A few weeks ago I dug into The Correspondent, a novel by Virginia Evans. After all, who doesn’t love a book built around a love of writing and using stationery?
Sybil van Antwerp is a retired court clerk, a lawyer in her own right, and a fierce lover of correspondence. Every morning she sits down and writes to those outside in the world around her, even as she becomes increasingly isolated from that world. Her stationery, fountain pens, and perfect penmanship are her steadfast companions and we learn more of her life, her regrets and triumphs through all her letters.
This book manages to both be incredibly sad, and incredibly uplifting at the same time. These days, most of my contact with my family and friends is through short emails, texts and maybe even just sharing of memes. What would it be like to exchange letters all your life long? I really enjoyed this one and I still find myself thinking about it, even weeks later.
Thanks to Olive Octopus for this great tag to share and learn a bit more about the pen community. If you would like to play along, feel free to leave your answers or a link to your answers in the comments (which work now!).
If you consider the different ways you can engage with pens and stationery—as a user, a collector, a hobbyist, a creator, a maker, a vendor—which roles fit best and what percentage of 100% would you assign to each? Are you happy with the balance?
60% creator
15% vendor
10% collector
25% user
I spend most of my time writing reviews, making products for the shop, recording and editing videos and audio and creating extras for the Patrons. I spend some time packing orders, updating the online shop, and working for other shops as a vendor. So, the smallest amount of time using my stationery products and collecting new or secondhand products.
What is something you want to understand better or develop more informed opinions about?
I never expected to need to know so much about taxes, tariffs and import fees but here we are in 2025. I want to understand how the changes to the US import taxes will affect the stationery industry here and the small makers that are at the heart of it.
In the pen community, what’s something someone has said or done that stuck with you?
Thankfully, many of the folks who took my workshops in SF this year came to tall me that they enjoyed the classes and were enthusiastic, positive and kind. It made me so glad that I crawled out of my cat-filled cave and spent time with real people. Sharing my knowledge with others and learning from others is such a great experience and why I continue to go to pen shows.
There are now 25 hours in a day, a bonus hour is available to use however you like as long as pens or stationery are involved—how do you spend your hour?
I need at least an extra hour in each day to swatch my ink collection and I might have it all swatched before I drift off this mortal coil.
In the pen community yearbook, what would your superlative be? (i.e. “Best ______”, “Most _______” “Most likely to _______”)
I think the picture above speaks for itself.
How do you feel about your handwriting?
My handwriting– good, bad and just weird– all in one single ink review.
I am left-handed and learned to write overhanded so I’m more self-conscious about people seeing me write than I am about my actual handwriting. I have learned to write from below the baseline but it makes my handwriting look different and that bothers me too. But it does sort of give me different styles to use but sometimes they don’t match. So… I’m embarrased to be a full-time pen nerd with crappy, inconsistent handwriting.
What is something you are proud of doing, achieving, or overcoming?
A little over a year ago, I quit my jobby-job and started doing THIS full time. I make stickers, washi tape, original surface design patterns, as well as recording a podcast (and editing it myself!), making the occasional video, writing posts and reviews, attempting to do promotion and social media and petting a lot of cats. I’m proud that I’ve attempted to make a go of being a pen person full-time. Everyday is scary but I keep going.
You’re going on a writing retreat anywhere in the world—where would you go, what would you write, and what would you write with?
I’d prefer to go on a drawing retreat. I’ve always wanted to go to Australia and take one of Jane Davenport’s workshops in Australia. To sit on the beach and drawing and paint mermaids would be fun and inspiring.
What’s a current or favorite creative outlet?
Lately, I’ve been enjoying creative writing through solo RPG games. Just building characters and little stories has been creatively fulfilling and not something I ever imagined I would do.
What’s something that causes you benign envy—the kind of admiration and desire that leads to inspiration or motivation?
The rate at which other creators produce and publish new sticker designs. I feel like the amount of creativity, concentration and organization is next level. Do they have whole teams of creative talent, production managers and printers??!?!?! My goal is to reach that level of production.
What’s a comfort item, material, or color?
My well-worn leather B6 journal cover with a bursting Stalogy is my emotional support notebook. If I add my favorite Sailor pen filled with Monteverde Birthday Cake purple ink… I feel like I can handle anything. I might need an old Platinum Carbon Desk Pen for some drawing too. Just in case.
What would be a dream collaboration, project, or partnership?
I could tell you my dream collaboration but its in process right now so I guess you’ll just have to wait and see! There are dozens of other people and companies I’d like to work with in the future but this one was always at the top of my list. Can you guess what it is?
Please feel free to leave your own answers in the comments below or include a link to your own answers. Can’t wait to see how other pen people respond to the #12PenPersonQuestions.
Its finally cool this morning making me want to drink hot, pumpkin spiced coffee, wear a cozy sweater and light candles. It’s overcast today and I am in full autumn vibes.
It’s taking me a few extra days to get my planner set up, so I thought it was a good time to dig through all the new stickers and washi and dip into that fall, cozy library vibe. I’m feeling all bookish and dark academic and ready to read dusty tomes under a blanket by the light of candles. Are you with me?
Asunder Bazaar is our newest collection in the shop and her washi is both dark academic and vintage fun. Whatever vintage retro aesthetic you embrace, Asunder Bazaar will have something for you.
And because I want everyone to be able to feel like its Autumn (no matter what your weather), from now through Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, receive free shipping for any order over $50. Use the coupon FREESHIP50 to receive the discount. One use per customer, US customers only.
While this post is a little about The SF Pen Show, its mostly about how even the shyest, most introverted, awkward people* can find true, lifetime friends.
The San Francisco Pen Show is probably the show I’ve attended the most and have developed some of my best, closest friendships. Years ago, I needed a room share for the show and found a willing person to share a hotel room with a complete stranger. It turned out, we had more in common than we could have expected. Since that weekend so long ago, we have become even closer friends, chatting at least once a week, sometimes even more. And her friends have become my friends too.
I also get to spend time with other friends who I feel like I have known forever. I don’t remember when or how we met anymore. I’m sure it was at a show but when and where, I can’t remember. Now, we always make plans to go out for dinner at any show we both attend and bring others along with us. Its often the only time I even leave the hotel.
From the back of the seminar with the Japanese (and Daryl from Musubi) Stationery Legends. Was really fun!
I arrived at the show on Wednesday night because I was scheduled to teach a class on Thursday morning. The SF Pen Show has added activities and workshops on Thursday creating the first 4-day pen show. The show floor marketplace is not open on Thursday so Thursday was all about hanging out, seminars and workshops. It has officially become my favorite day of the show. I was able to wake at a reasonable hour, go out for a long walk along the bay with friends and then actually attend a bookbinding workshop hosted by Cheryl Ball (and assisted by her sister). I learned a new binding technique called the Buttonhole Binding with exposed stitches. Such fun. Then I scooted off to the Aloft to teach my Carve Your Own Rubber Stamps which is such a fun workshop.
Some of the participants in the Carve Your Own Rubber Stamps workshop. Photo by @cuttingedgeart
I am an absolutely useless blogger/social media person. I didn’t take another photo of the show until Sunday and mostly because I was shocked at how busy Sunday was at the show. It was as busy as most shows are on Friday.
I taught four workshops and two free seminars plus I helped out at the Vanness Pen Shop booth. I hardly had time to breath, let alone eat lunch or take pictures. But what made it all worthwhile was how lovely and friendly and kind everyone I came into contact with.
I made new friends and got to spend time with those friends that I’ve made over the years. And once again, its the friends that make SF one of my favorite pen shows. Yes, yes, its overcrowded now and like all the pen shows, there are problems that still persist. But the people make it easier to overlook the issues.
Of course, the sheer volume of people and the crowdedness can also be stressful so I am glad to be home now with my cats and my headphones. If you attend a show, be sure to take care of yourself. Take breaks, be sure to eat, and just sit and write or sketch. It’s why we love pens.
As I left the hotel on Monday morning, I discovered that I had lost my most beloved handknit rainbow shawl. I left information with hotel (including the photo above) but I think its gone for good. If anyone happens to find it, I would be so happy to be reunited with it.
(*for the record, the introverted, awkward person mentioned above is me.)
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This week is the exciting start to “planner season” but many retailers’ shipments of Hobonichi got trapped in customs so we will all have delayed enjoyment. Luckily, we don’t need out new books until January so we can wait.
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Yesterday was Hobonichi day! And, while I don’t partake, the final third of the year has encouraged me to take stock of where I am planning and journal-wise and where I want to go. Let’s review what I’m using and what I love.
For weekly and daily work planning:
I have to say it: I love my Effin’ Birds planners. While the humor may not appeal to some (I get you, I really do), the format is what works best for me. I’ve got my month-at-a-glance up front, and then my weekly days along with a new Monday pick-me-up illustration each week. The paper is excellent and fountain pen friendly, and the price is extremely reasonably (I got a 2026 version for $16.73 at Bookshop.org)
For work meeting notes:
I’m still chugging along on my Odyssey A5 Cosmo Air Light notebook that I bought when I started my job over two and a half years ago. The dot grid is perfect for me – light enough not to distract from my notes, but enough of a guide that I don’t write all over the place. The paper is fountain pen friendly and I’m only 70 pages in (with 230 more to go – it started as a 300 numbered page book!)
For journaling:
I can’t say enough how much I love my Notebook Therapy Tsuki Bullet Journal. The pages are thick enough to withstand lots of ephemera and writing in fountain pens, and the book itself is beautiful. I have this idea that one day I’ll have a bookshelf lined with journals. And, as much as I love this one, it’s the one I seem to struggle to use sometimes. Sure I’m collecting notecards and things I’ve received in the mail, but two weeks go by with no entries sometimes. I want to record more, and more artistically in form (I love looking at Ana’s notebooks), but that just doesn’t appear to be my style. I will likely finish out the book’s pages this year, as a record of 2024 and 2025 combined, so I need to order another one to start 2026.
So those are my plans for 2026 sorted. What are yours?
