If you don't lust after this, you're probably dead.

I really love finding new stationery ranges and Twitter has been an invaluable resource in my eternal quest for stationery nirvana. And this could be it. I've already mentioned my love of quadrille and this paper from Doane combines grid + lines  ONTO THE SAME SHEET! I can't really give this a proper review, given that it's not yet available in the UK and the shipping costs from the US are proving prohibitive. However, a little bird (I mean Twitter again) told me Doane Paper is already on the radar of @thepaperie, a Cheshire-based stockist, and that if we lobby hard enough, they might consider importing the range. Talk to them here http://www.thepaperie.co.uk/customer-care/contact-us  if you're interested.

Im really hoping they do because I am dying to get my hands on this: the Daily Arsenal Kit.

http://doanepaper.bigcartel.com/product/the-daily-arsenal-kit
In their own words, the Daily Arsenal Kit includes every single stationery product of the Doane Paper grid + lines movement. From the rugged Idea Journal to the industrious Writing Pad you'll be covered for whatever awaits you. The kit gives you a 20% discount over buying the goods individually, plus if you live in the U.S.A. you'll also receive free shipping.
Kit Contents:
Quantity 3 - Large Writing Pad
Quantity 3 - Small Writing Pad
Quantity 3 - Flap Jotter
Quantity 3 - Utility Notebook Black
Quantity 1 - Utility Notebook TL Series
Quantity 1 - Large Idea Journal
Quantity 1 - Small Idea Journal
Quantity 3 - Sharpie Fine Point Pen Black
Quantity 3 - Zebra No. 2 Pencil Black

I'm really liking the look of the sturdy writing pads. Oh, the lists I could write, the geometric doodles I could create....

Rhodia stationery makes me want to be a better person.

This week I have been drooling incontinently over my new Rhodia Essential box. In essence, it's a cardboard box full of paper and a couple of pencils but what it really represents is something far more valuable. For me, it's a symbol of my attempt to impose order in a life of chaos. I know for some people stationery and its associate, storage, are means by which they maintain a structured and carefully regimented life; however, for me this is most definitely aspirational stuff and is something that l'Essentiel (it is actually French - I'm not *just* being pretentious) has in spades.

The French make some pretty fine school stationery and I love the Rhodia cahiers anyway - really good quality high grade vellum paper and writing on 5x5 quadrille has certain je ne sais quoi (OK, I'll stop now) that makes me want to get out a fountain pen and start writing my 1s with fancy flourishes.

But, ultimately,  it's the box that makes l'Essentiel so irresitible. Closed, it look like a big, fat, satisfying pad of A5 but it's a trompe l'oeil (I can't help it!) which hides a No.16, a No.8 and two No.11 pads, plus two Rhodia pencils. People, this is a box! With stationery in it! Really good stationery! And it costs less than a tenner. But, more than this, it makes you feel really, REALLY organised.

 


(Just one word of warning: BureauDirect http://www.bureaudirect.co.uk/ wrapped this really carefully in reams of bubble wrap but one corner of the box still got bashed about a bit in transit.)

Little Bird Press

One of my very first followers on Twitter was the gorgeous @littlebirdpress. Now, I might well be biased, given that a) they're based in my home town of Huddersfield, and b) they sent me some free samples to review, but have a look at their website http://www.thelittlebirdpress.co.uk/ at some of their wedding stationery and greetings cards. I know it's twee and girly but I particularly liked the Retro Spot (pictured above) for its Kidstonesque vintage feel without the associated price tag.

These products will change your life.

I love receiving stationery in the post and today has been no exception. Gliding through my letterbox today were these effortlessly stylish notebooks by Pantone - the tomato-red 186C and pea-green 363C:

http://www.johnlewis.com/230874363/Product.aspx
http://www.johnlewis.com/230874364/Product.aspx

For the uninitiated, according to its UK website, Pantone, Inc. 'is the world-renowned authority on colour and provider of colour systems' and they have translated this passion for bold and vibrant colour into some pretty gorgeous stationery. I first came across Pantone's notebooks in a WH Smith store at Birmingham New Street station but it seems that they no longer stock the range of wire-ringed notebook and memo pads you can see below:
http://www.pantone.com/pages/products/product.aspx?pid=377&ca=33 

Browsing online for UK stockists, I was disappointed to see how few places sell Pantone stationery in any form. John Lewis, though,  has pulled it out of the bag. These hardbacked lovelies are reminiscent of the Moleskine notebooks that I'm sure you're already familiar with and, like Moleskines, have a memo pocket at the back, attached to the inner sleeve.
The problem with stationery is that it's sometimes too gorgeous to even consider sullying with a pen. There's something curiously satisfying about these books; they feel sturdy and resolutely functional but at the same time sleek and sexy.
That the stationery range is on sale at The Terence Conran and Museum of Modern Art shops gives the biggest clue of all as to the design credentials. The creative brains behind the range are Whitbread Wilkinson. I've just been on their website (http://www.w2products.com/) and I think I need a lie down. See for yourselves - I might need a new post just for the luggage tags...

My kind of girl.....

http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=346311

Welcome to Stationery Blogger

Hi and welcome to my new blog.

I've been a closet stationery fan for a long time, feeding my solitary obsession by spending hours lurking in the hallowed halls of Paperchase and fondling the pages of notebooks in sensory appreciation of paper quality. Having recently been outed by a friend, I was astonished to find other like-minded people who felt that a love of stationery was something of which one should feel ashamed.

But no more! For this is a call to arms to all stationery obsessives. I'm starting this blog to review stationery products on the market and generally share the love. I'm always open to recommendations so please feel free to suggest products for review or even stationers you admire.

Watch this space.....