Drawing manatees is a deep-rooted love of mine. Few understand my fascination with doodling these ladies and gents of the sea. I often include little watercolors on the backs of letters I send. The photos in this post are of the back of a letter I wrote to some of my yoga teachers (hence the Om). As someone who writes a lot of letters, who
I tell you, packaging can make things special. It sets up your expectations and for we paper enthusiasts, it can inspire us to write. The print on the luxury boxes that Rossi's Medioevalis Paper comes in is beautiful and I am enamored with the combination of the fiery orange and warm greys. I have a box of envelopes and cards from
I write a lot of letters. I get a lot of letters too. And I am even on a first-name basis with several post office employees at my local branch. Every PO Box renter at my branch got a generic black and white postcard in our boxes this past week and after reading it I realized 'Oh my God, the post office workers get just as irritated at us as we
I spotted these guys at Barnes and Noble..... They're red! What a lovely shade! I've got the perfect red Diamine ink and my Gold Sheaffer Agio would compliment this Moleskine so perfectly. Glorious! What a lovely color!
What a fancy name. Ambre De Birmanie It certainly matches the lovely hue of this ink. Here's a page from a Moleskine. You'll see I wrote in many different styles and even doodles. You can get a good sense for how the ink looks and behaves. All the testing in these photos was done with a Lamy Safari Medium Nib. This will be a
I think we pen, letter-writing and doodle enthusiasts can get on board with this, no? If you're feeling it, whip out your favorite color ink on: Friday, February 12, 2010 And, if you've got the time, post photos up throughout the day on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, your blog--wherever and let Mr. Guilt know! Mr. Guilt started Fun Ink Day and you
For anyone looking to venture into the world of fountain pens, a LAMY Safari or Al-Star would be a safe bet. I have several Safari fountain pens. This is my first Al-Star. The Al-Star is basically the same as the Safari except the body is made of aluminum whereas the Safari body is durable plastic. The Al-Stars also have a translucent base
Yum. Just yum. Diamine is my favorite brand of ink. It's a brand I wouldn't have tried unless Doug Kennedy at Appointments in Cincinnati had recommended it to me. Appointments is a little shop downtown and they've determined, through trial and error, that Diamine is truly outstanding. Most people have not heard of it. I received
Lookie Lookie. This is an etegami done by Deborah Davidson, from Sapporo, Japan. I found her blog a few months ago and discovered this ancient Japanese art form called etegami. According to Debbie, "Etegami (e="picture" tegami="letter") are simple drawings accompanied by a few apt words, and they are usually done on postcards. They
It happens. It's happened to me. Sometimes, you have a pen pal that you just never hear from again. And then we ask ourselves: Why is my correspondent not writing me back? Was it me? Or is it them? My pen pal didn't write me back; what's next? Did I offend them? Am I annoying? What's wrong with me? And I can tell you that it's not you;
My husband, Victor, has a signature pen. It's his Cross Affinity Fountain Pen in Crimson Red. This is a new model, out only since September 2009, but it's a great little fountain pen. Cross' fountain pens have vastly improved over the years and Pelikan makes some of their nibs. He uses a fine nib. And he keeps it stocked with
I love paper. I love buying it, writing on it, finding new kinds, touching it; it's an odd obsession I think I share with very few people. I know many people, especially scrapbookers, love papers with unique patterns. That's not really what I'm into. I like paper that's plain and made for writing. I pay close attention to texture, thickness and
I use pretty inks in my fountain pens. I only use black or blue ink if, for some reason, it's absolutely required. I think using colored inks are a good reflection of your personality. I use a few inks by Diamine, a British ink manufacturer. Here's what the Pumpkin looks like: For some reason my LAMY Safari in magenta dribbles ink out
Writing is such an important tool we all have but seldom use. I mean, really use. We write things all the time; the grocery list, our signatures, notes taken during a meeting; the list goes on. But do you ever really write anything? When's the last time you did? Better yet, do you write well? This is one of my favorite books: Wiliam
A fountain pen is a wonderful writing instrument. If you are someone that seems to be purchasing and trying out new pens all the time, then you'll likely love writing with a fountain pen. Since I discovered them, I no longer reach for a ballpoint; I no longer use a gel pen and I no longer love felt tips. The fountain pen has improved my
Letter writing is a lot of fun. You 'meet' people from all over, learn new things and end up with an interesting pastime. I have several pen pals and I so enjoy getting a handwritten note from someone far away. I keep my more recent ones in a hollowed-out book. These are the ones I've recently responded to or still need to respond
For most, establishing a decent relationship with a far-away pen pal is likely not a concern. Very few people have pen pals nowadays. And even fewer get past that first letter. As someone who's had pen pals over the past 9 years, I'd like to share with you my tips for writing a good letter: How to Write a Great Letter to Your Pen Pal: 1. Use
Pen pal. When you hear that, do you think of childhood? Of writing a letter, sending it out and desperately waiting for a response from a pen pal? Maybe a response that just never came? It's different when you're an adult. I've been writing letters with people all over the world since I was about 15. It is a truly rewarding activity; but it's
I write with a fountain pen about 90% of the time. Why? My handwriting looks better I don't have a 'death grip' on the pen like I do with a ball point It truly is easier to write with It makes writing more enjoyable It seems that in the pen aisles (my favorite aisle) of today's office supply stores the focus is on ink. Do you
