tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13241768625582600892012-01-30T14:59:26.943-08:00A Penchant for Paperpaper ~ pens ~ notebooks ~ journals ~ sketchesHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.comBlogger1591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-39888429746121229502012-01-26T07:30:00.000-08:002012-01-26T07:30:01.922-08:00Pen Storage: Horizontal or Vertical?
This is a follow-up to my earlier post on pen storage. I want to know: is it best to store pens horizontally or vertically? And does the answer vary depending on the type of pen that is being considered (fountain pen, ballpoint, gel pen, etc.)? And, if pens are stored vertically, should they be stored tip up or tip down?
My mom, who primarily uses ballpoints, swears by storing her pens Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-38607769963437925292012-01-23T08:30:00.000-08:002012-01-23T08:30:02.775-08:00Pentel Superb and Wow Ballpoint Pens
I am grouping these pens into one review because, apart from differences in body design, these pens write very similarly. In addition, both are standard ballpoint pens produced by Pentel, are made in India, and were included in the Pentel School Essentials Pack.
The Pentel Superb is the black pen, the Pentel Wow the blue.
The Pentel Superb is a 0.7mm ballpoint, with a rather long body and Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-60229206709403151732012-01-16T14:21:00.000-08:002012-01-16T14:21:38.161-08:00Pen Storage: How Do You Store Your Pens?
Do you store your pens in a cup, a case, a bag, a pouch, a drawer, a desk, a cupboard, a box, or a bin? Do you organize them by type, by brand, by colour, or do you even bother to organize them at all? Do you keep them out where you can admire them, or do you hide them away to keep them safe from errant pen thieves? Just how do you store your pens?
A pair of homemade pen rolls.
I store Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-38561528481045531922012-01-13T08:30:00.000-08:002012-01-13T08:30:01.047-08:00Zebra Sarasa SE 07 Pink
The Zebra Sarasa SE is the upgraded sibling of the well-known and popular Zebra Sarasa. The two pens are both about the same length, have the same basic layout, and contain the same (excellent) Sarasa ink cartridges. But after that, the similarities end.
A family get-together. The Sarasa SE (top) and the Sarasa (bottom).
The Sarasa SE has an upgraded grip, which is longer than the grip Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-22681660753478286622012-01-05T12:58:00.000-08:002012-01-16T14:22:47.053-08:00Pentel Fiesta 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil
I'm not a big pencil user, but I do like to have a couple of basic mechanical pencils lying down for writing rough drafts and lists, solving sudoku puzzles, and making quick sketches. A pencil is also a necessary item for writing in my Rite in the Rain field notebook. As chance would have it, I was on a field trip late last fall with said notebook when I misplaced one of my mechanical pencils.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-23097066829638039212011-12-28T13:49:00.000-08:002012-01-16T14:23:13.502-08:00Top 10 of 2011Just as I did last year, I'd like to share my favourite products that I used in 2011. These are not new products for 2011, but simply the products that I used regularly and loved using this year. Don't be offended if your favourite pen or notebook isn't on the list; these are just my personal favourites. That said, here they are!
1. Rhodia Webnotebook (orange cover, unlined, A5 size)
ThisHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-63514631685089165672011-11-30T15:55:00.000-08:002012-01-16T14:23:46.685-08:00Checking In: Sketchbooks, Gluebooks, Art Journals
I've been keeping this book lately. Cutting out bits of paper, pictures from magazines, old drawings and mandalas, out-of-focus photos from ages ago, squares of scrapbooking paper and wrapping paper, gluing them on the pages of this huge (11 by 14 inches) sketchbook I have. I have no real purpose, I'm just gluing down things that appeal to me at the moment - colours, images, patterns. No Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-76862680994100868492011-10-27T13:48:00.000-07:002011-10-27T13:48:01.669-07:00A New Focus?
I have found lately that my focus here at A Penchant for Paper has been changing. I am becoming less interested in writing endless reviews of pens, notebooks, and other stationery items, and more interested in exploring the process of writing. Although I still enjoy trying out new stationery items and sharing my thoughts on them with you, I find myself reaching more often now for my old Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-25785796641939845432011-10-14T13:08:00.000-07:002011-10-14T13:08:12.029-07:00Sharpie Gel HighlighterI know some people who will fill an entire page of notes with highlighting in different colours. Flipping through the pages of their notebooks is like flipping through a rainbow, as colours flash before your eyes.
I'm a bit more staid myself. I like using different colours of pens, but highlighters? Not so much. In fact, I've never even reviewed a highlighter on this blog before. That, Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-58611297351820502992011-09-24T12:23:00.000-07:002011-09-24T12:23:07.601-07:00Pentel School Essentials PackI recently received this Pentel School Essentials Pack from a giveaway at Tiger Pens Blog. The pack contains the basic writing supplies that a student would need for heading back to school, although it would probably be best suited to students at the high school or university level. As I also recently headed back (reluctantly) to university for my final semester, this was a timely and cheering Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-53962174924154214832011-09-22T10:09:00.000-07:002011-09-22T10:09:20.792-07:00Zebra Surari 0.7mm VioletThe Zebra Surari is another super-smooth ballpoint similar to the Uni-ball Jetstream and the Pentel Vicuna. Unlike the Vicuna, the Surari does not suffer from the ink globbing syndrome, which definitely puts it ahead of the Vicuna and in serious competition with the more well-known Jetstream.
The Zebra Surari writes very smoothly for a ballpoint, approaching the smoothness of a gel pen. Given Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-7699235970323407972011-09-06T11:49:00.000-07:002011-09-06T11:49:42.419-07:00September Carnival of Pen, Pencil, and PaperHere it is! Welcome to the September Carnival of Pen, Pencil, and Paper, and the first ever carnival at A Penchant for Paper! Are you excited? Then let's get into this month's selection of great posts on pens, pencils, paper, and more!
Editor's Picks
Julie (O-kami) mixes up some green inks in her review of Platinum Mix Free Ink at Whatever.
TonyB takes a look a great new pen that may give Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-5929864424983677042011-08-18T06:14:00.000-07:002011-08-18T06:14:00.121-07:00Notebook Pockets - Do You Use Them?
It seems like every other notebook I own these days has one of those oh-so-handy pockets on the inside back cover. At least, I assume they're handy, since I have never found much use for them. In fact, on a few occasions I have even "lost" papers that I had thoughtfully put away in the pocket of a notebook for (supposedly) safe-keeping, only to forget where they were. Still, notebook pockets Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-29007934814797458442011-08-16T16:10:00.000-07:002011-08-16T16:10:49.932-07:00Banditapple Carnet NotebookThe Banditapple Carnet is a simple notebook with a classy, understated appearance. The notebooks come in 3 sizes: Peewee (9x14cm), Handy (11x21cm), and Tablet (13x21cm). They are available in either plain or ruled, and in either black or red covers. Mine is the ruled Peewee with a black cover, and I received it in a giveaway from Julie (O-kami) at Whatever (thanks, Julie!). I urge you to Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-716240944655949982011-08-04T06:05:00.000-07:002011-08-04T06:05:01.203-07:00Stamps & Ephemera from Letters & Journals
I'd like to share this lovely gift that I recently received in a newsletter-only giveaway from Jackie at Letters & Journals. Not only does Jackie hold a monthly giveaway of stationery items on her blog (the August giveaway is on now, so head on over and put your name in!), but she also sends out a monthly newsletter in which she offers additional giveaways for newsletter subscribers. Her blog Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-20073470491603679462011-08-02T10:01:00.000-07:002011-08-02T10:01:46.110-07:00More Lost and Found Pencils and Pens
Long-time readers may recall that last summer I wrote about the pencils and pencil stubs that I had found in the yards of three nearby schools. Well, I've been picking up pencils again this year and once more I have ended up with a rather nice stash of worn down stubs and pencil fragments. My stash this year is larger than last year's: 39 pencils and pencil fragments as compared to only 20 Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-87937013042869287512011-07-21T06:16:00.000-07:002011-07-21T06:16:00.267-07:00Pilot Petit1 Mini Fountain PenThe Pilot Petit1 has the honour of being only the second fountain pen ever reviewed at A Penchant for Paper. (The first was the Platinum Preppy.) I must admit that I am still somewhat intimidated by fountain pens. Luckily, the Petit1 is about as unintimidating as a pen can get.
Capped (top) and posted (bottom).
The bullet-shaped body measures just over 10cm when capped, coming perilously Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-51109374565965500332011-07-19T15:39:00.000-07:002011-07-19T15:39:33.341-07:00Rhodia Webnotebook Dot GridI was pleasantly surprised the other day when I opened my mailbox to discover this dot grid version of the Rhodia Webnotebook waiting for me, a sample from Karen at Exaclair. Because I have already reviewed the orange-covered, unlined version of the Webnotebook, this will not be a complete review, but will instead focus on the unique features of the black-covered, dot grid version. If you want Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-79953643440756008572011-07-14T16:29:00.000-07:002011-07-14T16:31:51.751-07:00Book Review: 1,000 Artist Journal Pages1,000 Artist Journal Pages: Personal Pages and Inspirations by Dawn DeVries Sokol is a unique and valuable book on art journaling. The book contains hardly any text, apart from a few introductory pages where contributors provide journaling prompts and their motivation behind journaling. The bulk of the book is taken up by images of 1,000 pages that artists from around the world (but mostly fromHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-6639486311639541142011-07-08T13:32:00.000-07:002011-07-08T13:32:04.378-07:00Journal Writing - Daily or Weekly?
I began my current journal on January 1, 2010 - I liked the idea of beginning a new journal at the beginning of a new year. I began by writing in my journal daily and, for quite a while, this worked. I looked forward to opening up my journal late in the evening or early in the morning to jot down a few of my thoughts. Because I typically write no more than a paragraph for each day, and becauseHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-56629332315800246572011-07-05T12:27:00.000-07:002011-07-05T12:27:07.784-07:00Pentel EnerGel RT 0.7mm RedI have reviewed a Pentel EnerGel before - the 0.5 mm, non-retractable, needlepoint version. This version is a 0.7 mm, retractable, conical-tip rollerball. Although similar to the 0.5 mm EnerGel, the 0.7 mm has its unique qualities as well.
To begin with, the Pentel EnerGel RT 0.7 mm writes very smoothly - I mean, seriously, this thing is smooth. While many pens are described as "gliding Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-61091533111552451402011-07-01T11:55:00.000-07:002011-07-01T11:55:45.184-07:00Rhodia No. 11 PadThe Rhodia No. 11 Pad is one of those items that has become so ubiquitous in my desk drawers, it is astonishing that I have not reviewed it before. This is even more astonishing when you consider that this same paper pad has made an appearance in most of my pen reviews. (The Rhodia pad first appeared in my review of the Uni-ball Fusion, a pen that ultimately proved disappointing; luckily, the Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-27534413126562066882011-06-22T12:49:00.000-07:002011-06-22T12:49:07.933-07:00A Problematic Pen: Stabilo Colorgel 0.4mmI would like to show you a writing sample of the Stabilo Colorgel. Unfortunately, I am unable to do so. The problem? The pen doesn't work.
Let's start at the beginning. I bought this pen a couple months ago, at the university bookstore. I tried it out in the store; the line seemed a bit fatter than 0.4mm, but it wrote fairly smoothly and the ink was a nice dark green colour. I brought it Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-18172437814737711422011-06-08T10:17:00.000-07:002011-06-16T14:56:43.514-07:00My DIY PlannerWith the semester ended, I returned home for the summer and felt the need for a revision of my planner system. I wanted something that I could use for keeping track of all the tasks that I needed to accomplish in all aspects of my life, help me plan and write posts for my blogs, and help me to clarify where I'm going in my life.
I headed over to D*I*Y Planner - a wonderful resource for the Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-49280017993215954232011-05-21T07:11:00.000-07:002011-05-21T07:11:00.335-07:00Art Journal Prompts, Part 1The journal prompts in this series are inspired by the pages of my own journals. The prompts in this installment of the series are from my very first art journal, which I named my Art and Poetry Journal and which I kept from December 8, 2008 to April 28, 2009.
#1: Paint over pages you don't like.
Sometimes, pages just don't turn out. If so, let them sit for a few days or weeks and them paint Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-45119210937615613042011-05-19T07:17:00.000-07:002011-05-19T07:17:00.636-07:00Zebra Z-Grip Ballpoint Orange & GreenIt is a fact of life that we all makes mistakes. And sometimes these mistakes involve pens.
The Zebra Z-Grip ballpoint pen was such a mistake.
It all began innocently enough. I was in the university bookstore, desperate to find a pen that was a) not one I had tried before and b) neither blue nor black. I soon spied a cup of colourful Zebra Z-Grip ballpoints. A little voice inside of me said,Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-77964039329836012752011-05-18T07:43:00.000-07:002011-05-18T07:43:00.387-07:00A Look Inside the Old Oak Desk
My desk has many years of history behind it. It is made of oak and my mother tells me that it once belonged to the Canadian Pacific Railway, although I have no proof of that. At some point in the past, it also belonged to a company called White Spruce Enterprises in Prince George, BC, for that is the address stamped numerous times on the inside of the front drawer along with "PAID" and "PAST Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-52254265644332252632011-05-17T09:35:00.000-07:002011-05-17T09:35:54.674-07:00A Notebook QuestionSeveral times now I have received questions from readers asking if I know of a notebook that has alternating plain and lined pages. I would be interested in such a notebook myself as it sounds ideal for combining writing with drawing; however, I do not know of any notebook that has this format. I am sure that someone out there knows, though, so now I ask you:
Which notebooks are available thatHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-69230778380396671812011-05-10T10:57:00.000-07:002011-05-10T10:57:33.211-07:00CommentsJust some quick notes here about comments:
First of all, I believe some commenters may have had difficulty leaving comments here. If you have had difficulties and continue having difficulties, please send me an email at heather [dot] papertrees [at] gmail [dot] com. If I don't know about it, then I won't be able to try to fix the problem! So please let me know if you have any issues with Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-23755934994916144142011-04-22T06:39:00.000-07:002011-04-22T06:39:00.222-07:00Sharpie Pen RTThe Sharpie Pen is one of those pens that seems to be constantly remaking itself and appearing in countless different incarnations. The RT version has been around for a while, but (probably because retractable pens generally have never been my favourites) I haven't actually tried it out until recently.
Like the Grip version, the Sharpie Pen RT has a more contoured and comfortable barrel than Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-86739351041978378862011-04-21T09:36:00.000-07:002011-04-21T09:44:36.925-07:00Papermate Gel 0.7mmThe Papermate Gel is a fairly decent basic retractable gel pen, but there's nothing about it that is getting me particularly excited.
Neatly attired in black and white
To begin with, the barrel is simple in design, with a functional grip and altogether ordinary clip. The bold black and white colour scheme does not particularly appeal to me. I feel that it gives the pen something of a cheap Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-21745535277653632942011-03-26T05:36:00.000-07:002011-03-26T05:36:00.163-07:00Which Size of Notebook Do You Prefer?
Do you like your notebooks to be large, small, or somewhere in between? Would you prefer a notebook that takes up your entire desk space or one that can be hidden away in your pocket?
Large notebooks are expansive, allowing you to stretch your imagination, make big plans, draw complex maps and diagrams, or fill the page in a passionate outpouring of words. But they can be awkward to carry Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-91725427281897075492011-03-25T14:24:00.000-07:002011-03-25T14:24:23.795-07:00Papermate Biodegradable Ballpoint PenLet's begin with with the positives first: The Papermate Biodegradable Ballpoint Pen has a slightly contoured barrel in a somewhat earthy-looking colour scheme. It is retractable and the plunger indicates the colour of the ink. The plastic feels pleasantly smooth, although a slight seam is noticeable on either side of the barrel. Overall, the pen is surprisingly lightweight and comfortable to Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-52749487236309180572011-03-22T11:24:00.000-07:002011-03-22T11:24:35.359-07:00New Posts and Reviews Coming Soon!Doesn't it annoy you when a blogger, who formerly posted fairly regularly, suddenly, for no apparent reason, disappears, and weeks if not months creep by with no new posts from her? It always annoys me, which is why I feel very bad about my own lack of posts here lately. Part of the reason was due to my very busy semester at university, but part of it, I'm afraid, was just due to Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-40766924809119078982011-02-23T09:56:00.000-08:002011-02-23T09:56:06.299-08:00Pentel Vicuna Ballpoint Pen 0.7mmI've been very behind in posts and reviews lately; in fact, I've only written two posts here yet this year! I feel terrible about it, but have been so incredibly busy studying and working on my graduating essay for my 2nd last semester of university that I've hardly had a moment to spare. That said, I've been using this pen for a couple of months now and thought I better get a review up for it Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-21786580396678473062011-02-04T15:17:00.000-08:002011-02-04T15:18:44.402-08:00PooPooPaper NotebookPooPooPaper is an unusual kind of "recycled" paper made out of, yes, elephant poo. As the back of the notebook helpfully explains, the digestive system of elephants does not break down the grass they eat very well, so their poo contains a lot of fibre and can be used to make paper. While my notebook uses paper made of elephant poo, the PooPooPaper website also lists paper products made from cowHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-6573008951375540092011-01-16T15:07:00.001-08:002011-01-16T15:07:58.038-08:00Plain, Lined, or Graph?
Because I have very small writing, most ruled pages have lines that are spaced too far apart for me. Lines on a page also limit the ways you can write and draw on it. It is for these reasons that I often prefer plain, unlined pages for writing. Plain pages are better for adding doodles and drawings around my words or for writing in a non-horizontal manner. And a sketchbook should, of course,Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-64976973724042448422010-12-30T15:17:00.000-08:002011-12-28T12:57:40.425-08:00Top 10 of 2010The following products are my favourite products that I used in 2010. Not only are they products that I love using, they are also products that I use regularly. Don't be offended if your favourite pen or notebook isn't on the list; these are just my personal favourites.
1. Quo Vadis Habana notebook (small, unlined)
This notebook has been my daily journal ever since January 1 of this year, andHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-43792626316796428602010-12-24T08:22:00.000-08:002010-12-24T08:22:00.288-08:00Pilot FriXion Point 04 BlueWhen I wrote my review of the Pilot FriXion Ball, I mentioned that I was looking forward to trying its finer-tipped cousin, the Pilot FriXion Point. I was very happy when I came across the FriXion Point in a local stationery store and couldn't wait to try it out.
I was not disappointed. In fact, every time I try a version of the Pilot FriXion, I find myself liking this line of pens more. I Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-49122513177562742852010-12-22T08:06:00.000-08:002010-12-22T08:06:00.863-08:00From the Art Journal: Fearless
"The Way North." Acrylic paints, pearlizing medium, Pitt Artist Pen, collage.
I haven't been working in my art journal as much lately, but that doesn't bother me. I admire those people who manage to create a new journal page every day or every other day (or even every week) and who also manage to blog about it every day as well, but I have accepted that I am probably not going to be one of Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-86891724674379073682010-12-20T09:52:00.000-08:002010-12-20T09:52:49.421-08:00Knock Knock Nifty Notes Paper E-mailThis is not the sort of item that I usually purchase or review here, but when I saw a pile of these "Nifty Notes" on the discount table at my university bookstore, I couldn't resist picking one up.
The Paper E-mail is just one of a series of humorous paper pads, sticky notes, and related items produced by Knock Knock. They are the kind of items that, I suspect, you buy as gifts for friends, Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-20569349461266085642010-12-07T10:35:00.000-08:002010-12-07T10:35:30.337-08:00Clairefontaine Minuscule NotebookI won this notebook in a giveaway at OfficeSupplyGeek some time ago, and have been meaning to write a review of it ever since.
Clairefontaine Minuscule
The Clairefontaine Minuscule is a spiral-bound notebook with sturdy plastic covers, and 180 white, lined pages. The dimensions are 14.8x21cm, not nearly as small as the name "minuscule" originally led me to believe the notebook would be.
I Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-23011321008680408012010-11-29T17:15:00.000-08:002010-11-29T17:15:33.024-08:00From the Other Journal: MandalasWhen I wrote that November was going to be a quieter, less busy month than October, I was wrong. Very wrong. November was much, much busier than October.
Back at the beginning of the month, when things weren't that busy yet, I began to draw these mandalas with my new Pitt Artist Pens, inspired by Tammy's lovely and intricate black and white mandalas over at Daisy Yellow, a great blog to checkHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-55396377593979338652010-11-06T17:00:00.000-07:002010-11-06T17:00:54.537-07:00The Battle of the Pocket Notebooks: Moleskine Volant vs. RhodiaWhich is the better pocket notebook: the Moleskine Volant or the Rhodia Classic Staplebound notebook? In this epic battle, only one notebook will emerge a winner - or will it? Read on to discover the result.
Moleskine Volant and Rhodia Classic Staplebound notebooks, with Sharpie Pen for scale.
Round #1: Size and Ease of Use
The Moleskine Volant is the smaller of the two, measuringHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-84180647059425686332010-11-03T14:30:00.000-07:002010-11-03T14:30:00.196-07:00Pilot B2P Gel Ink Pen (and a Rant)The Pilot B2P is a member of Pilot's BeGreen line of pens, and is made from recycled plastic water bottles, hence the name: B2P stands for "Bottle To Pen." It is refillable with the popular Pilot G-2 refills. Because this, there are no problems with the writing ability of the B2P; just as expected, it writes very smoothly and cleanly, with no skipping or bleedthrough.
The most interesting and Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-51395339825192788112010-11-01T13:07:00.000-07:002010-11-01T13:07:22.442-07:00Upcoming Posts & Reader InputThings have been a bit quiet lately over here at A Penchant for Paper. Part of the reason is that I was very busy with studying for exams and writing reports in October. Things have quieted down a bit now that we're into November, so hopefully I will find more time to write posts for this blog this month.
Yet another part of the reason is that I haven't been completely satisfied with the Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-615586592427034982010-10-14T16:22:00.000-07:002010-10-14T16:22:31.469-07:00From the Art Journal: Grid, Typography, Silhouette
Yet another grid.
I haven't shared any art journal pages with you lately, mainly because I haven't been creating many. When I posted my last page, I mentioned that I was feeling rather dissatisfied with the pages that I was creating. But apparently I wasn't as dissatisfied as I thought, for not long after completing that art journal I began to want to start another one. The problem was Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-56868786362151364792010-10-07T20:12:00.000-07:002010-10-10T19:00:23.645-07:00Faber-Castell Pitt Artist PensI had been wanting to buy some Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens for a while, but had been consistently put off by the price. Finally, last month I broke down and bought a set of four at Michaels with one of their 40%-off coupons. Although I have been using them off and on for the last few weeks, I can tell that I will need to spend much more time with these pens. So don't take this review as Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-62095032305375833842010-10-02T07:00:00.000-07:002010-10-02T07:00:03.527-07:00My Daily ArsenalThese are the items that I find myself reaching for most often these days:Quo Vadis Habana notebook, small, black cover, unlined pages - This is my current journal, and I absolutely love it. If I miss a day or two without writing in my journal, I don't feel quite settled until I have written in it again. The notebook itself is wonderful: it is plain and simple so that I don't get tired of it, Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-89131599969609268632010-09-29T14:20:00.000-07:002010-09-29T14:20:43.171-07:00My SystemBefore I returned to class this fall, I thought about how I wanted to change my organization and planning system. I wasn't satisfied with what I had been using before, and there were also three main issues that made this difficult:
I didn't want to carry a planner around with me. Most planners contain many pages that I have no use for (address books, notes pages, maps, etc.) and just add extra Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-68537000827791045112010-09-22T19:13:00.000-07:002010-09-22T19:15:47.958-07:00Stabilo Bionic Worker 0.5mm BlackThe Stabilo Bionic Worker caught my eye at the store recently and, especially since I think I have only ever used one Stabilo pen in the past, I was curious to see how it wrote. I have been using it for the last couple of weeks and have not been disappointed. This is a great pen, although it is not without its flaws.
The Stabilo Bionic Worker writes very smoothly, although the ink is rather Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-60652319250507506392010-09-15T13:38:00.000-07:002010-09-15T13:38:38.493-07:00Calligraphy PracticeThanks to all the readers who left cleaning suggestions in my "Garage Sale Calligraphy" post. On the past weekend, I finally got around to following through on some of those suggestions and I am happy to report that all went well. I soaked the nib in room-temperature water for a day, I didn't manage to wreck anything, and the nib now looks like new.
That said, I actually used one of the other Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-51463975903619406912010-09-10T09:27:00.000-07:002010-09-10T09:27:40.076-07:00A Small Book of ArtThe title of this book is Whimsies, which is appropriate, as it is different from my usual style and is fairly, well, whimsical. I made the book itself well over a year ago in April of 2009 from scrap papers, following the instructions in Gwen Diehn's The Decorated Journal for her "Six-Minute Double-Pamphlet Journal." (If you own the book, there are actually two versions of the double-pamphlet Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-51702796921863878812010-09-08T06:59:00.000-07:002010-09-08T06:59:00.249-07:00Garage Sale CalligraphyI love garage sales - you never know what you are going to find. I was at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago when I spotted a basket of art and craft supplies. I glanced through the contents and discovered a Sheaffer calligraphy set. I've always wanted to do calligraphy, and since the set was only $3 (the original price on the box was $17.50), I couldn't resist.
The set contains 12 ink Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-55345886539369889172010-09-07T09:28:00.000-07:002010-09-07T09:28:55.791-07:00Pen and Paper Related News for SeptemberIf you have been wondering about the lack of posts here over the last week, my excuse is that I have been busy packing and moving into my residence at university for what will be my fifth (!) year here. However, I am (mostly) settled in now, so I should be back to blogging regularly again. I have some great new posts coming up for you in the next few days, but until then, I'd like to share someHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-20654051268027495142010-08-31T09:37:00.000-07:002010-08-31T09:37:30.073-07:00Butterfly Observation JournalSome people are bird watchers. I, however, am a butterfly watcher. And, being the journal-obsessed person that I am, I have begun keeping a journal to record my observations.
I use a small, inexpensive Mead Journal and write in it with a black Sharpie Pen Grip. (I like to always use the same type of pen in a particular journal - it lends some uniformity to the entries.)
For each entry, I Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-8008025280649434672010-08-30T07:30:00.000-07:002010-08-30T07:30:00.407-07:00Do Men and Women Relate to Office Supplies Differently?Recently, there was a post over at The Art of Manliness blog entitled "The Manly Tradition of the Pocket Notebook." This post has been linked to in a variety of places, which is how I stumbled across it. Now, I love pocket notebooks (all notebooks, really) and, despite the fact that I am a woman, I found the post interesting, well-written, and well-researched. Yet a number of questions began Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-18674327332040293682010-08-29T11:29:00.000-07:002010-08-29T11:29:29.487-07:00Uni-ball Vision RT Bold 0.8mm BlackI have been unable to become terrible excited about the Uni-ball Vision RT. Although there is nothing particularly wrong with this pen, it is probably best described as being of average quality.
First of all, although the writing quality is reasonable decent, this pen does not write nearly as smoothly as I had expected, especially as compared to the other Uni-ball Vision I own. I experienced Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-79622652006508676192010-08-25T10:49:00.000-07:002010-08-25T10:49:42.507-07:00Further Tests in the New Rhodia WebnotebookAlthough I reviewed the Rhodia Webnotebook last week, I still wanted to do some further tests in the book with watercolours and other media. Well, I don't actually own all that many interesting art supplies to test, but I did finally get around to testing the ones that I do own.
In the first test, I used a Uni-ball Fusion rollerball (just because it was the first pen I grapped out of the drawer)Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-84461319023673776452010-08-20T07:37:00.000-07:002010-08-20T07:37:00.156-07:00The Scrapbook JournalA while ago, I bought a huge spiral-bound sketchbook (it's 11 x 14 inches). There's nothing special about it, although it does have sturdy covers, an elastic closure, and fairly heavy paper. I never planned to actually sketch in it - I am using it instead as my scrapbook journal.
A scrapbook journal is a place for all those bits and pieces of paper that you accumulate: clippings from magazinesHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-58309850278662131802010-08-18T07:15:00.000-07:002010-08-18T07:15:00.277-07:00Homemade Pencil/Pen CasesI have never been able to find the ideal pencil case. Excessive numbers of pockets and pouches are too confusing, while single, large, deep pockets swallow pens into their depths, never to be seen again. The ones that I liked best were those that rolled up, but the price of the one I wanted (the 122KCal Roll Pencil Case found at JetPens) was higher than I wanted to pay, especially after taking Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-61163026479000155262010-08-16T10:11:00.000-07:002010-08-16T10:11:21.138-07:00Rhodia WebnotebookI was very excited to find my new Rhodia Webnotebook waiting for me in my maibox last Friday. Many thanks to Stephanie and Karen for getting this notebook to me to review. Be warned, however - this is a lengthy review!
This is the large, unlined version of the Webbie with an orange cover (my photo really doesn't do justice to the brilliant orange colour). The cover is made of a smooth, Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-38052266620322512452010-08-15T14:33:00.000-07:002010-08-15T14:33:15.476-07:00An Old Favourite: Zebra Sarasa 0.7mm BlackWhat pens would you recommend to someone who doesn't have the same pen obsession that you do? One of the ones that I would recommend is the 0.7mm black Zebra Sarasa gel pen: it writes very smoothly, is readily available at local stores, and has some of the blackest black ink that I have seen in a gel pen. It is a familiar, comfortable, dependable pen.
At 0.7mm, this pen is not probably not Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-87352663103010371992010-08-11T10:37:00.000-07:002010-08-11T10:37:03.748-07:00A New Use For a Useless MarkerHave you ever tried to write with a gel pen on paper that you had coloured with pencil crayons? If so, you probably noticed that gel pens and pencil crayons don't get along. However, there is a solution:
Back when I wrote about my worst five pens, I mentioned that one of them was the white Sakura Permapaque Opaque Paint Marker, which is completely useless for its intended task.
But this markerHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-7461615942778354392010-08-08T07:29:00.000-07:002010-08-08T07:29:00.280-07:00From the Art Journal: Grid + Mandala
This is one of my favourite art journal page spreads that I've made in a while. I love the contrasts: the squares of the grid and the circle of the mandala, the cool grey background and the warm greens and browns of the mandala and grid, the spare black lettering and the intricate designs of the mandala.
These are the last art journal pages in this notebook, so I probably won't be sharing manyHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-83682476053951478252010-08-06T07:11:00.000-07:002010-08-06T07:11:00.676-07:00An Old Favourite: Quo Vadis Habana NotebookI have two Quo Vadis Habanas, and both are among my most frequently-used notebooks, having a permanent home in the corner of my desk. Both are the small versions (10x15cm) - the perfect size for slipping into my backpack or desk drawer. The red one is lined and I use it mainly for planning blog posts, making to-do lists, jotting down the titles of books that I want to read, etc. The black one Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-21942913232682759182010-08-04T07:17:00.000-07:002010-08-04T07:17:00.438-07:00Pilot FriXion Ball 0.7mm GreenWhen I reviewed my first erasable pen (the Color-Pencil-Like version of the FriXion), I was skeptical of the very idea of an erasable pen. Why not just use a pencil? But erasable pens are starting to grow on me, so much so that I thought I'd try out the Pilot FriXion Ball, which is readily available at most stores in my area.
The Pilot FriXion Ball writes very similarly to the Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-87711981444452666622010-08-03T09:00:00.000-07:002010-08-03T09:00:33.420-07:00Drawings from Nature Art CardsI received this set of 8 art cards from a giveaway on Milly's lovely Drawings from Nature blog.
The cards can be used as postcards or kept and framed as prints. I would love to frame mine, but unfortunately it is impossible to find frames around here that are the right size (6x8 inches). The cards feature precise, detailed drawings and paintings of small objects from nature: leaves, feathers,Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-61476311319206989812010-07-30T19:30:00.000-07:002010-07-30T19:30:29.635-07:00Staples Better BinderI had been looking for a good binder (i.e., one that didn't fall apart) for some time, so I was excited to see the Staples Better Binder, which claims to be Staples' "most durable binder." Its durability is because the spine is reinforced with rubber, which should prevent the cracking and splitting that usually occurs in binders with use. The edges of the covers also have rubber on them - I Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-72341361191318423162010-07-28T17:24:00.000-07:002010-07-29T09:37:41.651-07:00Heinz Jordan Permanent Sketch BookHeinz Jordan is a Canadian company that produces and imports a range of art supplies. Around here, their Permanent Sketch Books are a common sight in stationery stores, art supply stores, and my university bookstore.
They are very basic sketch books, with black textured covers and plain white pages. The sticker peeled easily off the cover, leaving no residue behind. The paper has some tooth Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-29451760011278822162010-07-27T06:03:00.000-07:002010-07-27T06:03:00.163-07:00A Year of Pens, Pencils, Paper, and NotebooksUnbelievably, A Penchant for Paper has now been around for one year! I started this blog back on July 27, 2009, and have been posting (mostly) regularly to it ever since. I have written reviews of many pens and a few notebooks, pondered complex philosophical questions related to paper and pens, and even shared pages from my journal with you. I have really enjoyed this past year with this blog Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-22997397483164312352010-07-26T10:22:00.000-07:002010-07-26T10:22:26.228-07:00From the Art Journal: Grid
These pages were simple and relaxing to make, from the measuring and cutting out of the squares of paper, to the careful positioning and gluing of them on the page. The result is a sampler of my favourite colours: lots of browns and greens and deep oranges, all sorts of muted earth tones. The inspiration for these pages came from iHanna's Grid of Pretty Papers, where she did a similar thing Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-7959760611427357002010-07-25T12:57:00.000-07:002010-07-25T12:57:28.671-07:00Worst Five PensAlthough I own some pens that I love and that I reach for again and again, I own other pens that fall into the category of Pens I Never Want to Buy Again, and that I use only to use them up. The below list does not include the worst pens that I have ever used, but rather my least favourite pens in my current rotation of pens. These are only my personal opinions and you, of course, may have had Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-34745322507526219822010-07-23T16:12:00.000-07:002010-07-23T16:12:56.677-07:00Top Five PensI thought it was time for an update on the Top Five Pens list. Keep in mind that these are only the top five pens that I am currently using, not necessarily my top five pens ever. This list reflects my own personal preferences and not necessarily the pens that I would recommend to someone else. This list is subject to change at any moment as I continually discover new pens.
1. Uni-ball Signo Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-55965667514147581232010-07-18T10:43:00.000-07:002010-07-18T10:53:14.112-07:00Sharpie Pen GripThe grip version of the Sharpie Pen offers the same great writing experience as that found in the original Sharpie Pen, and, due to its having a nice rubber grip, is much more comfortable to hold in the hand. The design of the pen is sleek, slick, streamlined, and modern; this is the sort of pen that no one needs to be ashamed to be seen writing with.
Compared to the original Sharpie Pen, the Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-89275825284565462432010-07-16T09:26:00.000-07:002010-07-16T09:26:00.854-07:00Exploring Colour: CollagesEarlier this year, when I had some extra spare time, I made some colour-themed collages in Photoshop with some of my old photos. Here is the "red" collage:
The collages were easy to make: All I did was search for the photos that I wanted to use in them, crop down the photos to include just the part that I wanted as well as make them all the same size and shape. Then I copied and pasted the Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-82607836435348955532010-07-14T06:18:00.000-07:002010-07-14T06:18:00.570-07:00Mead JournalThis Mead Journal is a fairly acceptable, basic notebook. The cover is covered with embroidered green cloth. The sticker on the cover peeled off easily without leaving any residue behind.
The design of the cover may be too "girly" for some; I don't mind it too much, mainly because it is green (my favourite colour), but I would prefer a plainer and more gender-neutral design. The endpapers areHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-33962467090489582032010-07-12T14:18:00.000-07:002010-07-12T14:18:08.116-07:00Book Review: A Life in HandHannah Hinchman's A Life in Hand: Creating the Illuminated Journal is a beautiful, inspiring book for the beginning or advanced journal-keeper. Hinchman's journals are those that contain both writing and drawings; she writes that in her journals, "drawing and writing began as distinctly separate activities, but that boundary has been breaking down over the years."
Throughout A Life in Hand, theHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-24065178275833266442010-07-06T12:42:00.000-07:002010-07-06T12:42:55.722-07:00Marvy Le Pen BrownThis is the sort of pen that I think I would have really loved when I was twelve years old, but as it is now, I'm not terribly excited by it. Don't be mistaken - the Marvy Le Pen is a very nice pen, but it is just not for me.
The pen writes very smoothly; it did not bleed through on any of the papers that I tried it on, although there was moderate showthrough on some of the thinner, Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-14845634567037794982010-07-02T14:19:00.000-07:002010-07-14T09:34:55.101-07:00From the Art Journal: Simplicity"Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail. In the midst of this chopping sea of civilized life, such are the clouds and storms and quicksands and thousand-and-one items to be allowed for, that a man has to live, if he would not founder and goHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-72141237512948020552010-06-28T12:18:00.000-07:002010-06-28T12:18:25.896-07:00Pencils Lost and FoundDuring the last month or so, I have occupied myself on our evening walks by picking up pencils that I find, usually in one of the three schoolyards that we regularly walk through. The yard of the local middle school offers the best selection of pencils; I only rarely find pencils in the yards of the high school or elementary school. I did not find any pens, only pencils. Here they are:
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-1200133172237498212010-06-21T17:04:00.000-07:002010-06-21T17:04:01.999-07:00How Many Notebooks Are Too Many?The true notebook addict would probably say that it would be impossible to have too many notebooks, but I am not so sure. I have been feeling overwhelmed lately by the number of notebooks that I am currently using, as well as feeling the need to simplify and use fewer notebooks. Here are all of the notebooks that I am using right now:
Top row, left to right:
A fabric-covered, soft-covered bookHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-66728526963859405342010-06-20T13:23:00.000-07:002010-08-10T09:37:59.919-07:00Exploring Colour: Colour Charts
Sometimes I don't feel like drawing or sketching or making complex journal pages. Sometimes, when I am feeling tired or stressed or just don't have a lot of time to work in my journal, all I really feel like doing is colouring in little boxes.
So I draw little boxes and take out a set of pens or markers or pencils that come in all different colours and then I colour in the boxes and end up Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-4346382623883312522010-06-19T09:37:00.000-07:002010-06-19T09:37:34.132-07:00Pentel Energel Needle Tip 0.5mm BlueAlthough not a fountain pen, the Pentel Energel is likely to become one of my new favourite pens, with its "liquid gel ink" providing a near perfect balance between the qualities of a liquid ink pen and those of a gel pen.
Unlike other liquid ink pens that I have reviewed here in the past, such as the Pilot Hi-Tecpoint and the Uni-ball Vision, the Energel does not bleed through paper. I love Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-49014080084611174292010-06-12T18:05:00.000-07:002010-06-12T18:05:48.950-07:00First Fountain Pen: Platinum PreppyFor many months, I felt that I did not really belong in the pen and paper world - for the simple reason that I had never owned or used a fountain pen. On nearly every pen blog that I could find, there were people raving about fountain pens and inks and I didn't have a clue what they were talking about.
However, this is the case no longer. I am now the proud owner of my very first fountain pen,Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-30531715215497035502010-06-08T17:57:00.000-07:002010-06-08T17:57:54.753-07:00Carnival TimeBe sure to check out the 11th Carnival of Pen, Pencil, and Paper over at Tiger Pens Blog. As usual, there are many excellent articles and reviews, even including one of my own pen reviews.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-33253921481716786202010-06-08T12:56:00.000-07:002010-06-08T12:56:22.689-07:00Exploring Colour: The Green Book
I have recently made myself this small pamphlet, which is dedicated to an exploration of the colour green. Included in the book are bits of green paper: scrapbooking paper, wrapping paper, origami paper, cutouts from magazines, paint chips, etc., as well as green stickers and samples of all of the green paints, pencils, pens, markers, and even crayons that I could find.
The inspiration was Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-36653682818975826602010-06-04T13:28:00.000-07:002010-06-04T13:28:50.786-07:00Sakura Gelly Roll Moonlight - Fluorescent YellowIf you are looking for brilliant, eye-catching colour, then the Sakura Gelly Roll Moonlight may be the pen for you. I picked up the fluorescent yellow, and am very impressed with how bright the colour is. It is a fun pen to write with, and I suspect that it would be popular with children.
The yellow ink shows up well on both dark and light paper (athough unfortunately the sample on white paper Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-7566855826432028732010-05-28T13:23:00.000-07:002010-05-28T13:23:17.729-07:00Bookbinding: Gwen Diehn's Thirty-Minute Multiple-Pamphlet JournalPerhaps the best option for people who cannot find the ideal notebook is for them to make their own. Although bookbinding can be intimidating and some practice and experimentation may be needed, the result will be a notebook or journal that is customized to your precise needs.
I, unfortunately, am still in the experimentation stage. I made this book from instructions in Gwen Diehn's excellent Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-65666743052273963812010-05-25T10:56:00.000-07:002010-05-25T10:56:11.525-07:00Uni-ball Signo DX 0.38mm Green BlackI was looking forward to trying the green black version of the Uni-ball Signo DX, but I was disappointed to find that JetPens only offered it in 0.38mm, and not in 0.28mm, which I had been wanting to try as well.
Despite that issue, this is still an excellent pen, and will likely end up on my list of top five pens in the future. I don't have much to say about the way this pen writes that I Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-14299616241899188152010-05-20T09:45:00.000-07:002010-05-20T09:45:00.132-07:00From the Art Journal: Hand + Mandala
If it is possible to go too far with a journal page, then I may have done that here. But I did have fun, creating intricate designs using paint markers and gel pens, and using a colour scheme quite different from my usual greens and browns. I usually add writing to these pages, but I did not do so here; the pages were complete without writing. Overall, this is probably one of my favourite Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-12958259256637462112010-05-19T09:43:00.000-07:002010-05-24T14:10:59.535-07:00Post-it Flag Pen - Black BallpointThe Post-it Flag Pen, combining a ballpoint pen with a dispenser for Post-it Flags, could be a very useful item, if you use flags to mark your pages (which I, unfortunately, do not). It could be particularly useful for students and other people that want to limit the amount of items that they are carrying around. However, the pen itself is far from ideal.
Although the fat shape of the pen is Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-86299846862975396262010-05-17T10:24:00.000-07:002010-05-24T14:11:20.910-07:00Zebra Sarasa 0.4mm OliveWhen I first picked up this 0.4mm Zebra Sarasa gel pen, I was disappointed by how scratchy it was. I had been using the 0.7mm Sarasas for years and had never had any problems with them. However, first impressions can be deceiving. As I have used this pen more, much of the scratchiness has gone away, although it is still far from being as smooth as a Pentel Slicci or Uni-ball Signo DX.
The Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-36774626788421897722010-05-12T10:03:00.000-07:002010-05-12T10:03:04.586-07:00Pen or Pencil?Do you prefer writing with a pen or with a pencil? Do you use a pen in certain situations and a pencil in others? Do you have a preference at all?
For most purposes, I prefer a pen. For writing or sketching in my journal or even just jotting down a quick note to myself, a pen is the tool of choice. Pencils do, of course, have their place - for crossword puzzles, for solving math problems, Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-49641480445836548362010-05-08T16:49:00.000-07:002010-05-24T14:11:28.979-07:00Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.4mm OliveWhile I have reviewed the Coleto (multi-pen) version of the Pilot Hi-Tec-C here, I have not previously reviewed the standard version. Again, I suspect that this a pen with which many readers will already be familiar.
The Pilot Hi-Tec-C is a great pen. It writes just as well as other fine-tipped gel pens that I have reviewed here in the past, such as my beloved Pentel Slicci and the Uni-ball Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-77699980933662802632010-05-05T13:15:00.000-07:002010-05-05T13:15:22.328-07:00New Art Journal From a Recycled NotebookI had decided that I wanted to begin another art journal; my last one had been finished sometime in January. However, I did not want to spend any money on a new notebook, or on supplies to bind a book myself.
So I found an old dollar-store notebook that had been used for various purposes in the past, such as writing down poems and quotes that had appealed to me when I was 13 years old but no Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-65075311493657039562010-04-27T09:18:00.000-07:002010-04-27T09:18:38.937-07:00Pentel Slicci Metallic 0.8mm BronzeSince I love the standard Pentel Slicci gel ink pens, I was eager to try out the metallic version. I did not really expect to be disappointed with it, and I was not.
I picked up the bronze, and at 0.8mm, the metallic Pentel Slicci writes just as well as, if not better than, its finer-tipped cousins. Ordinarily I would be turned off by the 0.8mm line width, which is a bit wider than I prefer, Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-81481085814190327542010-04-16T14:57:00.000-07:002010-04-16T14:57:01.514-07:00Questions from and to ReadersA recent commenter asked this question:
"Where's a good place to pick up inexpensive quality journals?"As I am just beginning to discover the world of journals, notebooks, and pens myself, I did not have a good answer for him. I tend to just happen upon journals here and there in small, out-of-the-way places.
So, to my readers, where do you buy your journals and notebooks? What places would Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-58095345801827535562010-04-15T18:23:00.000-07:002010-05-24T14:12:08.567-07:00Uni-ball Vision Fine - GreenThe Uni-ball Vision is another liquid ink pen that I wanted to try out. Although I have no complaints about the writing ability of this pen, I was put off by the description of this pen as "fine." To me, it is not fine at all, and "medium" would be a far better descriptor.
The Uni-ball Vision is a professional, smart-looking pen, if that's important to you, and its medium-wide body makes it Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324176862558260089.post-1368349089439763392010-04-11T19:49:00.000-07:002010-04-11T19:49:40.446-07:00My Journal: Telling the Story of My Life, Day by DayMy profile description reads that I am a "keeper of many journals." This is true, but there is still only one main journal, the journal that gets written in every day, the journal that I turn to early in the mornings before the day has really begun and late at night before I go to bed. It is the journal that I turn to when I am upset or angry or sad, and I simply must get some words out on the Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02434221231298315347noreply@blogger.com7