The Paperie Blog

This week we caught up with Kate Baxter, the creative force behind interiors and inspiration lifestyle blog, and Times Online favourite  - The Fabric Of My Life – to find out a little about her creative home workspace.

If we were a fly on the wall at your place, what would we see?

I am a big believer in surrounding yourself with things that inspire you, and have always had a large pinboard hanging over my desk that I regularly update with images torn from magazines, notes from friends, photos etc. When I’m lost for ideas I find it always helps to look up there for ideas and inspiration.

Working for yourself can mean long hours, how do you keep up the creative flow?

It is important to make sure your workspace is as comfortable as it is inspirational.

I’ve recently been a convert to ergonomic office chairs! I’ve long had a beautiful vintage leather upholstered chair that I found at a car boot fair, and while it looks gorgeous, it was never the most comfortable of seats. I’ve recently upgraded to a Herman Miller SAYL chair and oh my gosh, it makes such a difference!

I can sit comfortably for hours and the recline is perfect for those moments when I want to sit back and ponder ideas (and gaze up at my pinboard!). The aches in my shoulders are subsiding and I really feel my posture is now so much better when I work – which frees my mind up to concentrate on my creative ideas, rather than the pain in my back!

***Big thanks to Kate*** Visit Fabric of My Life ***

We all know the work/life nirvana of balance and getting it right is the subject of much discussion. And never more so than when your work is crafted within your home environment. Creating a nice area that helps define the space as one to put pen to paper is vital to focusing the flow of energy. We’ve selected some of our favourite bits and pieces to help you do just that.

Wall Paper Cavallini and Co Wrapping Paper is not just for birthdays, or gifts for that matter. Frame these beautiful prints and hang them on the wall for some visual inspiration. We love specimen vibe of the Butterfly Print. Here

Desk Top There is nothing more lovely than a Leuchtturm1917 A4 desk notebook. Large enough for an abundance of notes, to do lists and sketches. Perfect for all your biggest creative ideas. Here.

Clip it Our mini peg-clips are handy to have around for keeping vital bits and pieces together. Claire uses hers to keep hold of receipts and Margaret usually pinches a few to seal open packets in the kitchen cupboard. Useful and quirky. Here

Message me Post-its are past it. Stickies are the thing. Take notes, jot down a phone number, leave yourself a reminder message about your diet on the biscuit tin – there are all manner of instances when you’ll need these sticky wee beasties. Here.

Stylish Storage Storage doesn’t have to be boring. Turn your filing into a floral bookshelf installation and hide away unsightly piles of papers with these Sanderson storage boxes. So chic, so organised. Here.

All available from The Paperie, with free P&P option on all UK orders over £5.00p. For more ideas, just click here.

As you may have gathered, this week we are all about that fine writing instrument, the pen. And seeing as this handy device was originally created to eliminate the need to carry around a writing case and a pot of ink, we thought we would put together a list of our favourite Bag Pens. These are perfect for writing on the go.

The Fountain
Retro styling and a secure lid means not only does the Highway Fountain look great, there is no danger of inky puddles appearing at the bottom of your bag. Take a closer look here.

Floral Notes
This Sanderson ball pen is perfect for work. Combine it with your favourite notepad for note taking moments. More details here.

Bold Ballpoint
Even at the most perilous of handbag-depths this bright, bold Lamy will never be hard to find. Extra info here.

Roll on Summer
If inspiration hits whilst travelling, you need a pen that won’t interrupt the creative flow. Fluidity of the ink is the key. And so is the limited edition Lamy. Follow the yellow brick link.

To infinity…and the supermarket?
Space Pens win out for being the ultimate writing tool on the go. If, like the astronauts of the first trip to the moon, you have a seemingly impossible mission to complete – like the weekly food shop with the kids in tow – you need a magical pen that can produce the goods in even the most arduous of conditions. Full story here.

For further details or to buy any of these items on-line with free UK shipping on orders over £5.00, please click here.

Thankfully those clever bods at Fisher came up with a nifty solution for NASA in the form of a Space Pen that is guaranteed to write whatever the conditions – upside down, in zero gravity, extremes of temperature, and even underwater. Precision stainless steel tungsten carbide ball points and the fully pressurised ink cartridge in all Space Pens means it writes longer, cleaner and more consistently than any other pen.

Not only do these work in space, they will also be more than adequate for any underwater scribbling you might like to do. Perfect for those times you remember an essential for the TO DO list whilst Scuba diving.

You can get your very own Astronaut Space Pen from The Paperie, and indeed any of the other fabulous Space Pens in the range, by clicking here.