Lulu Guinness Stationery Review - made to be stopped and stared at!

Dear Scribblers

Have you seen the gorgeous new Lulu Guinness stationery? As an owner of a few pieces of her stunning handbags and accessories line, I was so pleased to hear the fabulous British designer was bringing out a stationery range, too. So as soon as I could, I hopped on-line, and bought 3 out of the launched 5 items. I picked mine up mid-August from Amazon UK, which was quite a chunk cheaper than her website. See pricing and full product details at the end of this post.

Here are all three of the covers:

Top left: notebook with 2 sticker sheets.
Bottom left: 2017 diary - a week a page with notes.
On the left are 3 mini notebooks with box.
And an overview of the paper in them all:

Top 2 show the 2017 diary layout and close-up of one of the top-loading envelopes.
Bottom left - notebook showing tabs and stickers.
Bottom right - 3 small books w/ different style paper
They couldn't be more perfect for me, my favourite colours: red, black and white, with some of my most chosen design elements: stripes and lips, with a little bit of a cat illustration, all by one of my top 5 fav designers. (If you'd added diamond quilting and stars, and it would have been perfect. 😂)

A5 'Custom' Notebook 💋

The item I've used the most has been the A5 notebook. There are 2 notebooks this size in her range: a hard-backed one called 'Dare to Be Different', and this one called the 'Custom' notebook. It has an old-style 'school exercise book' cardboard cover. There's 30 doubled-sided sheets (60 pages) - lined at the front of the book and plain in the second half, all tabbed into 8 sections printed with her signature lip, hand and eye logos. The 'custom' part probably refers to the 2 sheets of stickers, at the centre of the notebook, of 2 of each of the designs above along with 2 cats faces and 2 'Lulu Guinness London' logos.

The paper is high quality, almost card quality, (don't ask me about gsm as these are lost on me, although as a stationery addict, it's something I should definitely learn about!)

It's a dream to write on, even taking fountain pen and light watercolour washes. Please note that the book is stapled together and doesn't naturally lie flat, it can stand some manipulation.

We had a number of home renovations in recent months, which a list of jobs still to be completed, and this has been my house workbook to keep a track of it all. The front lined section for to-do lists and contact details with a separate tabbed area relating to a separate area of the house. Even though there's logos on the tabs, there's still plenty of space to write your own heading. The back plain pages are used for calendar layouts (so I can track on-going projects), sketches of floor plans and mini-mood boards of items torn from magazines, brochures and paint swatches. (If you'd like a separate post of the used pages, please leave a comments.)
There's plenty of Lulu design elements - I especially like the lip book plate on the cover for writing in the project. I can imagine a very stylish teen or college student with 3 or 4 of these containing their important revision notes. I also like the faux turned back corner on the cover, showing the glimpse of the little red lip, along with the signature gold foil logo on the back cover.
My only wish is that the stickers were smaller, and that there were more of them. At around an approx of minimum of 3 cm to 6cm max (1 X 2in), they certainly pack a punch. Not your average planner sticker.
A delectable designed notebook for all your notes, to-dos and doodles.
Lulu Icons Set of 3 A6 Notebooks 💋
If pocket and handbag jotters are more your style, you'll love this set of 3 mini Notebooks which come a cute slide-in black box to, all with different design looks and papers. Each has 48 sheets - 96 sides.
The black and white stripe cat print has plain paper, with pale pink cover lining and the quote "Kooky Cat" on the inside front cover.
The multiple red lips and half black and white stripe cover carries the stripes inside and reads "A little lipstick never hurts." This comes with .7cm lined paper.

Finally, the half red/half black and white lips cover is lined in red with a quote of "Don't forget your lipstick" and is filled with .7cm square grid/graph pages.

Once again, the paper is high quality, but not as thick as the notebook above, which would actually be too much for books of this size.

I've been dabbling in these, but not used them as much as the notebook. I could see myself dropping these into a fauxdori/travelers notebook sort of cover and using the plain book for sketching/mini art journal, the lined one as a common place book or for jotting down storylines, poetry and blog ideas, and of course, the grid would make a great bullet journal. Although, the graph squares are quite large, so if you're anything like me, you might find yourself filling up the book pretty quickly!
If your intention was to use all three, it would make for a very chunky set to carry around with you. There's another reason why the 'fauxdori' route may not work, as the papers are stitched in groups and then these sections are glued into the spine, so there's no defined centre to the book. It's also a worry, as the book doesn't lie open, once you begin to manipulate it as you attempt to create an easy working surface, will these sections fall out? I hope that the binding glue is strong and holds them together. I'll let you know as I use them.
My aim is to use the grid book as my bullet to-do list, along with the diary - as their covers match! Then the other two as discussed above, but not to carry around together.
If you look at them, for what they are intended for, as little pocket notebooks, then they are fun to use, gorgeous to look at, and will certainly be a talking point when you bring it out of your bag.
I hope you've found these reviews interesting, as they ran a little longer than I expected, I've decided to split it, so there's not too much information coming at you. I hope that you'll return again tomorrow for the full review on the 50:50 2017 diary.
Please see all pricing and details listed below.

Happy Scribing!

Prices & codes
Custom A5 notebook
Style no: 50125173
ISBN 978-1-84949-863-0
Lulu Guinness website £8:00
Amazon UK £8:00

Lulu Icons A6 Set of 3 Notebooks
Style: 50125166
ISBN 978-1-84949-864-7
Lulu - £15:00
Amazon - £10:00

Made by Quadrille (Hardie Grant) for Lulu Guinness - www.quadrille.co.uk - www.quadrille.com
Prices shown as listed on www.luluguinness.com and Amazon Prime UK - 19 October 2016. For all these items, a quick search on the net brings up alternative stockists, too
Also in the range - A5 luxury notebook, and notecard set.

Important Notes

1. Please note that I am not connected to any companies mentioned in this post. I do not receive any products, funding or gifting from these businesses. All products shown have been bought by me, or gifts from family or friends. I mention the items because I like them or have my own private opinion about them. It's just little old me talking about ma stuff! ;-)
2. If you would like to see more of anything in this series, please write a comment below, or 'like' and leave a comment by my latest Instagram photo, letting me know what you would like me to post photos and write about.
3. If you like what you read, don't forget to bookmark this site, and please share it with your friends.
4. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram - @TheCraftyScribe which I update regularly with all things crafty, scribbling, beauty, fashion, the cats, sci-fi, fantasy, and the ephemera of 42*................... *42 = Life, The Universe and Everything!

Has My Little Box Jumped the Shark?*

Dear Scribblers

If you've followed me on Instagram (@TheCraftyScribe), you'll have noticed I've given a lot of time to My Little Box UK. 

This is a French company which offers monthly subscription boxes containing beauty and lifestyle items for £14.95 a month (that includes p&p). It has been operating in France and Japan a while, and in September 2014, it opened its doors to Britain. I was one of the early subscribers. 

When I received my first box, I was overwhelmed, and my Instagram post reflected that, with the comment, "My, oh, my, oh, my!" Along with fab beauty goodies (Nuxe, Laura Mercier and their own, My Little Beauty) came with a super glossy mini magazine, a laptop cover, and a notebook and stickers - be still my journalling techie heart!!!

https://instagram.com/p/tsQGPdqwTu/

I adored the second box even more, with the fabulous collaboration with Diane von Furstenberg, receiving a gorgeous scarf and brooch, along with a decent selection of beauty items. 

This went on, and I continued to sneak in Instagram photos containing the occasional item found inside the subscription box, including this photo I took at the 8 month mark. 

https://instagram.com/p/1xy56rqwb0/

I'd received some amazing parcels, including collaborations with Ines de la Fressange and Fleur de Force (although FdF was just the face, and the item collaboration in that box had been with French blogger, 'Make My Lemonade'.

Inside by now, the lifestyle bits had included: a mini-mug, phone holder, calendar, and - be still my stationery loving heart - pattern paper tape, superhero stickers, multiple-message stamp and ink pad. The beauty items had some additional impressive names of By Terry, Kérastase and La Roche-Posay.

One change had been our lovely glossy mini-mag had changed to a cheap recycled paper poster fold-out style, with no word as to why by My Little Box. Strange, as the French version of their box continued to receive the glossy version. 

Over the next few months, even though I found that not every box lived up to the standard they had set themselves in the beginning, I continued to subscribe and post photos on Instagram. 

I've noticed a change in the quality of the boxes. The collaborations have been not as high profile and with companies we don't know of, but sometimes this can be a good thing, as you discover fab new items. Like I said, sometimes, not all the time. 

The same goes with beauty items, lots of unknown names, although I received a lip/cheek mousse from a company called So Susan - Colour Hybrid in Marsala - and it's an amazing velvet matt in a perfect shade for me. It's in my top 5 lip products ever!

It also doesn't mean that just because a company is well known that you're going to always like the products. Take me and L'Occitane - I'm not a fan, so their colab on the Provence box was never going to be my favourite. Although, from what I read on the MyLittleBoxUK Facebook page, others were unhappy as the products in the box were being given away for free that week in UK L'Occitane stores! Another black mark. 

I've stayed with my subscription as I've always found at least one or two items in the box as worth having. That is until this month. Unfortunately, My Little Box raised my expectations when they sent this email: 

The email (sent on 7 October) went on to say this month's box was called the My Little Creative Box! Yippee! I thought, and Instagramed my excitement! https://instagram.com/p/8i3fx3qwab/

What was going to be in it? Maybe pens? A mindfulness colouring book? Sketch book? Little palette of paints? Maybe take the creativity into make up - cosmetic brushes? Or face paints for Halloween?... Not one bit of it!... Here's what I received on 22 October:

Can you see anything to do with creativity there? No. It's all about promoting Pinterest! 

The paper poster magazine is full of photos and an interview with a Pinterest slant, as is the gorgeously illustrated by Kanako, as normal, quote card. 

The lifestyle items have nothing to do with creativity. It's a jute bag with an advert on one side and "Collect moments not things" on the other, and a bag of tiny fiddly beads for sticking on your tech leads! They seem fine for a 8 to 12 year old, but for late teens and adults? Give us some respect! Plus the colours are more spring season - pastels - pink, blue, orange, cream grey, not quite right for autumn/winter, even if you were inclined to use them. 

The beauty products are just a bit 'meh!' Almost every month (in the last 5 months), I've received a body cream. I mean, how many can one person use? Also, once again on their Facebook page, I see complaints of people receiving the exact same make and colour of nail varnish they received a few months back! Now, that's just sloppy data keeping. 

I also don't agree with their comment in the magazine editorial that it's time to say goodbye to old-school scrapbooking. Do they not see the craze of daily scrapbooking with items such as 'Project Life', We r Memorykeepers 'Albums Made Easy' and their like? What about smashbooking? Or the out and out phenomena of Pretty Planning and the planneraddict and filofaxaddict communities?

So has My Little Box truly 'jumped the shark'? Sigh! It's such a shame as they began so well. I always wondered if they would run out of steam. I had hoped not, but now I wonder... However, a fail in my eyes, does not make a disaster to all. I'm only one person, this is only my opinion, at this time. 

I could give a knee jerk reaction and cancel my subscription, but I won't. I'm going to give My Little Box the benefit of the doubt, and give them another chance, and stay with them to the end of the year before giving my final verdict. 

I'll keep you posted!

Happy Scribing!

* (Wonder what 'Jumped The Shark' means? Check out this excellent Wikipedia page, it'll tell you all you need to know! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumping_the_shark 😃👍)

1. Please note that I am not connected to any companies mentioned in this post. I do not receive any products, funding or gifting from these businesses. All products shown have been bought by me, or gifts from family or friends. I mention the items because I like them or have my own private opinion about them. It's just little old me talking about ma stuff! ;-)

2. If you would like to see more of anything in this series, or would like me to discuss something else, please write a comment below, or 'like' and leave a comment by my Instagram photo, letting me know what you would like me to post photos and write about. 

3. If you like what you read, don't forget to bookmark this site, and please share it with your friends. 

4. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram - @TheCraftyScribe which I update regularly with all things crafty, scribbling, beauty, fashion, the cats, sci-fi, fantasy, and the ephemera of 42*................... 

*42 = Life, The Universe and Everything!

Personal Planner - The Diary with Multiple Personalities and Personalisation - plus discount code!

Dear Scribblers

If you've been following me on Instagram - @thecraftyscribe, you'll know that I've been using an A5 planner from Personal Planner. I've found this to be invaluable as my desk diary, as the pages are clean, crisp and of high quality. There's plenty of space, with the ability to use it in a way that works for you.

Personal Planner is an on-line company, which allows you to... well, do what their name implies! You can design a planner according to your own specifications from a wide range of options. There are four sizes to choose from, and you can decide exactly the month when you want it to start. Want it to run from June 2015 - May 2016? That's cool! How about September 2015 - August 2016? That's fine, too. More traditional, and you need your planner to do a full year of 2016? That's up to you. Any 12 month period can be chosen. Plus, they deliver worldwide!

1. This is an overview of my planner. Although Personal Planner offers a number of different cover colours and designs, I made my own, using favourite photos, in an Apple Mac app called Collage Factory, and then uploaded the images to Personal Planner. If it's just a single photo you want, you can upload it directly from your computer, or if you have an Instagram account, Personal Planner offer a function to import your favourite photos to create a collage directly on their website. It can't be simpler than that! (You can also choose the colour of elastic for the the closure.)

2. The planner offers the opportunity to add a yearly view over 4 pages - either a single year or two years, e.g: 2015 or 2016 or 2015/2016 or 2016/2017. Plus, an added bonus, you can add personal dates, such as: birthdays and anniversaries, which appear on both the yearly overview and the weekly planner pages.

3. There's a front page for your contact details, and any message you want to add. I included one of my favourite quotes taken from The Desiderata by Max Ehrmann.

4. Then there's the main pages. Personal Planner only offer a weekly view, but this is where the limitation ends! Everything can be personalised from the top colour bar, to the layout (column format, as shown here, and a number of box formats) which can be lined, unlined, shaded one of a number of colours, add an hours-at-work box, exercise workout info, or like me, the weather. Then there's three sections below the daily section, which can be selected as graph, musical score, to-dos, ideas, exams, lists, dinners...

5 and 6. After the calendar pages, you can decide how you want the rest of the planner to look. I have lined and graph papers, along with a contact/address list. Yes, you can input all of your personal contacts and important numbers, and the planner will come to you with it all printed in, and ready to use. If you have quite a few contacts you want added, it can take some time to type it all in, as the database is a little fiddly to use, but once you get the hang of it, it's fine. There's also blank pages, sheet music, sudoku, maps and even colouring pages available to choose from.

If you're a teacher, you'll love the options of the specially designed sections for preschool, primary and subject 1 to 4 classes.

screen shot from http://www.personal-planner.co.uk

You really do need to click onto the 'START HERE' button on the website, and play around with all the options available, to see the full extent of how you can personalise your planner. It's addictive! Oh, and did I mention that there's notebooks available too? ;)

I'm enjoying using my planner. I write everything in it from appointments, daily timetables and to-dos, ideas, record of Instagram uploads, quick reminder notes, and in the notebook section: quotes, long term goals, poems and story ideas. I occasionally play with 'pretty planning' decoration, with stickers and wash-tape, but most of the time. It's just full of my scribbles. The pages have been designed so well, that they are already lovely to look at to begin with.

Are you excited about designing your own planner with Personal Planner? Here's something to help you along the way. Personal Planner has been kind enough to offer a 15% discount code for you to use against your planner or notebook. Please go to http://www.personal-planner.co.uk and use the code: D-BMJQ-SQFJ to obtain your 15% discount. This offer expires on Sunday 3rd May 2015.

Happy Scribing! 

(In my next blog post, I'll show you how I turned my Personal Planner into the inserts for my A5 red Cuban Filofax organiser.)

Instant Murmurings from Instagram - an explanation and Èccolo World Traveler Journal

Dear Scribblers, 

A confession. 

I haven't been very active on my blog for many months. You've probably noticed, haven't you? I know. I know. I promised that I was going to post soon, and come along with a brand new spanking look. Once again, I haven't. **Hangs Head In Shame** 

However, I have been very active over on Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/TheCraftyScribe

In fact, I've been using that as a mini-blog, putting up all sorts of photos, and explaining and reviewing products, and generally, having a good old muse. 

Do, I've decided that I'm going to add some of my favourite photos on here, along with a comment or two, which may be the same as you'll find on Instagram, or may be expanded on here to give an in depth look. So, here goes:

Èccolo World Traveler Journal

I can't wait to start writing in this gorgeous A5 tomato red journal. It has cream lined pages and ribbon page marker. I also love the internal gold chevron liner pages. Bought it from TK Maxx for £6.99. A bargain!  

I always adore the quality of Èccolo notebooks, and this one, once again, doesn't disappoint. If you'd like to see photos of the pages, please let me know. 

Happy Scribing!

Popular Pens for Particular Purpose - 4 of 4 Useful Others, Fond Memories, Colour and Beyond!

Dear Scribblers

Welcome to the last day of Popular Pens for Particular Purpose (Plus Personal, Peculiar and Playful Picks ) focusing on my favourite pens and their uses.

1. My Old Favourites and Regularly Used

2. My Smythson Pens

3. Hidden in my Pencil Case - the Expected and Digital Unexpected

4. Useful Others, Fond Memories, Colour and Beyond!

Other pens I reach for are my coloured gel pens and felt tip style.

The ones shown here are: Crayola Super Fine Pro writing pens in blue, green and red, and Crayola Pro 0.7 liquid ink rollers in red and blue. Along with Bic Z4 0.7 gel pens in blue and purple. These are the ones I tend to reach for to add definition to a note, list or diary entry in my Filofax or journal, or to add detail or write on a card, scrapbook or smashbook page. I most often write in black, and add detail in colour. The pens are lying on a fabulous find from Asda. A cream lined page notebook and slotted concertina file in this great vintage seaside print. Details on the back say they are made by www.dggl-products.com A stylish bargain (less than £3 each) from a supermarket! 

Here's another new notebook: 

This time from one of my favourite stores already mentioned in this post - TK Maxx. On the front it reads: Passport - New York City, and my goodness, it really feels like an old passport! Same size, weight and even the cover has that rippled strong texture to it. If you ever owned a British passport before they changed them to the EU burgundy sort, you'll know exactly what I mean! This is so cute! The pages are a pale pink and lightly printed with the Statue of Liberty, and the first two pages are printed like a real passport for you to add a photo and your details. All for £3! It's a great journal, especially for travelling. We have a number of trips organised, and already been on, this year, but I've already started a book for that (which I'll post here, if you would like to see it.) However, we may also be going to New York at the end of the year - fingers crossed - if we do, this will be perfect! If not, I'll keep it for our journeys next year. 

So back to our main topic, the all-important pens on top! These are the personal, peculiar and playful picks, I mentioned, in the title. Sometimes a pen comes your way that writes so well and it's free - well, sort of. It often has a room attached! I've found some great pens on our travels in hotel rooms. The ones lying around the notebook cover all came from hotels, and they all write really well. Not all freebie pens are good quality, but these are, and I gladly use them as every day pens that lie in apt places around the house, car or handbags. I never look a gift pen in the nib, but they are always worth a click and scribble to find out. One of my best flowing ball points came from a hotel and I use it to write every thing from lists to story first drafts. It's the one lying on the book, now I just need an excuse, plus a humongous pile of pennies to get back to Hawaii! 

The top picture of the two smaller photos shows those writing instruments which have meaning to me, and even though they are cheap and cheerful, I'll never throw them away. The two smiley pens were free from a company stand at the first screenwriting convention I went to in Los Angeles, and the camera pen was bought, on the same trip, from a shop opposite the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood Boulevard (where the Oscars are held.) The dragon pencil is Figment from the Journey into Imagination ride at Epcot, Florida - bought over 18 years ago. There's another pen in the main title above which is another cute choice - 'I Love Amsterdam' with a plastic red heart dangle bought from Schiphol airport. Very silly, but we were there for my hubby's birthday and it was a brilliant time. When I see this fun pen, I'll remember the fab times we had. 

The lower picture shows my other loves - Sci-fi and fantasy! There's a Doctor Who pen I received free with a magazine a number of years ago, along with my ninth doctor Sonic screwdriver, as well as being a working pen, it makes all the right noises and lights up blue - which when you use the UV tip to write secret messages - the light allows you to read them. It's magic! 

Talking of magic, in the main picture, you'll also see a little white owl by the name of Hedwig! It's my Harry Potter pen. Hedwig covers the nib, and when you write he sits on the other end watching as you scribe your Owl Post letters. There's also a switch which turns the nib into a torch so you can continue to write in the dark! Lumos! 

I found another light up pen, my red glowing Star Trek: The Next Generation pen bought at the Star Trek Experience at the Hilton, Las Vegas. Unfortunately the attraction containing memorabilia museum, behind the scenes sets, Klingon and Borg simulation rides and Quarks bar no longer exists, but I have my pen! (Although there is Star Trek: The Experience. More can be found here:  or via this OS app: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/star-trek-the-exhibition/id663233661?mt=8

I may be grown up, but it doesn't mean I'm a Grown-Up! ;-)

I have further pens and pencils in my collection which are important and I use regularly in crafting, such as: charcoal drawing pencils, a variety of Sakura gelly roll pens, Whispers Strokes and Permanents coloured double ended felt tips, and various coloured drawing and watercolour pencils. 

I'm sure many crafters and writers have a love of pens, and have their favourites. I've shown you some of mine here, and I'd love to hear about yours. Please leave your comments below, especially if you have any recommendations. 

I've been writing in black for such a long while I've been thinking of choosing a different colour. Does anyone have a signature colour in which they write. It would be great to see if we can make a rainbow of writers. I wonder what colour I'll chose? Mmmmm... can you buy ink cartridges the colour of Chanel Vamp nail polish? That's the shade of deoxygenated blood, apparently!

I hope you've enjoyed this delve into my pencil case and more. I have other cases, along with other pens, this was a tickle along my favourites. Once I've reorganised my Filofax and Chanel case, I'll post the changes. 

So what's next? Maybe a review of my recent writing course, along with an in depth look at my latest technology and the accessories I use with them. I'll always post a picture on Instagram, and a Twitter comment, letting you know when there's new content. 

If there is anything you'd like to see, please let me know. 

Happy Scribing!

Important Notes

1. Please note that I am not connected to any company mentioned in this post. I do not receive any products, funding or gifting from these businesses. All products shown have been bought by me, or gifts from family or friends. I mention the items because I like them or have my own private opinion about them. It's just little old me talking about ma stuff! ;-)

2. If you would like to see more of anything in this series, please write a comment below, or 'like' and leave a comment by my 'Popular Pens' Instagram photo, letting me know what you would like me to post photos and write about. 

3. If you like what you read, don't forget to bookmark this site, and please share it with your friends. 

4. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram - @TheCraftyScribe which I update regularly with all things crafty, scribbling, beauty, fashion, the cats, sci-fi, fantasy, and the ephemera of 42*................... *42 = Life, The Universe and Everything!

Popular Pens for Particular Purpose - 2 of 4 My Smythson Pens

Dear Scribblers

Here's the follow up to my 'Notable Notebooks' series. Day two of four: Popular Pens for Particular Purpose (Plus Personal, Peculiar and Playful Picks) focusing on the pens I use, and the tasks they perform.

1. My Old Favourites and Regularly Used

2. My Smythson Pens

3. Hidden in my Pencil Case - the Expected and Digital Unexpected

4. Useful Others, Fond Memories, Colour and Beyond!

Onto my Smythson handbag wafer diary and notebook, I use matching Smythson pens with them both. The first is official called a 'lady's pen' as it fits into the dainty hand of a 'laydee', and also into any of her petite purses she may be carrying. An old-fashioned term which may make us laugh, or cringe, or roll our eyes now, but still an extremely useful pen. A tiny gold blue ball point with the diary, you pop the lid into the end which extends the length making it easier to hold, then when not in use, it clips into the spine of the diary keeping it safe. I've had both this and the next pen for over six years, I think.  

You can tell the silver pen is older and been given some use as it is quite scuffed now. I can't remember if it came with the leather jotter, I think it did. I've only recently pulled it out from my notebook pile where it's been sitting unused (but never unloved) for a while. It's going straight into my bag for easy access when I need to scribble down that idea, note or list. 

Unfortunately, Smythson no longer offer these pens in their online store. There is a similar shape to my silver pen available in a pencil, and in  a choice of silver or gold: http://www.smythson.com/silver-wafer-pencil.html

Please return tomorrow for Part 3, to discover what's hidden in my Pencil Case... the Expected and the Digital Unexpected!

Happy Scribing!

Important Notes

1. Please note that I am not connected to any company mentioned in this post. I do not receive any products, funding or gifting from these businesses. All products shown have been bought by me, or gifts from family or friends. I mention the items because I like them or have my own private opinion about them. It's just little old me talking about ma stuff! ;-)

2. If you would like to see more of anything in this series, please write a comment below, or 'like' and leave a comment by my 'Popular Pens' Instagram photo, letting me know what you would like me to post photos and write about. 

3. If you like what you read, don't forget to bookmark this site, and please share it with your friends. 

4. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram - @TheCraftyScribe which I update regularly with all things crafty, scribbling, beauty, fashion, the cats, sci-fi, fantasy, and the ephemera of 42*................... *42 = Life, The Universe and Everything!

Slow Down... Relax... Take It Easy* (...and make notes!)

Dear Scribblers

It's important that you do - "Slow down. Relax. Take it easy."* - take time to step back from the hustle and bustle, especially if you are a creative. It's in this downtime I find that I have some of my best ideas. 

So how do you relax? Do you take a walk? Swim? Work out? Listen to music? Sleep and dream? Or do as I like to do, take a bath. 

I like a bath with lots and lots of bubbles! One of my favourites has been the FCUK #bath syrup. I was given it as part of a gift set, but I think it's discontinued. I'm going to be quite upset when I finish it, so replacement recommendations are required. Do you have a favourite bubble bath, I'd love to know. 

There must always be a candle or two burning. 

I've recently fallen in love with Matalan's scented candle range. They smell gorgeous, burn evenly, last for ages, come in a massive chic glass jar with a heavy lid, and £3! Island Breeze & Sequoia Wood are my favourites at the moment, although I've tried about 5 different scents now, and they've all been good. It's a great and inexpensive way to indulge. Plus, when the candles finished, you can clean the jars out and use the for your crafting goodies!

However you relax, take time to let your mind wander and discover new avenues of inspiration, and always remember to have a notebook or digital device close by to jot down your ideas. Although I would only recommend pen and paper when you are in the bath! In my next post, I'll discuss my latest favourite notebooks shown here. 

Please add to the comments your preferred method of relaxation and creative insight. It would great to hear about alternatives. 

Happy Scribing!

* The title of today's post comes from a line in the song - "Baker Man" by Laid Back. An apt named group for chilled out music!

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/bakerman/id269896173?i=269896198