Let's Talk Paper

Loving letters, I've grown very particular about the paper on which I write. If you've received a letter from me in the last year, chances are it was written on ivory G. Lalo Vergé de France laid paper. It is hands down my favorite paper to write one. I like it so much, when I got my first job out of law school, I ordered 250 pages of it with matching envelopes for writing thank you notes.

The Vergé de France is a luxurious French paper. Differing from the American preference for 100% cotton in premier papers, the French prefer a blend. I read some time ago the French prefer 30% cotton and 70% wood pulp in their premier papers, as the cotton fibers add a nice feel to the paper but, because of the long fiber length, 100% cotton paper is too limp for French sensibilities. By blending cotton fiber with wood pulp, the French produce a stiff paper with a fine feel.

Possibly because of this unique composition, I believe Vergé de France is 25% cotton 75% wood pulp, the paper takes fountain pen ink very well. Ink dries on the paper almost immediately, even when applied with the wettest of nibs. 

As it's sold through several online stores, popular with the fountain pen crowd, I thought everyone knew of the Vergé de France. And, naturally, I assumed everyone loved it the way I do. So, when I began listening to the Fountain Pen Geeks Podcast (which I highly recommend), I was confused when they gave all their devotion to Clairefontaine and Rhodia paper. I was also thrown when the hosts expressed their displeasure with J. Herbin inks. 

So, I took it upon myself to write the Geeks a letter. To make a point, I wrote the letter on Vergé de France with J. Herbin Cacao du Bresil, using my favorite pen. I noted the paper on which I wrote, and as to the inks, pointedly asked, "What gives?"

Well, I was positively tickled when the Geeks read my letter on the air. It spawned a ten minute conversation on the Vergé de France and J. Herbin ink. The consensus was: the ink is awesome, and the paper is superior to Rhodia and Clairefontaine for writing letters. Appropriately, the Geeks gave away a pad of the Vergé de France during the show. To top it off, Geek Eric sent me a response, written on champagne Vergé de France, in a matching envelope, with Cacao du Bresil, which he purchased after receiving my letter. Please forgive the Charlie Sheen reference, but: #WINNING.

Giveaway: Vintage Letterhead Sample Packs

I'm in the middle of a transition which requires me to create space in my home. Part of that process involves going through all my letter writing paraphernalia. And, wouldn't you know it? I have more than I require. A couple of years ago, when I had only temporary access to a color laser printer, I printed a bunch of refurbished vintage letterhead images onto half sheets of paper. Shortly thereafter, I lost them. 

Today I found the stash. 

Because I don't need so many copies, I'd like to give some away to you, dear readers. I have three packs of seven letterheads, printed on Southworth 25% cotton, linen finish paper, which I'll be giving away at random. There are two ways to enter this giveaway, first by commenting on this post with your favorite writing implement or favorite color ink, and second, by Tweeting "I'm entered in the vintage letterhead #giveaway at http://bit.ly/xdcOYg via @EverydayCorresp".

You may earn one entry per described entry method. So long as you live on the planet Earth, you are eligible to win. Entries must be received by 12:01 a.m. p.m. eastern time on Monday, March 12, 2012. I'll announce the winners in a post sometime on Monday afternoon. Winners will then have to contact me with their mailing address for delivery.

Enter quickly via Tweet

The Pen is Mightier, But...

It's 65 and sunny in Washington, D.C. Spring is in the air. As such, I'm feeling mighty green. So, today I pulled back the curtains, threw open the windows, and wrote a letter while sitting in the sun.

Feeling a tad industrious, I printed off the newly refurbished Smith Premier Typewriter Co. vintage letterhead image onto 28 lb. Hammermill color copy paper. Then, I picked up my desperately in need of cleaning Parker 45 loaded with Platinum Blue Black ink, began writing - and then promptly capped the pen an tossed the sheet of paper. The 45 was skipping and the Blue Black was bringing me down.

Because each of my vintage fountain pens requires repair, I took a chance on my first fountain pen purchase, a steel-nibbed Waterman Kultur. To load it, I cracked a new bottle of J. Herbin Vert Empire. It was sooo worth it. A fresh pen and some green ink kicked my mood into high gear, and I think the result was a pretty good letter.

Finishing the whole thing off with one of my Levenger paper clips and a homemade envelope made from green card stock.

Normally, I'd wait for a letter to arrive in the mailbox of its recipient before posting about it. But my afternoon cheer didn't want to wait to share The Smith Premier Typewriter Co. image with you, dear readers. If vintage letterheads are your thing, the image is now available for download in the Vintage Letterhead Image Archive. I'm pretty proud of this image, it's relatively good quality and I love the company logo of a typewriter atop a sword and plume, with the line, "The pen is mightier than the sword, but the Smith Premier Typewriter bends them both." Plus, that capital "P" is gorgeous.

Personalizing Correspondence with Recycled Materials

I have a creative pen pal, who makes fantastic mail using mostly recycled papers. Although we've fallen a tad out of contact (my fault), I enjoyed our back and forth just as much for the materials we used in our communications as the actual words we wrote.

The above two pictures in this post are from her most recent letter to me. She folded a magazine page into an envelope and used daily calendar pages as stationery. That's a tough one to respond to.

So, I wrote my letter on paper made from sugarcane waste, called bagasse. And, I made my own envelope from a brown paper bag - a great durable material to cover packages and letters for delivery though the post.

To finish off the letter, I used a Go Green stamp. I'm sure there's more I could do, but I need some suggestions. What recycled materials do you use to enhance your letters?

Old School Writing Instruments Featured on New $100 Bill

As noted by the Crane Insider, the United States Treasury just unveiled the new design for the $100 bill, printed on Crane paper, like dollar bills of other denominations.

The new design prominently features a quill pen and an ink well. Thus, it receives the Official Everyday Correspondence Stamp of Approval.

Adventures in Letterpress: Save Our Date Edition

Finally! I am in the calm between the mid-semester flurry and the final exam crush. To fill my time, I've put in many hours on the printing press to turn out a couple of projects for myself and some friends.

I finished this run of 75 save the date cards a couple of days ago. The hand lettering was done by the delightful Lisa Ridgely. The rest of the design was done by me, using my new favorite tech toy, Adobe Illustrator. The cards were printed on 110 lb. florescent white Crane Lettra, a luxurious paper designed specifically for letterpress printing.

Every time I do a run on one of my presses, I find new ways to increase the efficiency of my process. This time around, I took a tip from Boxcar Press that they made for hand inking photopolymer plates (seen above) and requested that they not trim the edges of my photopolymer plate order. I then took those edges and used them as bearer strips along the sides of the plate I was inking. These bearers keep my roller (also known as a brayer) level and at the same height as the plate while inking. This little trick facilitated more uniform ink coverage on the plate, and it saved me a bunch of time in not having to wipe up smudges accidentally left by my uneven hand on parts of the plate I didn't want printed (the blue areas in the image above).

I also took the sage advice of a poster on the letterpress listserv from the University of New Brunswick that I subscribe to, and built my own drying racks. The above rack cost me a total of $3 to make. I used two slinkies ($1 each at Target) and taped them to a piece of scrap wood ($1 in the As Is section at IKEA). It was super cheap to construct, holds a good amount of paper, and saves me tons of space. Before, I was laying cards out flat on every flat surface in my home!

Next project: personal calling cards.

Quo Vadis Habana Notebook Review

The crown jewel of last week's package from Karen at Exaclair was this new Quo Vadis Habana notebook. It's got a nice semi-flexible cover made with supple faux leather, as opposed to the smooth, stiff fake leather cover of a Moleskine.


To demonstrate the flexibility of the cover, and the size of the Habana's inside pocket, I placed my trusty little Moleskine inside.


Voila! It still closes... albeit with a little bulge.


Made from 80 sheets (160 pages when both sides are counted) of 90 g Clairefontaine paper, the Habana is also almost as thick as a 192 page Moleskine notebook.


And, the Habana also has a Moleskine style woven tassel, which I much prefer to the Piccadilly style ribbon tassel.

Well... that was quick. I figure that you can tell more about the Habana from looking at up close pictures that you can by me trying my hardest to describe it. But wait, you're probably asking, tell us more about the paper, that's what we really want to know about! Well, friends, for that you'll have to check back tomorrow, when I will post my J. Herbin Diabolo Menthe Review, as written on Quo Vadis Habana notebook paper.

See you then!

EDIT: Link to ink review now active.

GREAT Mail Day

Wednesdays are my days that never home, and I rarely get to open my mailbox till 10 o'clock at night. And yesterday, I really needed an evening pick me up. As luck would have it, it was a great mail day. Along with a package of new stamps, a letter from a pen pal, came a thick envelope from Karen Doherty of Exaclair, the U.S. distributor of all my favorite ink and paper products.


About a week ago, I responded to a post on the Quo Vadis Blog to receive a free Quo Vadis Habana notebook, for the purpose of reviewing it on Everyday Correspondence. Sure enough, that was in the package I received last night... along with a hefty Clairefontaine notebook, a pad of my favorite G. Lalo paper and two bottles of J. Herbin ink, Diabolo Menthe and Vert Reseda. When I opened the package, I ran my hands across all the goodies, as though my fingers were taste buds and the papers were prime rib covered in a delicious au jus.

Once I had taken it all in, I observed that all of the freshly arrived items were green, in one way or another. Then, I remembered reading on the Quo Vadis blog that Clairefontaine had recently changed the ink it uses to rule the paper to a more eco-friendly water-based formula that uses vegetable based pigments. This, to add to Clairefontaine's existing PEFC certification.


In simple terms, to receive PEFC certification, the forest from which the paper pulp was obtained must meet certain standards of sustainability. Oooooh, paper I can feel good about.


Although I look forward to reviewing the Habana notebook, my favorite of Karen's gifts are the pad of G. Lalo Verge de France paper and the J. Herbin inks. Frequent visitors may remember my adoration for the Verge de France line of papers, as I have it in both ivory and pink. But, I had no idea that it came in green! I'm so excited about it that I think I'm going to make a green themed letter in response to the pen pal letter I received yesterday.

Thank you, Karen, for helping to make a good mail day a great mail day.

Everyday Correspondence has no affiliation with Exaclair and the products it distributes. The free Quo Vadis planner featured in this post was given only in exchange for my agreement to review it on this site. All other freebies in this post were given freely and without strings.

Contest: Lined Rhodia Notebook!

I'm incredibly grateful for those of your readers that have followed Everyday Correspondence during these last many weeks that I've been posting infrequently. So, as a token of my appreciation, I would like to send one of you current Google Followers (chosen randomly) one of these two Rhodia notebooks, in your choice of either orange or black.


I would then like to give away the second notebook to a randomly selected Google Follower, new or old, that is listed as following Everyday Correspondence as of 1:00 PM EDT on Tuesday, September 29, 2009.

The winner for the first part of the contest, applying only to existing followers, has already been selected, however, the name will not be announced until Tuesday the 29th, along with the second winner. Winners will have 72 hours to provide a mailing address via e-mail following announcement the announcement of their names before a new winner is selected to take their place.

Both winners will be selected by using the random number generator hosted by Random.org.

Paid Advertisement: 1-800-Recycling

1-800-Recycling is a new website all about helping people to live more eco-friendly lives. The site offers suggestions about how to recycle everything from vegetable oil, batteries, televisions and paper. One of the features I thought to be really cool is the list of links by state that list recycling centers for a variety of different products. For example, I didn't know that Home Depot would take old florescent bulbs or that Lens Crafters would accept old eyeglasses. But I do now.

I most appreciated, however, an article on the site about bamboo fibers. I've seen many papers out there that are starting to incorporate natural fibers, aside from cotton, like bamboo. I always just assumed that they were more environmentally conscious, but thanks to 1-800-Recycling, I now know what logos and certifications to look for when buying bamboo products, like paper.

*cue NBC chimes*
The More You Know.

This post is a paid advertisement for 1800Recycling.com. Everyday Correspondence advertises only for products and services that it actually endorses and feels will be of actual interest to its readership.

"Dear Avis, "

I caught a matinee of Julie & Julia on Friday, and it tickled both the side of me that loves food an the side that loves to write letters.

The delight of my inner foodie is obvious, the parallel stories of how Julia Child came to cook and another woman's journey to self discovery by cooking her way through Julia's cookbook. The part about writing letters, however, was a total surprise! It doesn't spoil the story to know, but the story of Julia Child's time in Paris was compiled (via Julia's autobiography) by sorting through Julia's letters to her pen pal, Avis, back in the United States. And, in the movie (as well as in reality, I'm guessing) Julia's letters play a critical role in her success publishing her cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

On top of my general interest in letter writing, I found it fantastic that Julia Child wrote on Clairefontaine notebooks. In fact, the filmmakers approached the makers of Clairefontaine to obtain vintage notebooks so that Meryl Streep (who plays Julia) could use authentic paper in the movie.

Admittedly, it's not the kind of film one needs to see in a theater, but if you enjoy food and/or snail mailing, I recommend seeing Julie & Julia. Even if you're not interested in the content, you'll just love Meryl Streep's magnificent performance.


NOTE: Aside from my celebrity crush on Amy Adams, I have no affiliation with anyone connected to Julie & Julia. I also have no affiliation with Clairefontaine paper.

Pre-Made Postal Products: Part Deux

Yesterday, I mentioned crispness as one reason why I like cards so much. This card depicting the Brooklyn Bridge is a perfect example of what I mean by that statement. The picture is just right, and while it is shot in black and white, there are so many greys that there is lots of depth in the image.


The envelope paired with the card adds further dimension, while still sticking to the two color scheme, by surprising the card's recipient with a shiny black envelope liner. Writing on the blank interior of this card, I kept it simple and used a fountain pen filled with Waterman Black ink. I hope the recipient, Patty at Just Letter Rip, enjoys reading it as much as I did composing it.

As you can tell, I really like the black and white theme. I find it clean, calming, and classic. What about you, what color combination really gets you going? Why?

Market Watch: Pomegranate Card Sets at Marshalls

Although I noted it in the previous post, I think it's worth it's worth it's own post to spread the word that Marshalls is currently carrying a number of card sets from Pomegranate. I picked up a set that retails for $14.99 for only $4.99 at Marshall's.


If you haven't already left your computer in order to dash over to your nearest Marshalls, it's also worth noting that Pomegranate.com is currently having it's own 50% off sale on select boxed notecards, many of which are pretty spectacular.

I have no affiliation with Marshalls, it's just my favorite store for rummaging. And, I have no affiliation with Pomegranate, I just enjoy their designs.

Pre-Made Postal Products

While I usually prefer to make my own envelopes and create my own unique stationery, there are some times when I want the crisp look of a card. On the down side, I don't usually keep many cards in my stationery stack. On the up side, I found my way into a Marshall's while in Minnesota (I can't stay away from my favorite store for long!). There, I picked up a box of Edward Gorey cards, by Pomegranate. I've long heard exultation about Gorey from the Missive Maven, but this was the first time I'd actually seen any in a store, let alone on sale (12 cards and envelopes for $4.99).

What is your latest paper purchase and/or stationery steal?

Stampy Stationery

As much as I do love writing on homemade stationery (or classy paper that I've embellished or printed letterhead onto), sometimes I stumble across some fantastic printed stationery.


In this case, it was not I who found the stationery, but rather I who received a letter written on this pretty pulp.

The Whole Package

Although I usually prefer making my own envelopes, I just couldn't resist purchasing a set of these, marked 70% off at Papyrus (no affiliation). The envelopes are wonderfully thick and printed in a durable copper metallic paint. And, I just love the way they fold from the side.


Each envelope is paired with with a single sheet of very heavy cardstock. Fearing that the paper would feather, I wrote my message with a fine Esterbrook 9556 nib and was delighted when there was no problem.

The whole stationery set feels wonderfully vintage, but I find that the brand stamp took me out of the experience. So, for this letter, I covered the mark with the envelope as I wrote.


For me, the icing on the cake is the metallic copper string provided inside each envelope to wrap the finished products like packages. And as a final touch, each envelope is given a sticker, presumably to use for addressing the envelope. Unfortunately, the shiny stickers don't take my fountain pen ink, so I was forced to use a fine point Sharpie to address this letter. With only one sticker per envelope, there was no suitable place for me to write a return address, hopefully the Missive Maven, to whom this letter was mailed, doesn't stamp it, "Return to Sender."

Overall, I really enjoyed using this stationery set. However, the prominent mark on the stationery and the difficult to use sticker labels would likely prevent me from ever paying full price for the set.

The First Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper

Everyday Correspondence was fortunate enough to be chosen as a contributor for the First Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper! As described by this month's Carnival host, Notebook Stories:

Some carnivals have roller coasters, fried dough, and oversized stuffed animals as prizes. This carnival offers just as much fun and variety, if you love handmade Japanese paper, fountain pens, Filofaxes, and 15-year old spiral notebooks. Every month, a different blog will host this traveling collection of the best posts about pens, pencils, notebooks, and other related topics.
I’m so excited to be launching the Carnival with such a great collection of posts. The submissions were everything I’d hoped for: a wide range of topics from a variety of blogs, some that I knew well and some new ones I’ve just discovered. It was hard to select a few favorites to highlight as Editor’s Picks, so I chose a few from the blogs that were new to me.

Everyday Correspondence's "exhibit" at the Carnival is a post about Thomas Jefferson's fountain pen, which I was able to see on a recent visit to his home, Monticello. For more information about the Carnival, including on how to submit and where it will be hosted next, check out this post over at Notebook Stories.

My favorite post from this month's Carnival is from Monda at Fresh Ribbon, titled Reading the Minutes. It is about discovering an old minutes log from the Daughters of the American Revolution. I enjoyed it because the secretary who kept those minutes probably never realized that she was going to be corresponding the activities of her organization to individuals 70+ years after they were written. And, also, because the post features a letter from Eleanor Roosevelt.

What about you, what is your favorite "site to see" at the Carnival?

Dear Congresswoman

In addition to serving as a fantastic medium for communicating between friends, snail mail letters also have the power influence those with the power to make the changes we wish to see in this world.

I am strong proponent of writing to Congress and the President. Whenever there is an issue of importance to me, I write a short and direct letter on where I, as a constituent, stand. I couldn't urge you more strongly to do the same.

An e-mail can be boiled down by a staffer to a sender's name and a subject line. A letter, at the very least, must be sorted, manually opened, read for content and identified with a real person by way of a signature.


Today I mailed a letter on an issue involving education. I printed the letter on Southworth 24lb 25% cotton linen finish paper and handmade an envelope from another sheet of the same paper. It is my hope that the time and effort I put into not only writing, but also professionally packaging, paying for a stamp, and walking to a mailbox, add weight to my message when it reaches the office of my Congresswoman.

NOTE: The poignant stamp in this post came to me by way of the Missive Maven.

Market Watch: Free Paper Samples

Many individuals with whom I correspond use paper from journals to write on. And after giving it some thought, that makes perfect sense. Journals can offer some really high quality paper at low prices, if you catch them at the right times. This is one of those times, The Journal Shop is giving away free samples of paper from a variety of different notebooks and journals. It's so free, in fact, that they'll even pay the costs of shipping. The only thing The Journal Shop asks in return is that you share your thoughts in comment on their site Simple as that. Now get over there and order away!

I have no affiliation with The Journal Shop, I just happen to like free stuff.

Paper Extravaganza!

This past weekend I paid a final visit to Paper Cult, a Northern Virginia paper store that I previously posted about here, to stock up on as much paper as my billfold could currently handle. In the end, I walked away with: six Rhodia pads, three Apica notebooks, two packs of G. Lalo paper, a pack of G. Lalo envelopes, and an assortment of other amazing paper products (not pictured)... it was all 50% off, so I couldn't help myself! Besides, one almost never sees Rhodia or Apica paper on sale. I just couldn't pass the good deals by. There is still quite a bit left, so if you live in the area, I would encourage you to help Christina over at Paper Cult unload the last of her inventory before she closes the doors on July 30th.

I have no affiliation whatsoever with Paper Cult. I'm just sad to see it go... and I love a good sale.