Thursday Drops: Stocking Stuffers and Last-Minute Gift Ideas

While we aren’t technically at the point of true “last minute” shopping - at least not for the Christmas holiday - we are approaching the shipping cutoffs. For the best possible chance of having a package arrive by December 25, we would strongly recommend placing your order by tomorrow, and by Monday at the absolute latest. Today’s post should be especially interesting for those in the market for “Secret Santa” ideas, stocking stuffers, and other smaller gift items that tend to be the focus of last-minute shopping excursions. We have lots of fun stuff to explore, and we made sure to buy plenty of it so we’re fully stocked through the end of the year!

Perhaps my favorite Caran d’Ache jumbo pencil set ever?

Everything featured here is in-stock and available to ship out by Monday. The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

1. Book Darts Page Markers. I think I first discovered Book Darts when I received a tin as a holiday gift long ago, maybe at a work gift-share party from someone who knew that I enjoyed reading. Book Darts are archivally safe page markers that come in three finishes: bronze, brass, and stainless steel. While intended to mark passages in books, they can also be used to divide notebooks into multi-subject sections, etc.

2. Hightide Co. Folding Metal Book Stand. Easily the most popular gift item in our store, these folding metal book stands can be used for reading, transcribing passages into your commonplace book, holding a planner or calendar, holding a tablet, and many other uses. Best of all, they fold completely flat for travel and slide easily into your briefcase. Currently available in ten colors.

3. Hightide Co. Sandglasses. We’ve sold more Sandglasses this month than ever! If you’ve never used an analog timer like an hourglass for work, meditation, or simply for the simple pleasure of watching time pass for a brief moment, check out these products from Hightide. Available in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute intervals. If you’d like to read more on how I personally use mine, check out this post.

4. Caran d’Ache “Colour Treasure” Maxi Pencil Sets. These colorful tins of jumbo pencils are pure fun, and I can’t imagine any stationery enthusiasts NOT loving these. I’m trying to get my hands on as many sets as I can because I want to keep them past the holidays.

5. WMS & Co. Corner Page Marker. Looking for something a bit more hefty, with gravitas? Consider these metal bookmarks that slip over the corner of your page. Available in bronze and copper.

6. Midori Clip Bookmarks. The perfect stocking stuffer, these ultra-thin metal bookmarks come in four different patterns and won’t bulk up your novel or your notebook.

7. T.G.S. x Penwell Exclusive Edition in Aged Red. I’ve always been a proponent of gifting pen accessories - not pens - to pen enthusiasts, since it’s simply too hard to guess preferences. This Penwell pen stand features a dark red finish exclusive to our store, and attaches to your desk with a microsuction pad that ensures a secure place to park your pen!

8. Anderillium Inks. After accessories, ink tops my list of recommended gifts for fountain pen lovers. Anderillium Inks, with two lines organized around themes of birds, squids, and octopuses, are both quirky and quality - the hallmarks of an interesting ink brand!

9. Washi Tape and Snail Mail Accessories Like Stickers. Washi tape (Japanese decorative masking tape) has become insanely popular among journaling and letter enthusiasts over the past several years, and we recently brought in nearly a dozen new patterns. Who doesn’t want “Taco Tuesday” washi tape in their stocking?

10. Enamel Lapel Pins. With themes ranging from stationery to science to reading, there’s always an enamel pin made for you to adorn your jacket, bag, or pen case. These high-quality pins from iLootPaperie are colorful and sturdy.

New Arrivals: Maruman Mnemosyne Portfolios and Notepads

Japanese paper company Maruman makes some of the most versatile and cost-effective fountain-pen friendly paper on the market, and we’re fortunate enough to be able to stock it in nearly all available formats. We’ve recently added new versions of the portfolio-style notepad holders in both A4 and A5 sizes, as well as several different sizes of notepads and spiral notebooks in several different rulings.

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Notable new additions include a wide range of A4 spiral notebooks in lined, dot-grid, and blank formats. The grid and blank spirals are landscape-style, perfect for orienting below your keyboard!

Just a reminder that if you are shopping for gifts and need delivery by December 25, you will likely want to get your orders in by Friday to give it the best possible chance of arriving on time.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold. For additional suggestions on fountain pen friendly paper, check our our “Guide to Fountain Pen Friendly Paper,” and be sure to read the comments for many additional suggestions.

Thursday Drops: Caran d'Ache Colour Treasure Restock, More Desk Calendars, Mnemosyne and More!

Just in time for the holiday rush, one more Caran d’Ache shipment of the “Colour Treasure” collection, including the Jumbo-size Maxi Pencil Sets. Caran d’Ache jumbo pencils are among my favorite products in their lineup, and though they’re no longer regularly available, you typically can find them as part of at least one annual limited edition series. This year’s version is sold as a set of five colors in a special tin/case.

In addition to the Colour Treasure releases, we’ve restocked shop favorites such as the WMS & Co. Undated Calendars in both keyboard and full sizes, as well as Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks in some of the more popular formats, including A4. Happy shopping!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands shown here. If you’re looking for gift ideas, don’t forget to check out our 2022 Holiday Gift Guide. We also periodically have pens available for sale on our “Gently Used” page, especially if you’re looking for good deals on more expensive pens.

1. Caran d’Ache Colour Treasure Maxi Pencil Sets. As I noted above, at long last we’ve received a shipment of the Caran d’Ache Jumbo Pencils, a product which I’d love to have as a permanent addition to the store, but I’ll take whatever limited editions I can get! This year’s release is sold as a set of five jumbo “Maxi” pencils.

2. Caran d’Ache Colour Treasure 849 Ballpoints. This year’s limited edition 849 ballpoint holiday release is designed to evoke the look of Caran d’Ache’s iconic colored pencils, and comes in two different variations: a warm tone (yellows, oranges) and a cool tone (blues and greens). Why not get both? :)

3. Caran d’Ache Colour Treasure Coloring Postcard Sets. These postcards make for perfect stocking stuffers, especially if paired with a gift of colored pencils, or if you’re buying for someone who already has a bunch!

4. Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Restock. I’ve received a lot of interest lately about the availability of a pen with the 849’s look and shape but slightly larger. Even if you’re not a rollerball fan, the Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball accepts Parker-style cartridges, so you can use your favorite compatible ballpoint refill. (I use a Jetstream.)

5. Caran d’Ache 849 Fountain Pens. The 849 Fountain Pen is a relatively inexpensive favorite, and many people love the slightly springy stainless steel nib. Create your own matching set of 849 pens!

6. WMS & Co. Desk and Keyboard Calendars (Undated). We now have more of the full-size and keyboard-size calendars in stock with different color borders, including yellow, gold, and blush.

7. Maruman Mnemosyne Spiral Notebooks. We have restocked our supply of fountain-pen friendly Mnemosyne notebooks in most sizes, including larger A4s, and now have dot-grid versions as well as the landscape grid and blank notebooks.

8. Maruman Mnemosyne A5 Steno Pads. These top wirebound Steno Pads were huge sellers, and we now have them back in stock in both Gregg (traditional lined steno ruling) and grid layouts.

9. Kokuyo Dual-Tone Mark+ Highlighters. You may have seen my post on Instagram from earlier in the week, but these dual-tip liquid ink highlighters might be one of the most interesting stationery products I’ve discovered lately.

10. TWSBI Precision Ballpoints and Mechanical Pencils. TWSBI’s lineup of technical pens and pencils are often overlooked in light of their more traditional fountain pens, but are equally excellent.

New Arrivals: TWSBI Precision Ballpoint Pens and Mechanical Pencils

Fans of technical pens and mechanical pencils will appreciate TWSBI’s “Precision” line, which feature all-metal construction and a comfortable, softly-knurled grip. The mechanical pencils come in eight different variations: both matte black and silver finishes, .5mm and .7mm tip sizes, with either fixed or retractable pipes. As with all things TWSBI, both the ballpoint and the pencils represent good value, priced at $25. The pencil ships with both replacement erasers and leads, and the ballpoint ships with an extra Parker-style refill. Available for purchase now in the shop!

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(For my own personal set, I’ve of course chosen the matte black finish with the .5mm retractable tip.)

The TWSBI Precisions aren’t the only “drafting-style” pens and pencils that we carry. For shorter, pocketable versions, check out the Penco Drafting Pens and Drafting Pencils.

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The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

Thursday Drops: Journaling with Midori MD Multi-Year Diaries

Inspired by the recent release of this book publishing excerpts from nearly 25 years of short, daily journal entries, I picked back up my Midori MD 5-year Diary and started writing in it again. Even though the prior entries on several days went all the way back to 2019, it’s amazing how a few lines prompt fairly vivid recollections. In addition to the 5-Year Diary, Midori makes 10 and 3-year versions as well, all of which are now available.

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The Midori MD Five-Year Diary features five sections per calendar day, for five years of entries.

We have also restocked on Midori MD Paper, standard and cotton, as well as most other Midori stationery products. As featured below, we also offer the latest arrivals from TWSBI plus the 2022 Caran d’Ache limited editions.

A note on holiday shipping. In order to ensure the highest likelihood of delivery by Christmas, please try to get any gift orders in by Monday, December 19 at the absolute latest. This is still not guaranteed, and would strongly recommend that you place orders earlier if at all possible. The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

1. Midori Multi-Year Diaries. Available in five-year, ten-year, and three-year versions, these clothbound hardcover diaries feature five, ten, or three sections per calendar day, allowing you to review prior years’ entries as you journal.

2. Midori MD Cotton Notebooks. We have all three sizes of Midori MD Cotton Notebooks available once again, ranging from F0 to F2.

3. Midori MD A4 Notebooks and Covers. The largest of the Midori MD Notebooks offers a massive canvas for writing and/or drawing. We also have covers in stock, including the natural undyed leather version.

4. Midori MD Graphite Pencil Set. The team over at the Well-Appointed Desk recently reviewed the Midori MD Graphite Pencils! While the standard set contains six “B”-grade pencils, we also offer a gift set with different grades of graphite, pencil caps, and a sharpener.

5. Midori MD Colored Pencil Set. Following yet another Well-Appointed Desk review, the Colored Pencil Sets sold out in hours. We received a shipment yesterday and they are restocked.

6. Midori MD Fountain Pens and Limited Edition Fountain Pen Sets. The ever-popular Midori MD Fountain Pen is back, and we still have two remaining limited edition “70th Anniversary” pens with the Midori color-scheme ink.

7. TWSBI Swipe in Ice Blue. The latest TWSBI Swipe is available for sale, with retailers now allowed to accept orders. The pens will ship Friday or Monday, as deliveries have been somewhat delayed, presumably due to holiday craziness.

8. Caran d’Ache “Colour Treasure” 849 Ballpoints. This year’s holiday release features two different versions of a design inspired by Caran d’Ache’s iconic colored pencils: a “warm” tone finish containing orange, pink, and yellow; and a “cool” tone emphasizing blues and greens.

9. Caran d’Ache “Crayons de la Maison Caran d’Ache” Pencil Sets. Paired with a woodsy, patchouli fragrance from Swiss Parfumier Mizansir, this year’s luxury pencil set from Caran d’Ache features two beautiful natural finishes on these poplar-wood pencils, in addition to the typical greens and blues.

10. Caran d’Ache Swisswood Pencil Sets. Looking for the perfect gift for a luxury pencil enthusiast? Try one of these sets, featuring three different Swiss Wood pencils, plus a high-quality sharpener and eraser.

Check out the Holiday Gift Guide, “Gently Used” Page, and Our Sales!

If you’re shopping for gift ideas, be sure to check out the 2022 version of our annual Holiday Gift Guide. You might also find some excellent deals in our “Gently Used” section (due to be refreshed soon, with listed items cycled out), as well as our Sales section of the store that features recent markdowns on items from brands such as Nahvalur and Caran d’Ache.