National Stationery Week #6 Novelty Stationery

Today is the penultimate day of National Stationery Week and so far I’ve shared my wish lists for both notebooks and pens. While they are my favourite they’re not the only pieces out there. There are so many fun, whimsical bits and bobs to choose from in this world but below are a select few! They're frivolous and I am not sure I'm going to hurry to purchase them but I like them none the less! 

1. I love houses and buildings in design and appreciate architecture. These desk organisers would bring some of those iconic buildings into your home or work space. 

2. As functional and nifty as staplers are have you ever seen one as snazzy as this?! 

3. I remember the times when I'd carry my school work on a floppy disk so every time I'd write something on one of these sticky notes it would be a trip down memory lane! 

4. I haven't jumped on the washi tape band wagon but this robot tape dispenser might convince me! 

Happy Saturday!

Katie 

National Stationery Week #5 Pens Wish List

On Wednesday I shared some of the pens that I have in my pencil case. I’m always on the lookout for more though! I’m drawn to the pen section in shops. There’s something about all the colours and options!

I’ll always prefer to buy new pens in a real shop because then I’ll have more of an idea of what they are like. But have you ever heard of Cult Pens? It has the widest range of pens on the planet and that’s quite exciting!

I spent a little bit of time perusing their site while clutching a cup of coffee. These are just a few of the pens that took my fancy in that time. Click the links for a better look!

My Wish List

Clockwise from Top Left

1. Faber-Castell Pitt Artists Drawing Pen Metallic

2. Uni Jetstream Colours Hybrid Ink Rollerball Pen SXN-150C

3. Pentel S360 Colour Pen Set

4. Copic MultiLiner SP Colour Brush Pen

5. Gelly Roll Stardust Pen

6. Faber-Castell CX Colour Ballpoint Pen Set

There are too many out there to put them into a concise list but this is what I've got at the moment. Maybe I'll get my hands on them soon.

Katie 

National Stationery Week #4 Katie Sarah

Yesterday I shared some of my favourite items in my pencil case. They’re not particularly the items I use to create my handcrafted greetings cards with on the day to day. Those pieces are on my desk. Among other things they include…

One. Uni-ball Signo Noble Metal Silver

This silver gel pen flows really smoothly which I’ve found can be a bit of a problem in other pens.

Two. Gelly Roll Stardust Clear Star

This is a relatively new purchase and I love it. I use to add a bit of sparkle to all sorts of different pieces in my work.

Three. Winsor and Newton Galeria Iridescent Medium

I was originally given this a gift a few years ago. I don’t regularly use it with acrylic paints instead using it to add shine and sparkle to pieces of paper before I work with them. I’ll also use it watered down with watercolours for some of my designs.

Black Fine Liners

I like to try out different fine liners and I am always experimenting with what works best for me. Some of the ones I am using at the moment are:

Four. Derwent Graphik Line Maker

Five. Pilot DR Drawing Pens

Six. Uni pin Fine Line

Seven. Pentel EnerGel

This is a pen that I actually picked up from around the house. I use it every now and then in my cards.

Eight. Fiskars Scissors

I make all my greetings cards by hand - with no machines or die cutters in sight - so these scissors are absolutely amazing! The ‘big loops’ are a life saver on your hands when you’re using them from hours on end.

Nine. Winsor and Newton Watercolour Paints

I use these paints for both my cards and illustrations.

Its been quite interesting looking at what bits and pieces I have both on my work table and in my pencil case. Its made me think about what I like using and what other pieces I'd love to have!

Have a good one!

Katie 

National Stationery Week #3 My Pencil Case

Hello and welcome to World Stationery Day! A day to celebrate the written word and all things stationery.

I have a confession. I am currently using a wash bag as a pencil case. It is from the Paperchase Nordic Nights range. It is a range which I fell in love with the moment I saw it.

I have a mixture of pens and pencils in this case. Having them all in one place means that I can carry them from room to room and place to place - to wherever I want to be at the time. It means that I have every pen at my fingertips. It is actually very handy!

In this pencil case are the pens I use to make lists with, to conjure plans with, to scrapbook with and to just write with. They’re not necessarily what I use to make my cards and creations with. I’ll tell you about more of those pieces of stationery tomorrow.

Inside my great big, giant pencil case:

One. Papermate Inkjoy

Two. A lime green Berol Broad pen

(A favourite from my school days)

Three. Hotel Pens

(Is it just me or are hotel pens some of the smoothest writers out there?!)

Four. Pigma Microns 

Five. Paperchase Pen 

Six. Stabilo Pen 68 Mini

Seven. Pentel Sign Pen

Eight. Staedtler Triplus Fineliners

I hope you're having a good week!

Katie 

National Stationery Week #2 Happy Mail

A piece of post through the letter box has the power to put a smile one someone’s face. Whether it is a birthday card, a letter or a magazine subscription, it is something different from the norm. You’ll either read kind words from a loved one or lose yourself reading about something you have a real interest in.

Cards and letters cross time and distance. They don’t need immediate replies so they’re a more relaxed way of communicating. I’ve been told that letters I’ve sent sound exactly like me. That makes sense as they’re what I would have said if the recipient had been right in front of me. I suppose I could have texted, emailed or called but a letter or a card is something someone can keep and read again. Looking back at it one day, it might make them smile in the same way it (hopefully) did when it landed on the mat the first time round. That’s why I cherish the letters I’ve received anyway.

What do we write these letters on? I send cards but I also use writing paper sets and have used pieces of lined A4 paper before. Coloured pens come in handy for livening up the latter! I actually still have the last few sheets of writing paper from sets I had when I was little. Some of my favourites are teeny tiny pieces of paper that I would use to write letters to the tooth fairy! (She replied every time!)

You might think of it just as a letter or a card to say hi but I am sure it is going to make the person at the other end smile anyway! So the next time you’re thinking of getting in touch with a person, consider sending some happy mail.

Katie 

National Stationery Week #1 Notebooks

It is National Stationery Week; a week to celebrate the written word as well as all things stationery.

I’ll admit it; I am a die-hard stationery enthusiast. I am tempted more by notebooks and pens than anything else. It is a sad reality that I have to hold myself back and refrain from buying every notebook in the world ever. I love that design and beauty meets purpose and use, and the everyday can be a little more fun! 

So on this very day -  the start of National Stationery week - here are just a few notepads and books that have caught my eye. 

1. A Starry night sky and a mystical scene are just two of the lovely notebooks by Nikki Strange

2. For those people who just can't find a pen and pencil when they're sat at a computer, this clever pad doubles as a mouse mat. It reminds me of a toy I had when I was younger. 

3 . These Serious Business notebooks remind me of school days so much that if I didn't have any sums to do or graphs to draw, I might be tempted to colour in the squares of the blue one like I did on the pages of my maths exercise book! 

4. I was in a Hema shop the other day (I picked up the thin orange notebooks for notes on the go) and I din't see this. Whatever you write in 'The Book' immediately becomes important.

Happy Stationery Week, Everybody!

Katie 

Birthday Doughnut

This Doughnut (or donut) greetings card stemmed from a popular design of mine - the birthday cupcake! With icing and sprinkles these cards almost scream birthday. They're bright, colourful and they've got sparkle too.

This doughnut card could also be used as an invitation along with any of the cards from my sparkly birthday range. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to get in touch at katiesarah.makes@hotmail.co.uk.

I hope you have a very good day!

Katie

Party Party!

Birthdays mean parties, and from when we were younger parties were synonymous with party hats, presents and sprinkles on cakes. This handmade greetings card incorporates all three with some extra sparkle too! It is made from textured paper with purple satin ribbon and silver thread.

Happy Friday!

Katie 

A Little Colour to Your Life

A balloon tree! What a marvellous thing! I wanted to share this with you in case you needed something bright, colourful and positive in your life today! A dream that became a reality and some colour to break through the everyday. Follow this link for more information about this bold project. 

Katie 

For the Gardener in Your Life

I think everyone has a gardener in their life. Someone who loves to make flowers grow, make beauty in the mud and brandish a pair of secateurs. Okay, maybe a little over the top and maybe not everyone does, but I do and so I was inspired to make this little greetings card to add to my stock. It serves as a birthday card or perhaps just a little note for saying hi!

I hope you have a good weekend!

Katie 

Dino-mite Greetings!

In the past couple of years I’ve worked with some four to five year olds and their enthusiasm for dinosaurs has been immense! Having just watched Jurassic World, I thought now was as good a time as any to share this new dinosaur design. With bold colours and a bit of birthday sparkle the colour of the balloon can be changed. 

Following on from last week’s post about my custom handcrafted greetings cards, this card can incorporate any age and the colour of this can also be adapted. This card could also be used as a party invitation - perhaps for any dinosaur loving birthday girls and boys out there!

If you happen to be interested in a custom greetings card or want to learn more about a set of invites, please do drop me an email at katiesarah.makes@hotmail.co.uk and I’d love to discuss it with you.

Have a very lovely week!

Katie      

Custom Handcrafted ‘Age’ Greetings Cards

From the beginning I have loved personalising cards. I have made a huge number of custom cards from shoes and make up to this little pig - all of which help to make a greeting a little more special.  

I also like to help people celebrate the big birthdays! So whether your son is turning five, or a granddaughter is now 21 my range of numbered cards is perfect for you! Range isn’t really the right word, actually, because I am able to work with you to adapt any of my existing greetings cards or to create a fresh design.

One of my most popular ‘age’ cards is the Sparkly Cupcake above. I originally made these cards in pink and turquoise but I can make them in almost any colour and with any age.

If you are ever interested in any of my handcrafted greetings cards, please do not hesitate to get in touch at katiesarah.makes@hotmail.co.uk

Katie