-
It’s Not Too Late To Give A Gift That Makes Memories This Holiday Season, Featuring Ellington Pens
With the holidays around the corner, if you need a last-minute gift for a stationery lover, then look no further than Ellington Pens. With their huge range of writing tools, inks, accessories and notebooks, you can get something for anyone! Whether this is a treat for yourself or a gift for someone else, you can get luxury products at very affordable prices, which is perfect right now. Orders must be placed by 19th December for arrival before Christmas!
Calligrapher?
Looking to get into calligraphy or know someone who enjoys it? The Calligraphy sets come with seven different nibs and ink to get you started! I am a sucker for the Midnight Rose Marrakesh Calligraphy Set, which features rose gold coloured nibs and looks so classy. However, I also really like the all-silver Silver Sonata or the all-black Stealth set. But if none of those take your fancy, check out their site as they do have five different calligraphy sets available.
You could also pair this with an additional fountain pen, as the nibs are compatible with many of their other pens.
These calligraphy sets are available at 20% off, using the discount code AUMSOME.
Journaller?
Every journaller needs a writing tool, and with the huge range available at Ellington Pens, you’re bound to find something. From mechanical pencils to rollerball pens. From ballpoint pens to fountain pens. If you are getting a fountain pen, check out The Writer’s Bundle. You can get one of their fountain pens (from a small selection, but it includes several of my favourites), ink, a notebook and a pen case at a discounted rate. The bundles don’t work with the discount code as they are already discounted, but if you are purchasing all four items anyway, they do give you a bigger discount on them!
However, if you’re after a pen and journal only, then you can get a gift set with either one or two pens. They are perfect for you – and work with the discount code!
Artist?
A mechanical pencil does not need to be sharpened and is great for drawing or sketching on the go! These also look incredibly sleek, stylish and professional – perfect for those wanting to take them into university or work. Some artists also love doodling with a ballpoint pen, and Ellington Pens does have a huge range of those, too! I just love the idea of a mechanical pencil since I hate it when my nib breaks and I cannot sharpen it, as I did not bring anything with me.
There is a huge range of them, with my personal favourites being the Midnight Rose or the Alpine Rose as I really am a sucker for the rose gold details!
Timeless, Classic Designs for Everyone
The Stealth and the Radiant Shine Collection are two of my favourites. They are both timeless, perfect for luxury in a professional setting or just to keep for years. The Stealth is all black – including the nib – which is stunning. It would make a great gift for my husband, to be honest, as he is a big fan of black. The Radiant Shine Series comes in gold, silver and rose gold, which is also stunning and works for everyone. I, personally, love the rose gold (which is called Roselight Veil) and the Silver Sonata, but I think my dad would be a fan of The Elysian Gold.They come in gorgeous journal sets, and a calligraphy set as well!
If you like stationery or know someone who does, shop Ellington Pens this Christmas.
And to save you a little bit of money this Christmas, use the following discount code.
Discount Code:
Code: AUMSOME
Amount: 20%
Valid on most things!
Only valid at Ellington Pens.
Disclaimer: I am affiliated with Ellington Pens and get a small commission if you use my code. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Use “AUMSOME” for 20% off most purchases.
-
Baby Book: The Book of You Review
Recording the memories and moments of my son’s life has been a really important part of my parenting journey. I would love to hand him a book (or books) full of memories on his eighteenth birthday. There are multiple ways that I am doing this and trying to record my parenting journey. Using a notebook can be daunting, sometimes. I hate the idea of “ruining” a page and always overthink my journal entries. One option to limit that is through the use of premade baby journals. After much research, I found the Colour Chronicles and I opted to give it a go. Today, I wanted to share my thoughts of the Book of You.
Colour Chronicles does offer alternative books – such as the Baby Book of You. However, I was specifically drawn to this book for multiple reasons and wanted to give it a go. What captured me most about it was that the book is designed to be filled out once a year, and includes space for the child to write their own entries and thoughts as they get older. I had to see it!
-
CalliFest – A Calligraphy Festival for World Calligraphy Day 2025
Many years ago, I first attended Manuscript’s World Calligraphy Day celebrations and even attended a great event at the Pen Museum in Birmingham – which was great fun. For #StationerySelfCare, I would highly recommend practicing your calligraphy sometime! This year, Manuscript have launched a three day celebration featuring virtual workshops, giveaways and many great products. This event is for anyone who enjoys lettering and calligraphy – whether you’re a professional artist or someone who does it for fun. As a beginner, it is a great way to experience the world too! So whatever your background is, there is definitely a space for you at this year’s CalliFest.
What is CalliFest 2025?
Let’s look at what is happening, shall we?
First of all, the event starts on 14th August and runs until 16th August. The event is completely free – so it is a great time to experience the world of calligraphy without having to pay if you are interested in discovering more!
CalliFest Schedule of events:
Thursday 14th AugustGlitter with the Glass Pen workshop – with Satyam TankLive IG Q&A with Satyam – 10am BSTLive IG class with Anindita Biswas – 1pm BST : Oblique Calligraphy – Spencerian Tips & Offhand BirdsCreative prompt of the day – “Why I write”Friday 15th AugustAn Intro to Copperplate Geometry workshop – with Paul AntonioLive IG Q&A with Paul – 11am BSTCreative prompt of the day – “Your city in script”Saturday 16th AugustColourful Calligraphy Blending workshop – with Milly WithersLive Q&A with Milly – 11am BSTLive IG class with Lyndsey Gribble – 10am BST : Ornamental Bauble MakingCreative prompt of the day – “The golden word”I am really looking forward to Friday’s introduction to Copperplate Geometry the most, personally but they all sound like great fun! I did recently find my glass pen again, so I will need to whip that out for practicing whilst watching the Glitter with the Glass Pen workshop!
In addition to the workshops, there will be many giveaways, discounts and a huge celebration of all things calligraphy or lettering. Be sure to check out your favourite calligraphers or search the hashtag to find some more! Be sure to share your own work too, as it is a great way to connect with others.
Hot tip – if you use their creative prompts and share the results on Instagram, be sure to tag Manuscript for a chance to win one of their amazing giveaways. Manuscript products are always high quality! Find out more about the day over on Instagram or on Manuscript’s website.
-
Updates and Discount Codes
Apologies for the absence, I was on a much needed vacation – seeing many of my friends after what feels like years and returned just as my son’s first teeth were starting to cut through so it has been quite a trying time! However, a lot happened during this absence and I have some several very exciting things coming up to share.
In addition to a few reviews and unboxings that I want to share, there are a few more things happening.
Before I get into them all, quick heads up. Starting 14th August – Manuscript will be celebrating World Calligraphy Day this year with a three day event called Callifest. They have a line up of virtual workshops as well as giveaways. Find out more about that here.
I also have some exciting news about Under the Rowan Trees, an online retailer that won an award at the Stationery Awards this year for being the best. I am a proud ambassador for them for the next six months and get to try out their amazing Rowan Berry Boxes, sharing all of the goodness that I create with you soon!
Image Credit: Archer & Olive products from Under the Rowan Tree They have kindly shared a 10% discount code for all of my readers, which is applicable on their other products – such as the amazing new Archer & Olive products that dropped today. Check it out here and use AUMSOME10 for 10% off any products.
I literally want to buy their entire store but during my vacation, I had the chance to sort through some of my old stationery and I realise just how much stuff I have, so I really do need to do a declutter – and the best way to do that is to use it. So watch this space. As my parents bring me boxes of stationery, I will be tackling each box and creating new things to share!
I also have a few new reviews to share with you once I get a chance to properly take some photos and finish the write up – and expect a new stationery self care bingo sheet soon. It is massively delayed but boy, oh boy, has life been busy for me.
That’s all from me, see you next time!
-
82.5 Million Postcards sent in 20 years of Postcrossing
I cannot believe that Postcrossing has been around for 20 years as of Monday 14th July 2025. That is twenty years of people sending postcards to each other from all over the world! I think that is absolutely amazing. Since international postage is pretty expensive, even on postcards, I have not sent nearly as many as I would have liked to but I do love sending and receiving these little moments of joy on occasion. This week, my email inbox was blocked because it contained tens of thousands of emails and was full. Yet I received no nice letters or postcards in my postbox. Postcrossing is a website that helps to change that – allowing your postbox to start filling up with postcards, instead of just bills.
Postcrossing in numbers
For the last twenty years, over 800K members have joined the site from over 200 countries. They have contributed to sending over eighty-two million postcards. Yes, you read that correctly. To be more precise, over 82.5 million postcards have been received, with thousands more in transit right now. The numbers are incredibly impressive! If you visit the homepage, you will find the most accurate and up-to-date numbers.
Postcrossing in numbers, 18th July 2025. So what exactly is Postcrossing?
Postcrossing is a website where you register to send and receive postcards. For every postcard you send, you should receive one back! The goal is to allow people to send postcards all over the globe and, conversely, to receive them from anywhere.I have noticed that a lot of my post seems to be going to similar countries, where there are more registered users. However, it’s just a numbers game. If there are more individuals from certain countries, you’re more likely to be sending or receiving post from those countries by default.
Getting involved is really simple. All you have to do is sign up onto the website and start sending postcards. You will be given an postcard ID that you have to include on it. You also can see the receiver’s biography, so you can tailor the postcards or messages to them specifically. Then you send it and once they receive it, they input that ID onto the system and it will show up as received!
It is super easy to do. Once you’ve sent some, you will also start to receive some – so make sure your address is accurate.
You can send as many as you want (you will receive roughly the same amount as you send), the only limit is your own time and money. International postage does add up, sadly! The system will cap you by limiting how many you can send in one go but once those have been received, you will be able to send more immediately. The cap (default starts at 5) will also start rising as you send more!
Is it worth it?
Honestly, it is super fun. If I suddenly become rich (or Royal Mail sponsored me), I would be sending them constantly. Sadly, with postage now starting from £3.20+ for a postcard, it is no longer feasible for me to send as many as I would like to send. I need a national version of this! However, what I will likely do is – every so often – send out some postcards. Since you can choose when to send out more (you apply for an ID whenever you want to send one) and you have the freedom to turn accounts to ‘inactive’ whenever you want, it’s easy enough to send a couple whenever you are ready, which I love about this. You don’t need to feel forced to send stuff immediately.
It is incredibly active, though. In the time I took to write this post, over 500 postcards were received!
Visit Postcrossing.com for more information!
-
Selfcare Bingo: With a stationery twist, it is bingo time!
Creative projects that challenge you can make everything much more fun, and what better way than to play some bingo with two of my favourite things – stationery and selfcare? If you are looking for a fun challenge to encourage you to add a little bit of selfcare into your weeks, continue reading for the first stationery selfcare bingo sheet and what each prompt actually means.
-
Mental Health Awareness Week 2025: It’s All About Community
This year, Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from 12th to 18th May, and with a focus on the power of communities, it is perfect for me to return to this little space on the Internet and to try and find my stationery community once more.
Having a community around you that supports you can make a huge difference to your wellbeing. During COVID, one thing that had a huge impact on my mental health and kept me going was having an online community that I could stay in touch with from the comfort of my own home, so I did not feel trapped indoors. Staying connected with friends and family is vital. I have heard this a lot since I got pregnant, but “it takes a village to raise a child”, and those who have that supportive group are often much happier than those without. Our local communities are just as. important, offering you a space to go outside and socialise.
-
National Stationery Week 2025: Ways To Get Involved!
Yes, stationery lovers rejoice because you heard it right – it is time for National Stationery Week 2025! This is such a fun week for anyone who loves using stationery, and it is a great thing for retailers to get involved with. There is something for everyone! National Stationery Week is also in partnership with the London Stationery Show, which I absolutely LOVED attending in previous years. (I am honestly so gutted that I can’t attend this year) but this is a trade show not open to the general public.
However, there’s definitely some great things open to everyone!
-
Stationery SelfCare: The Creative Wellbeing Challenge for Stationery Lovers
Do you love stationery and want to practice selfcare? This project is for you! Perhaps you like challenging yourself, trying new things and experimenting to see what works best for you? Maybe you already know exactly what helps improve your wellbeing! Either way, Stationery Selfcare offers prompts and ideas for those moments when you want to do something but perhaps you’re unsure of what to do, or you are feeling a little overwhelmed and do not want to think too much.
And what better time to launch the project than Mental Health Awareness Week and National Stationery Week? It seems almost fated that the two should align perfectly for the occasion.
-
Rewriting my Stationery Blog: A New Chapter
Hi, my fellow stationery lovers! I am absolutely thrilled to return to this little stationery corner. And to start sharing my story once more on this stationery blog. After a data crash last year, I managed to lose the contents of my blog – and it was heartbreaking, to be honest. It was like my precious journal had been shredded. However, I have managed to find a very old backup and will slowly work to recover the old posts from the archive, where possible.
What better time to start the new journal than now, ready for my favourite week of the year – National Stationery Week – which starts on Monday!
