notebookism

Cool Tool: Levenger Circa Notebook

"I've been using Levenger's products for about 10 years, most notably their Circa notebooks. The ring-based binding allows not only quick removal and replacement of pages, but also a nice mix and match format for a variety of sheets, including ruled, blank, grid, address book, calendar, and more. I have a couple leather covers that I change around a bit to reduce wear on the notebooks. I tend to walk around with a normal junior size Circa notebook (about 5"x8") with pages of several types inside, including little contact information cards, 3x5s, etc. Sometimes I'll take a page out and offset it by one ring so it sticks out above the others to denote a new section (though I believe they have all kinds of dividers and such now). The rings themselves, though plastic, are sturdy and heavy -- notably better than the Rollabind notebook. The paper is a fairly heavy stock with good absorption and a great feel when writing on it with either rollerballs or fountain pens. The line printing is subtle but clear and it comes in a variety of layouts, though I tend to stick with the Columbia note taking system layout (with a column down the left-hand side), which used to be their only offering. They also sell paper in larger packs of 300, so I tend to keep a couple reams on hand. The hole puncher from Levenger is also a well-machined thing..."

Mike Wilson @ Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools

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Happy Leap Year Day!

From BoingBoing:

"To celebrate Leap Year, Doty sent out this delightful card of a Rube Goldberg-style machine designed to get you out of bed. Doty sends out a card for nearly every season and holiday. I think it's because he finds a lot of joy in life..."

LINK

via Mark Frauenfelder

Studio Matador

I just received a sample from Studo Matador in Australia and literally had to take a second look at these eminently beautiful works of exquisite craftsmanship (hence this repost); with my own shots this time:

"The collection is inspired by the philosophy of Wabi Sabi, a celebration of the unconventional and imperfect. The impermanent and incomplete nature of the notebooks allows the end user to instill their own aesthetic and inspiration, to finish what has remained unfinished.

The section sewn binding technique, a method that uses threads to hold signatures or sections together of a book, has been embraced for its handmade craftsmanship. This distinguishing feature allows the notebook to lay flat when open. 

The key element of the notebooks however is the relationship between StudioMatador and the artists they commission. Contemporary artists from around the world are given creative license to submit a unique and as yet 'unpublished' piece. The work is then reinterpreted in line with the StudioMatador design aesthetic to arrive at the final product.   
Released bi-annually, this unisex notebook series deliver a rare beauty that yearns discovery. Artists commissioned previously include Kat Mcleod, Tobias Rottger, Alpha60, Pandarosa and Mark Kayler-Thompson – well known in their individual creative fields.   

Unfinished and Unpublished is a range of  monochromatic notebooks hoping to inspire and engage by showcasing unpublished artwork in this personal yet simple, everyday object.Recommended for writing, daydreaming, drawing, sketching, doodling... anyone got a pen?"

Visit Studio Matador

Almost a G2, almost.

Joyce sent us this shot of a G2 look-alike.

" this looks kinda like a G2, cept it is shorter about the height of a moleskine"

Original post is here.

Blank Page # 82

Every Wednesday at Notebookism we open a "Blank Page" -  your chance to ask, answer and discuss anything notebook-related.  Keep it nice, keep it relevant.

Blank Page, an Open Thread.

French Palais Royal Carnet du Bal

Here's one of those notebooks again:

French Palais royal carnet du Bal in carved Mother of Pearl with ivory paged days of the week. Monday  thru saturday...

Approx. 1 3.4 by 3 inches.

Raised carving of a urn with 3 doves. Quite Beautiful. A gold gilt latch in good wotking condition.

Interior has 6 ivory pages which are scalloped to match the design of the holder. Elegant Workmanship.

Back is a scalloped piece of mother of pearl.
The piece is quite heavy and much better than a lot of the souvenir faire.

In wonderful condition with just wear to the ivory pages and some old writing.

eBay Item # 230224920191

How do cats meow in Japanese?

Walk through the narrow streets of Kyoto, the ancient capital of The Land of the Rising Sun, and one thing you will notice aside from the quaint shops (and if you are lucky, the beautiful and enigmatic Geishas), are the army of cats. They are all over the place, they can easily outnumber the Shinto monks guarding the centuries-old temples. Cats, or neko, are a highly-revered animal in Japan. They even came up with a beckoning cat ornament for good luck. And here’s a bit of trivia about Niponggo, they don’t meow, they purr and say, “nyan-nyan.” If you know this stuff, you’ll understand Taiyo Fujii’s fascination of the feline class.

More at Rhodia Drive

Project: Customizing a Journal

Martha (yes, that Martha) has a notebook project for you:)

Made from ordinary composition books, these personalized journals make great kids' crafts and thoughtful gifts -- especially when their covers are designed to inspire their contents. A color photocopy of a flower-shrub glossary graces Martha's gardening journal, but just about any type of sturdy, decorative paper, including maps and wallpaper, can be used. You might create a children's travel diary, a book of baby's firsts, or a baseball-statistics book for your favorite sports enthusiast. As always, make sure that children use a craft knife only under adult supervision.

Learn more at MSL

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The Art of Pen Spinning

The "Sonic Reverse." The "Double Charge Combo." The "Thumb Around." What do these terms have in common? Get your mind out of the gutter. They're pen spinning tricks. And they're just a couple of the dozens of moves that are taught and exchanged online throughout the worldwide pen spinning community. Pen spinning is as self-explanatory as it sounds. You've probably seen people in classes and meetings doing it for years. It involves spinning and/or twirling a pen between and around one's fingers and hands. But when people like world-renowned pen spinner Kam Kuo do it, it becomes less mindless exercise and more artform. One of Kuo's online videos was viewed more than 2 million times, and he recently became the spokesman for a new line of pens designed specifically for spinning. (You can write with them, too.)

The Art of Pen Spinning
Read (and listen) to the full report at NPR

Vintage French Bistro Order Pads

Unused, vintage Bistro Order Pads found at market in the city of Blois, France.  Supplied by beverage companies, they were a popular form of advertising in the café culture of France.

Keep a pad on your desk at work & even the most tedious notes will somehow seem more interesting.  Keep a pad at home by the telephone for all those important messages from headquarters.  Keep a pad on your night stand to jot down your brilliant ideas and your fascinating dreams before they are lost to slumber.

P.O.S.H. Chicago

Of course, don't forget these classic French notebooks.