In the first podcast of the year, (I know, we're slack), Helen and Rob chat about recent stationery finds, purchases and goodies. 

1. Helen geeks out with a colleague who loves Fountain Pens - and is an expert on paper quality.
   1. They head to Gilbert House Pens to spend money. 
   2. Helen buys a feather resin pen. 
   3. Brad Herrington from Gilbert House Pens is helpful and guides Helen to the right pen. 
2. Helen is now obsessed with inks, especially after we had Urban Hafner on the show. 
   1. Helen is now using shimmer inks of various colours. 
3. Rob is taking out extra loans to cover his addiction to Domestika courses. 
   1. Rob is now finishing a small lettering course by Little Hannah (amongst other courses!)
   2. Rob has therefore bought some Pentel Brush pens for the course - sorry, Rob referred to them as ink pens in the podcast - they are not. They are brush pens. 
   3. Rob apologises if you head to Domestika and up remortgaging your house. Their courses are brilliant. 
4. Helen has convinced friend of the show, Helen Callaghan (Guest on Episode 20), to set some constraints and coach / mentor Stationery Freak Helen on writing. 
5. Helen has finally found a use for her "top of the class" Mark and Fold notebook - you know, that notebook that is super special. 
   1. And now Helen has replaced it with another "top of the class" notebook from LeVan notebooks. 
   2. A beautiful hand stitched notebook, that lays flat, and is covered in Japanese silk/linen. 
6. It turns out Helen keeps her unused notebooks (of which most Stationery Freaks have hundreds) on display. 
   1. Rob finds this unsettling as it would remind him of all of the potential he has yet to release. 
   2. Rob keeps his hidden away in his writing desk
7. Rob is following the wonderfully talented Play Attention Now on Instagram - he has inspired Rob to keep learning to draw.
   1. Which is why Rob has purchased another Ottergami notebook.
8. Helen has signed up for a writing workshop that takes place over 30 weeks with Alison and Jenny who run "A Novel in a year"
9. Rob mentions his upcoming book "Take a day off" over on Cultivated Management 
10. Rob has bought an old school Rapesco pencil sharpener.
    1.  Helen has bought an ergonomically challenged pencil sharpener of her own - that slices fingers in the process of sharpening pencils. 
11. Rob has bought a book called "Japanese Colour Matching" from the wonderful CounterPrint books.
12. Stationery Freak Helen and author Helen Callaghan are taking their "creative constraints" workshop to conferences this year! How exciting.

Until next time.
Rob and Helen