What would you do with 50 Rhodia Notebooks?
Let’s go outside the box on this one. If we were to give you 50 of any one Rhodia paper product, which would you choose and what would you do with them? One rule: you can’t keep any of them for yourself.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend!
Image courtesy of Bgigliot on Instagram
Exaclair will be at the National Stationery Show 5/19-5/22 in New York City
The National Stationery Show® held at the Javits Center in NYC, is the world’s most comprehensive collection of social stationery and related products for gift giving and self-expression. The show is open to retailers and wholesalers and if you are are going, be sure to stop by Booth # 2637 to check out a few new Clairefontaine and Rhodia products that we are thinking of importing. As always, we welcome and appreciate your feedback!
While at the show, we will be doing some live Tweeting and also sharing photos and Vine clips on our @Exaclair Twitter account. Karen Doherty (our VP of Marketing) will be at the show on Sunday, May 19 from 9-3 pm and Tuesday May 21st from 9-11:30am if you’d like to meet her, but please feel free to stop by the booth any time the show is open.
More good news: Pen World is publishing an article on Exaclair’s stationery. The edition should be distributed at the show.
The show hours are Sunday-Tuesday, 5/19-5/21 9:00am – 6:00pm and Wednesday, 5/22 9:00am – 12:00pm
What would you do with this large Habana notebook?
This is one of the new 8×11″ Large Quo Vadis Habana Notebooks and to tell you the truth, I can’t decide how to use it. For journaling, I typically prefer something in the 5×8″ range or smaller – like the 4×6″ Habana. Are you familiar with the concept of a vision board? I’m thinking about using this as a “Vision Book”
How would you use this book?
Acorn Clips
In my mid 1970′s elementary school, we called these acorn clips. Apparently, this was an extremely isolated phenomenon as no one I’ve ever met has ever heard of these brass paper fasteners being referred to by that name. Googling “Acorn clips” and “brass acorn clips” results in zero images of this product but I swear I’m not making this up. I’m not even sure I can explain why these may have been called acorn clips- save for the fact that they look a little bit like the stem from a pair of acorns.
Do they still even make these? (They do) I got these from one of my friends who found a box at a thrift shop.
According to Wiki, they are also known as “split pins” and are an industry standard in binding screenplays in film industries across the globe.
Here’s a magic trick using a brass paper fastener.
Pen Tests Are Part of The Fun
I believe one of the joys of writing with a fountain pen is being able to explore so many different options. From the various nib types to literally hundreds of different ink options in every imaginable color, this allows you to customize your experience which in turn, can make every writing task seem less of a chore and more like like something to look forward to. Rhodia and Clairefontaine papers are consistent performers when paired with these water based inks and can help make your writing experience become even more enjoyable.
Do you have a pen test page like the one above? This is always a fun way to compare which inks are your favorites in which pen. I know some people who choose famous quotations when trying out new inks. Me? I always found myself writing the alphabet or doodling with a new pen/ink.
Image courtesy of heymatthew on Instagram
Do you Ink it When You Think It?
A comment to a recent post mentioned the concept of “Ink it when you think it” which in it’s simplicity, seems to be an absolute golden gem of advice for capturing and retaining our fleeting thoughts. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost what I thought at the time was a brilliant idea because I didn’t take the time to write it down. “Oh, that’s so good, I’ll remember that for sure!” Then POOF! It’s gone.
The frustrating thing about this is that I always have pen and paper close at hand- or at the very least, a note taking app on my phone. So I am capturing some things, but not as much as I would like. In this article by Sam Horn, she mentions the use of a small tablet or notebook carried with you everywhere which if dedicated to this particular process, might not be a bad idea for me to try. (I’m thinking Rhodia Unlimited)
How about you? What is your process for retaining your own fleeting thoughts?
Image courtesy of Kookymakes on Instagram
Rhodia, Pencil Drawings, and Zombies
What’s up with all the zombies? I mean, they’re everywhere. On tv’s The Walking Dead, in the Resident Evil movie series, in books like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and games such as Left 4 Dead. I first took real notice of them in George Romero’s 1978 classic Continue Readering »
Ever Try Clairefontaine Triomphe Paper?
In yesterday’s blog post, I used an image of a Clairefontaine Triomphe writing tablet. Especially popular with fountain pen users, this extra-white 90g paper is extremely smooth- more so than regular Rhodia and Clairefontaine papers, although I think the paper in the Rhodia R tablets comes pretty close. All of the fountain pens tested (with varying nib widths) wrote true to size with no bleeding or feathering.
Because of this paper’s super smooth surface, Continue Readering »
Writing a Letter You’ll Never Send
Have you ever written a letter you never sent? You know, the one that says everything you really want to but you know you can’t send it because it would hurt the other person’s feelings? Or maybe the letter can’t be sent because the person is no longer living… In any event, allowing yourself to put into physical words everything you’ve ever wanted to say to another person (without sending it) can be extremely cathartic.
Maybe you have a few things to say to your mom or dad, your 5th grade school teacher, or the high-school bully.
Need inspiration? These Blogs are filled with such letters:
Letters I’ll Never Send (different blog from the first on the list)
Friday Link Share
Handmade Fonts on Behance
Why I Use Fountain Pens on FPGeeks
Embroidery on the Fashion Figure on CopicMarker.com
Music Ink in Music Nibs at Leigh Reyes My Life as a Verb
Safety Flair: Our Favorite Reflective Cycling Gear at Bicycling.com
Is Your Writing Timeless? at GoinsWriter.com
A Young Colorist, Antennas Aquiver at The New York Times
TS Eliot’s fountain pen gets first outing at Royal Society of Literature at The Guardian
This Old Notebook at Patrick Rhone
Write for Palimpsest at Palimpsest
To Do Lists at Onigiri Sama & her 21Kittens
Follow the Leaders: Faber-Castell e-motion Fountain Pen (M nib) at From the Pen Cup
Are You Honest In Your Journal? at Kaizen Journaling
New Rhodiactive Professional Business Collection – Meeting Book Review at Writer’s Bloc
Experimenting Every Time at Urban Sketchers
Talking with Tom Hanks about What Really Matters at Psychology Today
The Battle Between Japan’s Big 3 at Pentorium
Recent Acquisitions, Massive Edition at A Penchant for Paper
Anne Frank, Danville, Ohio & the Letter Writers Alliance at Pentamento
My Fountain Pen Education: The Edison Pearl at The Pen Addict
Budget Fountain Pen Showdown at The Well Appointed Desk
The letter: an abstract gift of time at The Missive Maven: Epistolary Exultation
Papeterie nouvelle: Georges & Co. thinks—& inks—differently at Felt & Wire
The Claustrophobic Notebook at Notebookism
Oh, and then this happened…
Image above of a Rhodiarama Webbie and a Nikon D5000 courtesy of Courtney Oliver, (designwinesunshine on Instagram) who also happens to design for one of our retailers – European Paper Company
Rhodia in a Hawaiian Hotel?
Remember when I said that I took a day off last week and was brainstorming new Rhodia posts? I must have had some serious Rhodia on the brain because the other day I woke up having had the most amazing dream of being in Hawaii (never been) and I distinctly remember there being 8×11″ Rhodia pads with orange covers in the hotel room. Someone somewhere was recently talking about the disappearance of hotel stationery, so I sent Karen a note asking if there were any hotels that offered Rhodia in the Room and as it turns out, the Delano Hotel in South Beach Florida stocks our Rhodia Webnotebook in their Mini Bar – something along the lines of an in-room shop box. I was thinking more of a dotPad in the desk drawer, but at least I’ve planted a seed!
In recent times, do you ever go looking for the hotel stationery pad?
Image courtesy of indigo_inferno on Instgram, who has a lot of amazing pen/stationery related pictures…
Busy this weekend? March 16-17th Long Island Pen Show at Hofstra University
Saturday & Sunday, 16-17 March 2013 Visit the 2013 Long Island Pen Show
Located at Hofstra University – Student Center Multi-purpose Room, Rm. 101
Sponsored by the Long Island Pen Club, Luxury Brands, and Exaclair Inc.
Featuring:
- Repairs by Ron Zorn and nib work by Richard Binder.
- Ink sampling table from Luxury Brands, distributors of Noodler’s Ink
- Sample the smooth pleasure of writing on Rhodia paper and J. Herbin ink provided by Exaclair Inc.
- New This Year: Fountain Pen Hospital, Anderson Pens and Kenro Industries
- Dozens of collectors and dealers of vintage and modern writing instruments exhibiting, pens of all kinds
- Desk sets, ads, blotters, inwells and ephemera form the golden age of fountain pens
- Displays illustrating the history of writing and the story of the fountain pen.
- Demonstratons on how to use and maintain fountain pens.
- Functional writing instruments vintage & modern by Susan Wirth
- Free pen ppraisals at the Appraisal Booth
Daily Admission is $10.00 payable at the door. Visit http://www.lipenshow.com for more details.
Your Input Needed: If We Made a Sketchbook…
We need your input!
Exaclair, (The US distributors of Clairefontaine, Quo Vadis, Rhodia, etc.) is contemplating the creation of an American made sketchbook. A book that would lend itself more towards artistic creation than writing – though I’m certain such a book could be used for either form of expression. The book would contain paper from Clairefontaine’s Schut Mill, (located in the Netherlands) and would be assembled at the Hamburg, NY plant where the Habana notebooks and other Quo Vadis products are currently being made. This sketchbook would be a bound book, (as opposed to a spiral) and we would love your input on how this book should be created.
(See how to submit your feedback at the end of this post.)
In the meantime, Karen sent me a batch of paper samples to test and I chose 4:
If I am going to work in a bound book, it’s got to lay flat. For me, there are no exceptions to that rule. I’d like the book to be about the same size as a large Webbie – 5×8″ish with a firm cover so if I was working with the book propped on my knee, there would still be a good amount of support.
To me, the most important feature of the paper in any sketchbook Continue Readering »
Friday Link Share!
For a Reader of Harper Books at Contrapuntalism
How does writing on good paper make you feel? at Quo Vadis Blog
Journal Writing: Stop Multitasking and Start Focusing at Personal Growth Journaling Blog
Writing Tips: Abolish the Adverbs at Writing Forward
Journaling Techniques: Writing on the Stream of Consciousness at Writing Through Life
Do You Know the 3 Steps to Journal Your Way through Difficult Situations? at Journal in a Box
Walter Cronkite Imagines the Home of the 21st Century … Back in 1967 at Open Culture
Planner Pad Insta-Pocket at Plannerisms
The World’s Coolest Pen at Office Supply Geek (I want one!)
Platinum Preppy Highlighter at A Penchant for Paper
Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki Ink Review at The Pen Addict
TWSBI Diamond 50 Inkwells at Ink Nouveau
Eric’s 2013 LA Pen Show Take-Aways at FP Geeks
My new Folded Ruling Pen and Friday Favorites at Quilt or Dye
Crayola Crayon Tower as a storage solution for Caran D’Ache Neocolor II crayons at Lung Sketching Scrolls
Pens with Names at Paper in Hand
Three Noodler’s Inks – Beaver, Purple Martin, Tiananmen at Inkophile
10 Uses for the Pencil at This Old House
How Small is Your Sketchbook at Notebook Stories
Namaqua Rain Frog at Real Monstrosities
Rhodia Stack
Does this look like you? If so, I want you to know that you are not alone. From the mundane to the incredibly important, I know lots and lots of people that save their notebooks. Why do people hold on to them? I’m guessing each person would probably have a different reason but more often than not, I think it’s probably to look back down the mountain to see how far they’ve come.
Why do you keep your old notebooks?
