fabio, a husband and wife team based in London. They are clearly made with a lot of care and with much love. That attention to detail and passion reveals itself from the moment the package arrives.
The joy only increases upon opening the envelope. These cards are just wonderful.
The notebooks are available in a wide range of colours and in A5 and A6 sizes. This is a review of the A5 Striped Yellow.
The cover is made from stiff card and holds up quite well. I’ve been carrying mine around in my bag for a few weeks and the cover is still stiff and undamaged. I am careful when putting it into my bag, though.
The cover designs are handprinted using vegetable-based inks. Each notebook has a message embossed on the back cover. This message varies from batch to batch and this one makes me smile every time I see it.
There’s also a cardboard pocket inside the back cover. This is glued on and I managed to pull a corner away almost as soon as I looked at it.
There are 96 pages (80 in the A6 version) and they’re hand stitched in the centre. This is a good strong binding but means the notebook is reluctant to stay opened flat.
The paper is lovely. It’s recycled, thick (90gsm) and white with tiny little flecks in it. I love the flecks, it gives the paper so much character, but I guess it might put some people off.
The paper shows off inks beautifully. For almost all of my pens, it’s wonderful. It does seem to suck the ink from some though, which means that for a couple of my broader-nibbed pens the feeds struggle to keep up and after half a page or so they start to dry out. It only affects some pens. It’s a shame but I think with every kind of paper I’ve used, there have been one or two pens that it hasn’t suited. For me, the vibrancy of inks on this paper more than compensates for not being able to use a couple of my pens.
There is virtually no feathering, hardly any show through and no bleeding (other than the Sharpie, as always).
This is a beautiful notebook. It won’t suit everyone – what notebook can – but it is one of those products that fills you with joy every time you pick it up. This is why we spend so much time on pens and paper, isn’t it?
Made in Clerkenwell
If you happen to be in London between 15 and 18 May then you have the chance to meet Elisa and Fabio and see TADA notebooks in person. There are also rumours of possible new products! Admission to Made in Clerkenwell is £3 and there will be 100 designers there. Details here.
Giveaway
There’s more! You have a chance to win one of these gorgeous notebooks. TADA are very kindly offering one up for one lucky person to win.
What you need to do is visit the TADA website, have a look through all the beautiful cover designs and then come back here to tell me, in the comments, which one you like the best. You can only pick one, which makes this quite a difficult competition.
The giveaway closes at 9am GMT on Saturday 24 May and the winner will be picked randomly. It’s open worldwide but I won’t be held responsible for any loss, damage or customs charges during shipping.
Good luck!!
Fantastic giveaway, thank you!
I had difficulty viewing their site on mobile, but from what so could see, the pink semicolon cover is just up my alley! I would love to win that one! I am all for the poor misunderstood semicolon, and more colour! These are really great looking notebooks.
Are any of them available lined, do you know? Thank you again!
They’re lovely aren’t they. They’re only available with plain paper at the moment.
I have to agree with subgirl, these look great notebooks and the semicolon rocks. However, I think I would prefer mine in the yellow, with the semicolon hiding shyly and demurely.
Great giveaway and definitely a notebook I’ll have to check out.
Cheers
I love the Tada Three on blue card. That combination of red blue and yellow reminds me of a Mondrian painting.
Thanks for the review and the giveaway. I like the TADA One – brown in the A6 size. Each appear to be a work of art. Lets hope for great success and they come out with ruled paper.
I have a serious weakness for letterpress, so this is huge! The A6 TADA striped-brown is calling to me. Thanks!
Thanks for the review I didnt knew them and really like the designs, and also thanks for for the giveaway. Best of luck and success in their enterprise.
Regards
sorry i forgot to pick one… the tada one – brown is the one for me. thanks
Well, I am not a fan of printed covers. Tada Grey is my favourite. Thanks for the giveaway.
My favorite is the TADA Semicolon in the A5 size. I bet that paper is heavy enough to take a very light wash with fountain pen ink sketches! 🙂
Love the loo of the Tada One – Grey. Thanks.
Thanks for the review and giveaway!
The Tada Striped – brown is my favourite.
The TADA Striprd Grey is my favourite. They are all fab though!
I like the Tada Three on brown!
My fav is the Tada Semicolon Pink because I could live happily knowing it was with me in my bag, at the ready, for making notes at any time! The fun semicolon is a nice touch and the pink colour is just a lovely gentle shade – not at all screamy! Tee ;0)
I am boring – I like the Tada Brown 🙂
Ooh, that is a hard choice. I think I like the Tada Striped Grey best.
Thanks for the opportunity to win such a great notebook. Keeping it simple. . . TADA Blue A6 is perfect!
Love the tada one – grey
I like the TADA THREE – PINK the best. It’s really hard choosing between all these simple geometric designs though. A good runner up would be the TADA ONE – GREY. But if I had to choose one it would still be the TADA THREE – PINK.
Thanks for this awesome giveaway! 🙂
The notebook looks gorgeous! I love the name, TADA. I think my favorite is the Tada Three – Blue
I love tada three- blue
cookiesmasher5@yahoo.com
Tada One – Brown – simple aesthetics for my taste.
Striped- Grey
Nice design!
I love the look of the one you reviewed so I’d go for the striped yellow. Thanks for the giveaway!
I’m eyeing the A6 Tada pink. Very nice. Thanks.
I really love the design of the TADA STRIPED – GREY and A5 is my favorite size. Thanks for the great review & giveaway.
The striped grey is my favorite of the cover designs. Understated but still distinctive!
I like the Tada Brown, size A5. It’s very simple but beautiful.
I think, TADA Blue or TADA Grey are better.
And I’d decorated the cover somehow, may be, with some kind of graphics or lettering.
Thanks for the give away! I like the TADA striped grey; size A5. I would love to try this paper out.
TaDa one grey A5 – simply elegant!
Oh I love letterpress! TADA one – grey please in A5. Thank you
Thanks for the giveaway! I like the TADA ONE in brown in A5.
TADA semicolon yellow, perfect for a diary!!!
TADA Grey in A5 please. Thanks for the giveaway!
Pink
Tada one brown in A5 – looks really nice.
Thanks for introducing me to TADA notebooks! I would love to get my hands on the Striped Grey pattern.
I am partial to the TADA Stripes, on yellow. It is a difficult choice!
You’re right: It is a hard pick. If I had to pick one, it’d be the Semicolon Green. Gotta love semicolons!
Tada One Grey for me 🙂
The a5 yellow semicolon really caught my eye!
Pink!
I like the Grey Striped cover best.
Great giveaway; thanks. The TADA One Grey is just right: sober, with just a dash of color. A5 size would be so portable.
I do like the Tada Three on Blue, but, honestly it is the Tada Striped yellow that stands out for me with its simple design and color coordination.
There are a few nice journals! But, alas, I must choose one. Tada Stripped – brown 🙂 I love earthy tones!
Tada Three Blue for me!!
Fantastic giveaway, thank you! I do like the Tada Three on Blue
They are all very nice, but the Semicolon in green would be my choice.
Semicolon pink
I am surprised by other’s selection but to each their own. I would love the TADA Striped–Grey. Too cool. Thanks.
I like the TADA Striped Grey. A5 is preferred. Thanks for offering the giveaway!
Tad a yellow semi-colon, A6! Would love the looks in the coffeshop, and yellow is my favorite color:)
My favorite is TADA Three – pink. Thanks for the giveaway and greetings from Finland!
I like: http://www.tadanotebooks.co.uk/product/tada-semicolon-yellow/
I love your notebooks! My favorite is the Tada Three- Blue ( :
Tada Three- blue is my pick
I like Tada Striped-Grey.
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OMG, you were right about the level of difficulty in making a decision, but eventually I chose, uh, the Tada striped yellow. no – grey, no, yellow.
Tada Striped Yellow – Bright yet simple – love it.
I love the taxa 3 in brown e-6…looks wonderful for a pocket! Thanks!
Semicolon Pink!
Definitely the semicolon in yellow. Partly because so few people know how to use semicolons correctly; I’m rather a fan of them myself. And also because the yellow is so vibrant.
Love that Tada blue!
Quite in love with the TADA striped brown <3
I really like the
TADA THREE – PINK A5
Its cute and beautiful
Thank you for the beautiful review here – I’d love to win one. I adore them all, but the pink one is for me.
i love TADA Three Blue *.*
Thank you for this lovely giveaway!
My favourite design is the Taga Free Pink!
I cross my fingers!