Just got notified that one of my favorite online shops for writers is closing:
"It is with mixed feelings that we announce we will be closing the Writer’s Bloc online store in November 2017. We are holding a going out of business sale offering deeper discounts on all of our popular items in an effort to clear out our inventory. We want to send out a special thank you to our loyal customers and deeply appreciate all of your support over the years. You’ve introduced us to some fabulous brands that we love and write with on a daily basis such as Clairefontaine, Rodia, LAMY, Noodlers, Pelikan, Pilot, Aston Leather, and so many others. You will certainly be missed!
Thank you for sharing the last 10 years with all of us here at Writer’s Bloc."
Showing posts with label writer junk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writer junk. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Monday, November 04, 2013
$1.00 Ten
When Mom visits we always make a trip to the local dollar stores for cards, gift wrap and other seasonal necessities. During our last pilgrimage I looked around for writer stuff, too, and here are:
Ten Things I Found for $1.00
1. Ruled Writing Tablet, 6" X 9", 100 lined pages. I usually pay a couple of bucks for these at the local drugstore.
2. Pack of 8-1/2" X 11" designer computer paper, 40 sheets. The store had a bunch of these packs in different designs so there's a good variety.
3. Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs, hardcover remainder. Original price tag of $17.34 still on the cover. I already own a copy but I'll use this one as a lender.
4. 10 manilla 1/3-tabbed file folders, letter size. I'm setting up a filing cabinet for my daughter so I need lots of these.
5. 2014 pocket weekly planner. Can I ever have enough of these? Probably not.
6. Stretchy school textbook fabric covers. I mentioned in my last Recycle X 5 post that you could probably find these at a dollar store, and here's the proof.
7. Floral pocket notebook, 4.25" X 5.62", 60 ruled pages. Perfect size for my purse, and the elastic band on this one will help hold stuff like receipts and business cards along with my notes.
8. The Gate House by Nelson DeMille, remaindered hardcover. I actually haven't read this one, so a good TBR bargain.
9. Gardens 2014 Calendar duo. One wall-size and one mini. These are actually quite pretty, and comparable to the ones for which you pay ten or twenty times as much at the bookstores.
10. 2014 11"X 17" desk planner/blotter pad. To better organize daily next year I'm going to park this on my work desk, and this one is the exactly right size to fit.
Purchased at my local Dollar Tree on 10/23/13; availability of items will likely vary.
Ten Things I Found for $1.00
1. Ruled Writing Tablet, 6" X 9", 100 lined pages. I usually pay a couple of bucks for these at the local drugstore.
2. Pack of 8-1/2" X 11" designer computer paper, 40 sheets. The store had a bunch of these packs in different designs so there's a good variety.
3. Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs, hardcover remainder. Original price tag of $17.34 still on the cover. I already own a copy but I'll use this one as a lender.
4. 10 manilla 1/3-tabbed file folders, letter size. I'm setting up a filing cabinet for my daughter so I need lots of these.
5. 2014 pocket weekly planner. Can I ever have enough of these? Probably not.
6. Stretchy school textbook fabric covers. I mentioned in my last Recycle X 5 post that you could probably find these at a dollar store, and here's the proof.
7. Floral pocket notebook, 4.25" X 5.62", 60 ruled pages. Perfect size for my purse, and the elastic band on this one will help hold stuff like receipts and business cards along with my notes.
8. The Gate House by Nelson DeMille, remaindered hardcover. I actually haven't read this one, so a good TBR bargain.
9. Gardens 2014 Calendar duo. One wall-size and one mini. These are actually quite pretty, and comparable to the ones for which you pay ten or twenty times as much at the bookstores.
10. 2014 11"X 17" desk planner/blotter pad. To better organize daily next year I'm going to park this on my work desk, and this one is the exactly right size to fit.
Purchased at my local Dollar Tree on 10/23/13; availability of items will likely vary.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Target Ten
Ten Things for Writers from Target
1. Wonderland Stationery Set: This set will definitely come in handy if you need to take office supplies on a trip but don't want to pack up an entire tote of writer junk to lug along with you. Contents: a small notepad, pen, stapler, staples, paperclips, 4 binder clips and two button magnets. Makes a nice little gift for your favorite writer, too. The set has a dark purple color theme, and have little bitty hearts on two of the binder clips and one of the magnets, so probably better for the ladies. Clearance priced at $4.98 each.
2. Greenroom File Folders: 80% of these folders are recycled fiber, and they're printed with nontoxic soy-based inks, so definitely enviro-friendly. A sheet of blank tab labels is included, and the floral designs on the folders make a nice change from vanilla manila, too. $4.29 for pack of 12.
3. Wonderland Letter Size Notebook: This spiral bound notebook contains 100 wide-ruled pages with four built-in dividers; the covers and dividers are plain brown craft board that can be easily crafted into something more decorative and personal. $9.99 each.
4. & 5. Green-Inspired Blank Journals: Printed on FSC-certified paper with soy and metallic inks, these blank books have wide-ruled pages and a ribbon marker, and are a greener choice for your journaling needs. $9.99 each.
6. Post-It Notes Super Sticky Week Planner Pad: Plan out your entire week on one large sticky note divided by day with ruled sections for your notes; 25 pages per pad. $5.54 each.
7. One Subject Spiral Bound Notebook: 70 college-ruled pages with plain brown covers you can craft into something cool. $1.50 each.
8. InkJoy Non-Retractable Multi-Color Pens: Shawna convinced me to give these PaperMate ballpoint ink pens another try; more on them once I do the test-drive. $3.89 for a pack of 18.
9. Gold Bar Noteblock: This is a fun, chunky little notepad that looks exactly like a bar of gold on the outside, and has nice amber pages inside for all your noting needs. Definitely a cute gift for the writer who has everything. $8.95 each.
10. Wonderland PadFolio: A clipboard cover with a letter-sized pad and pocket inside, this folio is decorated with an artsy girl design but has sturdy covers and will keep your writing stuff neat and contained. $7.99 each.
All of the above items were purchased at Target on 10/08/13, so prices may vary. If you go shopping, look for the Wonderland products on the bargain endcaps in the store's office supply section.
1. Wonderland Stationery Set: This set will definitely come in handy if you need to take office supplies on a trip but don't want to pack up an entire tote of writer junk to lug along with you. Contents: a small notepad, pen, stapler, staples, paperclips, 4 binder clips and two button magnets. Makes a nice little gift for your favorite writer, too. The set has a dark purple color theme, and have little bitty hearts on two of the binder clips and one of the magnets, so probably better for the ladies. Clearance priced at $4.98 each.
2. Greenroom File Folders: 80% of these folders are recycled fiber, and they're printed with nontoxic soy-based inks, so definitely enviro-friendly. A sheet of blank tab labels is included, and the floral designs on the folders make a nice change from vanilla manila, too. $4.29 for pack of 12.
3. Wonderland Letter Size Notebook: This spiral bound notebook contains 100 wide-ruled pages with four built-in dividers; the covers and dividers are plain brown craft board that can be easily crafted into something more decorative and personal. $9.99 each.
4. & 5. Green-Inspired Blank Journals: Printed on FSC-certified paper with soy and metallic inks, these blank books have wide-ruled pages and a ribbon marker, and are a greener choice for your journaling needs. $9.99 each.
6. Post-It Notes Super Sticky Week Planner Pad: Plan out your entire week on one large sticky note divided by day with ruled sections for your notes; 25 pages per pad. $5.54 each.
7. One Subject Spiral Bound Notebook: 70 college-ruled pages with plain brown covers you can craft into something cool. $1.50 each.
8. InkJoy Non-Retractable Multi-Color Pens: Shawna convinced me to give these PaperMate ballpoint ink pens another try; more on them once I do the test-drive. $3.89 for a pack of 18.
9. Gold Bar Noteblock: This is a fun, chunky little notepad that looks exactly like a bar of gold on the outside, and has nice amber pages inside for all your noting needs. Definitely a cute gift for the writer who has everything. $8.95 each.
10. Wonderland PadFolio: A clipboard cover with a letter-sized pad and pocket inside, this folio is decorated with an artsy girl design but has sturdy covers and will keep your writing stuff neat and contained. $7.99 each.
All of the above items were purchased at Target on 10/08/13, so prices may vary. If you go shopping, look for the Wonderland products on the bargain endcaps in the store's office supply section.
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
Recycle X 5: Mini-Binder
For my fourth project with recycling cardboard I decided to make a mini-binder for some visual ephemera related to the Disechanted & Co. series. There were a couple of problems along the way (one stain never really dried, and I had trouble getting the duct tape on straight) so I need to repeat the project and work out a few bugs before I post directions for it.
In the meantime, here's a slideshow of how I worked on it from start to finish:
In the meantime, here's a slideshow of how I worked on it from start to finish:
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Recycle X 5: Sticky Notes Caddy
My third cardboard recycling project helped me solve another ongoing problem: finding sticky note pads. I own dozens in different sizes and shapes, and yet when I need actually one I find they've all migrated elsewhere (generally with the help of whoever last used it.)
To keep the sticky note pads I use most often in one spot in the office (and to make them harder for the family to filch) I used my cardboard to create a sticky notes caddy, as follows:
First I worked out how many notes I could fit on each side of the cardboard by arranging them until everything fit the space.
I then marked the cardboard with a marker by making a line at the top of each note pad for placement and as a cutting guide.
For the note pads that had strong, bendable backings I used a box cutter to cut a slit just below the placement line for that pad. When you do this, remember to be careful with the cutter or cutting utensil you use (most of them are insanely sharp), and work on a surface like a cutting mat, a piece of scrap wood, a bundle of newspapers or whatever you have that won't be ruined by the cutting process.
For the note pads that had flimsy backings I applied some strips of double-sided tape and stuck them to the carboard.
The first time I tried this I put the note pads on both sides inside the cardboard piece to make it more like a book, but that turned out to be a bit bulky and hard to keep closed. I thought about refolding the carboard, but decided to put half the note pads on the outside and half on the inside, and that worked better for me.
To keep the sticky note pads I use most often in one spot in the office (and to make them harder for the family to filch) I used my cardboard to create a sticky notes caddy, as follows:
First I worked out how many notes I could fit on each side of the cardboard by arranging them until everything fit the space.
I then marked the cardboard with a marker by making a line at the top of each note pad for placement and as a cutting guide.
For the note pads that had strong, bendable backings I used a box cutter to cut a slit just below the placement line for that pad. When you do this, remember to be careful with the cutter or cutting utensil you use (most of them are insanely sharp), and work on a surface like a cutting mat, a piece of scrap wood, a bundle of newspapers or whatever you have that won't be ruined by the cutting process.
For the note pads that had flimsy backings I applied some strips of double-sided tape and stuck them to the carboard.
The first time I tried this I put the note pads on both sides inside the cardboard piece to make it more like a book, but that turned out to be a bit bulky and hard to keep closed. I thought about refolding the carboard, but decided to put half the note pads on the outside and half on the inside, and that worked better for me.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Recycle X 5: Bookmark Keeper
I have a collection of several hundred paper bookmarks, and the one thing that plagues me is how often they get misplaced (and that's my fault for leaving them in books, dropping them on a stack of papers, etc.) Over time most of my bookmarks also become dinged, bent or crumpled because I didn't store them in a protective fashion. It's even worse when I make some bookmarks, put them in a safe place and then promptly forget where that safe place is.
My next recycled cardboard project, a bookmark keeper, solves all those problems and requires only basic supplies. It's also easy enough for anyone to do. Here's what you'll need:
A piece of 10" X 14" cardboard folded or preforated in the middle (two 5" X 7" pieces also work)
Decorative papers to cover the cardboard on both sides
Glue stick
Scissors
Three binder clips (four if you're using two separate pieces of cardboard)
To begin, Cover one side of your cardboard piece(s) with your glue stick:
Place the decorative paper you want on the outside to the glued side of the carboard piece(s); if you're using one piece fold in half to create a spine crease:
Cut out a square notch in the paper at all corners. If you're using one piece of folded cardboard, also make a vertical cut in the flaps at each end of the fold:
Apply glue stick to the inside of your flaps, then fold them over onto the inside of your carboard:
Glue two more pieces of decorative papers to cover the inside of the carboard and the edges of your flaps:
Let everything dry flat, then place your bookmarks inside:
Close your keeper and use the binder clips to secure the open sides:
Related links:
Recycle X 5: Note Pads
Interioraholic has some of the most fascinating project designs made from recycled cardboard here.
My next recycled cardboard project, a bookmark keeper, solves all those problems and requires only basic supplies. It's also easy enough for anyone to do. Here's what you'll need:
A piece of 10" X 14" cardboard folded or preforated in the middle (two 5" X 7" pieces also work)
Decorative papers to cover the cardboard on both sides
Glue stick
Scissors
Three binder clips (four if you're using two separate pieces of cardboard)
To begin, Cover one side of your cardboard piece(s) with your glue stick:
Place the decorative paper you want on the outside to the glued side of the carboard piece(s); if you're using one piece fold in half to create a spine crease:
Cut out a square notch in the paper at all corners. If you're using one piece of folded cardboard, also make a vertical cut in the flaps at each end of the fold:
Apply glue stick to the inside of your flaps, then fold them over onto the inside of your carboard:
Glue two more pieces of decorative papers to cover the inside of the carboard and the edges of your flaps:
Let everything dry flat, then place your bookmarks inside:
Close your keeper and use the binder clips to secure the open sides:
Related links:
Recycle X 5: Note Pads
Interioraholic has some of the most fascinating project designs made from recycled cardboard here.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Recycle X 5: Note Pads
A couple of months back I preordered some art books for my kid, and last week they finally arrived. I try to recycle all the boxes and packing materials I receive via my own shipping, but this package came with a strange mound of five folded cardboard filler pieces:
Generally I toss pieces like this in my paper recycling box to use for mailing photos I don't want bent or as frame backing, but these pieces are all brand-new, and the way they're folded and preforated intrigued me. I decided to make them my next recycle/upcycle project, and challenge myself to find five different ways to make them into something else.
The first idea I had involved the most banged-up, creased piece:
I carefully separated it down the middle along the preforartions:
I then got some old manuscript pages from my paper recycling box and cut them in half:
Using one side of my three-hole punch, I punched two centered holes in the top of the carboard pieces and the short end of my trimmed papers:
To put them together, I thought about using binder rings, ribbons or even some twist ties. Then I remembered I had some of the larger size of Tim Holtz's Idea-ology brads leftover from another project, and grabbed those:
Together the brads, paper and cardboard pieces make two nice refillable note pads (of which I can never have enough):
Making your own notepads saves money, recycles used paper and even junk mail; all you need is something with a blank side. You can also customize this easy project with your own touches by covering the cardboard with pretty fabric or paper and/or using different-colored paper and bindings for the note part.
Stayed tuned in the weeks ahead for more ideas on how to recycle cardboard into writer stuff as I use up the other pieces.
Generally I toss pieces like this in my paper recycling box to use for mailing photos I don't want bent or as frame backing, but these pieces are all brand-new, and the way they're folded and preforated intrigued me. I decided to make them my next recycle/upcycle project, and challenge myself to find five different ways to make them into something else.
The first idea I had involved the most banged-up, creased piece:
I carefully separated it down the middle along the preforartions:
I then got some old manuscript pages from my paper recycling box and cut them in half:
Using one side of my three-hole punch, I punched two centered holes in the top of the carboard pieces and the short end of my trimmed papers:
To put them together, I thought about using binder rings, ribbons or even some twist ties. Then I remembered I had some of the larger size of Tim Holtz's Idea-ology brads leftover from another project, and grabbed those:
Together the brads, paper and cardboard pieces make two nice refillable note pads (of which I can never have enough):
Making your own notepads saves money, recycles used paper and even junk mail; all you need is something with a blank side. You can also customize this easy project with your own touches by covering the cardboard with pretty fabric or paper and/or using different-colored paper and bindings for the note part.
Stayed tuned in the weeks ahead for more ideas on how to recycle cardboard into writer stuff as I use up the other pieces.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Office Depot Finds
On a recent toner run to Office Depot I took a little time to browse (I know, such a hardship) and found some stuff I thought might be interesting to other writers:
3M keeps evolving its Post-It product line, and I found two types of multi-use decorative labels (#1 and #2 in the photo) and a pad of file folder labels (#3) which are super convenient. The decorative labels, which are 1-3/4" X 2-3/4" and come in packs of 40, are printed with phrases like "This belongs to..." and "Property of..." and are exactly the right size to serve as book plates. They were also on clearance and cost $2.00 per pack. The file folder labels are a patricularly nice find as I recycle my file folders and constantly have to relabel them; the pack of 100 labels was also on clearance at $.92.
Wilson Jones's Binder Apps Tool Band (#4) can be helpful to anyone who works with notebooks; it's the right size to fit over binders, tablets, sorting filers or large books. At $2.99 I considered it a real steal, too.
The "Rollin' with my Gnomies" three-ring binder (#5) is just a fun buy; great for kids, grownups or anyone who is a fan of the movie Amelie. I got mine for $4.99.
Back by the toner section I found a little display of blank ruled journals, and I was surprised at how pretty they were:
The smallest (#6 pictured in the photo) was $3.99; the middle-sized (#7, which has a fancy magnetic closure cover) was $5.99, and the largest (#8)was $7.99. That's about 50% cheaper than comparable journals you find in bookstores.
If you have time to browse at your local Office Depot be sure to check the bargain bins, which are usually located close to the registers -- that's where I found all the 3M lables on clearance.
3M keeps evolving its Post-It product line, and I found two types of multi-use decorative labels (#1 and #2 in the photo) and a pad of file folder labels (#3) which are super convenient. The decorative labels, which are 1-3/4" X 2-3/4" and come in packs of 40, are printed with phrases like "This belongs to..." and "Property of..." and are exactly the right size to serve as book plates. They were also on clearance and cost $2.00 per pack. The file folder labels are a patricularly nice find as I recycle my file folders and constantly have to relabel them; the pack of 100 labels was also on clearance at $.92.
Wilson Jones's Binder Apps Tool Band (#4) can be helpful to anyone who works with notebooks; it's the right size to fit over binders, tablets, sorting filers or large books. At $2.99 I considered it a real steal, too.
The "Rollin' with my Gnomies" three-ring binder (#5) is just a fun buy; great for kids, grownups or anyone who is a fan of the movie Amelie. I got mine for $4.99.
Back by the toner section I found a little display of blank ruled journals, and I was surprised at how pretty they were:
The smallest (#6 pictured in the photo) was $3.99; the middle-sized (#7, which has a fancy magnetic closure cover) was $5.99, and the largest (#8)was $7.99. That's about 50% cheaper than comparable journals you find in bookstores.
If you have time to browse at your local Office Depot be sure to check the bargain bins, which are usually located close to the registers -- that's where I found all the 3M lables on clearance.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Five from Target
On a recent trip to Target I found some very nifty stuff for readers and writers:
Starting clockwise from the left:
Hardcover edition of Taking Eve by Iris Johansen -- this novel was not only nicely discounted, it was signed by the author, something I've never before found at Target ($19.59)
Rifle Paper Co.'s Botanicals Notebook Collection, published by Chronicle Books, features three 32-page notebooks with gorgeous soft covers and ruled pages with a vintage floral header design ($12.95)
Neil Pasricha's The Journal of Awesome, published by Chronicle Books, is filled with fun writing prompts and reminders of all of life's especially wonderful moments ($12.95)
Green-Inspired.com's grid journal is printed on FSC-certified paper with soy inks and has a colorful cover design that reminded me of quilt blocks ($7.99)
Green-Inspired.com's set of five mini 32-page journals are the perfect size for a purse or pocket ($4.99)
I also got an additional 5% off everything because I used my Target REDcard to buy the lot.
This Botanical Notebooks trio would work great as gardening journals, to use for short writing projects, outlines, research notes etc. I really like this mini-journal set too, as they come with a variety of pages: two ruled, one grid, one dotted and one blank -- I can use one set to sketch, draw maps and keep notes and keep them all stowed away in the neat little holder.
The Journal of Awesome (interior pages shown at the bottom here) will make a nice gift for a friend who needs to remember life doesn't always suck. The Green-Inspired.com journal with the quilty design on the brown cover not only opens flat but also has grid-lined pages that are excellent for map-making; since the cover design invokes quilting for me I'll probably use mine for working out new patchwork designs.
Have you found any neat things for readers or writers out there recently? Let us know in comments.
Starting clockwise from the left:
Hardcover edition of Taking Eve by Iris Johansen -- this novel was not only nicely discounted, it was signed by the author, something I've never before found at Target ($19.59)
Rifle Paper Co.'s Botanicals Notebook Collection, published by Chronicle Books, features three 32-page notebooks with gorgeous soft covers and ruled pages with a vintage floral header design ($12.95)
Neil Pasricha's The Journal of Awesome, published by Chronicle Books, is filled with fun writing prompts and reminders of all of life's especially wonderful moments ($12.95)
Green-Inspired.com's grid journal is printed on FSC-certified paper with soy inks and has a colorful cover design that reminded me of quilt blocks ($7.99)
Green-Inspired.com's set of five mini 32-page journals are the perfect size for a purse or pocket ($4.99)
I also got an additional 5% off everything because I used my Target REDcard to buy the lot.
This Botanical Notebooks trio would work great as gardening journals, to use for short writing projects, outlines, research notes etc. I really like this mini-journal set too, as they come with a variety of pages: two ruled, one grid, one dotted and one blank -- I can use one set to sketch, draw maps and keep notes and keep them all stowed away in the neat little holder.
The Journal of Awesome (interior pages shown at the bottom here) will make a nice gift for a friend who needs to remember life doesn't always suck. The Green-Inspired.com journal with the quilty design on the brown cover not only opens flat but also has grid-lined pages that are excellent for map-making; since the cover design invokes quilting for me I'll probably use mine for working out new patchwork designs.
Have you found any neat things for readers or writers out there recently? Let us know in comments.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Write Stuff Sales
While doing some online shopping I noticed some deals I thought I'd pass along:
Levenger is offering a 15% discount on orders over $100.00 -- use code SPRING15 at checkout. Among some of the nicer things currently in the outlet is Levenger's original Scheherezade storytelling tile game for $14.95 and a True Writer fountain pen in a gorgeous multi-toned violet for $44.95 (I've always wanted to try out a True Writer so I ordered this one as my reward for finishing the novel. Will report more on it once I give it a test drive.)
Office Depot has a bunch of office supplies on sale this week, including two computer work stations under $50.00, a wireless keyboard and mouse combo under $30.00 and several plastic lidded file storage bins under $10.00. I'm going to drop in at my local brick and mortar OD to have a look at the wireless keyboard combo as I've just about burned out my current plug-ins.
Writer's Bloc has some neat Star Wars-themed Moleskin journals, Sakura gel pens and plenty of Clairefontaine notebooks nicely discounted in their Sale section. I love the little Clairefontaine notebooks and notepads; the paper is a nice weight and the cover and margin art is interesting and fun without being too cutesy or juvenile.
Have you noticed any good deals on writing stuff anywhere? Share the wealth in comments.
Levenger is offering a 15% discount on orders over $100.00 -- use code SPRING15 at checkout. Among some of the nicer things currently in the outlet is Levenger's original Scheherezade storytelling tile game for $14.95 and a True Writer fountain pen in a gorgeous multi-toned violet for $44.95 (I've always wanted to try out a True Writer so I ordered this one as my reward for finishing the novel. Will report more on it once I give it a test drive.)
Office Depot has a bunch of office supplies on sale this week, including two computer work stations under $50.00, a wireless keyboard and mouse combo under $30.00 and several plastic lidded file storage bins under $10.00. I'm going to drop in at my local brick and mortar OD to have a look at the wireless keyboard combo as I've just about burned out my current plug-ins.
Writer's Bloc has some neat Star Wars-themed Moleskin journals, Sakura gel pens and plenty of Clairefontaine notebooks nicely discounted in their Sale section. I love the little Clairefontaine notebooks and notepads; the paper is a nice weight and the cover and margin art is interesting and fun without being too cutesy or juvenile.
Have you noticed any good deals on writing stuff anywhere? Share the wealth in comments.
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
The Write Stuff
I picked up this quartet to the left at BAM. Here are more details on each, clockwise starting at the little green journal:
One Word A Day Mini-Journal by Knock Knock -- This is a palm-size hardcover that gives you 365 opportunities to "choose any word to describe your day and write it down." Journaling doesn't get any simpler or more concise than that, and there's even enough room to write a few more words if you want to say more; $12.59 with my discount card.
Small Edgewise Journal by Orange Circle Studio -- this flocked turquoise little beauty of a journal has 144 white and soft pastel ruled pages, interesting edge tabbing plus an elastic ribbon to keep it closed. The binding allows it to lay flat as you write in it, and it's small enough to tuck in a purse or a large index card holder; $3.60 (on sale at 50% off.)
Origami Sticky Notes by Suck UK -- 100 sticky notes imprinted with picture diagrams so you can fold them into ten different origami critters. Office notes will never be the same; $3.59 with my discount card.
A Year of Fortunes (without the cookies) by Knock Knock -- I bought one of these little hardcovers during the holidays to give to a family friend; it contains 365 preforated, dated fortunes with wry sayings on one side and lucky numbers on the other; $14.85 with my discount card.
I also rummaged around the bargain bins at BAM and found two unusual journals:
You have to peek inside to see wwhy they're unusual:
The Tri-Coastal Script Journal offers widely-spaced ruled pages that give you about twice the writing room as a standard journal (perfect for scribes like me who don't have tiny handwriting); the Pepper Pot journal on the right with the starburst cover design has graph-ruled pages with color-striped edges. The fact that I got them for $4.50 and $6.73 (50% with an extra 10% off for my discount card) respectively was a nice bonus.
From BAM I went to Target to look for some notebooks and binders and see what they had on sale. They have a new line of "Sunwashed" office supplies under their own brand that I really liked with dreamy photo designs and lovely colors. When I'm working on a particular project I like to color-coordinate my writing stuff so I can find everything with a glance, so I picked up a binder ($4.99), legal pad/clipboard padfolio ($8.99), journal 3-pack ($5.99) and pencil box with pencils ($4.99):
I also found a lot of notebooks and journals marked down for clearance, and scored an 8" X 6" 80-page Mead notebook with those lovely dot-gridded pages instead of lines ($2.65) as well as a slightly smaller, 80 page Horizon groovy hues ruled notebook with a front pocket and an elastic closure ribbon ($1.98):
I got an additional 5% discount off everything for using my Target Visa at checkout. Target also had every 2013 pocket planner, desk blotter, wall blotter and so forth heavily discounted, and clearance prices on some nice smash book and scrapbooking supplies, so if you're in the market for any of those it maybe worth a trip to check them out.
Friday, October 26, 2012
NaNoWriMo Countdown: Giveaway
While I was shopping I picked up some extra stuff to put together for a NaNoWriMo giveaway: A slim zippered cloth portfolio bag (just the perfect size to hold some chapters, a notebook and pen), an idea portfolio and notebook covered with inspirational words, a pack of the quick-dry pens I'll be using along with some mechanical pencils, a Keep Calm and Carry On bookmark, a Don't Quit journal and a sticky-note mini-journal. I also added a copy of Writing Fiction by Gotham Writer's Workshop, the one how-to I think pretty much covers all the basic nuts and bolts of writing.
If you'd like a chance to win the pile, in comments to this post name something you've found to be helpful with NaNoWriMo by midnight EST tonight, October 26, 2012. I'll draw one name at random from everyone who participates and send the winner everything in the picture. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Simply Smashing
Until recently I didn't know it, but I've been smashing every novel I've written since the eighties. I've also smashed my personal journals, sketchbooks, quilt diaries, poetry binders and daily planners. I've even smashed the notebook I use for what I write on PBW.
Before you start calling me a wrecking ball, I don't mean smash as into smithereens. "Smashing" is the new term for a trend in the scrapbooking industry that capitalizes on the very old practice of saving souvenirs, mementos, bits and pieces and other memory prompts in a journal or notebook. And whether you call them smash books, scrapbooks, memory journals or idea diaries, if you save any kind of junk-drawer type ephemera in book form, you're smashing.
Smashing is something most females do throughout life, I think. In Girl Scouts we used to make camp diaries and stick everything in them from pretty leaves to paper airplanes; in high school just about every girl I knew kept pressed flowers and prom programs tucked in their yearbooks. In my kids' baby albums I saved their hospital IDs, new baby cards and snipped locks from first haircuts. I have journals riddled with the kid's homemade cards, programs for all their school shows, and my guy's love notes (he always uses Post-its and leaves them in the strangest places.)
Quilters are old hands at smashing; just ask one of us to bring out a quilt diary. Along with the photos of finished projects displayed on the pages there will be swatches of fabric, experiment blocks, copies of patterns, old stencils and templates, you name it. I used to tape every needle I bent or broke in my quilt diary and then count them at the end of the year (which is also how I learned to spend a bit more money and buy better needles.)
If you're not already a smashing writer, it's simple enough to do. You need a notebook, photo album or 3-ring binder to serve as your smash book, writing instruments, paper, sticky notes, paperclips, glue stick or photo mounting adhesive (I use these little double-sided squares because they're easier than glue for me to handle.) As you collect words, ideas, images, notes and other assorted bits of inspiration and resources for your story, you put them in the book. You can be as creative or as simple as you like; there are no rules involved.
I decided to do it proper and bought K&Company's smash journal as well as a bunch of their accessories. Target and most craft stores carry a good variety, and they're not super expensive; I spent about twenty dollars for my pile of stuff. The one thing I like are the pocket pieces that I can adhere to a page and tuck things inside; that allows me to remove or add whatever I like to that particular page.
To show you some examples, here are some of the pages I put together in my smash journal for the next novel:
This one is for the male protagonist of my next novel, and has palette inspiration photos, paint chips and some notes for myself on particular setting details.
Sometimes I mount photos on the pages permanently for quick visual reference. For these two pages I collected pics I've taken in real life, but I also want to do something in one scene that transforms that setting (which is why I added the eerie red image I clipped from a calendar.)
I also pages with random stuff that catches my eye. These two are for the female protagonist and are kind of a catch-all for the stuff I'm using her character, dialogue, setting, story palette, and pretty much everything else that appeals to me.
You can organize your smash book according to characters, setting, dialogue, plot, etc., but I don't ever find anything in precise story order so I don't worry about keeping it alphabetized or indexed. Although if you put together a huge smash book, you might want to use alphabetic dividers, tabs or come up with named/themed sections to keep it easy to reference.
I enjoyed discovering this new way to keep my writer junk tidy so much that I bought more of everything to give away here on the blog: K&Company's Mod-style Smash journal as well as a nice assortment of their most interesting and useful smashing stuff:
If you'd like a chance to win the whole pile, in comments to this post suggest a theme you think would be interesting (doesn't have to be about writing) for a page in a smash book by midnight EST on Thursday, April 26, 2012. I'll draw one name at random from everyone who participates and send the winner the smash journal, the accessories and a signed copy of my novel Nightborn. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Before you start calling me a wrecking ball, I don't mean smash as into smithereens. "Smashing" is the new term for a trend in the scrapbooking industry that capitalizes on the very old practice of saving souvenirs, mementos, bits and pieces and other memory prompts in a journal or notebook. And whether you call them smash books, scrapbooks, memory journals or idea diaries, if you save any kind of junk-drawer type ephemera in book form, you're smashing.
Smashing is something most females do throughout life, I think. In Girl Scouts we used to make camp diaries and stick everything in them from pretty leaves to paper airplanes; in high school just about every girl I knew kept pressed flowers and prom programs tucked in their yearbooks. In my kids' baby albums I saved their hospital IDs, new baby cards and snipped locks from first haircuts. I have journals riddled with the kid's homemade cards, programs for all their school shows, and my guy's love notes (he always uses Post-its and leaves them in the strangest places.)
Quilters are old hands at smashing; just ask one of us to bring out a quilt diary. Along with the photos of finished projects displayed on the pages there will be swatches of fabric, experiment blocks, copies of patterns, old stencils and templates, you name it. I used to tape every needle I bent or broke in my quilt diary and then count them at the end of the year (which is also how I learned to spend a bit more money and buy better needles.)
If you're not already a smashing writer, it's simple enough to do. You need a notebook, photo album or 3-ring binder to serve as your smash book, writing instruments, paper, sticky notes, paperclips, glue stick or photo mounting adhesive (I use these little double-sided squares because they're easier than glue for me to handle.) As you collect words, ideas, images, notes and other assorted bits of inspiration and resources for your story, you put them in the book. You can be as creative or as simple as you like; there are no rules involved.
I decided to do it proper and bought K&Company's smash journal as well as a bunch of their accessories. Target and most craft stores carry a good variety, and they're not super expensive; I spent about twenty dollars for my pile of stuff. The one thing I like are the pocket pieces that I can adhere to a page and tuck things inside; that allows me to remove or add whatever I like to that particular page.
To show you some examples, here are some of the pages I put together in my smash journal for the next novel:
This one is for the male protagonist of my next novel, and has palette inspiration photos, paint chips and some notes for myself on particular setting details.
Sometimes I mount photos on the pages permanently for quick visual reference. For these two pages I collected pics I've taken in real life, but I also want to do something in one scene that transforms that setting (which is why I added the eerie red image I clipped from a calendar.)
I also pages with random stuff that catches my eye. These two are for the female protagonist and are kind of a catch-all for the stuff I'm using her character, dialogue, setting, story palette, and pretty much everything else that appeals to me.
You can organize your smash book according to characters, setting, dialogue, plot, etc., but I don't ever find anything in precise story order so I don't worry about keeping it alphabetized or indexed. Although if you put together a huge smash book, you might want to use alphabetic dividers, tabs or come up with named/themed sections to keep it easy to reference.
I enjoyed discovering this new way to keep my writer junk tidy so much that I bought more of everything to give away here on the blog: K&Company's Mod-style Smash journal as well as a nice assortment of their most interesting and useful smashing stuff:
If you'd like a chance to win the whole pile, in comments to this post suggest a theme you think would be interesting (doesn't have to be about writing) for a page in a smash book by midnight EST on Thursday, April 26, 2012. I'll draw one name at random from everyone who participates and send the winner the smash journal, the accessories and a signed copy of my novel Nightborn. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Paperclip Pizazz
If you've ever worked in an office and/or been confined to a cubicle, you've probably made at least one paperclip chain, or you've bent those clips into different shapes. I'm guilty, too; I used to make butterflies out of mine.
It seems other people have been bored enough to experiment with paperclips, as lately I've spotted a number of new spins on the old reliable paperholder:
Numberclips are a set of ten page markers that look and function like paperclips but have number shapes from 0 to 9. I found this set at World Market for $5.99.
Silly Clipz are shaped wire clips sold in themed sets of six, and judging from the suggested use on the packaging are being marketed toward kids as clip-on decorations for their clothing and hat brims. I picked up the Zoo and Myth editions for $1.99 each at CVS.
You can get conversational with your paperclips with Talk Bubble, a tin of 25 caption balloon-shaped clips; $6.99 at World Market.
As to how well they work, Yours Truly broke out some from each package and field-tested them:
The Numberclips are just like straight-forward, large size paperclips; you do have to remember to put the number-shaped part on the front of your clipped items. If you're working on drafts, scenes, chapters or something else you need to keep in a certain work sequence these might be a painless way to mark the sets.
The Talk Bubble was actually a bit heavy with plastic-coated wire that looks about double the gauge of regular paperclips; probably best for clipping sets of sheets versus one page. When I saw these I thought they'd be great for flagging a specific note you need someone else to read.
The Silly Clipz were the hardest to figure out; the company that makes them included their logo as part of the clip which only adds to the layered confusion of wires; these are of a smaller gauge wire than regular paperclips and will likely bend out of shape pretty easily. I'm also wondering why they're marketing them to children as clothing accessories -- maybe hoping to cash in on the shaped rubber band craze of a few years ago? -- but they don't seem like something I'd give a younger child.
My biggest objection to all three brands is that they're are too pricey for ordinary, everyday use. That said, if you have a special project, don't use a huge amount of clips, recycle ruthlessly or are working on a limited project, the pricetag might be worth it to you.
It seems other people have been bored enough to experiment with paperclips, as lately I've spotted a number of new spins on the old reliable paperholder:
Numberclips are a set of ten page markers that look and function like paperclips but have number shapes from 0 to 9. I found this set at World Market for $5.99.
Silly Clipz are shaped wire clips sold in themed sets of six, and judging from the suggested use on the packaging are being marketed toward kids as clip-on decorations for their clothing and hat brims. I picked up the Zoo and Myth editions for $1.99 each at CVS.
You can get conversational with your paperclips with Talk Bubble, a tin of 25 caption balloon-shaped clips; $6.99 at World Market.
As to how well they work, Yours Truly broke out some from each package and field-tested them:
The Numberclips are just like straight-forward, large size paperclips; you do have to remember to put the number-shaped part on the front of your clipped items. If you're working on drafts, scenes, chapters or something else you need to keep in a certain work sequence these might be a painless way to mark the sets.
The Talk Bubble was actually a bit heavy with plastic-coated wire that looks about double the gauge of regular paperclips; probably best for clipping sets of sheets versus one page. When I saw these I thought they'd be great for flagging a specific note you need someone else to read.
The Silly Clipz were the hardest to figure out; the company that makes them included their logo as part of the clip which only adds to the layered confusion of wires; these are of a smaller gauge wire than regular paperclips and will likely bend out of shape pretty easily. I'm also wondering why they're marketing them to children as clothing accessories -- maybe hoping to cash in on the shaped rubber band craze of a few years ago? -- but they don't seem like something I'd give a younger child.
My biggest objection to all three brands is that they're are too pricey for ordinary, everyday use. That said, if you have a special project, don't use a huge amount of clips, recycle ruthlessly or are working on a limited project, the pricetag might be worth it to you.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Post-it Notables
From Center front clockwise:
Post-it Grid Notes: 2 pads of 50 4" X 6" sheets, $3.63. Quilters use grid paper to figure out patchwork designs; I know some writers prefer grid paper for writing, drawing maps and what have you. I like the roomy size of these notepads.
Post-it Label Pads: 100 1-7/8" X 2-7/8" labels in neon pink and green, full-adhesive backing but still removable, $2.99. Often I reuse storage boxes and containers for various purposes from year to year, so removable labels are more convenient. These would also come in handy to mark the front of binders and folders when I recycle them.
Post-it Label Roll: 1" X 700", neon green full-adhesive backing but still removable, $3.14 (clearance price). If the label pads are too short, I can use this to cut the length I need.
Post-it Note Tabs: 20 2-3/4" X 3-3/8" tabbed notes with removable adhesive, $2.69. These are extremely cool. Not only are they tabbed but they have a small lined section for notes. If you hate marking up books, manuscripts or other paper documents during editing these would give you some writing space and mark the page you need to return to (I'm going to use mine for galley corrections; will eliminate the need to make two piles of pages.)
And finally, not Post-it brand, but still neat:
Mead Pagemarker Clips: 24 two-sided paper tab-backed clips, $1.98 (clearance priced). I thought these were a clever spin on the bookmark, as you can write a word or two on both sides and then they'll work as tabs or tabbed dividers without having to put in a whole tab page. Good for marking passages in research books for easy future reference.
All found at Target, which often has much in the way of Post-it coolness.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Baggage
After reading this Stylist.com article on cleaning out and organizing your purse, I was shocked by how heavy the purses in the slide show were. On average, the editors who contributed photos of their baggage and its contents were lugging around over six pounds of stuff. No way could I do that.
Then I thought, just what am I lugging around, and how much does it weigh? Since I own only one purse (an ordinary black shoulder bag I bought about a year ago, when the only purse I owned at the time, a seven-year-old ordinary black shoulder bag, finally blew out a side panel) I thought I'd empty it out and inspect what I can't live without on a daily basis:
Camera in case -- I have learned to carry it with me everywhere or I miss the best shots.
Wallet -- actually a clutch; the only thing large enough to accommodate all my fake IDs.
Keys -- to three vehicles, four houses, two lock boxes, a friend's Harley (don't ask), a couple of ICBM remote launch consoles and the Bat Cave's emergency entrance.
Scissors -- because I can't use the annoyingly tiny ones in the sewing kit.
Sunglasses in Case -- prescription; gotta wear them whenever I step foot outside.
Sewing Kit -- for hemline, seam line, suture and quilt emergencies. Also I think the little zebra purse design is cute.
Flash Drive -- in case someone breaks into my house and steals the computer and all my backups while I'm shopping. It could happen.
Mobile Phone in case -- disposable drug-dealer pay-as-you-go phone, costs me a hundred bucks a year, only makes phone calls, and pisses off everyone who pays a hundred bucks a month for their hi-tech toy phones.
Checkbook -- in case the credit card machine fails. Also has the pen I carry tucked in the cover.
Small bottle of lotion -- for my hands; they get chapped in the winter.
Tissues -- so I don't have to use my sleeve and because I won't carry a cloth hankie like my Mom.
Wet wipes -- something I constantly use for like a million purposes; I've even used them to clean dead bugs off a windshield when the wiper fluid ran out. I'd carry a box of them if I could fit it in my purse.
Beauty-engraved rock -- to remind me what to look for while I'm out and about.
Chapstick -- the only thing I put on my face besides glasses
Missing: the paperback book I was carrying, which I lent to a friend today, so I need a new one.
I put all the stuff back in my purse and weighed it, expecting it only to be a couple of pounds, and was shocked to see that it came in at 4.7 lbs. Since I always carry around a book in my purse, that would take it over 5 pounds. I had no idea it was that heavy. No wonder I walk tilted to the left.
I think my final goal for 2011 is going to be reducing the amount of junk I carry in my purse by half. Won't be easy, but it will probably help get rid of some of the neck and back pain I get after shopping expeditions.
Ladies, what do you carry around in your purse that you can't live without? Have you ever weighed your purse, and if not, how much baggage do you think you're carrying around? Let us know in comments.
Then I thought, just what am I lugging around, and how much does it weigh? Since I own only one purse (an ordinary black shoulder bag I bought about a year ago, when the only purse I owned at the time, a seven-year-old ordinary black shoulder bag, finally blew out a side panel) I thought I'd empty it out and inspect what I can't live without on a daily basis:
Camera in case -- I have learned to carry it with me everywhere or I miss the best shots.
Wallet -- actually a clutch; the only thing large enough to accommodate all my fake IDs.
Keys -- to three vehicles, four houses, two lock boxes, a friend's Harley (don't ask), a couple of ICBM remote launch consoles and the Bat Cave's emergency entrance.
Scissors -- because I can't use the annoyingly tiny ones in the sewing kit.
Sunglasses in Case -- prescription; gotta wear them whenever I step foot outside.
Sewing Kit -- for hemline, seam line, suture and quilt emergencies. Also I think the little zebra purse design is cute.
Flash Drive -- in case someone breaks into my house and steals the computer and all my backups while I'm shopping. It could happen.
Mobile Phone in case -- disposable drug-dealer pay-as-you-go phone, costs me a hundred bucks a year, only makes phone calls, and pisses off everyone who pays a hundred bucks a month for their hi-tech toy phones.
Checkbook -- in case the credit card machine fails. Also has the pen I carry tucked in the cover.
Small bottle of lotion -- for my hands; they get chapped in the winter.
Tissues -- so I don't have to use my sleeve and because I won't carry a cloth hankie like my Mom.
Wet wipes -- something I constantly use for like a million purposes; I've even used them to clean dead bugs off a windshield when the wiper fluid ran out. I'd carry a box of them if I could fit it in my purse.
Beauty-engraved rock -- to remind me what to look for while I'm out and about.
Chapstick -- the only thing I put on my face besides glasses
Missing: the paperback book I was carrying, which I lent to a friend today, so I need a new one.
I put all the stuff back in my purse and weighed it, expecting it only to be a couple of pounds, and was shocked to see that it came in at 4.7 lbs. Since I always carry around a book in my purse, that would take it over 5 pounds. I had no idea it was that heavy. No wonder I walk tilted to the left.
I think my final goal for 2011 is going to be reducing the amount of junk I carry in my purse by half. Won't be easy, but it will probably help get rid of some of the neck and back pain I get after shopping expeditions.
Ladies, what do you carry around in your purse that you can't live without? Have you ever weighed your purse, and if not, how much baggage do you think you're carrying around? Let us know in comments.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Must-Have Kits
I think it's a shame this charming practice fell out of fashion; I'd love to wear some of the tools I use every day in smaller sizes on a chain. I think the vegetable chopper would be a challenge to downsize, though, and I'd probably get a lot of weird looks.
My version of the chatelaine is my must-have kit, which resides in my purse. I was just restocking the other day for the next quilt show I plan to attend. It's a long, flip-lidded tin that usually serves as my quilting kit whenever I travel, and holds whatever essentials I can't live without away from home:
When I'm being a writer, I stock it with a pen, notepad, hair pick (crowded shows get hot and stuffy, and sometimes I'll put up my hair to feel a little cooler) various paperclips and other bits. When I buy a particular fabric from a vendor I like to paperclip their business card to the piece so I can add them and a snip of the fabric to my source book, in case I want more fabric.
This year I actually have my own business cards, so I added a few of those. I'm not planning to toss them around like confetti, but I think they'll come in handy when I get that blank stare from someone who asks, "Who are you again?" or I need to give someone my phone number (which I'll jot down on the back.) I'll probably add a little bottle of hand sanitizer (I like people well enough, but it's always the sick ones who insist on touching me) and a couple sticks of gum. Having everything in one place is convenient and saves time, especially when you're in a hectic situation.
Making up your own must-have kit is easy; about the toughest part is finding the right-size container to hold all your ephemera. If you can't find one that works and you're handy with a needle or crafts, you can always make one (I've recycled old tins and made up my own kit holders from scratch.) Remember to check TSA's prohibited items list if you're planning to take your kit on a plane so you don't bring anything that will be confiscated at the airport (scissors are now a big no-no.) You can also make up must-have kits for writer friends as gifts; they make great bon-voyage presents if your pal is planning to attend a conference.
Related links:
Wikihow.com's Make a Travel-Size Craft Kit
Naomi Szeben's article How to Make Your Own Desk Drawer Emergency Kit has some great ideas on kits you can make up for life's various emergencies.
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