Happy Fountain Pen Day!

 

Oh happy day... as Trent likes to sing.  

Fountain pen day.  It's actually a thing.  

Oh yeah*  I warn you right here right now... that 

this is probably going to be a long post.  If you love pens... 

or are somewhat interested... read on! 

I wonder if you are like me and maybe... enjoyed going to gradeschool early

so you could maybe write on the chalkboard?  Did you love to write... doodle...

draw?  

When learning cursive did you enjoy practicing? 

Did you spend alot of time creating your unique signature?

I was at the Mustard Seed once and discovered this stack of 

the Declaration of Independence papers. 

I don't know what they are printed on... some type of rice paper maybe? 

They're so crinkly and delicious.  

I loved looking at all the signatures and  

couldn't  help but to imagine those men all dipping their 

quill into a pot of ink and carefully penning their names. 

I bet they shared one beautiful quill. 

My own pens of choice were usually gel until one day.  

The day I discovered...

hobonichi.  

It's a Japanese planner journal with 

beautiful paper.  

I was watching youtube videos and discovered 

not only writing in a  hobonichi but using a fountain pen to sketch something from your day. 

A form of art journaling.

I ordered my hobo from Japan and bought my very first 

desk style fountain pen with carbon black ink.  

I began taking photos throughout my day with my phone and at the end of every day

I'd sketch out something that stood out and that I wanted to remember.  

Today on this fountain pen day, I picked up my old hobos and thumbed through.  

Hello Addie... 

I realize it isn't a great sketch but I can totally tell that is my Addie.  

And that pen.. that very first fountain pen still writes and sketches today.  

Thumbing through I found this sketch.  

It's of my next first pen.  

Green Lamy.  

I still have him.  

I think he's a boy.  

Then I found where I'd sketched the sea coral Conklin pen.  

and documented Aspen getting her stitches out when she was spayed. ha. 

There's the desk fountain pen again.  

It was when my neighbors horse came to visit mine and 

he'd gotten into cockaburrs really bad.  His mane was full of them and 

it looked like he had curlers in his hair.  

Here my mentor Cora's cancer was back with a vengeance.  

The begging God... please God... leaps from the page.  

I am glad I sketched it... and I'm reminded that it doesn't have to be perfect. 

It's the essence of the day... the moments captured... into memories.  

Thank you fountain pen for helping me record life.  

It also recorded history...

So much history .... and remembrances..

Some I laugh at.  

I'd been walking here and my butt and back of legs were killing me. lol 

I was worried about Addie being sore too.  

Here I'd found a caterpillar and Trent warned me that some are 

very poisonous.  

This one was poisonous and I remember it looking much like this.  

My fountain pen opened up a new world for me. 

I discovered carbon black ink to be my go to so that I could 

add water color to make the pages come more alive and it wouldn't bleed. 

My friend Dawn sent me these peerless watercolors and 

alls you need is a waterbrush as you sketch to add color.

They are just little pieces of watercolor papers that are glued in a book.

They lay flat and are so portable.  

Today I'm inspired to pull them out and use again.  

On this day we took the motorcycle out for Pizza 

and then rode up hwy 21 in the mountains. 

Here, I needed time 

with God.  

So much life... 

penned.

Over time that desk pen and Lamy 

multiplied like loaves and fishes.  

I've discovered so many beautiful inks and pens.  

Here are my two fav pens of all time. 

So far that is.  

Both are Conklin Duragraphs and 

these inks are Jane Austen, and two scented ones... fig and cake! 

In this photo ... the ink on the right is Noodlers. 

I love their fish labels and even their boxes have cool fish designs.

Sometimes I surf ebay just to search for antique ledgers and things 

that show old whaling papers.  I love how they documented with whale stamps

of what they saw ... caught... documented the weather...  storms-- it's all so interesting to me.  

There is an old shipping ledger made from sail cloth on ebay right now that looks pretty cool.  

All of it ... makes me want to watch the new version of Moby Dick again. lol  

I don't have any antique whale stamps but I could sketch whales with these.... 

It would look cooler with a foggy grey ink tho.  

Most of these have different colored inks for sketching... 

My favorite twsbi here is  the white one with rose gold ... 

she has a stub nib and writes so thick and yummy.  

I think she has a green sketch ink in her... 

she's definitely a girl.  

I've discovered I dislike fine or very fine nibs... 

it's gotta be at least a medium and I'm totally diggin 

broad nibs.  

Don't mind the mess but I opened my old secretary that Myguy got me 

at an antique store.  This is where many of them live.

Knowing it was fountain pen day; I found myself digging into the history.

I'm obsessed with learning about what and how the ancient biblical scrolls were recorded.

I love hearing about inks and papyrus and how parchments were made ... 

About the dead sea scrolls and illuminated pages of the bible and 

scribes and there is so much wonder in it all.  

Imagine using a whittled reed to write with.  

Then searching for the perfect quill.  

Imagine making all your own inks and playing with them all until you find 

the right recipe.  The one that doesnt bleed so much... 

has little feathering... ghosting... 

Imagine oak gall, iron gall... mixing and discovering what lasted. 

We've got it made today.  

Last year around Christmas I started making my own little scrolls to write a special letter. 

I dyed papers, then  dried in the oven, 

and ironed my papers.  Then ran them through the printer to 

add images... then took them to the sewing machine to stitch together.

Then rolled them.  

Then penned my letter.

I have a couple more scrolls like this that are waiting for something special.  

wax seals to add as well. 

This digital age is really messing with it all.  We all text,

and private message, and email soooo much.  

When I sit down to write.... it just isn't as pretty as it used to be.  

I'm rusty.  And age probably makes me a little shakier...

or okay.... maybe it's too much coffee?  

Surely not.

My oldest  fountain pen writings are from  the 1800's... 

these Railroad documents are special to me because of the 

beautiful penmanship in fountain pen ink.    

I love everything about them.  

Even the smudges.  

:) 

Many of the old old books I have are penned inside the covers 

with fountain pen ink.  

I love reading the names... and why the gift was given.  

Usually it's Christmas... or a birthday.  

Sometimes it's just love.  

SWEET LOVE.  

. 

Writing with a wonderful pen is such a delightful experience.  

This is my only crescent filler pen. and Emily... my journal.   

Mark Twain 

endorsed crescent filler pens for Conklin. 

Isn't that cool? 

So cheers to fountain pens!

To writing and recording and documenting life!

Write a hello to someone.

Write your gratitudes... 

Write a prayer.... 

Write a love letter... 

Well... 

I sign off with a little humor....

Forgive the wet hair and 

turkey neck.  

Thought I'd wear my silly tshirt to celebrate this day.  

My fountain pen 

scoffs at 

your subpar

writing instrument

Have a good one!

Happy fountain pen day!

Until we meet again

<*)))><