by Darchelle Vajen (books_and_planners)
Ever since I was a small child, I've loved writing, drawing and creating. My mom used to sell Avon and she's told me many stories about how I would take an Avon catalog and trace all the letters in the entire catalog. What normal five year old does this?! So my obsession with paper crafting and pens started at a very young age. I always wanted to be a teacher and liked playing school when I was younger. When I didn't have any friends to play with, I'd play with my dolls and do their "homework" for them in pencil. Then as the "teacher" I'd collect the assignments and grade them with a red pen. Yes, I was a weird kid, but I kept myself entertained!
There are so many types of pens, pencils, markers, stamps - you name it - out there, but I have a few that are my favorites that I want to share with you!
Gel Pens
This is probably my favorite type of pen to use, not only for work and everyday life, but in my Erin Condren planner as well! I like my handwriting most with a nice fluid, gel-type ink. A lot of people like the fine point gel pens, which I agree with, but only when I'm writing in a small space. My pen of choice is usually a 0.7 mm tip. I like dark, bold lines that won't bleed through the paper. The Pilot G2 pens are a popular choice and I used to use these a lot. Lately I've been using the Bic Gelocity because they have a quick dry time or the InkJoy gel pens that everyone seems to be using. Both great options! When I need fun colored gel pens or even a white pen to write on darker paper, I reach for my Gelly Rolls! These pens are nostalgic for me.
Permanent Markers
These work great on glossy or vinyl stickers. Sometimes in my planner I use vinyl stickers and gel pens just do not work on these types of stickers. They smear easily. So for those types of stickers that aren't matte you need to use either a permanent marker or a ball point pen. I don't particularly love using ball point pens so I reach for a permanent marker. I used to use the ultra fine Sharpies, but lately my permanent marker of choice is the Pilot Ultra Fine permanent marker. To me they write a lot smoother than Sharpies and they are such a bold ink! They dry rather quickly, too. Take caution with these on regular paper such as your planner page because they will bleed through!
Felt Tip Pens
Some other pens that I do use from time to time in my planner are felt tip pens. My favorite is the Paper Mate Flair pens that are really popular in the planner community. These come in a wide variety of colors, so they are nice if you want to use something other than black ink. I like my handwriting with these pens, too, because they have more of a medium tip size which I think is comparable to the 0.7 mm gel pens. Another brand that is very popular is the Staedtler Triplus Fineliners. These also come in several different colors, but these are a finer point than the Paper Mate Flairs. These would be a great option if you like to incorporate little colorful doodles in your planner. The thing I like about these types of pens is the smooth, fluid writing and the fact that they won't bleed through your paper.
Other Options
Although I don't tend to use pencils in my planner, some people do. I think it's the ease of changing your plans by just being able to erase and rewrite quickly that appeals to people. I however would rather white out & re-write! If you follow me on YouTube or Instagram you know I'm a fan of the white out! I do like to use a pencil when pre-planning so I can change my plans if needed, but once I'm ready to lay out my stickers and dive into a plan with me, it's all pens.
I mentioned ballpoint pens a little, but there are some people that can write beautifully with a ballpoint pen! I am not one of those people. :)
Another method is stamping in your planner. I have actually been very intrigued by this and have thought about giving it a try. I used to be a scrapbooker and I enjoyed stamping with that, so why not in my planner? The planners I have seen where stamps are utilized are so pretty! After stamping, they use brush tip markers or colored pencils to shade them in and they look so amazing!
I hope this helped you if you are still looking for that perfect planner pen. Comment below and tell me what your favorite type of pen is! If you'd like to see some of these pens in action, check out my Pen Swatching video!
Don't forget to connect with me on social media! Let's have a conversation!
Hugs,
Darchelle
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