A letter from France arrived today with an amazing array of stamps. They will eventually find homes in my journal and in collages, but for now, they are too gorgeous together to relocate. What would you do with them?
Posts Tagged ‘creative journal’
Sunday Reads: Pen Paper, Oysters, And Vandalism
12/23/2018Crazy busy headed into the holidays, but snagged a few choice bits for you…
- Jet Pens: The Best Fountain Pen Paper
- The Well-Appointed Desk: Inkmas Day 10: 3 Oysters Doldam (I would buy it for the name alone.)
- Stay with it to the end. His presence and connection with both the audience and the orchestra are a joy to watch.
- Making Monograph: The Hardcover Journal from Dapper Notes
- Random Acts of Genius Vandalism
- 116 Amazing Facts for People Who Like Amazing Facts
Midweek Links: Pen, Paper And Ink
11/28/2018The first link about slowing down handwriting speed is good advice though it isn’t always practical. However, this action does improve legibility and suits any writing that others must read. The last link is to an article about one of my favorite journal creators and includes several pages as well as a few of the fountain pens he uses. Enjoy!
- Life Hacker: Improve Your Handwriting by Slowing Down
- Why Havanese dogs should come in pairs. (My Havanese, Macy, approved this video.)
- Cheap Joe’s 2 Minute Art Tips – Noodler’s Ink
- Goldspot Pens: Why the Pilot Custom 823 fountain pen is a quintessential writer’s pen
- Poor thing. Some days it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed.
- This $1.7 Million Motorhome That Will Blow Your Mind
- The art of the travel diary – in pictures
From the archives, my Autumn 2012 rotation:
Sunday Reads: Dogs, Snow and Pen Stuff
01/07/2018Having introduced a couple of dogs to the wonders of snow, the Dogs in Snow video proved delightfully true though my kids never tried the two-legged march. Of the two, a Shih Tzu and a mini dachshund, the former was thrilled with the foot-deep drifts of the stuff while the latter was shocked and intimidated. The Shih Tzu, a lapdog, had chutzpah while the doxie, a ratter, was a wuss. Go figure.
- Where does a hummingbird sleep in winter?
- The Pen Company Blog: 8 reasons to send snail mail today
- Rhodia Drive: Art Brown Reopens in New York City!
- Jet Pens: Top 10 Japanese Art Supplies
- No-Talk Phone Scams
- My cat went to the neighbour’s to borrow a tiger plush toy
- Meghan Markle Calligraphy
- How to Hand Letter Like an Architect A to Z
- An Illustrated Journal
- Dogs in Snow
- Fountain Pen Inks & Bleach: Kaweco Sunrise Orange and Smokey Grey
- What to birds and dinosaurs have in common?
Review: Clearprint Vellum Field Book
12/13/2015Since 1933 Clearprint has offered cotton vellum paper in a variety of forms from 100 yard rolls down to 8.5″ x 11″ sheets. Now offered as a portable field book, this unique paper can fit anywhere including a pocket.
As a child I loved the texture and crinkly sounds from the discarded scraps that came into my hands. To a budding paper hoarder, this was treasure. Not long after rediscovering fountain pens, a packet of vellum made its way into my paper stash and became a happy mate to any fountain pen ink.
What’s not to like about a notebook that is
- filled with translucent paper
- works well with any fountain pen ink
- good for many uses and excels at layering
- incredibly smooth and kind to nibs
- good with watercolor though the paper may buckle mildly
- tough enough to be primed for oil or acrylic painting
- available in blank or grid (3mm) formats
- outfitted with a substantial cardboard back for field use
- made with removable pages
- free of bleed-through with FP ink though translucency produces show-through
Note that vellum is not absorbent so ink can take a long time to dry. Blotter recommended. That or a ton of patience.
The notebooks come in 3 x 4, 4 x 6, 6 x 8, and 8.5 x 11 inch sizes holding 50 sheets each. Since the sheets detach easily, the 6 x 8 pages could be used for correspondence. I like the thin but sturdy paper for notes to slide between the pages of a book and it is perfect for tracing or overlays.
Got a thing for paper, but aren’t acquainted with vellum? You are in for a treat. If you have experience with vellum, a Clearprint book presents a handy form and size to take this lovely paper on the road if only so far as the local coffee shop.
If you can’t find these notebooks locally, toss one into your shopping cart at Amazon for some good, clean inky fun.
A Glimpse At Midori Paper And Fountain Pen Ink
04/03/2015Japanese paper and fountain pen ink can be the best of mates as proven by these initial photos of a Midori Traveler’s Notebook from Jet Pens. Is love too strong a word?
More to come this month on grid notebooks and how useful they can be for keeping a journal whether you are well-organized or live a fractured lifestyle as I do.
A Few Links And A Finch
03/09/2015Useful articles from last week…
- Custom Handmade Pens using Reclaimed Wood
- Kim Komando: The secret your cellphone company doesn’t want you to know
- World Economic Forum: Why writing by hand helps you learn
- Writer’s Circle: How to Publish a Book on Amazon
- Creative Projects for Personal Organizer Systems
This little House Finch has been tapping at my window for two days as his mate watches from a nearby fence. What can he possibly see inside that is so intriguing?
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