Tag: stationery

Loving pencils

Great post over at Kottke.org about loving pencils, with lots of lovely links. Go check it out. Particularly intrigued to hear about Sharpie’s attempts to create a pencil with liquid graphite ink.

a pot of pencils

Pencils are brilliant, and given the chance I’d use one over a pen for most things. My particular favourites are the Dixon Ticonderoga – the standard US school yellow pencil with the pink eraser. One of my lovely US friends sent me a big box of them many years ago and I’m down to my last half-dozen[1]. I need to find a new supplier[2]…

[1] yes, I know there are only five in the photo. I was using the other one, ok? 🙂
[2] If anyone wants to send me some pencils, be they Dixon Ticonderoga or otherwise, get in touch!

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DaBloPoMo – a recap

Well well, dear reader. Here we are on day ten of #DaBloPoMo[1]. It’s been going quite well thus far, I think.

I’ve talked about a number of things thus far. On day 1 we had a chat about amusing spam, followed up by a post prompted by @LeedsBookClub talking about the film Labyrinth, in which you can see me playing with my ball.

No, it’s an crystal[1] juggling ball. Filthy minds, you lot.

Did you watch the videos I failed to embed? Really, you should. Let me try again.

Day 3 and I was playing with a pulp fiction cover generator.

Then I talked about being a stationery geek. This post got picked up on The Pen Addict’s Ink Links and blog views went nuts. Well, relatively. Tons more views than usual. Still getting traffic now from it. Thanks Pen Addict!

I had a chat about coffee, then rambled at length about ebooks and kindles. Another good post for views, that one.

That led onto my love affair with books, prompted by Becs of Bits and Bobs Becs. She left a great comment on the ebook post too, with a link to a wonderful letter by Harper Lee.

Following up the book theme, I looked at interesting things found inside books, with particular reference to something awesome I found in a lovely little book of poetry.

Then yesterday I was a little ill, so left you with a photo of a tree.

It’s been a busy ten days, dear reader. I’ve got a whole host of other things to natter on about in February. Watch this space!

[1] Dave’s Blog Posting Month. But then you knew that, right?
[2] ok, ok, it’s clear acrylic. Still looks cool.

Stationery geek

a potful of pens

#DaBloPoMo, day 4.

My twitter bio says “writer, photographer, coffee-lover, cyclist, bookworm and stationery geek.”

Today, dear reader, we’re going to talk about that last bit: stationery geek.

No, not stationary geek[1].

Stationery, as defined at Dictionary.com

sta·tion·er·y [stey-shuh-ner-ee]
noun
1. writing paper.
2. writing materials, as pens, pencils, paper, and envelopes.

I just love the feeling of opening a new notebook, finding the perfect pen or pencil[2]. I have quite a selection, as you can see. My favourite pen is the Muji gel ink pen, but sadly the Muji in Leeds closed some time ago (sob), so I’m on the hunt for a good alternative. I’ve heard good things about the Pilot G2 gel pens, but they and I have never really got on. I’m quite fond of the Sharpie fineline pen, but it’s a bit too heavy in the line department for regular use.

If anyone can recommend a good, regular daily use pen, drop me a comment.

I’d love to get a decent fountain pen too, though I don’t know when I’d ever get to use it. They’re so nice to write with, but require time and patience that I’m not sure I have any more. I’ve been known to spend entirely too long browsing the used pen categories on ebay, looking for the perfect fountain pen, something classic, but not *too* expensive.

Ah well. One day.

As for notebooks, I do love a nice Moleskine. They’re the perfect size, have deliciously off-white paper that’s really nice to write on, and just look great. I’ve got a stash of them, and always have one in my bag – though I do find that it’s most often filled with just odd notes and reminders, rather than earth-shattering truths or swathes of my as-yet-unfnished Great Novel.

On a separate but tangentially-related note, I started a project many years ago where I sent a fresh Moleskine off into the world to visit my various online friends. It’s been travelling for… seven years this year, I think. It’s been to a whole host of interesting places, including the White House on the day after Obama was inaugurated the first time.

How cool is that?

One day I hope to be reunited with it. Given current rate of progress, and my general uselessness at prodding people to move it on, I’m expecting it home some time in 2016/17…

[1] Though, according to my Fitbit[2], I do spend quite a lot of time not moving. Pesky office jobs, eh?
[2] of which more, inevitably, later
[3] the Dixon Ticonderoga is my current pencil of choice. That classic yellow pencil with the pink eraser that you see in American schools. I got sent a box of 4 dozen many years ago by my good friend Greg, who is sadly no longer with us. Every time I pick up one of those pencils, I think of him. To Greg! *raises pencil*

some interesting things I’ve found

First off, the Star Wars ABC, which is oddly beautiful:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tweedlebopper/sets/72157600166417445/detail/

Then a fantastic post by a fellow pen addict:
http://www.randsinrepose.com/archives/2007/10/16/the_gel_dilemma.html

which is so me, it’s scary. Must go and buy some more pens. My favourite line was this:

if you’re going to have an argument about pens with anyone, chances are there’s a Moleskine nearby.

Brilliant

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