World Stationery Day - oh the possibilities!

Happy World Stationery Day!  Are you doing anything special today to celebrate?  I have been thinking this morning about why I have a serious stationery addiction and I have come to the following conclusion, it is because a single piece of paper and a pen can change the world.

Happy World Stationery Day!

You might think I am waxing lyrical but I'm not.  Nearly every great speech started off with an idea, a piece of paper and a pen and the desire to create a change.  I can't imagine a poet sitting at a typewriter or computer to get their thoughts on a page, I picture them with a dogeared notebook and a pencil.  Great pieces of art, love songs and stories have began with paper and something to make a mark on it!  

Each new sheet of paper has oh so many possibilities, all you need to do is grab a pen or pencil and start writing or drawing and make your mark.  Each new page is the chance to start again, a clean slate to do something different, to create something, to inspire yourself or someone else, to create some kind of change and I really think that is something pretty amazing!

If you make a mistake you can cross it out, rub it out, scribble over it, cover it in correction tape or with a post-it note or you can just screw up the paper and start again on a new piece.  There is always a way to fix your error!    

Plans and inspiration

So, you might be wondering why I have so much stationery if it only takes a pen and paper to change the world.  Well my answer to that is I just love it!  I love having pens with different inks, in different colours, that write differently on the page.  I like to have lots of notebooks with different papers in them, I like to have paper that is good for drawing on, paper for watercolours and paper that can handle fountain pen ink.  I like to have colouring pencils and drawing pencils so I create something from a blank page.  Stationery is the starting point to my creativity and it inspires me more than a blank computer screen ever could! 

If there was ever a time for you to pick up a pen or pencil and make your own mark it just has to be on World Stationery Day!  Write a letter, send a card or draw a picture and enjoy the feel of the pen or pencil in your hand as you create something from nothing!  As William Wordsworth said

"Fill your paper with the

breathings of your

heart."

I hope to see you again for Thank You Thursday!

Pen and Pencil Day - a plethora of pens!

Yes!  It's finally National Stationery Week!  I'm so excited, I can't wait to get online and celebrate my love of all things stationery!  Make sure you are following the National Stationery Week Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts so you don't miss out on any of the fun and if you aren't already following me you can find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram too!

Today is Pen and Pencil day so I want to show you some of the pens that I was given by Small Man Media.  They sent me a lovely parcel of stationery to use during NatStatWeek which included lots of fab new pens, an Nu Elite notebook and some fun bits and pieces from Mustard, including the cute doggie page marker you can see poking out from the top of my notebook.

Pen and Pencil Day

Whenever I get new pens I like to try them out to see how well they write and what the ink colours are like so I cracked open the notebook and got to work testing them all.  I didn't just want to write my name or hello over and over again to try the pens so I thought it would be fun to do a kind of Bullet Journal spread with them.

Sheaffer pen test

On the first page I used a Stabilo pastel highlighter to write Pen and pencil day and then went over the top of it with a black PointMax felt tip writing pen (also by Stabilo).  Then I was ready to try out the pens!  The first two I tested were both Sheaffer 100s, I have a ballpoint and a rollerball in this model.  The ballpoint is a stylish black and chrome pen that is well balanced and a pleasure to write with.  The ink flows freely and I found the pen comfortable to hold.  The ballpoint has a twist action to draw down the tip which means I wont lose the lid while I am using it, that is always a plus point for me!

The rollerball pen is red and chrome and looks very similar to the ballpoint, but they are the same model just with different inks so that is to be expected.  The rollerball does have a separate pen lid though to stop it from drying out and it feels slightly heavier than the ballpoint to me.  It is still a comfortable pen to write with though.  The rollerball ink did skip a little while I was using it but I think that was my fault for not scribbling enough with it first to get the ink flowing.  You can see both pens in the photo below along with the Stabilo PointMax.  

Stabilo and Edding pen tests

On the next page I used lots of Stabilo pens, the pastel highlighters are a particular new favourite of mine.  The Sensor fineliners are nice and bright and they have a patented micro-cushion tip making them a precise pen to write and draw with.  The last set of Stabilo pens I tried were the Pointmax, these pens have a nylon tip and look like felt tip colouring pens when you take the lids off them but they are actually really nice to write with!  The 0.8mm tip is a good size, it's not too big or too small and the pens are available in a variety of colours.

Pens, pens, pens

I also received some Edding pens, their metallic colours in silver and gold caught my eye so I tried those out first.  The silver 1200 metallic is a fibrepen that is perfect for writing on dark coloured paper and the vibrant ink dries quickly reducing the chance of smudges.  The gold 751 creative is a gloss paint marker which is actually made for writing on smooth surfaces like glass and once applied it is water, abrasion, light and heat resistant.  I can't wait to get crafting with these two pens soon!  There was also a pink gel roller pen I thought looked rather nice so I tested that too.  It has a comfortable rubber grip giving you greater control when you use it and the ink was really bright and fun.

Okay, so I think we have covered the pen part of Pen and Pencil Day quite well, what about the pencils I hear you ask!  Well keep an eye out for my second post later today where I will be introducing you to Write Size pencils!

Thanks for stopping by!

*Disclaimer - all products mentioned in this post were given to me free of charge by Small Man Media for the purpose of National Stationery Week.  I was not paid to write this post and as always all opinions are honest and my own.