Very many moons ago I made a wooden ’journal’ or even a ‘telephone message pad’ for my wife for Valentine’s Day. Painting it and then distressing the look by applying sandpaper to rub back the whole ‘painted on two different coloured layers’ look. Then subsequently Briwax-ed the finish. It was fun working with wood which was recycled. I would love to now house handmade paper inside totally. However, inside are 3 small past message entries from my daughter at a younger age and 2 from the grandchildren. All other pages are blank. So will leave it as it is. My wife’s daily writing is in her diary. So this was never a journal possibility in reality. I buy a diary for her every Christmas. So she never used this wooden impractical gift with intent. She loves the application of my making this sentiment though.
YOU CAN TAP ON ANY SMALL PHOTOGRAPH WITHIN THE BLOG AND IT WILL ENLARGE TO REVEAL ALL THE PHOTO. THEY ARE IN GROUPS OF COLLECTIVE SEQUENCE TO BE SWIPED TO THE SIDE TO LOOK AT. CHEERS.
In using one simple diary for recording, I do admire those who can keep a sense of keeping new stationery at arms’ length. I see all forms of wonderful paper in the form of journals, notebooks, pads, separate sheets, etc.. in shops or online and I am useless. I buy it. Plain paper abounds on my shelves and in my bag and in The Den and under the stairs and……well everywhere. Mostly in the form of journals, notebooks, notepads, etc. I even get wallpaper lining paper to cut up and use by making little books from it. A tiny little bag inclusion to house paper for quick notes has been a leather tied with shoelace cover made from an old cut up leather bag. It simply covers ripped to size handmade paper. I suppose I am a bit of a fuddy-duddy for little quirky inclusions in my life. Comfort blankets in reality.
I found out two pieces of leather this morning and an old piece of hessian from a Victorian chair I stripped down years ago. Photo above. It should result in a nice journal cover with the hessian glued into the inside presentation of the leather cover. Bit of pyrography on the cover would be nice too. Maybe the Skwiggle Dragon.
Many of my bought journals, notebooks, etc. have been blank for a fair few number of years now. So maybe loose paper with these covers is more practical. My saving grace is that I hand a fair few of the bought stationery to my granddaughter who fills them all very quickly. She loves to simply fill blank pages with all types of artistry or words. Must be from her Mum (my daughter). She was the same when growing up. My daughter’s writing has a unique flow exhibiting a unique beauty and magical shape. It got me thinking to how we change our writing style as we become more confident in our word expression. I have my brother’s books of lyrics and poems he wrote. Kev’s writing style was totally ’out of the ordinary’. Very Bolanesque in it’s flamboyant quirky nature. An art form all on it’s own. Words apart. He died when 21 so it is a precious and valuable memory keepsake. And so this ability to put down written words and record in our own unique hand writing styles got me thinking.
Many of us use a keyboard today. Due to social media, mobile phones and iPads, tablets, email, work related recordings, etc.. In this situation it is evident that our unique nature in the form if handwritten letters production is never really seen often now. I remember the styles of my colleagues’ writing in the notes. The doctor who filled a page with about a dozen large written words. The nurse who’s writing needed a magnifying glass in order to read the content. The dyslexic nurse who struggled to express thoughts onto paper. The consultants who needed our pharmacists to translate their scrawling notes’ inclusions. I despaired that such important consultant information was not available for my own eyes, or my colleagues, to actually read and understand.
When in the role of a nurse, writing by hand in notes was obviously a daily occurrence. Long inclusions at times meant a tired application at the end of, and during, long 12 hour shifts. And 12 hour shifts ended up longer anyway. Could be by an hour or two at times. Usually a ballpoint was used by most of the nurses. However, I used a fountain pen because their tactile resonance was a whole different ballgame. I realise now with hindsight that the medium of fountain pen and ink assisted in balancing the turmoil of the nursing day to a more tolerable ambience. Strange, but true. And I have searched for research into this in the past. Writing and actual type of pen usage and chosen ink colour can provide benefits to well being.
Nowadays , in writing own personal recordings, now that the days are no longer containing writing in patients’ notes and getting writing overload, there is spontaneity. Whilst mostly writing to seek lyrics for songs, there are times where words allow emotions to bloom and blossom. Or just simply write for the joy of writing nonsense at times. Applied thought can stay with nursing days. Letting letters flow for fun can be enormously therapeutic. Nonsense goes hand in hand with considered writing too.
There are psychological benefits to putting pen to paper. There are also physical and social benefits too. Relieving stress, improving IQ, aids to motor skills and brain stimulation. Imagine getting a hand written letter in the post! The thrill of news from family or friend. Remember Pen Friends?
Now in my new retirement status and having adopted the value of choosing my own daily aims, there is the ability for the continuation of having no limitation time wise. Recording days’ happenings, writing lyrics/thoughts/blogs, aims/ambitions and intended day’s planning and interventions by hand has allowed a new arena to begin. Journals and diaries were always in the picture for my pen use. But not to a great degree. Simple and short personal diary/journal recordings at times. Now it is exciting to begin to expand as more time in application to building the Frail Autumn artistry is an intended project. In a year’s time it will be grand to sit and read over those recorded words and lyrics that will be applied to the project.
Pen and ink musings give reflection, new ideas, a different creative bent, a new found soulfulness. My personal journal will hopefully begin to become insightful again. Or just plain Summery nuts. Writing songs is a chord strummed, followed by another, then a search for appropriate melody to hang words on to then realise the song’s lyrics and in front of you is a pen and sheet of paper to scribble down hopeful creative ideas, then crossing out, changing words and re-read and sing over from the start. Typing is deleting and getting it right with no vision of what once was. The process is as fun as the final piece.
The Wooden Journal? Maybe it will stay blank. Or maybe not. Does it matter? Not really. It’s tactile, I enjoyed making it, my wife still loves it and it sits as an ornament in reality. And it still has 3 little hand written treasures inside. Akin to the cassette tapes I found where our daughter and son were singing Christmas carols at 5 and 3 years old. Little time capsules that can never be replaced.
Gray Summers 
my grandmother always says, “the old ways are the best ways.” in a world where everything is fast and digital, taking the time to write something by hand feels deeply meaningful. I also think it’s cool to see scratched-out first takes. it’s a reminder that imperfection is part of the process and that even the messiest beginnings can lead to something beautiful.
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That’s a very wise and insightful grandmother you have cookie. There is a gentleness in older pursuits. My VeeDub pootles along at 50mph. Calmness in being behind a wheel at that speed washes over you. Old ways? Yes, there were hardships too, but this materialistic modern age is very strange at times. Everything at the touch of a button. I suppose I could be guilty as charged too in adopting the Apple system to get at recording my songs. I saw an upload recently where a producer was looking at analogue tape again. The warmth of those songs ‘way back when’ are warm for a reason. And a lot are timeless in sound too.
And yes, taking time to write by hand and put your style into thoughtful process does get noticed. My wife’s staff were all saying it was so nice to see the Summers’ handwriting and its application to expressing well wishes for Christmas in their cards. I hang stars and hearts off certain letters by drawing them into the messages. It isn’t showing off. It’s simply to bring a bit of joy into a message. It’s like hanging a star of a person’s name is saying ‘You, yourself, are a star’.
You are so spot on re: imperfections in chasing our final work. Those scratched out lyric sheets from famous musicians, authors, poets, etc. are so much sort after. Because they show human endeavour and the thought processes that go into creativity. Walt Whitman used to rewrite his poetry all his life to find perfection didn’t he. Now there’s a study of human endeavour to seek self satisfaction and true belief in his work.
Cheers cookie. Such a nice comment, so thank you. 🙏🏽
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Indeed your fountain and nib pens create the most soulfulness, Gray. And I love the wooden journal book you crafted for Angie. Adorable and time well spent as it contains to carry a legacy—the love of writing written marks. Marks that make the intangible tangible!
I also love that you give Angie a new journal/diary every year. This shows how wonderfully caring you are! (I say this with the knowing my dad once coerced my mom into burning many of her diary pages that contained disparaging truths about him and their troubles.)
Writing holds so much meaning for me. Oddly, I was going to include something about that in my post today, about how writing helps children develop cognition. Tomorrow perhaps.
I love petroglyphs and all manner of engraving and etched marks on the oldest of stones, and could sit with them for days to glean some sort of hidden meaning. That would be my hearts desire.
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Thanks Sheila. Writing is a nice way to just let the calm take over. As you do in your art classes, you seem to embrace the family linked moments too. So as said. Social and therapeutic too. And the different skills you adopt too. So the way you yourself feel doing these excursions into expressing yourself is how it feels for me to simply write and see where it goes. Not only in weird shapes but in content too. That wooden book was asked for by many after I made that one. I made a couple more and then had to withdraw from making more. Busy workload. I made hand drawn pyrography Christmas decorations on slices of branch with bark. Made loads of those too at the time. You can see some on the Christmas tree photos. I have others on the tree after showing a nurse colleague how to make them. She sold hundreds of her own designs.
Angie used to really love a particular diary design from W H Smiths which they stopped producing this year. So went for a a ‘Wykeham’s Executive’ journal diary of similar size from Amazon. They sent a 2024 by mistake! So am awaiting the 2025 over the next few days.
It’s fantastic you are getting into the arts Sheila. That’s a great blog vibe too for next year for you. Also, studying different cultural art can develop into self exploration into the whole synergy to it all. Cheers.
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Great idea, Gray, about the bookmarks. I actually just ordered from another blogger, woodburning bookmarks she makes. I gave them as Christmas gifts and everyone loved them. I remember doing some wood burning and decoupaged wood pieces when I was in high school. I had my childhood early and had to work and attend college simultaneously (for many years) to raise them, so art was on the back burner (ha! A pun!), but yes, I am loving getting back into it! I love the pottery/ceramic/stoneware painting (that I have done with my daughter since moving here). And I have the new fountain pen which I will start experimenting with soon. Everyone has had the stomach bug this week so I have spent time watching the twins. But I plan to break it out any day.
And I will look at the journal diary you mentioned. I have several leather bound journals that I still write in as the mood strikes (but if course the paper isn’t good for fountain pen work I doubt).
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I wondered about stamps. Either metal ones to heat up for pyrography. I have some small ones that go into a soldering iron set up. A little screw to change them at the soldering iron’s tip. Creates a line of patterns on leather cover edges. Or ink pad ones made of carved wood or rubber. That photo of the ‘various journey phrases’ is a set I have. I have spiral wooden one too. Spirals would be great for your identity stamp. I think you can order your own metal pyrography stamp design off Temu if you want to make woodwork items. A breadboard, house name plaque, etc. You could stamp your mark. We have a breadboard that the guy wrote his identity mark ‘Tinker’s Kitchen’ onto it. He sold them at the local market. Big chunks of wood with the bark and cutting block sanded down smooth. The bark on the edge has to be pretty stable and attached tightly. Very nice vibe though.
Read about your family ‘bug’. My grandchildren used to get them quite often. School is a place that bugs love to share their impact on the children. Leather journals? Johnny Depp’s (Dean Corso) one in The Ninth Gate! Love that look. The book The Club Dumas, which the film came from, is well worth a read. The film only took one part from the novel and expanded it. Paper in journals? Moleskine is terrible for fountain pens. And I test the back page of journals with different pen/inks to see if compatibility is there. Write on the first page and the journal looks terrible if ink spider crawls. Lots of good paper for paper exists out there. I follow a blogger who extensively tests loads of combinations. I’ll find a link. Cheers Sheila.
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This is the blogger. There are more bloggers too. But the site above is my fave. Look at the end experiments on the blog! Brilliant.
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Oh my gosh, I love this color. Diamine Weeping Willow. So I must invest in a nib pen too! Ha! And then also that India blue ink you showed recently, Gray. Fantastic! Thank you again!
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Diamine Weeping Willow may well be a fountain pen ink Sheila. There are a few things that these bloggers do. When testing an ink on many papers and fountain pens too, they simply,y dip the fountain pen nib into the ink and do not fill the pens. Testing is a brief process. When using inks with sparkle? Some do not use them in fountain pens anyway. Especially those that are vintage or expensive in case the sparkle element clogs the pen internally. India, China and art inks, like Rotring, I never use inside a fountain pen or even dip nib with a fountain pen. Those inks are corrosive. I tend to buy dip nibs off eBay. I literally have thousands of them. I buy 100 nib boxes of the same nib if I can get them cheap. Or a huge collection of mixed ones. Probably found by a relative at the back of a drawer of an enthusiast. In general, dip nibs can be pretty useless. I have about 10 to 12 makes and their design specific nibs that are really good. You can pick them up for about £2 to £5 a box. A nice holder is vital. I use a vintage Swiss carved bear one from a hotel chain that had them. Bought off eBay. The cheap ones aren’t great (they break easily), the feather type are a pain (if I have a feather phobia anyway) and the shape of the nib holder and whether wood, metal or plastic is important too.
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Yes, Gray, that spiral identity stamp idea would be ideal for me! I always put my breath and energy into the actual drawing of the spiral (and a heart) when I sign anything—yes, even Christmas boxes before and after wrapping, cards, books, etc. I feel if it’s worth my time to wrap or sign it deserves my emblem too. I am sure in a past life I used a wax and stamp on scrolls! Ha!
Yes, I have two similar to the leather journals in the Ninth Gate. One has a cord wrapping it closed the other a flap and metal closure which can be locked. So Merlin-like for me. Ha! I love the feel of the ancient world things, even though I know they’re temporal (like us). There’s just a feel to those things.
Oh, I ordered my 2025 Yew tree calendar from Scotland and it arrived today! I will include a photo of it in tomorrow’s post. The Yew trees are one of the big reasons why I am attracted to Wales. Cheers!
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Angie sells the Earth Pathways diary in her shop. I do not like spiral bound books. Ironic hey! But they just aren’t aesthetically pleasing for myself. So, I have them in the past, but I avoid using it for its purpose. But because I love the content I do sometimes get one when looking through the content. I have their journals though. The mandala and tree ones.
I too used sealing wax with an S stamp. Santa or Summers. 😊 I love tied leather wrap around covers. It becomes a sabbatical of unwrapping to begin your words’ recorded journey. Almost spiritual in performing such tasks. The Yew is a beautiful tree. Strangely, my Earth Pathways Tree Journal or my little A Tree Pocket Book guide do not include it. I was going to do a monthly blog theme on the spiritual connections with trees a few years back. But I reckon it’s more your theme Sheila. You would treat it with far more insight and gravity
https://www.earthpathwaysdiary.uk/product/2025-earth-pathways-diary/
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I took your advice (or Angie’s) and just ordered the Earth Pathways diary from the Etsy shop, per the link you shared (at the bottom where it said if ordering outside the UK visit the Etsy shop). I am super excited to get this and use it!
It is odd that that the Earth Pathways tree journal and A Tree pocket book guide do not include the Yew! Yew trees are supposed to be prolific in Wales! (Though maybe those journals or guides don’t come from Wales?)
I definitely had a spiritual experience with the Yew tree in Scotland. It’s the tree that would make me want to return there! I would love to sit under it for a day, meditating. Ah!
I think I will try to do some astral travel to it and scribe what comes to me in the new diary when it arrives. OM
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Angie says a few of the artists contributing to the diary are from Wales. But doesn’t know if it is a Welsh publication. She has local customers who have contributed in the past. The Tree Journal article is by an artist called Glennie Kindred based in Derbyshire, England.
Talking of travel, but not the astral type, we had visitors from Tennessee today. Their grandmother lived in our school house. Their grandfather was the headmaster way back when. They showed us photographs of the school building and their relatives in the outside school grounds. Present when it was open all those decades ago. Also, we showed them the initials carved into the slate window ledges by the children from the 1930’s. Some were their relatives! 1934. So a very interesting day all in all.
Cheers Sheila.
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OMG, Gray, that’s fantastic!!! That visit must have been sooo very thrilling for them (it would be for me, especially with my love of slate and ancestry)!
And thank Angie for me too, as it’s very interesting to know more about the Tree Journal article! WOW! I sure hope we can visit one day. One step at a time.
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It was a surprise that family from afar made a sabbatical to visit their family haunts. We did have a granddaughter visit from Canada visit a few decades ago. Apparently her grandmother planted a mistletoe seed into an apple tree which grew. A different headmaster though. So we have seen family members before from ‘over the pond’.
Also, Angie’s best friend called after that. She brought her son along who we haven’t seen for an age. He now plays melodeon and various wind instruments like tin whistles, etc. Very folk orientated. He’s learning blues piano now. So have asked him to play on some of my songs. Funnily, when Angie’s friend was training to become a radiographer back when we lived in England, I looked after her son when he was a baby while she went to college. I was making pottery back then, so was able to do so. So it’s a strange old world isn’t it.
You would love Wales Sheila. Scotland is the more popular tourist destination though. But both have very similar landscapes. Cheers and all the best.
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Yes, I read that in one of your comments earlier, about the young man playing melodeon (but forgot what it was called). It is a strangely connected world for sure (and what I am writing my 5th book about)! Hehe!
I have always wanted to visit Wales because my mom told me we were from there, but we (so far) only went to Ireland, England, and Scotland because of going on that Sacred Celtic Journey. And back to Ireland because I won the Newgrange Winter Solstice lottery to watch sunrise from inside the chamber.
Had I realized how close we were to Wales I would have managed an add-on stay! I had an iPhone but never looked at the map! Then again we were sooo bushed (tired)! We walked over 18 miles that first trip and we are couch potatoes! Ha! My legs have never hurt so bad!
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Jac is an absolutely brilliant player. Cannot blow a reed note though. Saxophone, etc. So various whistles, recorders, etc. are his forte. He lives in Cardiff, Wales. Hence not seeing him for an age. But is moving to London, England soon. Wales is beautiful Sheila. If you ever do visit, the Snowdonia area, Anglesey, the Llyn Peninsula and south mid west Pembrokeshire area are amazing. Our own area around the Dunes is wonderful too. Aberdovey over the bay is chaos in tourist season though. So is Machynlleth where Angie’s shop exists. You can drive around Wales in no time at all too. Not a large country really.
I too find walking tiring now. But actually, the dizziness still exists. Very strange. So wouldn’t go out presently anyway! Cheers Sheila.
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Jac sounds amazing! And so does Wales. I will keep this list of towns and check them out via the YouTube (and certainly for whenever we can visit), Gray. Thank you!
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You’re welcome. We have holidayed in many of those places too.
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I think you’re right, Gray, that Diamine Weeping Willow is a fountain pen ink because that author said something about “filling a pen” with it. I didn’t catch that at the time; I am such a novice at this whole pen thing. Ha!
I also hear you about the testing process. Very cool!
Fantastic tip about trying to pick up dip nibs cheap. Thank you! I somehow don’t think I will like the nibs. Too many variables. But we’ll see. I have to try first.
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Took me ages to know this stuff Sheila. A dip nib is hit and miss. A fountain pen more useful.
Diamine are fountain pen inks. But not sure if they have tried excursions into other types of inks. Be nice pastime for you, this penmanship, though. Cheers.
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We all learn from your experiences, Gray! Thank you dear sir. Cheers!
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True. 😊
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Loved this Gray. Im with you and your commenters, there’s definitely something special about putting pen to paper. And im forever buying new notebooks so I don’t think I’ll ever run out
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A love of blank stationery is pretty addictive. Penmanship with perfection is beyond my skills. But simply getting into the vibe of it all is priceless.
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Well shared 💯. Grettings and blessings 🌈🌞
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Thank you. Good fortune to you also.
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Having special, high-end pens is cool! But I love buying new stationery and fancy is more important to me. That was a great article, thank you. :d
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Thank you for your comment. Much appreciated. Pens I buy are usually great eBay finds to be honest. I haven’t spent a lot on any individual pen in reality. And most are vintage too.
Handmade paper is my favourite as it takes a bit longer to write on it and therefore letter shape is more a reward having slower movement in writing. Smoother paper tends to slip slide away the ink contact and lettering is more haphazard for myself. So a more dense paper is my fave. New stationery is amazing, but can become a bit obsessive for myself. So it can be very bad at hitting the money availability. So care now to use past purchases. All the best and good fortune.
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