Artline Monday - World Meditation Day

Tomorrow is World Meditation Day, a time to focus on yourself and your wellbeing.  I have been thinking about ways I can unwind recently so when I discovered this day it felt a little serendipitous!  I am definitely going to give it a go tomorrow and if it helps me it might become part of my daily routine!

World meditation day - created with Artline pens

The best way to celebrate this day is by making an effort to relax and clear your mind, whether that is by finding a quiet spot and sitting there while you try to calm the thoughts whizzing around your brain or by doing some yoga or other physical activity that helps you find peace.

If you can, take some time tomorrow and find a place where you feel at ease and relaxed.  This could be outside in your garden or somewhere with a nice view or you could sit in your lounge or lay on your bed.  Then get into a comfortable position, close your eyes and focus on your breathing, slow your breathing right down, inhale for 7 seconds, hold it for 5 seconds and then exhale for 7 seconds.  Try to let go of all your thoughts and clear your mind.  Even if you don't master the art of mediation straight away you should feel more relaxed and less tense after you have spent some quiet time focusing on yourself and your breathing. 


Do you already meditate or are you thinking about giving it a go?  I'd love to know!

Artline Monday - Self care ideas

January is a great time to get into some new good habits and indulging in some self care is definitely on the list of things I want to do more regularly this year.  I realised at the end of last year that I hadn't really been looking after myself or taking the time to do the things I enjoy so I decided to change that in 2019.  If you feel like you have been neglecting yourself a little then I have some easy and inexpensive ideas for you to try!

Self care ideas - created with Artline pens

If you are super busy then it can be hard to find the time to look after yourself and recharge your batteries but if you can squeeze in one of these activities once a week or even better daily then they should help you feel a little more pampered or refreshed.

Relax and unwind

Have a shower or bath

Whichever you prefer or can fit into your day, use a squirt of your favourite shower gel and wash your worries away!

Movie night

When was the last time you sat through a whole film without keeping one eye on your phone and scrolling through Facebook or other social media?  Grab some snacks, put your mobile out of reach, turn off the lights and pop on a film.  

Music

Play your favourite song or album, sing and dance along if the mood takes you.  There's nothing like escaping into music to bring a smile to your face.

Be kind to yourself

Read

Discover a new book or revisit an old favourite, take the time to sit and devour a chapter or two.  A good book is like a mini holiday if it sweeps you away to a different world or life.

Take a nap

Honestly naps are the best! Twenty minutes or half an hour curled up on the sofa is my ultimate treat.

Enjoy your favourite hot drink

Grab a cup or giant mug of your favourite hot drink, sit down, sip slowly and relax, warm your hands and your soul.  

Get warm and cosy

This is just for the next few months while it is still pretty cold outside, invest in a pair of think, warm socks to keep your feet nice and toasty and wrap yourself in a jumper or cardigan to chase away the chill of winter!  If you are at home you can add a blanket around your shoulders or a dressing gown, bonus points for a hot water bottle too!

I used lots of Artline products to create this spread including fineliners, metallic markers and Stix drawing and brush pens, lettering and doodling are another couple of things I like to do during my "me time" so this was a fun way to spend my morning!  

If you would like some more ideas to help you relax or battle through the rest of January then you can read my Ways to relax and January motivation posts for a bit of inspiration. If you fancy taking up a new hobby then check this post out for some ideas as well.

Artline Monday - Holiday prep with Artline

Are you off on your holidays soon?  Have you got everything prepared and ready?  Artline pens can help you with more than just writing your packing list so I'm here today with a few ideas for your upcoming travels!

Make sure you are protected

If you are going somewhere hot it is important that you protect your skin with sun cream!  The manufacturers recommend only using the lotion for 12 months once it has been opened as it is less effective after this time so it is a good idea to write the date you first use it on the bottle with a permanent marker like this Artline 70 one.  If you don't want to bring a marker on holiday with you then you could just write the date of your first day away on the bottle before you pack it and leave the pen at home.

Kids travelling kit

Whether you are travelling by plane, train, ship or car it is worth putting something together to keep any children with you entertained!  I found some activity books and cute bags at The Works this weekend which will be perfect for keeping my girls busy when we drive down to the seaside this month.

Bags of fun with Artline!

I will put a book or two in each bag along with a selection of Artline Stix pens, some stickers, snacks and a bottle of water.  If the girls get bored of the books they can colour in their bags and design their own unicorns too!

Whiteboards are also great for travelling, you can use them to play games like hangman and noughts and crosses or just doodle on them and then wipe it away and start again!

Doodling with Artline whiteboard markers

If you are going to use these boards for a long journey I would write an ETA on them before you set off so your child/children know roughly what time you should arrive and just maybe that will be enough to avoid the dreaded "Are we nearly there yet?" question the whole trip!  But it probably wont unless your children know how to tell the time and can remember the time you are supposed to arrive once they have cleaned the board to play with it!

Are we nearly there yet?

Okay, that is it for now.  If you are going away then I will wish you safe travels and if you are staying at home I hope the weather is nice for you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Artline Monday - Plans for the summer holidays in my bullet journal

I started counting down the weeks until the summer holidays some time ago, I just can't wait for the schools to break up and to have my children home with me!  We are going to have so much fun whatever the weather is like (but I'm crossing my fingers for lots of sun!) so I thought I'd jot down a few ideas in my bullet journal to keep me going until they begin. 

My summer plans made with Artline Stix & fineliners

I split my pages into two sections, things to do on rainy days and things to do on sunny days and then I used my Artline Stix brush pens and Fineliners to create this spread.  The Stix brush pens are great to use for larger cursive writing and pairing them with the much smaller nib of the fineliners makes a nice contrast and my lettering look more interesting.

I don't actually mind the occasional rainy day over the six weeks, especially if I don't have to leave the house.  It's quite nice to curl up on the sofa with the kids and watch a film or read a book together.

We also have lots of board games packed away for wet and windy days, our favourite is Pay Day but if we have a lot of time to kill then we get out Monopoly.  Splashy the Whale isn't really a board game but it's still lots of fun if you don't mind getting squirted with water!

Summer fun on rainy days

My girls enjoy doing all kinds of arts and crafts when we are stuck inside, the last time they were off and it rained a lot we painted some #ArtlineRocks and made lots of colourful pompoms.

My youngest daughter still loves to build forts, I give her blankets, sheets and pegs and she will cover the room until she is happy with her creation.  I sometimes think she will be an architect when she grows up as she makes different areas and rooms inside the fort like bedrooms and reading corners.   

If we have to go outside in the rain then we will wrap up warm, put on our wellies and grab the giant umbrella to keep us dry or just the wellies and jump in the puddles, it's still fun to do even as an adult!

Summer fun on sunny day

I am looking forward to the sunny days the most though, I love spending time outside with the kids!  This summer we are going to go rock hunting and explore new places we haven't been before.  We will pack a picnic and take our dogs to the forest near us and have an adventure, I'm picturing some kind of Famous Five story but without the smugglers or crooks!  Oh and definitely no ginger beer, I really don't like that!

Long sunny days were made for barbecues so we will be having quite a few of them over the summer.  My favourite thing about a BBQ is that my husband does all the cooking and I am just on salad making duty while the children play football or tennis or their own version of cricket which no one really knows the rules to or how to win!

I really enjoyed creating this spread in my journal, it was lovely to spend some time day dreaming about the holidays and then using my pens to write and doodle all my plans.  Putting pen to paper makes them all feel more real and within reach, I hope the next five weeks go by quickly! 

If you are interested in setting up your own bullet journal then take a look at my Bullet Journal Basics post to get you started or if you'd like to give hand lettering and calligraphy a go then read this post for some ideas.

Have you started making any plans for the summer yet?

Artline Monday - Artline Heroes

Is it a bird?  Is it a plane?  No it's a pen.... actually it's an Artline Hero!  If you are looking for some super fun activities to keep your children occupied over the upcoming school holiday then you are going to love the Artline Heroes!

Artline Heroes

They have just taken over the Artline website and there are games and printables you can print off to keep your little ones busy during the break.  There is also a great competition to design a superhero mask and win a big bundle of Artline goodies.  What's not to love?

You can find the game sheets here, there are a maze, wordsearch and follow the line activities.  Just click on each sheet you want to print, it is really simple to do!  I have printed mine off already but I'll be saving them for next week.

Fun and games with Artline Heroes

The competition is here, print off the templates and let your children get to work designing their own superhero masks.  Get them to pop on their masks and take a photo of them striking their best superhero pose and then share your photos online with @ArtlineOfficial and use the tag #ARTLINEHEROES for your chance to win the big prize!

Designing the masks

Here is my youngest wearing her mask, she's Star Girl and she is ready to join the Artline Heroes!

#ArtlineHeroes

You have plenty of time to get your entries in, the competition is open until the 31st August.  My girls loved making their masks, in fact they have asked me if they can make some more so I have printed off a few extra templates and they can get creative again over the holiday.  

I can't wait to see everyone's photos!

Wedding Wednesday with Artline - Invitation calligraphy

Have you selected your wedding invitations yet?  Are you planning on writing them all yourself?  If you answered yes then you are in the right place!  Last week I shared some ideas about wedding planning and I thought for today's post we could talk about using calligraphy to write and address your invitations.

Wedding invitation and calligraphy pens

It doesn't matter if you haven't tried any kind of calligraphy or hand lettering before, all you need is a pencil, a calligraphy pen, a notebook and some spare time to practice your letters.

If you look online there are hundreds of calligraphy lettering styles to choose from, find one you like that shows the complete alphabet and use this image to copy each letter.  You will also need to find a style of numbers you like for when you address the invitations.  If you aren't confident with a calligraphy pen to begin with then practice with a pencil until you are used to writing the letters in your chosen font and then move onto the pen.  

Practicing and trying out different pens

When you are using the calligraphy pen remember you want to press slightly harder on the down stroke of each letter and lighter on the up stroke.  This gives you the basic calligraphy look for your lettering and then you can work on the flourishes and embellishments.  

If you find yourself struggling with a calligraphy pen then you could cheat and use a pen or marker instead.  You just need to make each down stroke line a little thicker.  In the image above I have used a silver metallic marker then a calligraphy pen and a bronze metallic marker in the large notebook.  When I was using the markers I just went back over the down strokes once I had finished writing each set of letters to make them look wider and like they were done with a calligraphy nib.  

Muscle memory will make you want to write each letter in your normal handwriting to begin with so the more you practice writing in the new style the easier it will get.  It might be worth carrying a calligraphy pen and pocket size notebook around with you so if you find yourself with a spare five minutes during the day you could get them out and fill that time with lettering.  Little practice sessions soon add up and you will find yourself becoming more confident and start to write the letters naturally when you pick up your pen! 

Retraining muscle memory

If you decide to go with a calligraphy pen then Artline have lots of different colours to choose from so you can match them to your colour theme or you can go with a traditional black calligraphy pen on your invitations.  If you are looking for something a bit different then I love the metallic and rustic sepia shades but there are also pastel colour calligraphy pens available if they are more your style.

Addressing envelopes

Once you are happy with your lettering then it is time to get started on the invitations!  It is a good idea to do them in small batches so your hand does not get tired and you are less likely to make mistakes if you only do a few at a time and then take a break. 

Here are my top tips

• Practice as often as you can

• Go slowly and take your time

• Write the invites in small batches 

• Try writing any complicated words in pencil first on a scrap piece of paper before you move onto pen on the invitation or envelope

If you want a few more hints and tips check out my previous lettering post here and if you do have a go at using calligraphy on your invitations please let me know how you get on!

Artline Monday - National Stationery Week rocks

Today marks the start of my favourite week of the year, yes it's National Stationery Week!  I wanted to do something special to commemorate it so I decided to create a set of #ArtlineRocks based around the themes for the week.

Let's celebrate stationery!

I have included the products I used in the photographs of each rock if you want to have a go at making your own and the pens and markers can all be found here.  The Artline 853 OHP markers work really well on rocks so they are the ones I use the most often.  If you are new to rock painting and haven't read my previous posts about it you can find them all here.  Okay, now let's get started!

Monday - #makeanote

Today is make a note day so I drew a notebook and pen on this rock with a couple of OHP markers and my metallic silver pen.  Will you join in and use your favourite notebook and pen today? 

Monday - #makeanote

Tuesday - #penandpencil

For pen and pencil day I made two separate rocks, the first is a black and yellow pencil (just like the ones we used in school!) and for the second I drew a pen.  Of course it just had to be an Artline pen, it's one of their fab fineliners to be exact!  I didn't have a yellow OHP marker for the pencil so I used one of my Stix drawing pens instead and it turned out quite well.

Tuesday - #penandpencil

Wednesday - #stationerytheworldover

Wednesday is my favourite day of the week, it is World Stationery Day!  The tag for it is #stationerytheworldover so I drew a small picture of the Earth and surrounded it with lots of stationery products.  Again I used the OHP markers, a Stix drawing pen and then a couple of metallic Supreme permanent markers for the paper clips and drawing pin.  

Wednesday - #stationerytheworldover

Thursday - #workhappy

Work happy day is all about creating a nice environment for you to work in.  If you have a desk you could add some colour or fun to it with some new stationery or a cheerful mug to use for your brew.  I drew a National Stationery Week mug on my rock and some paperwork because I can face anything if I have a cup of tea first!  How do you work happy?

Thursday - #workhappy

Friday - #aplaceforeverything

Friday is a place for everything day and it is about filing things away and getting organised.  I drew a tidy desk on this rock with folders, a pen holder, a notebook and a pad of post it notes.  Again I used the OHP and Supreme markers for this and a yellow Stix pen.  Will you be tidying and arranging your work space for Friday? 

Friday - #aplaceforeverything

Saturday - #getcrafty

Get crafty day is so much fun!  As you might be able to tell from this blog, I love doing a bit of arts and crafts so I drew some "crafty" supplies on this rock.

Saturday - #getcrafty

Sunday - #signaturesunday

Signature Sunday is all about your favourite pen so I used one of my calligraphy pens to to write the tag on this rock.  I also drew a pen using the OHP, Supreme and 900XF metallic markers and a trail of ink as if someone was testing how it writes.

Sunday - #signaturesunday

So here is my complete collection of National Stationery Week Artline rocks, aren't they fun?  I hope they are found and enjoyed by some fellow stationery addicts!

My #natstatweek rocks

If you want to join in with the fun this week head over to Twitter and search for the tag #natstatweek and keep an eye out for more posts and competitions here on the blog too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Artline Monday - Ways to spread happiness

Have you heard about the International Day of Happiness?  This year it falls on the 20th March and it is a day dedicated to making the world a happier place, what a great idea!  For today's post I have come up with a few ideas for how you can spread some joy and happiness to mark this special day.

Ways to spread happiness - created with Artline pens

Leave little notes

You could leave some notes for your family and friends to find, pop them in lunch boxes, leave them in the car, hide them in books or in bags.  You can write anything that you think will make someone smile, a silly joke, a compliment or a simple "Hello" or "I'm thinking about you". 

Give your time

Do you know anyone who could do with some help?  Could you offer to babysit for someone who needs a break or ask an elderly neighbour if they would like you to run any errands for them?  You could turn off the TV and your phone and spend time with a friend or family member, focusing your attention on them and making them feel valued or you could volunteer at a local charity or charity shop.

Be kind

Small acts of kindness really make people happy!  There are lots of small and easy ways to be kind and make the world a nicer place, you could give your seat up on a crowded train or bus, let someone go in front of you in a queue, leave a small drawing or doodle for someone to find and make them smile or you could send a friend some happy mail.  It's always lovely to get a letter in the post instead of a bill or junk mail!  

Share memories with friends

Share happy memories with friends

Do you have any funny memories or photos you could share with your friends?  Pop them online and relive those times or give them a call and reminisce about the good old days!

Compliment people

How great does it feel to receive a genuine compliment?  You have the power to make someone else feel like that!  Tell someone you love their hair or their clothes, that they have pretty eyes or a nice smile, that they are smart or have a talent.  I bet these thoughts pop into your head all the time, don't keep them to yourself say them out loud!  You never know you might receive some nice ones back about yourself too!

Smile

Smiles are contagious, if you smile at someone they will smile back at you and then smile at the next person they see.  The smiles will spread like ripples on water until everyone around you is looking much happier.  

People also believe that if you smile even when you aren't feeling particularly happy it can trick your brain into making you feel cheerful and brighter so it is worth giving it a go!

One of my favourite things to do is spend some time with my Artline Stix brush markers and fineliners so creating the spread for this post made me happy which in turn makes me feel even more inspired to makes others feel good too.  What makes you happy and will you be celebrating on the 20th March?

Artline Monday - New hobbies for a new year?

Are you thinking about taking up a new hobby this year?  I love to learn new things and keep my mind active but I also enjoy doing something relaxing or creative too. For today's post I thought I would tell you about some of my hobbies and you could decide if you wanted to give any of them a go.

Hand lettering

Stix brush markers

Last August I went to the Pen Museum for World Calligraphy Day, I attended a couple of workshops and got to try some fun new activities.  By the end of the day I had been completely bitten by the lettering bug and started to practice different kinds of writing with all sorts of pens and nibs.  I am no where near perfect yet but my handwriting has improved over the past few months.  This year I thought I would try my hand at brush lettering using my Artline Stix brush markers.  The letter formations are practically the same as calligraphy but using the brush nibs is a different kind of skill so I will be working on that whenever I get the chance to.  

Slowly improving

Learning something new

Study tools

In my spare time I love to learn, at the moment I am interested in languages and reading some English literature classics.  I make notes in the margins and underline important information with my Supreme highlighters.  What can I say, I've always been a bit geeky!  

Rock painting

Preparing our rocks

I only heard about rock painting recently but it really is a lot of fun!  My girls love to join in with decorating and hiding their creations so we get to spend some time together designing the rocks and then we get lots of lovely fresh air and exercise when we all go out to hide them.  It's the best of both worlds for a hobby!  If you want some more information about this activity check out my previous posts here.

Colouring

Colouring book and Artline fineliners

There's something so relaxing about colouring in!  I don't know if it's just a case of revisiting my childhood or the act of concentrating solely on the page with no other distractions that calms me but I always feel better after I have spent some time with my fineliners.  This hobby is very flexible, you can fit it in when you have a spare 10 minutes or you could dedicate a whole evening to colouring.  It's completely up to you.  It is such a great feeling when you finish a picture, especially when you are using a book for adults that has lots of tiny fiddly bits and complicated patterns!

So how do you like my hobbies?  What are your favourite things to do during your free time?