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Keeping in Touch:  Do you have a special pen?  |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Aunt Clemys Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Linda
MA
USA
157 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 02 2008 : 9:54:59 PM
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Pens as like old treasured friends. I have a restored desk full of pens, working and retired, each having a story to tell. On the days email (home and work) becomes too much, I take out the stacks of papers, and begin simple letters. Pen to paper takes you away to another time, less harried and stressed. And best of all the joy given to others who eiher grew up in a time letters were the norm ---or a suprise to those who depend upon email. I have my paternal gramdparents love letter encased in celloid albums popular in the early 1900's. Their penmanship is a work of art. Two years ago a friend gave hubby and I an old teachers's desk from te 1940's. No room but still hanging on with hopes of moving in into the kitchen, That would make a perfect station for all the pens, inks and papers pm top. Does anyone still write letters on ocasion? Does anyone collect old typewrites? We found a Smith Corolla, baby blue, still in original case at a church sale $5.00 a steal of a deal !!!and one from the 30;s but in bad shape while in Ocuqqunquit, Maine for a day trip.
Aunt Clemy's Farm Girl
Kansas to Massachusetts |
Edited by - Aunt Clemys Farm Girl on Aug 02 2008 10:00:59 PM |
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NadKnitBlog
True Blue Farmgirl
72 Posts
Nadine
Nalbach
Saarland
Germany
72 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2008 : 01:19:14 AM
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I have an old manual typewriter that belonged to my father- I love using it occasionally though it takes a lot of force to move the keys, it sure is different from a keyboard on the computer. But I lovr it dearly.
Nadine is Farmgirl Sister #262 (the only one in Europe so far!) and she blogs at http://nadsknittingblog.blogspot.com/ and knits on Ravelry as Nadknitblog and on Plurk she is NadKnitBlog too! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2008 : 06:21:38 AM
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I write letters to my grandparents and for the Mail Art project! :D Sometimes I write others, but I always forget to get them mailed!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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electricdunce
True Blue Farmgirl
2544 Posts
Karin
Belmont
ME
USA
2544 Posts |
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proudnanaof3
True Blue Farmgirl
54 Posts
Kim
Denton
NC
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2008 : 4:05:30 PM
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I do not have a special brand of pen, but I love to use fine point gel pens. I have become so spoiled to them that I have a time remembering to bear down with a regular ball point. I often fill in forms with small amount of space to write so I love a pen that is .07 and comfortable to hold. Sometimes just finding one that writes is my favorite because I seem to always be in a hurry.
Farmgirl Sister #295
If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. Booker T. Washington |
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lacisne88
True Blue Farmgirl
1181 Posts
Chelsey
Lake Stevens
Washington
USA
1181 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2008 : 3:46:14 PM
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I don't have a special pen, but when I was younger my Grandpa gave me an old style ink pen that came in a lovely wooden case. I still have it but it is stored away somewhere. This thread makes me want to dig it out and start using it again. It always made me feel special when I wrote with it.
Chelsey
Farmgirl Sister #283
http://farmgirlpleasures.blogspot.com/ |
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NadKnitBlog
True Blue Farmgirl
72 Posts
Nadine
Nalbach
Saarland
Germany
72 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2008 : 07:35:58 AM
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My scented inks have come in and oh boy. I am in love. I bought converters for my fountain pens and I am so pleased with my selection. The non-scented ones are great too. I really enjoy them all.
Nadine is Farmgirl Sister #262 (the only one in Europe so far!) and she blogs at http://nadsknittingblog.blogspot.com/ and knits on Ravelry as Nadknitblog and on Plurk she is NadKnitBlog too! |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2008 : 3:29:18 PM
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| So Nadine, what inks did you get? I was just at the Washington DC Pen Supershow last weekend and picked up a few new colors made by trusted companies, so i havew ink on the mind (as well as on all my fingers :-) I'd love to hear about your scents, too. |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2008 : 3:30:20 PM
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| Chelsey, I hope you will indeed get that pen out of mothballs! Pens deserve to be used! (And you deserve to feel special.) |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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NadKnitBlog
True Blue Farmgirl
72 Posts
Nadine
Nalbach
Saarland
Germany
72 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2008 : 08:04:57 AM
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Rosemary,
the inks I got are all by a company called De Atramentis. They make historical inks (not to be used in fountain pens! They clearly say so on the website though!) as well as a wide variety of scented and unscented inks for fountain pens. Some named after famous people, some for special purposes......
So I have the following scented ones:
Wood- brown- wood scent
Witch- black- incense
Vanilla- nearly black dark brown/purple- vanilla (doh!)
Coffee- brown
Chocolate- brown too
Teacher- red- lemony lavender
Green Tea- pale green
Jasmine- orange
and then there is Halloween ink- orange, Jane Austen- dark green and a special one- ink made from real wine- in my case from a Montepulciano red from Tuscany!
They work really well- along with the ink in pretty and heavy glass jars by the way, came converters for ALL my pens. Good bye cartridges.... And what a difference the converter barrels make- my cross pen was a pest really- tiny cartridges, empty in minutes it seemed. I like it so much better now. The new ones apparently always come with the converters but mine was on sale and did not come with one.
Nadine is Farmgirl Sister #262 (the only one in Europe so far!) and she blogs at http://nadsknittingblog.blogspot.com/ and knits on Ravelry as Nadknitblog and on Plurk she is NadKnitBlog too! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2008 : 11:56:16 AM
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Okay Ladies! Especially Rosemary(I got the package! Yay!)!
Can you give me a run down on how to write with dip ink pens? I have this set of dip-ink calligraphy pens from Rosemary. They are beautiful and the pen is so much fun!
How many inches of writing should I expect before re-dipping? How far into the ink should I dip? How do I prevent blots/ lots of ink coming all at once? What angle should I write at? Should I clean the nibs after writing? What do I clean them with?
Thanks!!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2008 : 3:30:03 PM
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Alee, I'm so glad you got your package. (Eavesdropping farmgirls, what we're talking about is a calligraphy set in a cool box, with Herbin inks and a dip pen with a variety of interchangeable nibs for calligraphy.)
There is no set rule for how long before dips. That's a matter of trial and discovery, part of the handmade fun of calligraphy. I recommend you visit your library for books on calligraphy. Our local Borders had one a whie ago that sold for only about $5 that I thought was pretty good.
To start your own discovery, I'd recommend you start with one of the fine-pointed nibs, rather than the broad ones. Open one of the bottles of ink, dip the pen point into it, and write your name. Let your hand provide varying degrees of pressure to see if this changes the look of the marks you make. Let your hand "swish" a bit as you write -- don't scrunch all up and try to write teeny-weeny. Dip and fountain pens are not like pencils or ball points. They can scratch and tear the paper if you pull them in directions they don't want to go, and this can damage the nibs, too.
Enjoy! |
Edited by - Rosemary on Aug 16 2008 3:48:08 PM |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2008 : 3:47:03 PM
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Nadine, your scents sound bewitching (especially Witch!) I've written with some inks made with very old recipes (the "iron gall" type used by our forefathers among them. I've also used the fine sand (called pounce) they used to speed the drying process. Very interesting experience. I'm sure you'll enjoy using these inks.
If you ever have cartridge-type pens that don't accept your converters, you know you can reuse the cartridges. You just need a hypodermic needle with a fairly large needle to rinse them clean and refill them from one of your jars of fountain-pen-friendly inks. You can get them from vet clinics. The drug store kind are usually too fine.
I can just imagine how much fun you're having with your new treats! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2008 : 10:15:03 PM
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Alee, you have to experiment, as if you were dipping a paint brush into a can of latex wall paint. Don't be afraid! Just dip the nib into the ink until it gets enough ink on it for you to write. Different sized nibs will pick up ink at different rates, so start with a shallow dip and see how that works for you.
When you're finished writing, you should rinse off the pen and any nibs you've used (plain likewarm tap water is fine), then blot them with paper towels or lint-free cloth and let them air-dry completely before you put them away. (This advice applies only to dippng pens and water-based inks.)
If you get ink stains on your fingers -- and I guarantee you will -- try cleaning up with Boraxo or one of two products made for this very purpose: Amodex or Ink-Nix. You might have to get them online. http://www.pendemonium.com is one source. Google the product names for others. |
Edited by - Rosemary on Aug 16 2008 10:37:14 PM |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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K-Falls Farmgirl
Chapter Leader
2096 Posts
Cheryl
Klamath Falls
Oregon
USA
2096 Posts |
Posted - Sep 24 2008 : 8:08:55 PM
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WOW, Those pens remind me of penmanship classes in grade school.. Our desks had an ink bottle hole drilled in each one. Memories... I have just been lurking and read this discovery... Awesome!
Cheryl #309
Farm girl sister
Keep life simple, to Simply live. Life is too short to worry about it. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2008 : 12:06:45 PM
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[quote]Originally posted by K-Falls Farmgirl
WOW, Those pens remind me of penmanship classes in grade school.. Our desks had an ink bottle hole drilled in each one. Memories... I have just been lurking and read this discovery... Awesome!
Cheryl, we had those desks, too. I can't remember if we had the little glass inkwells that slipped into the holes, though; just the holes. Mostly, I remember those Skrip ink bottles ("Washable Blue") with the little reservoir inside where you would dip your fountain pen to fill it. I have an old bottle that I open now and then just for the wonderful fragrance.
"Reality has a well-known liberal bias." Stephen Colbert |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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NadKnitBlog
True Blue Farmgirl
72 Posts
Nadine
Nalbach
Saarland
Germany
72 Posts |
Posted - Dec 14 2008 : 04:47:15 AM
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Me too. Sadly I was just not in the letter-writing mode in the past couple of weeks, my rooms at home are still undergoing major renovations and the only time I picked up a pen.... it was for grading at work! I look forward to using a non-red pen soon! :)
Nadine is Farmgirl Sister #262 (the only one in Europe so far!) and she blogs at http://nadsknittingblog.blogspot.com/ and knits on Ravelry as Nadknitblog and on Plurk she is NadKnitBlog too! |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Keeping in Touch: Do you have a special pen? |
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Do you have a special pen?
