I’ve been back from the San Francisco Pen Show for one day and I am definitely fatigued from the journey. Three long days of selling and teaching with full days of travel on each leave me feeling absolutely frazzled.
The experience of the show, though, teaching several classes and seminars, working at the Vanness Pen Shop table, seeing old friends and making new friends, was unforgettable. Yes, the show was often crowded and many vendors sold out of merchandise before the weekend was over but everyone was kind, friendly and excited to be surrounded with other people who loved pens and ink and stationery as much as they do.
I’m hoping that more shows start adding more classes, seminars and workshops. I think the future of pen shows will be because the events become about more than just purchasing products but about learning new ways to use them and work with them. Experiences beyond shopping are what will make pen shows even better.
Now for the links:
Pens:
- Pen Show Nibs Overviews (via Rachel’s Reflections)
- Displaying My Pens (via Rachel’s Reflections)
Ink:
- Shokido Venezia (via Inkcredible Colours)
- Ink Review #826: Color Traveler Pastel Pink (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist)
- My 8 Favourite Fountain Pen Inks (via Inky Imaginings)
Pencils:
- Caran d’Ache Claim Your Style Bicolors (via Fueled by Clouds & Coffee)
- New Blackwing Colors (Review of “Sand” Eraser) (via Fueled by Clouds & Coffee)
Notebooks & Paper:
- The Guilt of Missing Days (via Bullet Journal)
- Three ways to transform your life (via Bullet Journal)
- How “to do” cards (might) work for me… (via Nero’s Notes)
- TRAVELER’S notebook 2025 DIARY – LOVE AND TRIP (via TRAVELER’S COMPANY USA)
- Leuchtturm1917 Notebooks: A Comprehensive Guide (via JetPens Blog)
- The limited edition 2024 XOXO Field Notes are available to t… (via Kottke.org)
- Stationery Intentions (via Dime Novel Raven)
- How I Use My Notebooks: Gym Journal (via Writing at Large)
- Printing Inserts in 2024 and beyond…’ (via Philofaxy)
- On Keeping a Notebook by Joan Didion (via The Cramped)
- Filofax Fountain-pen Frustration (via Notebook Stories)
Art & Creativity:
- Catching Up with Calendar Drawings, Part 2 // A.C. (via Baum-kuchen)
- The National Arts Club Presents “Jazz Greats” (via Hyperallergic)
- Designer and illustrator Julia Wand on her love of nature and why sketching is crucial (via Creative Boom)
- Sketching while waiting (via Apple-Pine)
- Gouache outing that needed a follow-up (via Apple-Pine)
- GUEST ARTIST: “Taking The Overwhelm Out of Making Art” by Garima Srivastava (via Doodlewash)
Other Interesting Things:
- Airbnb Unveils a Life-Sized 90’s Inspired Polly Pocket Home (via My Modern Met)
- Disney has cancelled The Acolyte after one season. Such a hi… (via Kottke.org)
- Vintage Vehicles Used to Advertise Life Savers Lollies During the 1920s and 1930s (via Design You Trust)
- What is Election Mail and its History in the US? (via National Postal Museum)
- Mr. Eggplants — A New Brand from Taiwan (via Wonder Pens)
- Ren Faire Pen Faire (via The Pen Addict)
- A Clever Way to Store Stickers (via An Inkophile’s Blog)
- A Year of Curiosities (via A Gathering of Curiosities)
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