Rainbows of pens and little pots filled with erasers. Cloth bound journals. If you are drooling at the thought of these things, chances are you too are a stationery addict. You know what they say about addiction. Feeding it only makes it worse.
Well. Stationery isn’t the worst addiction to have.
Being a blogger, I spend a lot of time looking at pictures of other people’s stuff. Shiny, pretty stuff. Yes, I know it is all curated but I can’t help making a mental wish list. One of my biggest weaknesses is posts about pens and notebooks. Forget the make-up and theatre-trips and far flung holidays. All it would take to please me is a pretty journal and a collection of pens.
Here are some of the things which fill me with stationery envy. And a little envy is good, right? It means what you have is worthy of admiration. 
Dot paper
Blogging and networking on social media has brought me into contact with bullet-journals. You can hardly avoid the photographs of mood trackers and months-at-a-glance and birthday lists. Why would you want to? It’s the best thing since photographs of cheesecake. I could happily binge on pictures of people’s bullet-journal creations.
Recently I have been made aware that the secret to a good bullet-journal is dot paper. It is like the structure which underpins the art. I would love to mess around with dot-paper, although the first time I became aware of my astigmatism was when I used isometric dot paper in maths lessons. I find it very difficult to focus on dot paper.
Fine-liners
I have invested in a small number of fine-liners. Occasionally I draw, and outline my work with fine-liners. I have accepted that I will never be a cartoonist, but I haven’t gotten over my love of fine-liners. It starts before I’ve taken the lid off. Look how you can line them up by nib size. Look at those numbers on the lid. My inner-geek is already excited.
Post-it wallets
I have a healthy collection of post-its and sticky tabs. I use tabs to mark out plot points in books and I have recently experimented with post-it notes during the plotting of my own stories. (Verdict? Great idea but don’t get hung up on it. Sometimes you need to write first.) Anyways, I’m still envious of people whose post-it notes are held in one beautiful wallet. Just look at those things!
Pencil Rolls
Especially if it is filled with expensive art pencils. Oh, I can’t colour, not to save my life, but I want that pencil roll. I went to school with a talented artist who used to spread her pencil collection out across the school desk. So much easier than fishing around in a pencil case. Just add the beret and the cappuccino and my perfect cliché is complete.
Massive sketchbooks
You know those sketchbooks you see in art shops and small-chain bookshops? The ones which you could lie down on? Yep, you know the ones. They cost a fortune but the paper is glorious.
This is not about the desire to be an artist. This is about the desire to make huge mind-maps and write non-stop notes. This is about drawing diagrams of plot (because, as those of you who’ve kept up with my writing know, I like a good plot diagram. Too much. These days I limit my diagram time to weekends and holidays, but I still love them.)
Brush pens
Another throw-back to childhood and my friend who had a stash of art equipment. Those anime pens? The ones where you can buy 46 shades of the same colour? When I was 15 I nearly spent my life-savings on them. It wouldn’t have done any good. There is a knack to using them and my attempts looked like toddler-scribble. These days I am better sticking to my own hobbies, although I could happily devote a draw to these pens.
Ex-Libris Stamps
Oh deepest wishes and ridiculous fantasies. Up there with the oak bookshelves and the ladder on wheels, except this one would be easier to sneak into the house. I have researched ex-libris stamps but have never found the perfect one. It would probably be bespoke.
Fountain Pens
I own fountain pens and ink pens and roller-balls. It is no good. I am chronically left-handed and angle my pen from the top of the paper in something known as a crab-claw.
Given that my parents and 6/7 of my primary teachers were right-handed it is little wonder I didn’t learn to handwrite with much success.) Think smudged paper. Think ink down the side of my hand. And on my face. And anywhere my hand happened to touch.
Blogging planner
My mid-year diary system is put to shame by the dedicated blogging planners available online. The ones which encourage you to think out the premise of each piece before you type. The ones with little boxes to plan out images and links. The ones with a tick-box for when the post is published. Oh, the satisfaction of a tick-box.
My current system involves a week-view diary. I highlight the post with green highlighter when it is scheduled.
Mini-erasers
The most whimsical item on my list. Mini-erasers have come a long way in recent years. Guys, you can buy unicorn-shaped erasers. Collections themed around mermaids. Itty-bitty pots filled with eraser goodness. Paperchase even did an eraser advent calendar. I would never in a century use such things to rub my work out, but why wouldn’t you? It’s like fairy-dust for pencil cases.
What would you like to add to your stationery hoard? Let me know in the comments below.
Louise Nettleton.
Linton Tweed is best known for its connections with Coco Channel. It is the fabric she used for her skirts. The business is in my region, and there is an outlet shop which sells everything from cushions to clothes, notebooks to off-cuts of material. 
Moomin Notepad* 
The Moomin shop in Convent Garden is one of my favourite London haunts. Moomins are my little bit of hygge. Just looking at them makes me feel safe and warm. 
