Glass Dip Pen review

Just before Christmas Jessica from Glass Dip Pen contacted me and asked if I would like to try one of their pens, now I have been really curious about glass pens since I started learning hand lettering and calligraphy so I jumped at the chance!

After browsing the website I picked the blue Nebula pen from their Thor series and Jessica got one sent out to me straight away.  

Protected in it's own fancy box

The pen arrived the first week of January and I have been using it for my lettering practice ever since!

The whole pen is made from glass but it doesn't feel fragile.  The body of the pen is filled with green and blue glitter which reminds me of the sea, it is super sparkly and looks fantastic!

Blue Nebula 

Having never used a glass pen before I was a bit worried about the writing experience but it actually works really well.  

The nib holds plenty of ink

The twist design on the nib holds a lot of ink so you can write quite a bit without having to constantly reload the pen.  This makes it easier to concentrate on the shape and flow of your letters without worrying that you're about to run out of ink.

The Glass Dip Pen is really fun to use!

The tip of the nib is very fine so it is perfect for lettering, sketching and drawing.  It is also easy to make your writing look like calligraphy by drawing an extra set of lines on the down strokes of the letters and then colouring them in like I have done here.

I love how pretty the pen looks

The Glass Dip Pens start around $19.95 USD and standard shipping to the UK is $4.95, making it approx £19 or 22 Euro in total.  There are also sets that include a selection of inks for a little extra, which is great for a beginner or as a gift for someone. 

If glitter is not your thing then there are lots of different styles and designs to choose from, take a look and see what suits you best!

Easy to clean and use

Have you ever used a glass pen before?  Are you interested in trying one now? I'd love to know your thoughts!

Thanks for stopping by!


* Disclaimer - This product was given to me free of charge for the purpose of this review, as always all opinions are honest and my own.

Journaling with Derwent

Hello and happy New Year!  How is 2020 treating you so far?  To be honest it already feels like we are on day 81 of January and Christmas was a lifetime ago, roll on February!

I know the blog has been quiet for the last couple of months, I have been working on another project for a stationery company and I've taken on some extra work too but I do have some posts lined up for you and they should up soon.  

I have also been on the Derwent blog this week with post about journaling if you want to check that out, you can find it here.  Please pop over and leave me a comment!

Thanks for stopping by!

World Calligraphy Day 2019 - Get involved!

Tomorrow is World Calligraphy Day!  To give you a little history, it was started by Manuscript back in 2017 and it is a great way to meet people who share your interest, learn some new skills and have fun!

World Calligraphy Day art

The Pen Museum will be hosting their third annual event to mark the occasion and there are still tickets available (here) but if Birmingham is too far away then you can join in online with the tags #worldcalligraphyday and #saysomethingspecial.  There are also some craft projects you can try on the Manuscript website ranging from card making to storybooks for children which you can find here as well as some templates and worksheets to help you with your penmanship.

To get you in the mood here are some photos from the last two World Calligraphy Day celebrations at the Pen Museum!

2017

Some lovely writing by one of the guests

Calligraphy & card making workshop with Stephen Duckett

My Celtic letter D for my card

My 1st wax seal

Letters for the say something special campaign

2018

Gift bags from Manuscript for workshop attendees 

The worksheets we used

Practising modern calligraphy

Make sure you are following Manuscript on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get involved online and my social media links are on the top left hand side of this page (in desktop view) and on the contact me page if you're not following already.

I'm so excited for tomorrow, I can't wait to see what everyone gets up to!

(Sorry I've been absent, my trusty old laptop died and I was unable to post anything until I got a replacement!) 

Artline Monday - World Meditation Day

Tomorrow is World Meditation Day, a time to focus on yourself and your wellbeing.  I have been thinking about ways I can unwind recently so when I discovered this day it felt a little serendipitous!  I am definitely going to give it a go tomorrow and if it helps me it might become part of my daily routine!

World meditation day - created with Artline pens

The best way to celebrate this day is by making an effort to relax and clear your mind, whether that is by finding a quiet spot and sitting there while you try to calm the thoughts whizzing around your brain or by doing some yoga or other physical activity that helps you find peace.

If you can, take some time tomorrow and find a place where you feel at ease and relaxed.  This could be outside in your garden or somewhere with a nice view or you could sit in your lounge or lay on your bed.  Then get into a comfortable position, close your eyes and focus on your breathing, slow your breathing right down, inhale for 7 seconds, hold it for 5 seconds and then exhale for 7 seconds.  Try to let go of all your thoughts and clear your mind.  Even if you don't master the art of mediation straight away you should feel more relaxed and less tense after you have spent some quiet time focusing on yourself and your breathing. 


Do you already meditate or are you thinking about giving it a go?  I'd love to know!

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! 

Artline Tuesday - English Language Day

Today is English Language Day, a day to reflect on the all the things we love about our language and celebrate the written and spoken word.  I thought the best way I could do this would be to select some of my favourite quotes written by British authors and create a spread in my journal to mark the occasion!

Celebrating English Language Day

It feels like it has been ages since I have done any lettering so I dug out my Supreme brush markers and Artline 200 fineliners and started creating my pages.  For the title and date I used a blue fineliner to write the letters and numbers first.  Then I went back over the down strokes with my brush marker in the same colour blue ink to make them look thicker.  Doing the lettering this way was a good way to easy myself back into it as I haven't done any calligraphy practice for a while now and I'm definitely a bit rusty!

If you are just getting started with hand lettering this technique will give your writing the look of calligraphy while you are still learning all the strokes and what pressure to use for them.

Some of my favourite quotes by British authors

My second page is dominated with a quote from JRR Tolkien, I used the same trick to create this with my brush marker and matching fineliner and I'm really happy with how it turned out!

I decided to add a few doodles to the pages before I filled in the remaining space with lots and lots of quotes.  Some of them are from my favourite books and some I found while researching British authors.  I used lots of my fineliners to write the quotes and add some extra colour, I also wrote some of them in different directions to make the whole thing look a little more interesting.

My full spread celebrating the English Language

Have you heard of English Language Day before?  Will you be doing anything to celebrate today?

Thanks for stopping by!

Artline Monday - Self care ideas

January is a great time to get into some new good habits and indulging in some self care is definitely on the list of things I want to do more regularly this year.  I realised at the end of last year that I hadn't really been looking after myself or taking the time to do the things I enjoy so I decided to change that in 2019.  If you feel like you have been neglecting yourself a little then I have some easy and inexpensive ideas for you to try!

Self care ideas - created with Artline pens

If you are super busy then it can be hard to find the time to look after yourself and recharge your batteries but if you can squeeze in one of these activities once a week or even better daily then they should help you feel a little more pampered or refreshed.

Relax and unwind

Have a shower or bath

Whichever you prefer or can fit into your day, use a squirt of your favourite shower gel and wash your worries away!

Movie night

When was the last time you sat through a whole film without keeping one eye on your phone and scrolling through Facebook or other social media?  Grab some snacks, put your mobile out of reach, turn off the lights and pop on a film.  

Music

Play your favourite song or album, sing and dance along if the mood takes you.  There's nothing like escaping into music to bring a smile to your face.

Be kind to yourself

Read

Discover a new book or revisit an old favourite, take the time to sit and devour a chapter or two.  A good book is like a mini holiday if it sweeps you away to a different world or life.

Take a nap

Honestly naps are the best! Twenty minutes or half an hour curled up on the sofa is my ultimate treat.

Enjoy your favourite hot drink

Grab a cup or giant mug of your favourite hot drink, sit down, sip slowly and relax, warm your hands and your soul.  

Get warm and cosy

This is just for the next few months while it is still pretty cold outside, invest in a pair of think, warm socks to keep your feet nice and toasty and wrap yourself in a jumper or cardigan to chase away the chill of winter!  If you are at home you can add a blanket around your shoulders or a dressing gown, bonus points for a hot water bottle too!

I used lots of Artline products to create this spread including fineliners, metallic markers and Stix drawing and brush pens, lettering and doodling are another couple of things I like to do during my "me time" so this was a fun way to spend my morning!  

If you would like some more ideas to help you relax or battle through the rest of January then you can read my Ways to relax and January motivation posts for a bit of inspiration. If you fancy taking up a new hobby then check this post out for some ideas as well.

Artline Monday - Christmas envelope art ideas

I love sending (and receiving!) Christmas cards, sometimes they are the main contact I have with some of my far flung family and friends over the year so I like to make them look as nice as possible before I send them out.  Last year I wrote about Christmas card calligraphy and this year I am building on that with some envelope art you can do to make your cards look extra special.  

All set for some envelope art

I have four different designs to share with you can today, some are quick and simple to do and others will take a little while longer.  It just depends on how much time you want to spend on them and how confident you are drawing on the envelopes.

Classic red and gold theme

My first design is a classic Christmas theme, I used my favourite gold Artline calligraphy pen to write the surname of my recipient and then drew some different styles of snowflakes in varying sizes with the Artline 900 and 999XF metallic pens.  I wanted to make the surname standout even more so I drew around it with my black fineliner to give it some depth.  Snowflakes are pretty easy to draw but if you don't know where to start you can copy mine or google "how to draw snowflakes" for some step by step instructions.  

If you don't want to write or draw directly onto the envelope with your pens (in case you make a mistake) you can do it lightly with a pencil first and then go over it in ink when you are happy with how it looks.  

Snowy theme

This second design can be done really quickly but I think it looks great!  I painted a layer of snow along the bottom of the envelope with a white poster marker and then drew two circles for the snowman.  I added some coal buttons, a hat, eyes and a smile with my black fineliner and a carrot nose, scarf and twig arms with my Supreme pens too.

I used the poster marker to write the surname of the family this card is going to followed by their address with the fineliner and then covered the rest of the space with falling snow.  I have left a small space clear for the postage stamp as I want to make sure it is stuck securely to the envelope when I send it.

Christmas decoration theme

The third design features lots of Christmas decorations dangling down along the top edge of the envelope.  I used my gold star stamper for a couple of the ornaments and then drew the rest by hand.  All the pens and poster markers I used to colour things in were metallic for that extra Christmassy feel!

After I had drawn all the decorations on this envelope I made a mistake on the name so instead of throwing it away and starting over again I adapted the design and corrected it by colouring around the name (and hiding my error) with the purple Supreme pen.  If you made a mistake take a minute to look at the envelope and see if you can think of a way to salvage it using the products you have.  If all else fails you could always stick a white address label over it and write on top of that instead.   

Fairy lights theme

My final design is my favourite one, I absolutely love fairy lights so I covered my envelope with a string of them.  I started off by drawing the twisted wire around the top and bottom edges and then added the light bulb shapes.  I chose traditional colours for the bulbs and coloured them in with my Supreme brush markers and a yellow paint marker.  I used the paint marker because the envelope is a grey/silver colour and I wanted the yellow to really standout against it.  I also used my metallic silver Supreme pen to colour in the bases that attach the bulbs to the wire.

After I wrote the surname I added an extra string of lights to make it look like the name was part of the wire connecting the fairy lights together.  The whole thing took me less than five minutes so you should be able to whizz through a stack of cards with this design in next to no time!

So have I inspired you to have a go at some envelope art?  I would love to see it if you do have a go!

Thanks for stopping by!

Artline Monday - Christmas planning countdown

Eeeeek there's only five weeks left until Christmas!  Have you started getting ready for the holidays yet?  If not don't worry, I can to help you with my handy Christmas countdown.

My Christmas countdown created with Artline pens

This is my Christmas bullet journal, I set it up last year and I use it for planning, lists and memory keeping.  You can find my previous post about it here if you would like to see how I use it for recording our holiday memories.  

This year I have planned out my timetable for getting everything ready using my Artline Stix pens and fineliners.  It starts today and has a checklist of things I need to do each week in the run up to Christmas. 

My checklist for weeks four and five

You might have already completed some of these steps or you might find it easier to do them in a different order so if you make your own list think about how to make it work for you.  I like to do as much as I can early so it is out of the way and then I can get on with enjoying the season so I might complete some of these steps before they are due but I have added them to the week I want to get them done by at the latest giving me some wriggle room.

Week five

This week I want to think about gift ideas (for the people I haven't already brought for), making sure I have all the postal addresses I need for cards and presents, checking when I need to order my Christmas turkey by and the date I can prebook my online food shop delivery and finally buy Christmas cards so I can get ready to start writing them.

Week four

I'm going to put my tree up and look for the best prices for the presents I want to buy.  I will get everything I need to wrap the gifts including paper, ribbon, sticky tape, bows and tags and I'll also work out how many stamps I need for my cards and buy those too.

Three weeks and counting

Week three

By this week I want to finish buying the presents and get them all wrapped and posted for the people I won't be seeing before Christmas. I will also get my cards into the post so they arrive in plenty of time for the holidays.  The last couple of things I want to do is start buying (and hiding!) the Christmas snacks and treats and look around for the best deals on the drinks we like too.

Week two

This week is the perfect time to visit friends and family as it is close to the holidays but not when everyone is crazy busy getting ready for the big day.  It is also when I will finalise my Christmas Dinner menu and before I buy half of the supermarket I want to make some extra room in the fridge and freezer.  At some point this week I'll want to do the BIG Christmas food shop so I will have everything we need apart from the fresh items that I will buy the following week.  There's one more thing to do, sort out some entertainment for while we are all home like DVDs and board games we can play together.

Week one 

Okay, for the last week before Christmas I just have a few things left to do.  They are do any food prep I can get out of the way early, collect my turkey and buy any fresh ingredients that I couldn't get before.  The finale thing I have on my checklist is to relax and enjoy the holiday, which I have to say is my favourite step!

I hope this helps you with your Christmas planning!

Artline Monday - World Kindness Day 2018

Tomorrow is World Kindness Day, one of my favourite days of the year!  The idea behind it is to make the world a brighter and happier place by committing small acts of kindness and spreading a little joy.  These acts can be random (also known as a RAK) or they can be for someone you know, how you choose to celebrate the day is up to you. 

I thought it would be nice to make some little cards with kindness quotes on them that I could hide for people to find, either in my children's school bags or somewhere out in the "wild" for strangers to discover.

Linen card and my Artline pens

I started with some lovely linen card and ripped it into smaller sized pieces using a ruler so I got a nice raw edge. I wanted to end up with something similar to the size of a business card or postcard or something in between the two.

Different sizes of card

Then I got out my Artline fineliners, bush pens and Supreme metallic markers and started writing the quotes. I mixed up the types of lettering and colours I used to make them look a little more fun and interesting and added some stickers and stamps for decoration.

Writing a quote

On the back of the cards I wrote World Kindness Day and the date 13th November 2018 so people would know what they were for and then they could search online for more details about the day and maybe commit their own acts of kindness too.

My little set of cards

I am going to put one in each of my daughter's bags tomorrow before school and I thought I'd hide the rest around my local community centre so they can be found and hopefully spread the message about World Kindness Day!

Will you be joining in with your own acts of kindness tomorrow?

Artline Monday - World Friendship Day

Did you know today is World Friendship Day?  It is the perfect time to reach out to your friends and let them know just how much you appreciate them!  Of course you can do this by text, email or message but how much nicer would it be to send them a card or letter and surprise them through the post?

I recently brought some lovely linen card so I thought I would use it to make my own greeting cards for my friends and show you a few different designs you could have a go at yourself.

Rustic edges

The card I used is A5 size so I folded it in half (top to bottom) and then tore it along the crease using my ruler.  Then I folded my two separate pieces in half again (side to side this time) to give me the basic shape of my cards. 

I attended a workshop a while ago with an amazing man who makes his own bespoke cards and he said that he prefers a rustic edge on his pieces so I thought I would try to do the same with mine.  I placed my ruler against the edge of my card leaving a small slither uncovered and tore it off along the ruler.  I repeated this process along both sides of the cards and used the raw edge from when I ripped the A5 card into two as the top.  I left the bottom edge as it was so the cards would have a stable base to stand on.  If you don't like the rough edges then use scissors to cut your card down to size instead.

Okay so now we have the basic card shapes let me show you my designs!

Hand lettering with my Artline Supreme brush markers

If you are confident with you lettering skills or just want to have a go then why not write a message on the front of your card?  If you are worried about making a mistake have a few practice goes so on some scrap paper before you move onto the card.  I love my new Artline Supreme brush markers so I selected my two favourite colours and wrote "hello there!" on mine.  Take your time writing each letter and remember to put more pressure on your downward strokes to make those lines thicker.  

Hello there!

My second card is a little easier than the first one.  I went through my sticker collection and found this fun ice lolly one which says "You are FAB" on it.  I used a pastel pink calligraphy pen to write "I think" above the sticker but if you don't like using calligraphy ones then you could use a regular nibbed pen like Artline Supreme markers as they are a nice thickness and come in a lot of bold colours.

If you can't find a sticker you want to use then you could look for a journalling card with a meaningful message on it to glue to the front of the card instead.

Adding the finishing touches

To make the lolly stand out and to add a little more colour to the card I used a yellow calligraphy pen draw a few lines around the sticker which I think is the illustrative equivalent of shouting TA-DA!

I think you are fab!

My last card is for people who love to doodle or have some cute image stamps they can use.  Mine says "We go together like.... coffee and donuts" and has a sweet little illustration of a tasty donut and travel cup of coffee.

Colouring in with my fineliners

I coloured in the images with some Artline 200 fineliners which are really vibrant against the white background and perfect for adding small details like the sprinkles I drew on top of the donut.

We go together like....

Once you have made your card or cards you just need to write something inside to tell your friend/s how awesome they are and why you are happy they are in your life!

My cards

I think World Friendship Day was invented by Hallmark as way of selling more cards but it is a really nice idea!  So if you make your own you are still sharing the love and it feels a lot more personal than a store brought card too. 

Who will you be sending a card too?

I would love to receive some happy mail in the post so I hope these cards bring a smile to my friends faces when they arrive!

Happy World Friendship Day!

Have a wonderful World Friendship Day!