I recently put in place a self imposed ban on buying any new notebooks because I simply have too many. If I see a beautiful notebook I simply have to buy it. But as part of my new mantra I am using up what I have before buying more.

I use notebooks constantly, for everything from new ideas and designs to favourite quotes and my shopping lists. Although I am a fully fledged technology addict there is nothing quite like turning the first page in a new notebook. I still use a day by day Diary to plan meetings, ideas and to do lists and I am never without a notebook of some form.

My go to for years was always the Moleskine. Although I have recently discovered a new brand called Leuchttrum1917. Below is a Moleskine notebook that I covered in off cuts from an old pair  tweed trousers.

Each notebook is dated on the outside cover

Or the very first idea sketch I did for my hand covered pencils

 My Design notebooks are a a vital tool, a recording device that I don’t think I could translate into a digital medium.

I sometimes make my own notebooks. The one you see below is a small pocket notebook, the binding is sewn using an old Singer sewing machine.

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my love affair with paper and my obsession with notebooks

Until next time

-Vanessa