National Stationery Week with Artline - Writing matters

Hello!  Today marks the start of National Stationery Week so you can expect lots of stationery related fun and content from me over the next seven days!

#writingmatters

One of the main ideas behind NSW is to promote the use of pen and paper, to highlight the fact that writing still matters and to encourage more people to get writing.  Cards, notes and letters are so much more personal when they are hand written.  It’s not often I get excited by an email or message online but when someone takes the time to send me a letter or card through the post, that makes me feel very special!

I write for lots of different reasons including communication, planning, pleasure and work.  I send letters to my friends, I plan my life and I really enjoy spending some of my spare time lettering and practising calligraphy.  I can do all of these things electronically on my iPad but it just isn't the same as selecting a pen and getting to work in a notebook or on a nice sheet of paper! 

With that in mind I thought I would talk to you about the different types of pens I use regularly and why writing matters to me.

Every day pens

For general notes, reminders, work and planning I want to use a pen that is comfortable to hold and that writes smoothly.  A pen that skips is one of my pet hates!  Artline’s Ergoline range has an ergonomic grip designed for greater comfort and increased control while writing meaning I can scribble away for longer using these pens! 

Calligraphy pens

I love how calligraphy writing looks, all the fancy swirls and little flourishes make even the most mundane words look amazing on the page!  I have been practising calligraphy, on and off, for years now, it is something I always come back to and enjoy doing.  

Artline's calligraphy pens are great for learning with because you don't have to keep stopping to dip your nib in or worry about knocking over a bottle of ink.  You can just take them out of your pencil case and get started!  The pens come in a range of colours and nib sizes too so you can create all kinds of different looks without having to flush your nibs out or buy a huge collection of inks in different colours.

Brush pens and fineliners

Hand lettering is something else I like to do in my spare time,  I do a lot of it in my bullet journal and like combining different styles and fonts together.  Pairing Supreme brush markers with Artline 200 fineliners always looks fun because of the difference in thickness between them.  The fineliners lend themselves towards little details and patterns whereas the brush markers are great for swirling and swooping around the page.

Writing is a pretty big part of my life, I know I type my blog posts up on a laptop but they nearly always begin in a notebook or inside my planner!  I have written love letters and received them, I have kept cards from special birthdays and occasions over the years and now I can look back at them whenever I feel the need too.  Snail mail and pen pals brighten my days and I hope my letters are received in the same spirit.  Writing connects us all and gives us something physical to hold onto, it becomes a part of our own history and help us plan our futures too.     

Have a great National Stationery Week! 

World Stationery Day - #stationerytheworldover

It's World Stationery Day!  It is my favourite day of National Stationery Week because stationery fans all over the world can come together and share their love of all things pen, pencil and paper!  If you want to join in the fun today search for the tags #stationerytheworldover and #natstatweek on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and you will find lots of post and competitions and maybe even some new friends!

World Stationery Day

One of the main aims of National Stationery Week is to encourage people to pick up their pens and get writing, a note, a letter, a card or even just scribble a few reminders and reignite their passion for the written word.   

For me the ritual of selecting a pen and opening my planner or notebook seems to spark something inside me that helps me organise my thoughts quickly or feel creative.  Staring at a blank screen or electronic calendar has never had the same effect.

Find your perfect pen

If you want to rediscover your passion for pens why not treat yourself to a couple of new ones, after all National Stationery Week is the perfect excuse for splurging!  There are so many different kinds to choose from now, I love brush pens for calligraphy, fine liners for hand lettering and fountain pens for writing.  

How about you?  

Write A Letter Day - win Staedtler rainbow ballpoint pens! *Now closed & the winner announced in the comments*

So today's the day, it is the last day of National Stationery Week 2016.  That's it for another year now and I kind of feel a little sad, but it isn't over just yet because today is Write A Letter Day and I want you to pick up a pen and get writing!  Who haven't you spoken to in a while?  Who would love to receive a note from you in the mail?  Go and find your best paper and pens and make someone's day!  

My letter is on it's way

One of the main aims of National Stationery Week is to get people to enjoy writing again.  They have shared lots of posts over the week about why writing is important and why people feel passionately about it, you can read my thoughts on this here if you missed it on Wednesday.  

Ok, so on to my last giveaway of the week.... Olivia from Staedtler gave me this pack of rainbow ball pens to give to one of you today, aren't they colourful?

Staedtler rainbow ball pens

If you would like to win this set please tell me who you would like to write a letter to today, it can be anyone in history, alive or dead, famous or not, it's up to you.  Here are the rules:

• Tell me who you would like to write a letter to today.
• I will number the comments and use random.org to pick a winner.
• This giveaway is open internationally. 
• The giveaway ends at 12pm UK time on the 10th May 2016.
• I will announce the winner on this post on the 11th May 2016.
• This is the only prize (for today) - there is no cash alternative. 
• If the winner doesn't contact me within 72 hours of my announcing the winning entry, I will have to draw a new name.
• If you are under 18 years of age please ask your parent's permission before entering the giveaway.
• These pens are brand new and unused but I have taken them out of their packaging to photograph them.  The winner will receive the eight Staedlter ballpoint pens pictured in this post.

Good luck!

I'll be back later today with one last review for you so keep an eye out for that!

World Stationery Day! Why writing matters to me...

Happy World Stationery Day!  I love the fact that there are people all over the world celebrating their love of stationery today, it is fantastic!    Are you doing anything special to mark the day?  I wrote a letter using my favourite pen and ink, decorated the envelope with washi tape and popped it into the postbox this morning and later on I will be testing some pens for reviews which is always fun.

World Stationery Day 2016

I wanted to spend some time today to tell you why I think writing matters, why it is important to me to encourage people to pick up a pen and use it, to make their mark.  When I was at school we learned how to write using a pencil, once that was mastered we moved onto cursive handwriting and then when our writing was neat enough we graduated onto a pen.  The day you got your pen was a big thing, it was an achievement and you felt proud.  I think the day I was given a pen at school was the day I fell in love with stationery a little and that love has grown over the years.  

Pen and paper

I think that one of the problems we have now is that more and more parts of our lives have become digital, work and play both involve computers, tablets and mobile phones.  There seems to be an app for everything and we don't even have to sign our names when we pay by card any more, it is all chip and pin or contactless payments.  I want people to pick up a pen and feel the joy of writing again!    

The right tools for the job

Nothing I can do on my iPad can compare with putting pen to paper when it comes to organising my life or recording memories.  Things just feel more permanent to me when they on paper instead of in an app or computer file. 

Finding a smooth writing pen, a pretty coloured ink or the perfect paper ignites a spark of creativity inside me that sitting in front of a computer never has, that is why I always plan my blog posts on paper before I start to write them on my laptop.  Holding a pen in my hand is the first step I take in many of my endeavours, the pen and paper inspire my imagination whether I am trying to create something or problem solving.  They are the tools I use, the foundation I start with and so far they have always gotten the job done!  

Why does writing matter to you?