Nope. Turns out I hadn't somehow stumbled into an alternate Etsy-verse. Bullet journals are a THING that has taken the crafting and paper-minded world by storm. Now, anyone who has known me for long enough realizes I've got a bit of an office supply store fetish. Michael's comes a close second. I've mostly weaned myself off of buying a ton of craft and paper supplies through multiple moves and an unwillingness to lug around things that I almost never use.

This bullet journal thing though really hit me where I live. It's pretty, creative, AND has to do with paper and writing! I spent about two days watching calligraphy videos and practicing with bad pens while waiting for an order of the suggested pens to come in. Could it be that for once I might find something that I not only liked to look at but also had fun doing?

The pens came in, I played with them and have been having fun learning calligraphy from another set of YouTube videos. Today, I finally decided to create my bullet journal. I sat down with new pens, new journal, my metal ruler, and a lot of hope. I started with the calendar pages, as the videos had suggested. Of course, it's March, so I began three months into the year. I numbered the pages, made sections for goals and word count. The first three months were cool. Four, five, and six, I started to wonder what I'd gotten myself into and why I wasn't working on my WIP. By the last three, I had remembered why I keep trackers on my laptop and not on paper. They don't need an eraser or white-out to correct the mistakes.

I find people who can do crafting and make pretty things inspiring. I love buying their pretty things and playing with them to relax. I'd say I'd like to be one of the gifted paper crafty types, but my craft is writing. Words are what I put my character skill points into, and they are mostly what I enjoy sculpting with. I track my word count and outline my stories in a giant spreadsheet. I'll share it sometime. It's not pretty, but it works for me. Still, watching this YouTube video is one of the most relaxing things I've done in a while. The music and the illustrations are a little slice of bliss. Oh, and my new pens aren't too shabby either.

Whether you're a word warrior, artist, or crafter, how do you track your year and projects? A bujo or another method?

Stay gr8!

​~K8

A few years ago I did a random E-Bay search of "inkwells" and found this brass beauty. I don't recall why I did the search or what I was hoping to find. I might have been researching a story, or I might have been hit by a Pinterest-inspired search impulse. Whatever the impetus, I never expected to find something so intricate. I never knew inkwells could be more than little pots.

I took the inkwell to an antique store to find out how I might fix the pin at the back of the helmet. It had fallen out and I wasn't sure if I should do more than just slipping it back in place. While he was looking at the inkwell, the antiques dealer said it was probably circa 1850 and French, but he didn't know much else about it.

It's definitely brass--not only is it super heavy, but you can smell the brass. I should probably shine it up, but I kind of like the patina. Plus, getting in all of those crevices would be a bear. I'm betting a guy with servants owned this thing.

Looking at the face makes me smile. This dude looks so old and grumpy--like he sat for a portrait in his old suit of armor and grumbled for hours while they sculpted him. Such a character! When you open it, the feathers prop open the helmet. It's a pretty sweet design. I tried to find more like it on the internet, but haven't come across any this intricate.

Do you collect inkwells or know anything about the antique variety? Do you have one you like best? Please share in the comments. And, if you can tell me anything more about mine, I'd love to know!

Thanks for dipping into my post!

Stay gr8!

~K8