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Can you imagine not having sticky notes? And yet their invention happened purely by accident. Back in 1968 a researcher was trying to create a stronger adhesive for the aerospace industry but ended up with a weak adhesive that could easily be removed without residue. This initial project was regarded as a failure, and it was another six years before its potential was realised. It wasn't the inventor who discovered the potential of this weak adhesive but a colleague of his who was trying to find a solution for denoting his place in his church hymn book. Having had a 'light bulb' moment, he tried the failed adhesive and found that it worked perfectly. Interesting fact: the original Post-It notes were constructed on yellow paper because it was the only scrap paper to hand at the time. Later, it became the company's signature colour. It was a further 3 years before Post-It notes were launched - under the different name of 'Press'n Peel'. The product still wasn't out of the woods, however, because purchasers didn't know how to use them and so, as sales failed, the product was pulled from the shelves. Two years later, 3M brand decided to give them a go. They distributed free samples and 90% of the companies who had received free samples re-ordered and the rest, as they say, is history. View our range of sticky notes and sticky tabs here .

Did you know that pencil leads have never contained lead? While the invention of the pencil is credited to an Italian couple named Simonio and Lyndiana Bernacotti back in 1560, c loser to home, in the first part of the 16th century, solid graphite was discovered in Borrowdale in the English Lake District, where sheep farmers began using it to mark their sheep. People at the time thought that this graphite was lead, hence the reference to pencil lead, and, although, it was later realised that it wasn't lead at all, we have continued to refer to what is in our pencils as lead ever since. The discovery of this high quality graphite in the Lake District led to the development of a major pencil manufacturing industry around Keswick on the back of the quality graphite available locally and pencils are still produced in Keswisk to this day. If you find yourself in the area you can visit the Derwent Pencil Museum. Armed with that knowledge you just need to choose your pencil.

For those of us who like everything neat and tidy our pen choices have just got even better!

Let's face it, if you're going to refer to your diary every day then make it a nice one and, with their beautifully designed covers and quality paper, Paperblanks take some beating. (OK, so we know you can use your phone instead but, in our opinion, the experience is nowhere near as good.) Her Bookaroo pen pouch ensures that she always has a pen to hand or, in Hayley's case two pens(!), and choosing Pilot Frixion pens means that she can neatly erase diary entries if her plans change. Next was Jennifer , who is still in love with her Bookaroo sticky tabs .

We've been looking at our most popular pens and the number one by a long way is Uniball's 'Jetstream Sport' pen. It's very rare that a customer testing one of these pens in our retail store doesn't go on to purchase one and then keeps coming back for more. It's a rollerball and so provides a very smooth writing experience but what sets it apart from other rollerball pens is how fast the ink dries and so there is much less chance of smudging. The pens are available with black or blue ink, and we also have refills. Pilot's Frixion pens Meanwhile, Pilot's Frixion pens use a thermo-sensitive ink so that mistakes can be 'erased' by rubbing with the integrated eraser stud. You can then re-write using the same pen. Magic!! Some pens come with a cap. Alternatively, the Frixion 'Clicker' is a retractable version of the same pen. Ink colours available include black, blue, green, red and violet. Refills are also available in all colours. Bookaroo Ballpoint Pens What makes these ballpoint pens popular is not only their price at only £4.00 nor how comfortable they are to use but rather the wonderful range of colours of the body of the pen that are available so you can co-ordinate your stationery. New colours are added regularly to keep them on trend. Take your pick!

We've been thinking about how we can help our customers keep their New Year Resolutions in 2024. Sorry folks, we can't do anything about losing weight(!) but ways we think we can help include helping customers reduce their impact on the environment by stocking products that are packaged in FSC certified cardboard rather than plastic packaging, choosing products with a higher recycled content or that are recyclable, and encouraging customers to purchase pen refills rather than disposing of their pen and purchasing a new one. It also occurs to us that we stock lots of products that can help people get more organised - in fact, too many to list without you getting bored part way down the list! Finally, we've been reading that No. 1 on Good Housekeeping magazine's list of "65 achievable New Year resolutions for a happy, healthy life" is 'starting a Gratitude Journal'. The idea is simple in that you take a few minutes each day to write down things that you are grateful for - it could be family or friends, or even that the sun is shining and it hasn't been another dull, dreary, wet day that we seem to have had so many of lately. It's easy to imagine that this activity can improve your mental and physical wellness. And if you're going to give it a go then having a nice journal and a pen you enjoy writing with have got to be a bonus. We think the perfect combination is a Paperblanks journal, with their gorgeous cover designs, a Uniball Eye pen in your favourite colour and then all you need is a Filofax pen loop to attach to the inside back cover of your journal so that your pen is always to hand. So that's the idea - the rest is down to you! Happy 2024!

After a long wait ... and I mean a very long wait ... we now have stocks of Cross pen refills. We've got ballpoint pen refills in black fine, black medium and blue medium. Gel rolling ball refills are only available in black at the moment, but we're hopeful that blue will be 'rolling' in sometime soon. Fountain pen ink cartridges are also here in both black and blue. Hopefully they will be joined soon by ink converters. So ... get out that Cross pen that went in a drawer and get those Christmas cards written!

The phrase we hear in our shop perhaps more than any other is, "What is it about stationery that makes it addictive?" One suggestion is that it gives you the feeling that you're more in control - strange, but true! So, we started to think about the products we have that help you get more in control of your life. 1. Filofax Personal Organisers - the clue is in the name! Mention 'organisers' and the brand that immediately springs to mind is 'Filofax'. Interesting fact (maybe!) - the first personal organiser was created in 1930 and was known as a 'File of Facts'. The popularity of Filofax organisers grew enormously during the 1980's due to its association with the Yuppie culture, making the brand an iconic symbol of the decade. As a company they don't rest on their laurels. Their sustainability policies include only using paper from sustainable, well managed, certified sources and leather that is a by-product of the food industry and not hides from animals bred purely for the leather goods industry. You can read more about their sustainability policies here . 2. Carry a notebook - and if you're going to carry a notebook, make it a nice one! Don't rely on your memory! Life seems so busy these days that committing everything on your 'to do' list to memory might not be the best plan. Our No 1 brand for cover designs has got to be Paperblanks . With so many wonderful designs to choose from there has got to be one to your taste. 3. Always have a pen to hand. Why is there never a pen when you need one? A handy pen pouch from Bookaroo could be just the solution. Designed to fit an A5 notebook these leather look pouches mean that you always have a pen to hand when you want to make notes. They come in a range of colours to co-ordinate with your notebook, and you can add a Bookaroo ballpoint pen to complete the look. So, there you have it, our 3 tips for a more organised life.

It almost amusing how excited we are when the next year's Paperblanks diaries arrive. They're ordered at the end of January (yes, January!) to make sure we get all the range of designs for our customers to choose from, and then there's the long wait until they arrive. We have a list of customers who we contact to pre-order so that they get first choice, because they fly off the shelves once they're here. (If you want to be on the list then give us a call on 01756 795925 or email us at info@cravenstationery.co.uk .) There are so many gorgeous designs and it's always good to see them in the flesh. Our favourite designs for this year include Kara-ori (pictured) but then there's also Safavid Indigo, Morris Pink Honeysuckle, Jungle Song, Anemone and Floralia. if you want to check out this year's designs just click here .