Calligraphy Corner

Calligraphy is the art of lettering that has existed almost as long as the written word. Calligraphy can be practiced using almost any alphabet, and thus can be found in documents from China, Japan, medieval European monks, the United States and many other places. Teaching children calligraphy can help improve penmanship and encourage creativity and attention to detail. Activities will help students practice their calligraphy regularly. These activities don't require special calligraphy tools, although calligraphy pens with slanted tips can be used.

The French believe that giving children the ability to write will free their minds to perform creatively throughout their lives. So they teach handwriting as a subject in its own right. And they teach handwriting in a uniform way throughout primary schools, using traditional calligraphy to produce a distinctive, ornate hand.

Sheaffer and Lamy both offer options to use as introductions into the world of calligraphy.

http://www.penboutique.com/lamy-joy-calligraphy-fountain-pen-set-l15s.html
http://www.penboutique.com/lamy-joy-white-gift-set.html
http://www.penboutique.com/sheaffer-calligraphy-mini-kit.html
http://www.penboutique.com/sheaffer-calligraphy-maxi-kit.html

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Sheaffer VFM Pen

Sheaffer VFM Rollerball Pen

For those who are feeling a bit leery about taking a leap into the world of fountain pens, I have a solution for you that will not only give you a fine writing experience but is also an economical one.

The Sheaffer VFM line, so named because they are Vibrant, Fun and offer Motion, are a recommended place to start your journey. The line comes in fountain pen, roller ball and ball point. I own a fountain pen and roller ball.

I get a kick out of some of the descriptive, inventive color names including: "Chilled Blue," "Excessive Red," "Strobe Silver," and "Ultra Mint."

The satin color finishes and nickel plated trim showcase the sturdy, though not heavy, stainless steel metal body. Both VFM pens I own post tightly and clip securely.

The fountain pen can use a standard international cartridge which will open up your opportunities to explore various colors and the easy ability to replace your cartridge, due the the standard international cartridge availability. It glides smoothly and the pen weight feels comfortable in the hand while scripting.

Not needing a Sheaffer propriety rollerball refill, you again have the option to test various colors refills. I currently have a Schmidt green refill.

The Sheaffer VFM line affords the opportunity to investigate writing instruments in bright colors and various style types in a way that is both fun and affordable.

By Vicki M

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Sheaffer 300 Fountain Pen and Rollerball Sets for the holidays with extra holiday gift box

Sheaffer 300 Fountain Pen and Rollerball Sets for the holidays with extra holiday gift box

                                 Sheaffer Fountain and Rollerball set for $75 ( Retail for $150) 

Sheaffer Fountain and Rollerball set

We have created a unique Sheaffer fountain pen androllerball set for the holiday.  We chose the Sheaffer 300 which has a nice width and a good balance with a wonderful writing quality.  The color we chose was the red ( like a marble finish) which will symbolize with the joyous holiday occasions.

PACKAGING:

The packaging of the  pen comes with a Sheaffer black box with Sheaffer dot logo.  It has the Fountain pen, rollerball pen, 2 cartridges ( one black and one blue ) and one rollerball refill which is black in color.  The fountain pen does come with the converter ( Sheaffer) and you do not have to buy another one. 

SHEAFFER ROLLERBALL PEN:

The rollerball pen has a nice balanced weight on it and has a chrome plated steel cap.  The pen is a snap cap and has black refill in it.  It takes only Sheaffer rollerball refill and the Sheaffer rollerballs write so smooth.  

 

Pleasure of writing with Sheaffer Pens

The writings as shown in the picture do write smooth and on Rhodia meeting book that we used, it was a pleasure to write.  It will make you feel like taking some notes in the meeting ( don’t know if it is going be meaningful  but these notes might come handy some day!).

SHEAFFER FOUNTAIN PEN:

Sheaffer Fountain Pen

The fountain pen is an identical twin to the rollerball pen.  The Nib is a standard Sheaffer like nib – stainless steel with Iridium nib.  Sheaffer steel nibs are sturdy and not flexible. The nib does write smoothly even for a fine point filled with the Pelikan Edelstein Green Adventura ink . For our test we used the fine point. 

  Sheaffer 300 pen set with Pelikan EdelsteinGreen Adventura ink

The writing is surprisingly smooth even for a fine point.  The fountain pen comes with a converter and can use cartridge also.  Converter is included in the box and also a blue and a black ink cartridge.   The cap is a snap type cap and snaps in and out nicely with a click.  The clip is a nice big clip and has a sheaffer dot on it.   Many of our customers have expressed their love for the clip.

CONCLUSION:

The final conclusion is that these are a great every day pen.  You can use the rollerball to note down quick notes and then alternate with the fountain pen to cherish your writings or flow your ideas on to the paper.  Either way these are great pens and value for the money . The 50% off sale is icing on the cake.  These pens are  no longer be produced from Sheaffer and hence our idea of making a set !!!

Click here to purchase this set from Pen Boutique!  Shipping is also free with in USA

                               We would love to hear from you...so do comment !!

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Sheaffer Taranis Fountain Pen Review

Sheaffer Taranis Fountain Pen

Most recognizable by the signature white dot which adorns the clip, Sheaffer has long been a respected name in the world of pens.  Sheaffer collaborated with famed US architect Charles Debbas to bring us the Taranis line of pens.  Debbas has taken his characteristic feature – minimalism – and melded it into this line.  The overall shape and design of the fountain pen when capped is the definition of minimal, with a rounded middle slowly shifting to squared ends on either side.  The clip is rectangular and fits nicely with the aesthetics of the body.  Uncapped, the user is greeted with a front section adorned with the Sheaffer name (hidden when capped, no doubt to keep in the vein of the minimalist aesthetics) and a hooded nib, which helps keep a tidy and simple appearance.  The fountain pens are compatible with Sheaffer converters and Skrip cartridges, both of which are included with the pen.  The Taranis line is also available in Rollerball or Ballpoint, and in five different colors – Stormy Night (black), Icy Gunmetal (grey) or Sleek Chrome (silver) with chrome trim, and White Lightning (white) or Stormy Wine (burgundy) with gold trim.

The Sheaffer Taranis fountain pen is well balanced, and it felt most comfortable while using it posted.  The nib is smooth – it reminds me of a Pilot/Namiki Vanishing Point both in feel and looks.  If I were to nitpick, it does seem to be a little on the wet side with a Medium nib though nothing that would keep me from using it as a daily writer.  The front section where the Sheaffer name is present is flat and I found it to be a good resting place for my pointer finger while in use.  It is nice that a converter is included, as not all fountain pens come with one, especially as it is proprietary to Sheaffer pens.  This is my go-to suggestion when someone is looking for an affordable pen as it blends great writing performance with modern styling.

While it is aesthetically an unassuming pen, the Sheaffer Taranis is one of the smoothest writers I have used.  If you are looking for an understated daily pen with a fantastic nib, the Taranis is hard to beat.

- Joe (Pen Boutique Limited, 5560 Sterrett Place, Columbia, MD 21044)

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Official Rule Facebook Halloween Photo Contest !

Facebook Halloween Photo Contest

 
Click here to enter into Facebook Halloween Photo Contest : https://www.facebook.com/pensboutique/app_182451838610944


Contest Timeline

October 31st 2013 12:00am
Contest begins! Form + Photo submissions will be accepted.


November 27th 2013 11:59pm
Contest submission ends, no entries will be accepted after this time.

November 30th 2013 10:00am
Valid Entry documentation begins!

December 4th 2013 6:00 pm
Valid Entry documentation ends!

December 6th   2013 10:00 am
Winners announced and “Establish Contact with Winner”
*This date is tentative and may be pushed off a few days
*Time is Eastern Daylight Time


The Prize

Rare Sheaffer Book Pen


Total Winner
1 winner

Photo Acceptance 

* Original Recent or Old Halloween Photos( Costume , Pet , Pumpkin or Recipe )
*No Computer Generated Photos Will be Accepted.
*No Copy Right or Images From Internet will not be accepted.
*If somebody claims the Copy Right for Uploaded image your participation will be considered as invalid. 

Note: If your photo is selected for the contest, You will receive an e-mail confirmation within 24-Hours of submission. Please visit our Halloween Photo contest Facebook Album to see your Halloween Photo and LIKE, COMMENT & Share Your Photo to increase your chance of winning. Bonus Point will be earned via Friend Invites. Please do Invite your friends and family for the Halloween Photo Contest. 

Shipping
Free shipping to Winners within USA.International participant shipping will be additional and you can also add it free to your any pending orders.

Eligibility

All the citizens from USA with valid Facebook ID are encouraged to participate.International customers are welcome to participate but shipping will be additional and you can also add it free to your any pending orders.

Winner Selection

Winners will be selected based on total points gathered by your photo.We have our juries who judge the submitted photo at first and allocate points to individual contestant photo. We will use third party software to calculate the total point and finally Rank Individual Photo. Photo with most Likes, Comment and Share along with Invite a Friend counts for winning the prize.

Jury Gives the Point from range 1-100 depending upon Originality,Creativity,Funniest,Scariest and Description/Caption.

1 Likes = 1 Point

1 Valid Comment ( 1 Per Person ) = 2 Point

Share (1 Per Person ) = 2 Points

Invite a Friend = 2 Points

Photo Including Writing Instruments = 5 Points

Photo Including Our Physical Store in Background = 5 Points

Get your friends to like your photo(s). Please make note that the winner is primarily based on Ranking by the Page Owner or the Contest Moderator. The number of Likes on photo will improve your chances to be Ranked.


All images submitted must be the work of the individual submitting them. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

 More Legal Stuff

1.) This giveaway/contest is void where prohibited by law. The contestants assume the total responsibility of knowing their local laws in regard to Facebook Halloween Photo Contest and are subject to any local, state, national or international laws. Friendship Circle accepts no responsibility for making these individual legal determinations.

2.) Winner are solely responsible for any taxes on their respective prizes.

3.) No substitution of prize is offered.

4.) Prizes are non-transferable.

5.) Prizes should be claimed within 30 days of the announcement of winner. Any claims made after 30 days will be considered void. Pen Boutique, Limited, USA, is not responsible for any such claims after that time.

6.) If a prize, or any portion thereof, cannot be awarded for any reason, Pen Boutique, Limited, USA, reserves the right to substitute a prize with another prize of equal or greater value. That determination will be made by Pen Boutique, Limited, USA.

7.) Winners must verify their email and shipping address when contacted via email address on file.

8.) Winners name may be used on future Pen Boutique, Limited, USA, marketing media, including but not limited to Facebook, website & blog

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Back to school…Labor Day ,End of Summer..

Despite it having no inherent celebratory traditions that I am aware of, Labor Day manages to be one of the most widely recognized holidays in North America. Not because anyone actually spends time to appreciate the working class (which I think is the actual point), but because it is the official “end” of summer. There are no more family reunions, bonfires, impromptu visits to the beach, amusement parks, pool parties, road trips and all the other things that make summers the highlight of the year. Like the dull feeling of dread you get before you go to bed on a Sunday night, Labor Day heralds forth a new season that crams together and intensifies feelings of stress and worry into one shopping-packed month that will make you never want to set foot into a WalMart or Target ever again.
Buying supplies for young ones is easy. Other than new clothes and a backpack to replace the ruined one from last year, the usual materials will be pens, pencils, colored pencils, notebooks, marble notebooks, and just to be safe a pack of markers. When kids get older, say High School, teachers inexplicably get the urge to send you and your kids on a city-wide hunt to collect the most absurd and utterly arbitrary materials you have ever seen listed on a sheet of paper titled School Supplies. This tiring crusade, which could take a couple days to complete, is so time-consuming and exhausting that it makes you want to drive down to the schoolhouse and demand to know what your kids could possibly be doing with the items requested. (Why is it mandatory for them to have HB-H1 drawing pencils in Art 1? A shaded baseball should be the most complicated thing they’re drawing at that point, and it certainly doesn’t require the aforementioned materials.).
College students, on the other hand, face a whole other type of monster. In their case, it’s not so much the amount of off-the-wall materials or the time it takes to acquire them, it’s the cost. It’s my personal opinion that a major reasons kids don’t go to college is because no one in their right mind wants to pay $145.00 to rent a textbook on Medical Transcription Techniques that they will use, hopefully, at least three times before having to give it back.
Despite all of these seasonal stresses, there is undeniably something a little bit exciting – in the beginning, anyway – about restocking your shelves, backpacks and briefcases with Back-To-School materials. There will always be something gratifying about the smell and feel of crisp, factory manufactured, paper crinkling softly as you leaf through the pages. There will always be something comforting about opening a new pack of multi-colored pencils and momentarily debating which one you want to write with first. There will always – and this is as close as I can get to a guarantee – be a freeing feeling when your pen glides across your papers and leaves a distinctive flourish with every swish and swipe of the nib.
For the little ones, the Pelikano Starter Nib Fountain Pen’s light heft, sturdiness and eye-catching fluorescent colors make it a perfect starter for their journey into the world of education and fine penmanship. The Lamy Safari Lime Green Fountain Pen is a little narrower and more sophisticated, but its bright green barrel doesn’t let it lose an ounce of playfulness. For those who want something a little more sleek and chic, the Joy Calligraphy Fountain pen is the way to go. This beautiful expression of personality and individuality boasts a shiny black plastic body that is stylishly complimented by a bright red spring brass wire clip and a stainless steel nib. For the more conservative spenders, the Sheaffer Calligraphy Maxikit possesses everything you will need to be a master calligrapher. There are three pen color-coded nib grades (fine, medium and broad) and two ink cartridges per pen that all come together to create a product containing all the ideal instruments for calligraphers of every level. For those who wish to spend a little extra in a gift for a loved one going off to college or starting a new corporate job this fall, the Visconti Rembrandt Calligraphy Pen Set is a truly heartwarming gift. The set includes 2 German made palladium-plated nib sections (italic 0.5, italic 1.5 and medium), a bottle of black Visconti ink, 2 pen holders, a Visconti calligraphy booklet, Visconti blotting paper and three converters. Made from variegated resin, each pen is made unique through subtle marbling of color in a stunning replication of the Rembrandt painting technique, Chiaroscuro. No matter what you get – or don’t get, depending on how frustrated you end up getting – this Back-To-School season, make sure they’re items that make you feel just a little bit warmer inside when you pull them out on the first day of school. Items that make you feel, secretly, somewhere in a tiny long-lost corner of your heart, that you actually genuinely enjoyed supply shopping.
Until Labor Day rolls around again, that is.

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