Today’s Link Love is being written from my basement while the tornado sirens are shrieking above me. The likelihood of a tornado hitting us is probably (hopefully) pretty slim but, boy, does it make me think about how fragile our world is.
I didn’t “go-bag” my pens or ink or even my journal when I ran down here. I grabbed my phone, my laptop and the cats. Oh, and my cup of coffee, of course. I am reflecting on my lack of planning as I would be very sad if I lost my journal and many of my pens but I’d be devasted to lose all the products in my shop all stored in my studio. But I supposed if my house blew away, I’d have way bigger problems to worry about.
I know that wherever you are when you’re reading this, there is some severe weather that you fear from personal experience. I hope that you are safe and comfortable wherever you are and that the sun is shining or the stars are twinkling. Stay safe, have a plan for severe weather and remember that you and your family are more important than pens but you might want to pack one or two, just in case.
(Oh, side note: If I don’t get blown away, I’ll be in the Raleigh-Durham area for the Triangle Pen Show this weekend. Come see me at the Dromgoole’s table where I will be slinging ink and notebooks. Please come and say hi!)
Pens:
- Montblanc 146 Bespoke Calligraphy Left Oblique Fountain Pen Review (via BLAKE’S BROADCAST)
- The Hooligan Pen Experience (via The Pen Addict)
- Fountain Pen Rotation: What’s in Your Cup this Month? (via Fountain Pen Chronicles and More)
- Leonardo Momento Zero Grande 2.0 Guilloche Fountain Pen Review (via The Pen Addict)
- The LAMY 2000: A Comprehensive Guide (via JetPens)
Ink:
- June’s Currently Inked Fountain Pens (via Writing at Large)
- Ink Swatch Wednesday: Sailor Shikiori Yuki-usagi (via CJs Wunderkammer)
- A Platinum Century Meets A Couple of Inks (via An Inkophile’s Blog)
- ink review : Wearingeul Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland) (via inkxplorations)
- Pilot Iroshizuku To-ro (via Inkcredible Colours)
Pencils:
- Ask TGS: What’s The Best Paper for Pencils? (via The Gentleman Stationer)
- Eversharp: Cornerstone of an Industry – trailer (via The Leadhead’s Pencil Blog)
Notebooks & Paper:
- 5 Ways to Use the Archer and Olive Kit Club (via Archer and Olive)
- Guide to Changing Organiser Sizes (via Philofaxy)
- Five Reasons I Prefer Undated Planners and Calendars (via The Gentleman Stationer)
- Lessons Learned from my New Ink Book (via Dime Novel Raven)
Art & Creativity:
- Why you should keep a junk journal (and this is how you do it) (via Flow Magazine)
- On My Table: Beginning of June 2025. (via Apple-Pine)
- Urban sketcher Len Grant (via Parka Blogs)
Other Interesting Things:
- A Gentle Journey from Pixels to Paper // Jenny (via Baum-kuchen)
I might need a new pair of ruby slippers to get me out of Kansas (or more specifically in case I get blown into Kansas) so consider joining our Patreon. You will get an exclusive podcast, free printables, and more. Your support keeps us in “no place like pens and home”. Thank you!
Yikes! Hope you (and all your stuff) stay safe! Tornadoes and floods are my nightmare scenarios…
Goodness! Let us know when you are out of danger.
Cloudy today but we survived yesterday’s weather. Thanks for checking in!
Over here in Emporia, we didn’t get the spinny windy, but just torrential rains. Lots of basement water and the rivers are VERY HIGH. Glad you and the cats stayed put!
I hope it dries out quickly! Ugh! Spring weather in the midwest is always a gamble.
I checked out the junk journal link (because junk! journals!) but I still have no idea what one is. Is it for real?
I think the term “junk” is a little misleading. Many people use “junk journals” to collect and save paper ephemera. Old books, receipts, postage stamps, bits of wrapping paper, etc. So, if you are someone who saves bits of paper, envelopes, old books or other things you just can’t bring yourself to throw away, then you might want to start curating and saving them into a “junk journal”. These typs of journals lean into a desire to collage and save tidbits. If that’s not something you already do, then junk journaling might not be for you.
Gotcha–thanks!
Glad you are safe. Severe weather is no joke and it’s quite unsettling. Hail and wildfire certainly have me on edge from time to time. Any time a dry wind kicks up I go on the alert.