Let’s go outside the box on this one. If we were to give you 50 of any one Rhodia paper product, which would you choose and what would you do with them? One rule: you can’t keep any of them for yourself.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Image courtesy of Bgigliot on Instagram

I love to discover new and interesting magazines, and I’d never heard of “The Gentlewoman” until I came across this image on Instagram. “The Gentlewoman is a fabulous publication for modern women of style and purpose. It offers a fresh and intelligent perspective on fashion that is focused on personal style – the way women actually look, think and dress. Featuring ambitious journalism and photography of the highest quality, The Gentlewoman celebrates inspirational women through the distinctive combination of glamour, personality and warmth in its collectable biannual magazine.” 

There was a time when I probably had a dozen magazines coming to the house each month, but now I only subscribe to one: Elle Decor because I love cutting it apart and using the images in my Inspiration Journal and also for creating Vision Boards. Occasionally I will splurge at the bookstore and grab things like Yoga Journal, Writer’s Digest, Art News…

What are your favorite magazines? Do you read any via an e-reader? I also read MacWorld on my iPad via my local library and the Zinio app.

Image courtesy of Annemarie Arends – follow annemariearends on Instagram

Are you familiar with the concept of “Morning Pages” from Julia Cameron’s popular book The Artist’s Way?

From Julia’s website: “Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. *There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages*– they are not high art. They are not even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page…and then do three more pages tomorrow.”

DOING “MORNING PAGES” FROM “THE ARTIST’S WAY” LED ME TO GET DIVORCED, LOSE 40 POUNDS AND REVITALIZE MY CAREER at xoJane

Morning Pages – The Artist’s Way at Healthy Crush

5 Reasons Why You Should Start Writing Morning Pages – Right Now! at Tumble Design

Basic Tool: Morning Pages from Julia Cameron on Vimeo.

Image above courtesy of vindicarblack on Instagram.

Hannah W. recently sent us an e-mail asking if we were aware of any good quality sticky notes – she was hoping that there might have been a Rhodia option that she’d somehow overlooked but unfortunately, we do not currently sell any Rhodia Post-It style stickies.

Do you have anything you can suggest or any comments on her question? I’ve always found most sticky notes to not be very ink friendly – and I’m wondering if it has something to do with the glue…

I’ve been finding lots of pictures of your Rhodiarama Webbies on Instagram.  People seem to be really enjoying showing off their favorite colors. Have you picked a favorite yet? I’m partial to purple and red myself.

The Rhodiarama Webbies are currently only available in the 3×5″ size, but what if these were available in the larger 5×8″ version? Would you buy matching or complementary colors?

Image on top courtesy of Delectablepens on Instagram

The National Stationery Show® held at the Javits Center in NYC, is the world’s most comprehensive collection of social stationery and related products for gift giving and self-expression. The show is open to retailers and wholesalers and if you are are going, be sure to stop by Booth # 2637 to check out a few new Clairefontaine and Rhodia products that we are thinking of importing. As always, we welcome and appreciate your feedback!

While at the show, we will be doing some live Tweeting and also sharing photos and Vine clips on our @Exaclair Twitter account. Karen Doherty (our VP of Marketing) will be at the show on Sunday, May 19 from 9-3 pm and Tuesday May 21st from 9-11:30am if you’d like to meet her, but please feel free to stop by the booth any time the show is open.

More good news: Pen World is publishing an article on Exaclair’s stationery.  The edition should be distributed at the show.

The show hours are Sunday-Tuesday, 5/19-5/21 9:00am – 6:00pm and Wednesday, 5/22 9:00am – 12:00pm

This is one of the new 8×11″ Large Quo Vadis Habana Notebooks and to tell you the truth, I can’t decide how to use it. For journaling, I typically prefer something in the 5×8″ range or smaller – like the 4×6″ Habana. Are you familiar with the concept of a vision board? I’m thinking about using this as a “Vision Book”

How would you use this book?

The first steel nibbed pens are historically noted as having been produced in 1803 but they may have been in use as early as 1725. Unlike a fountain pen, dip pens have no ink reservoir which means that they must be charged by continuously dipping the nibs in ink. Per Wiki: “Some illustrators and cartoonists (who are the main current users of such pens) are more likely to charge the pen with an eyedropper or a syringe, which gives them more control over the amount of ink applied.”

Did you know that Exaclair is the American distributor of Brause nibs? Brause manufactures steel nibs for writing, drawing and decorating. Since 1850, Brause has been crafting a complete set of nibs considered to be one of the best on the market by calligraphers. With over 100 years of manufacturing experience, Brause is one of the rare companies to guarantee an essential quality for its nibs: a subtle balance between relative elasticity for easier writing, and necessary resistance for clear strokes.

Top nib image courtesy of bakanekosan on Instagram.

Antique ink bottles such as this one belonging to Ryan Roossinck are simply beautiful. Take a look at the many different colors, styles and designs of vintage ink bottles at the various links below.

Household Bottles (non-food related)

Antique Bottles: Inks

Pendemonium Vintage Inks and Ink Bottles

Antique Ink Bottles at Collector’s Weekly

1001 Ink Bottles

Antique Ink Bottles

The Blue Ink Bottle (A gift from Karen)

Did you know that Rhodia makes pad holders for a variety of our top stapled notepads? Available in orange and black lightly grained imitation leather with an embossed Rhodia logo, the covers are flexible and smooth. They include an inner pocket for notes, business cards, or receipts. Each holder comes with a pad. Rhodia pad holders are available in the following sizes:

• N° 08 – 3 x 8 ¼” (Long Skinny)
• N° 11 – 3 x 4″
• N° 12 – 3 ⅜ x 4 ¾”
• N° 13 – 4 x 6″
• N° 14 – 4 ⅜ x 6 ⅜”
• N° 16 (w/ Pen holder) 6 x 8 ¼”
• N° 18 – 8 ¼ x 11 ¾”
• N° 21 (Le Carre) – 8 ¼ x 8 ¼”

Rhodia also offers a special “R” Premium Pad Gift Set which includes a No. 16 (6 x 8 ¼”) R pad and a Rhodia pencil.

Augusten Burroughs (Best selling author of Running With Scissors) motivates me to write without fear. Life coach Tony Robbins motivates me to make changes in my life so I can continue to grow and achieve my goals. People like Oprah Winfrey that exhibit an infectious energy in connection with their passion help me to believe that anything is possible. Books that focus on the law of attraction such as “The Secret” have opened me to infinite possibility, and  self -help books like “The War of Art” have taught me to recognize and successfully battle resistance.

Who or what motivates and inspires you? 

Tony Robbins TED Talk from 2006 is below and if you haven’t already explored all of the inspiring and engaging content available on TED.com, I highly recommend it.

Writing has been my therapy. A place to say the things I wouldn’t normally say out loud or that I need to say when no one is available to listen. I used to go back and read through older books whenever I’d start a new one, but I don’t really do that any more – which leads me to the question of why I’m still keeping them.

What do you do with your notebooks when you’ve finished one – do you keep them? Read back through them? Toss them?

Image courtesy of Myriam Thibault – follow myriamthibault on Instagram.

Virginia Abbott is a nationally recognized sculptor whose current work addresses variety of environmental issues. She is a member of the prestigious National Sculpture Society and she is a fellow resident artist at The Banana Factory, an arts and education center located in Bethlehem, PA.

I’ve watched her clay sculptures come to life as she adds a bit of clay here, and a bit of clay there, and then I stand in awe at seeing the final result cast in bronze. I’ve seen her create amazing miniature brass and silver statues via the lost wax method – carving the detail into a hard block of wax with the end of an old dental tool that has been heated with an alcohol lamp. Her most whimsical sculptural creations are created with cast paper made entirely from post consumer pulp, which is pressed into molds from her original designs.

I gave Virginia some of our Decopatch paper to play with. (Exaclair distributes Decopatch in the US) Decopatch decorative papers are made in France and are  especially created for the art of decoupage – a form of collage which covers an object with colorful torn papers.

These are simple cardboard boxes which she covered with Decopatch paper (using Elmer’s glue as an adhesive) and then embellished with some of her cast paper creations, colorful ribbons, and beads.

Virginia commented that she was pleasantly surprised at how well the paper handled. Since it’s very thin, she thought it would crinkle and curl like wrapping paper but it did not. I think these gift/keepsake boxes are a hit!

A visitor looks at one of Virginia’s mixed media creations.

When you look at her cast paper masks from the inside, the eyes seem to follow you…

The is the inside of a mask.

Another mixed media creation.

Cast paper.

Part of a larger piece.

Painted mask – part of a larger piece.

Another painted mask.

This is an example of a found object sculpture – a class that Virginia teaches at The Banana Factory.

Tools for working with clay.

Making cast paper from paper egg cartons.

Mona Lisa watches the dancing couple.

Another inside-out mask.

How the previous mask was attached. This was part of a collaborative project entitled “WE 2012″.

Cast paper sculpture.

More clay tools.

Another inside out mask.

Virginia with her sculptural Mona Lisa.

All photos taken by Stephanie Smith

Big thanks to all of you who entered our Meeting Book giveaway – extra special thanks to all of you who shared the contest on your own social media sites. And now the winners!

Matt T from Richmond TX
Star from Sebastopol CA
sergei gee
Betsy from Augusta GA
JL Hall
Samuel Robino
Dan G. from Bedminster NJ
Sharon A. from Long Beach CA
David Long
R.S. Robertson
mstraat
Bill S. from Randolph, MA
Mina W
Nick K. from Brookfield IL
Beth P from Lethbridge Canada
Bob from Milwaukee
Aisazia
StephL from Birmingham AL
R. Lovell
Sharon Faulk

These pads are great for To-Do lists and shopping lists.  I always keep one or two in the kitchen utility drawer, or in a holder on the refrigerator.

I never really thought about other uses for this shaped pad until one day we got an email from a restaurant in Idaho. The owner wanted to order 100 to use as servers notepads. What a great idea, and what a perfect pad to take orders!

Any other great ideas out there for the No. 82?

Do you play Scrabble? According to Wiki, over 150 million Scrabble sets have been sold worldwide and can be found in approximately one third of American homes.

Need a little help with your game?

The Quick 10: 10 Words That Will Help You Win at Scrabble at Mental Floss

Best Words in Scrabble at Science of Board Games

20 Words You Should Learn if You Play Scrabble at How Stuff Works

Image courtesy of Mrs. H – follow belleahhhhh on Instagram

Until I started using a fountain pen, I’d always thought that hand cramps were the norm for long writing sessions. Turns out, what I thought was just my heavy handed writing style was probably caused in part by my use of a ballpoint pen. A ballpoint pen relies on gravity to coat the ball with ink. The ball then spins and distributes the ink as the pen is drawn across the paper. Since my preference was always for clear (and dark) writing, I used a great deal of pressure to obtain this result with my stick pen.

My hand cramps disappeared once I started writing with a fountain pen since almost no pressure is necessary for the ink to flow from pen to paper.

Are you heavy handed with your pens?

PS – There is still time to enter our current giveaway for 1 of 20 of the NEW Rhodia Meeting Book 90′s!

Image courtesy of kaniska_canace on Instagram

The all NEW Rhodia Meeting Book 90 – How is it different than our standard Meeting Book? Subtlety ribbed black polypro cover, black spiral binding, 90g ultra smooth white paper. Features found on both versions? 80 sheets/160 pages, Pre-printed two-color pages: Date + Notes +Action, Micro perforated pages for easy and clean removal. Available in two sizes: Compact 6 ½ x 8 ¼” and Large 9 x 11 ¾”

Would you like to try one? We are giving away 20 of the Compact 6 ½ x 8 ¼” NEW Meeting Book 90′s! 

The contest will be remain open until midnight EST on Tuesday 04/30/13. The winners will be chosen at random and announced on the blog on Thursday 05/02. One entry per household please. If you are viewing this post via e-mail or on a mobile device, you may need to visit Rhodia Drive directly to see the entry form.

Help us to get the word out?  Please feel free to Tweet, blog or share this post via Facebook.

But I am also interested in the feedback we receive from Rhodia fans on this blog and our Facebook page.  Your opinion counts.

If you would like to recommend products for Exaclair to import later this year or beginning January 2014, please have a look at the interactive catalog on our French parent’s website: bloc-rhodia.com.  Please let me know what product(s) appeal to you. 

As always, thank you for your time and support.

 ”Thinking about a workplace transformation” Image courtesy of ac3y on Instagram.

I have a large #38 dotPad that I think I will use to design my new garden beds. Have you used a #38′s or any of our dotPads to lay out a new workspace? Any tips to offer?