Alpha Betty’s Perfect Pencil Case
Ooh, the sound of a brand spanking new school bag being zipped open. The pop of a new pencil tin lid. The heady aroma of rubber and rainbow-coloured highlighter pens. It’s time for the stationery fetishists of the world to unite and herald the ‘new term’ in style…
As summer seeps swiftly into September’s ‘back to school’ season once again, some may mourn the end of the holidays, but not me. I was always perversely excited to be reunited with my satchel and blazer. Not only because I’ve obviously always been a total geek, but because September means shiny stationery shopping!
Even if you’ve long since been free from long division and spelling tests, why not treat yourself to some covetable writing and office desk supplies that everyone will want to ‘borrow’?
Here’s my top ten stationery wish list for Autumn 2011:
Little Red Riding Hood pouch, Wild & Wolf, £6.95
1) The Perfect Pencil Case
Hide away all your favourite new pens and pencils inside a favourite old Ladybird design. Wild & Wolf (what a name) have a whole range of products featuring children’s vintage classics, as well as contemporary designers such as Rob Ryan and Celia Birtwell. Except now I also want the matching flask, notebook and lunchbox…
‘Dixi’ Red leather folder and writing pad, around £40
2) Dixi Chic
These Swedes sure know how to do stylish stationery. If you’ve not already discovered Ordning & Reda’s UK outposts, you’re in for a treat. Yes, it’s a bit pricey but see it as ‘investment’ stationery. After all, one woman’s writing folder is another woman’s designer handbag…
Neon Geo Hole Punch, Paperchase, £4.50
3) The Holy Grail of Hole Punches
Modular graphic print and an impressive 10-sheet punching capacity. Who could resist? Top tip: the punched out paper circles make perfect confetti for when you decide that spontaneously staging a fake wedding for your colleagues or pets is the only antidote to that office boredom or writer’s block.
Cake eraser, Eraser Crazy, $1 plus posting and packaging
4) Eraser Crazy
Japanese collectors takes things to a whole new level of stationery appreciation. Crazy erasers indeed can be found on this online rubber lovin’ community and shop; from scented ones, to neon hamsters, unicorns, macaroons and even pizza and fries. Wonderfully whimsical.
Coccoina glue stick, Torquato, £1.80
5) Pritt-stick Can Stick It!
Ideal for zine making, Coccoina is not only far superior in its name to the market leading glue stick but also eco-friendly credentials. Made from potato starch and almond oil, its been boasting non-toxic, solvent-free credentials since 1927. And it smells of marzipan. Super sweet and safe glue sniffing guaranteed.
Exercise book, Paper Nation, from £1.50
6) Old School Exercise
Old school style exercise books are perfect for to-read-lists or jotting down poems and ideas in, as well as sums and homework. With so many cute cover designs, you’ll want to stock up on a few of these bargainous books.
Illustration pens, Muji, £2.50
7) Mighty Pens
Get a full set of these, in every colour, arrange them on your desk in rainbow order and get ready to scribble away til your heart’s content. Magically both water based and resistant, these will write and draw on pretty much anything- from blackboards to skin (I use them for drawing temporary tattoos) to doodling “I Heart Kreayshawn” in bold bright colour on your exercise books.
J-Me Tape Dispenser, Amazon, £11.60
8 ) Indispensable Tape Dispenser
Red + retro x pun = must make space on my desk for this right away
Engrave Your Book, from $49, prices available on request
9) Lusty Leather Alert
This website should come with a warning, so be prepared for some serious paper-based palpitations, my book-loving friends. As if Moleskine notebooks weren’t already covetable enough, you can now swaddle them in buttery leather covers, handmade in Portland.
Featuring stunning original artwork and customised designs that have been engraved using lasers, anyone can submit to be considered as a featured cover artist (similar to the Threadless t-shirts site), else there are plenty of gorgeous designs in the gallery to choose from.
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen , stockists worldwide, from £10
10) Kinky Ink
Of course, no pencil case would be complete without a fountain pen for proper grown up writing. This is possibly the most excitingly named pen in the world, and I love how the Lamy website markets their pens as if they were luxury sports cars.
And justifiably so when you consider the Lamy Safari’s polished steel nib, shiny red body, chrome detailing and ‘piston operated converter’ possibilities. Ten out of ten, pen perfection, to equip you for some truly wild, kinky ink writing adventures.
So what will you be treating yourself too to perk up the back-to-school blues? Confess your stationery secrets here…
Guest post from Alpha Betty, collector of letters, maker of little zines and self-confessed stationery geek.
(Top image via Faisty.com’s Flickr photostream)
Oh my stars! Glue sticks that smell like marzipan? Buttery leather book covers? A retro cassette tape dispenser? Alpha Betty, with all this swoon-inducing stationery, you are really spoiling us. Loving that Kinky Ink fountain pen too.
Without a doubt, my favourite stationery addition is the teeny tiny Mont Blanc Boheme rollerball I was given as a birthday gift years ago. It doesn’t get used very often but I do take it out of its very own specially-purchased pencil case to admire it regularly.
Woo hoo! Thanks for the heads up on the Coccoina glue stick. I think it’s time for some cut ‘n pasting!
God, words cannot describe how much I love stationary and back-to-school/work pencil cases.
For me I’d need some Sharpies, highlighters and Post-It notes in there, too.
And if there was a fire the main thing I’d save is my Dymo label maker.