Archive for April, 2011
Photo Grab: Your Favorite Pens
I just added a new Photo Page to Rhodia Drive for Your Favorite Pens! Have you checked out our Photo Pages yet? They are our fan photo gallery pages that you can visit from the home page of Rhodia Drive.
David’s Most Excellent Clairefontaine Sketchbook Review
A short while back when we were looking for bloggers to review Exaclair products, David from the blog David-Wasting-Paper responded that he would like to try one of the 8×8″ Clairefontaine sketchbooks. (One of my favorite Exaclair products because the round mandalas that I draw happen to fit nicely into a square page.)
“I really like this sketchbook and look forward to filling it up. The paper takes a nice smooth pen line even though it is medium toothed and also handles watercolors well without much buckling. The heavy back cover is definitely a plus.”
David’s review struck a chord with me because I am partial to product reviews which a ton of photos. Especially ones that showcase a plethora of art supplies. You can see David’s review in it’s entirety, here.
Disappearing Pencils
I am a collector. I have an old-fashioned apothecary jar full of marbles from my childhood, and others I have found at yard sales and antique stores. An ancient candy jar holds my match collection from restaurants, lounges, hotels and other places (no one offers matches anymore!). I also collect monogrammed pencils from meetings, travel and events.
My writing collectibles–pencils and pens–are not put away on a shelf but are used every day. Pens may change ink, but pencils diminish with every sharpening. 
I took this photo of some of some my pencils (and my handy dinosaur sharpener!) to ask this question: Do you feel a sense of wistfulness–even a little sadness–as your pencil begins to disappear? I do, and I was wondering if others feel the same way.
Fountain pens: Sailor Sapporo or Pelikan M200
Someone recently asked me about which was the better fountain pen- the Sailor Sapporo or the Pelikan M200, and whether or not it was cumbersome to utilize a pen with a screw cap.
In my opinion, there is no best- only what works for you. The Sapporo is a cartridge/convertor pen which holds less ink than the piston filler M200 and will need to be refilled more often. This could be a good thing if you like to frequently change ink colors in your pen. The M200 (for me) takes longer to flush/clean so I usually leave the same color ink in these pens (I have 2 M200′s) to avoid cleaning them until I absolutely have to. Continue Readering »
Portable Flag Carrier
I have a mild obsession with Post-it flags. I have them in several different sizes and colors and it’s hard to keep me away from the Post-it aisle when I go to Staples. I really don’t need any more, but there I am once again, like a kid in a candy store- Is there a color or size I don’t already have? How could I use the ones with an arrow printed on them?
In my experience, the smallest flags often come loose from their packaging and get scattered all over the house. One day I noticed some sitting near this candy tin and realized the size and shape to be just right. This is one of the Altoid “Smalls” tins and is the perfect size to hold these flags. Pop them in your purse or briefcase and off you go! (Sometimes I think I buy these candies just to get the tins…)
Do you have any re-purposed packaging tips that you would like to share?
John’s Favorite Pen: 1945 vintage Eversharp Skyline
Earlier this week I asked people to send me photos of their favorite pens, (You still can!) as I intend to assemble a photo page showing all of your favorites. John Hubbard sent me this image of his 1945 vintage Eversharp Skyline set, and included this great story:
“Attached is a photo of my favorite pen and pencil set. This is a 1945 vintage Eversharp Skyline set in the “demi” or small size. The Skyline was designed by Continue Readering »
How do you read your blogs?
I have been using Google Reader for ages to read my blogs and am wondering if there is a better or more efficient way. I am subscribed to over 100 blogs and I read through them about once a week or so. I only have one blog delivered via e-mail and that is Daily Om.
How do you read your blogs? Is it via a feed reader, e-mail, an App that I am not yet aware of? And is there anything we could do to make Rhodia Drive more friendly towards your preferred method of delivery?
Super Fan Elsa covers her iPad in Rhodia!
Do you have a favorite pen? Show me your pens!
Do you have a favorite pen or pencil that you can’t live without? If you snap a picture and send it to me, I will put together a gallery of all your favorites here on Rhodia Drive. Send pictures to stephanie at rhodiadrive dot com and include in the subject line “This is my favorite pen.” Also be sure to tell me what kind of pen/pencil it is, and 1 per person please!
Enjoying getting the job done…
We gave Cynthia from the blog Coyote Underground the opportunity to try a Webbie. Did she like it? Did the paper respond well to fountain pen ink? Would she buy the Webbie in the future? Click to read her review.
Junior Rhodia Circa Notebooks now available at Levenger!
I know you wanted it, and now you can finally get it! Junior sized Circa Rhodia Notebooks are available right now, only at Levenger. When Circa met Rhodia, it was a match made in heaven. Pairing Rhodia’s classic orange and black notebook with the convenience of Circa organization is a win-win note-taking combination.
Features of the Circa Rhodia Products:
- Annotation margin is compatible with the Cornell method of note-taking
- 60 Circa-punched sheets of 90g Clairefontaine paper, milled in France
- 1/2-inch Circa discs can hold up to 80 sheets
- Durable translucent cover with Rhodia orange cover sheet
- Pages are printed in Rhodia’s signature purple ink
- Printed and assembled in the USA
- Junior, 6 1/4W x 1/2D x 8 3/4H
- Letter, 9 3/8W x 1/2D x 11 1/4H
Have you ever tried Circa products, or any other brand of disc-bound notebooks? I have, and I love the having the flexibility of moving the pages where I want/need them when working on a writing project.
R by Rhodia: Ivory Papered Pads
The new “R” by Rhodia notepads contain a 90g Ivory Clairefontaine paper and are available both blank or lined. I am most definitely looking forward to seeing these! For writing, I prefer off-white paper. For drawing, I prefer white but not a super bright white. How about you? What’s your preference for writing or drawing?
I wonder what she’s been writing about
My dear friend Becky Bickford is one of the most authentic people I’ve ever met. I can never remember how old she is because she looks 18 but has the wisdom of an 80 year old. Filled with infections energy, she is quick to grab your hand and will easily encourage you to do something fun with her. Becky is an African dance instructor and is currently in West Africa studying dance & teaching English to local children.
I saw her a few weeks before she left and I wanted to give her something useful to take to Africa with her and so I of course, gave her a journal. (a leather ePure) I can only image how she has been filling the pages… I miss her very much & can’t wait to see her again to hear about her amazing journey.
Do you have anyone in your life like this? That one person that always seems to make you instantly happy whenever you are around them?
Using PanPastels in your Art Journal
Last summer, Bernadette Ward from PanPastel sent me some of their products to play with. Different than traditional stick type pastels, PanPastels are in cake form and are typically applied to paper through the use of different sized sponge applicators. Continue Readering »
dotWebbies!!!
Look what showed up in my mailbox today! dotWebbies! These were shipped special from France so Karen & the Exaclair folks would have them for NAMTA, the National Stationery Show and the Book Expo. If you are a retailer visiting one of these trade shows, you will be able to see (and order!) the dotWebbies at that time. Otherwise, it will be a little while until they are available from your favorite US retailers. (Late Spring maybe?) Karen promised I could give a bunch away as soon as she can get her hands on more.
Off-white paper with gray dots.
