Link Love: Say Hello to Dave

This morning, this delightful calendar popped up in my email.

Dave is the shop cat at my “local pen shop” Wonder Fair. Dave is Ollie’s doppelgänger so if you were hoping for an Ollie Calendar this year, this is as close as it gets. That image in the bottom center? Ollie sleeps just like that, paws curled in. Every time I see the images I do a double take because the similarity is strong. Ollie has more of a white beard but otherwise… twinkies.

If you’re fascinated by doppelgängers, there’s a link in “other interesting things” about human doppelgängers called “Identical Strangers”.

Keeping this week’s Link Love a little freeform, here’s a cool video:

As if we all needed any of reason to want a new Aurora pen, this lovely “How it’s made” video from Appelboom was recorded from inside the Aurora factory from design to packaging.

Pens:

• Fountain Pens vs Technical Pens for Drawing (via Parka Blogs)
• Review: M205 Moonstone (2020) (via The Pelikan’s Perch)
• Fun with Gel Pens (via Left Hook Pens)
• REVIEW: EBOYA HOUGA FOUNTAIN PEN (via The Pencilcase Blog)
• Vintage Inspired Fountain Pens: 2020 Holiday Pen Gift Guide (via Pen Chalet)
• TWSBI Diamond 580 Rose Gold II Fountain Pen – A Workhorse Piston-Filler! (via Gourmet Pens)
• Workhorse Pens: Pelikan M800 Stone Garden (via The Gentleman Stationer)

Ink:

• Sailor Ink Studio 280 (via Mountain of Ink)
• Diamine Pink Champagne (via Mountain of Ink)
• Sailor Manyo Yomogi (via Mountain of Ink)
• Tono & Lims Chigyoraku (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist)
• Lamy Blue-Black (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist)
• Tono & Lims Wings of The Sea (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist)

Pencils:

• Dux Adjustable and Single Brass Pencil Sharpener Review (via The Pen Addict)
• In praise of the pencil (via Bleistift)
• The comfort of a pencil (via Austin Kleon)

Notebooks & Paper:

• Snowy Evening (via Fueled by Clouds & Coffee)
• 25 Artistic Calendars and Planners for 2021 That You Can Buy on Etsy (via  My Modern Met)
• The Best Pens and Accessories for the Hobonichi Techo (via JetPens Blog )
• Stationery as self-care (via Cult Pens)
• TRAVELER’S TIMES vol. 15 (via TRAVELER’S COMPANY USA)
• Kokuyo ME Notebook: A Review (via The Pen Addict)
• Around the Desk with BaronFig (via The Poor Penman)
• Bullet Journal Notebook: Edition 2 (via Rediscover Analog)
• An Abundance of Good Paper: Write Notepads Memo Pads (via The Gentleman Stationer)
• How to make a printable with PicMonkey (Step by step tutorial including video) (via All About Planners)

Art & Creativity:

• Let’s Iterate (via Apple-Pine)
• My Rainy-Day Sketch Kit (via Fueled by Clouds & Coffee)
• Drawing to remember (via Austin Kleon)
• How creatives are using Patreon to build and support the communities they serve (via It’s Nice That)
• Want to know the difference between graphic design and visual design? (via Creative Boom)
• Embers Hat (via Tin Can Knits)
• A View From the Easel During Times of Quarantine (via Hyperallergic)
• Pantone reveals two colours of the year for 2021 to represent “union” (via It’s Nice That)
• State of the Art: Photo a Day (via Comfortable Shoes Studio)

Other Interesting Things:

• Ditching work to do your job (via Austin Kleon)
• 10 Whimsical Star Wars Gifts That Are Out of This World (via My Modern Met)
• London walking (via Alphabettes)
• Monolith-mania Continues as Artists Come Forward to Claim Credit for Sculptures (via Hyperallergic)
• An ‘absurdly joyful’ zine by Jack Snelling reminds us of our favourite summer munchies (via Creative Boom)
• The Best Book Cover Designs of 2020 (via Kottke.org)
• Identical Strangers (via Kottke.org)
• Detailed Analysis of the Doctor Who Theme Music (via Kottke.org)
• Get Ready for the Busiest Mailing and Shipping Week (via USPS Newsroom)
• Review: Midori Caliper (via Comfortable Shoes Studio)
• Diana Wynne Jones’ “Howl’s Moving Castle” Illustrated Edition by The Folio Society (via Tools and Toys)

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