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We know that soooo many people are stuck in iso at the moment. We also know how many of you visit us in-store seeking help with gifting. Because well… we are the best at it! It hurts us to know that so many of our beautiful customers can’t visit us for help so we decided to set up a gifting service on our website! It has everything from choosing gifts to writing a note, adding chocolate and of course wrapping :) and done from the safety of your iso location. Here’s how it works! 1. Pick a gift If you have something in mind already just shop as you normally would! If not, don’t worry, we have a new section on our website called ‘Expert Gifting’ where you can choose from a range of options like price and occasion. 2. Go to check out We all know how good you are at this step so I won't help ;)  3. Select gifting options There will be a pop-up menu with options for gifting once you click 'checkout' on your cart, it'll look something like this... Choose from;✨ Gift wrapping (yes the gorg wrapping you see all over our socials)✨ Personalised note/card/tag (we will write it for you!)✨ Throw in that little bit ‘extra’ (add sparkles and confetti!)✨ Handmade chocolate by CocoaNib ✨ Surprise stationery gift (yay!) 4. Complete checkout Once you’ve chosen your gifting options, check out with your recipients address and leave the rest to us!  If there’s anything you’d like to add or specifications just write it in the comments box and our team will make it happen. We will make sure your gift is just as beautiful as if you did it yourself or came to us in-store. Sending all of our best wishes and Honest Paper love, happy gifting! xxxxx

A little insight into our design process!

Well, it’s been a TIME hasn’t it! We are so grateful that we managed to keep paying the bills and stay alive thanks to all your wonderful orders! We’ve been working prettttty hard, it’s been quite the adjustment running this business in a completely new way (definitely not going to sugar coat how tough it has been) but FINALLY we have a clear path ahead for reopening!  So, here’s the details... Our doors will be open to the public again, on the 11th October. In keeping with gov regulations, for the next little while, only double vaccinated customers will be allowed inside Honest Paper. All the usual check-in, social distancing, masks & hygiene measures will be in place. If you are not yet vaccinated, you are welcome to shop online and click & collect, or as always we have our online store running as normal. We’ve been so delighted by your kindness and care for each other through all of this, posting gifts across the globe and sending ‘lock down love notes’ too. As we navigate these next few weeks towards re-opening, please keep kind as we do our best to make Honest Paper the safe, great shopping experience you love! We are very much excited to “un-pause” our retail business and to see your faces once more. We’re truly giddy with excitement at the thought that soon we’ll be sharing (IRL) lockdown madness stories and of course showing you our Christmas range! Yay! Lotsa love,B & G and the team xx

Hi friends! Your resident Honest Paper enthusiast coming to you from Sydney. I hope you are all doing well!Now I don’t mean to brag but I’m kind of a lockdown expert... so let me impart some wisdom and help you find some peace in this madness, through our mutual love; Honest Paper.Stay OrganisedI’m sure a lot of you have dropped the use of a dairy because, well, there isn’t exactly a lot to schedule. But we have kind of gone cold turkey on reality so I think it's important to try to keep as much ‘normalcy’ as we can. One way to do this is to keep a routine.Each morning, write down everything you’d like or need to do that day. Even if you don’t refer to it ever again. It can bring a sense of direction to an otherwise directionless day.The Honest Paper ‘Daily Plan’ Notepad is perfect for this! It covers sections likeschedule and actions but it also has a place for your food and water intake as well as exercise.I like to write down EVERYTHING from who I’d like to call, to when I’d like to go for a walk, food ideas, housework and so on. It’s also helpful to have a list of activities to refer to when you’re a bit lost.I cannot stress how much this helps.Aroma TherapyI am quite literally obsessed with the Milligram ‘Nocturne' Sensory Volcanic Rock Set. It comes with a gorgeous jar, volcanic rocks and a fragrance. All you do is dap a little of the fragrance on the rocks and they act as a diffuser :)Top notes: Lemon, LimeHeart notes: BasilBase Notes: Cedarwood, Sandalwood VetiverIn translation; fresh, calming and earthy. It reminds me of fancy spas and facials so it's the perfect way to elevate your self-care day or remind you of the smells of nature.P.s I got curious and put the fragrance in my regular diffuser and it works! I also add a little to my floor and surface cleaners (told you I was obsessed).Keep Puzzlin'You know how I was talking about finding ways to mimic life beyond lockdown welllll... puzzles. No seriously, puzzles are an emotional roller coaster; you’ll experience waves of excitement, stress, achievement, and calm. It’s escapism for the already escaped.I love the Bespoke Letterpress puzzles. They fill all the holes news agency puzzles leave. They are beautifully illustrated with Australian native plants that aim to inspire mindfulness and calm. They have a satin finish and the greyboard is made from 100% recycled paper! Shop Puzzles hereA writing activity...  Writing your own recipe book has so many advantages. More obviously it helps organise the recipes you love and of course makes it easier to choose what to eat.More importantly, it has a generational feel. Call your mum, grandma, dad, whomever and ask for the recipes you loved growing up. Write in your own and share it with your kids, friends or back to mum.Regardless, it’s a creative project that is practical, fun and affords a call to your loved ones. The ‘Lemons’ Heirloom Recipe Book from Bespoke Letterpress is my pick. It has a hot foil detail on the cover with gold gilded edges, environmentally responsible heavyweight paper and is designed to inspire productivity, creativity and imagination in the kitchen.Take up writing...  There isn't a lot to say on the matter other than; nows the time, you have no excuse.The ‘Joy’ Calligraphy Fountain Pen is unmistakably ‘Lamy’. Just like the cult fav Lamy Fountain Pens; she’s elegant, comfortable and is refilled using cartridges. Plus you can use her with any of your fountain pen notebooks. A no-brainer really.Start a Photo albumI LOVE photo albums. I remember pouring over them for hours as a kid. My mumused to say that if there were a fire the first thing she’d save is the photo albums (not me, rude).Lockdown is the perfect opportunity to spend some time picking out your favourite memories so that they can be shared without the noise of their screenshot and meme cousins. It’s an investment that can be enjoyed now, in 10 years and beyond, I promise.I love Miligrams ‘Archive’ Album. It has a tactile advantage as it's made of Dutch linen and has an effortless, timeless feel.For more of a retro throwback have a look at the Simikolon ‘Pocket Photo Album’collection. They feature traditional stitching, cream pages and a pocket on the front for a picture or to help you organise. Thanks as always for visiting and supporting HP. We love you guys  - Rosa Sophia

We are getting to that stage of lockdown where we are all feeling... blahh. We’vewatched everything on Netflix, been on too many walks and our homes are sparkling. It’s time to start spending our free time on others!Sometimes its hard to connect from afar so here are 7 nice things you can do for people in lockdown... from lockdown.1. Ask vulnerable neighbours if they need any helpSimple things like getting groceries can be stressful for people during lockdown. So if you know of anyone who is maybe elderly, pregnant, a new mum or might be finding it too stressful to leave the house, make sure you give them a call or put a note in their letterbox. We need to do our best to take care of our community too!2. VideosAt this stage of the lockdown, I hate to break it to you; your friends are probably sick of the random videos you send of your pets and you watching the 11 am press conference.Instead, you can send them a fun video made by their favourite celeb! Just head to https://www.cameo.com or download the Cameo app, pick a celebrity, and send them a message. You can ask Maisie Williams to quote their favourite line from Game of Thrones or have The Bachelor sing them a love song! The opportunities are endless on this one!3. Letter WritingGet writing friends! When was the last time you rushed to the letterbox and pulled out something other than a bill or the 27 amazon items you ordered last night after too much wine? It’s time to get back to tactile communication so test out your poetry skills with an ode, declare your love, or simply say hi! The world is your oyster when you have pretty paper, a pen and an envelope :) Shop our Australian Made & Designed Letter Writing Paper Here 4. UberParcelNow I don’t know about you but I have a collection of nicknacks I’ve bought for my friends during lockdown that are gathering dust, as they just aren’t quit ‘Australia Post’ worthy. I clearly forgot that UberParcel was a thing... There’s a little button on the Uber app that looks like a parcel, click it and follow the directions. An Uber person will drive your parcel to a friend! This is a great way to follow the lockdown rules whilst giving that instant gratification rush that Australia Post can’t provide. P.s you can send plants (you're welcome)5. UberEatsWe have all fallen victim to the Ubereats trap at one stage or another. There’s nothing better than dumplings to your door but it can be an expensive habit! So next time you’re umming and arring on if you realllly need that box of cupcakes... send them to a friend! You can either choose an order to send to their home or send them a gift card straight to their Uber account. Practical and thoughtful!6. Care PackagesIf you aim to impress, care packages are a must! You can include a mix of silly, yummy, practical and beautiful things; whatever you like! With things like puzzles and gratitude journals, the Honest Paper website has lots of goodies if you’re suck! Remember we can wrap and post directly to your recipient! 7. And of course be nice to YOUYes you do need that at home spa day with face masks, a fluffy robe and a Meeraboo candle! Written by Rosa Sophia

What happens to small business during lockdown?

Every day mothers choose to put their children before themselves. Some days, mothers basically pull themselves together FOR everyone else! I think that the simplest thing that we can do is to acknowledge that sacrifice and to give them the love and respect that they deserve.

This is an introductory guide to setting up your fountain pen with bottled ink. If you're wondering what bottled ink is or why you should be using it check out our blog here! Now you're caught up, let's get started... What you are going to need: 1. Fountain Pen  The first thing that you’re going to need is your fountain pen. Most fountain pens can be made to work with bottled ink.  2. Converter  You will need something called a converter, a plunger/piston device that goes into your pen where the ink cartridge usually sits. It is used to draw up and store ink. All of the fountain pens we stock are compatible with a converter, so if you purchase your pen from us you can also pick up the appropriate converter!  3. Bottle of Ink  Finally you will need your bottle of ink. At Honest Paper we have the basic colours (Blue and Black), in both the Lamy and Pilot ranges, as well as some more adventurous colours from Lamy and Robert Oster.     Now that you've got what you need, here's how to fill your fountain pens with your favourite bottle of ink. 1. Make sure your pen is clean and dry This means disassembling it and removing the cartridge that was in the pen. Running water through the pen until it is clear is a good way to make sure there is no residual ink left in the feed section (Make sure to let it dry!) 2. Put the converter in the pen Insert the empty converter into your pen where the cartridge would sit. It attaches in exactly the same way the cartridge does. Wind the plunger down towards the nib as far as it will go. 3. Submerge the nib including the breather hole in the ink On a stable surface, open your bottle of ink. You will need to submerge the nib of your pen into the ink, until the surface of the ink is over the breather hole (The small hole near the top of the nib).  4. Twist the converters plunger to draw the ink into the pen While holding the pen steady, twist the converter raising the plunger. This will draw the ink up through the nib into the pen. Don’t worry if it doesn’t completely fill the converter!  5. Repeat the process with the converter to get a better fill   While keeping the nib in the ink, repeat the full up and down motion of the converter a few times. This allows the ink to saturate and fill the feed section of the pen. After a few cycles you should see the converter fill most of the way. 6. Reassemble the pen and wipe off the nib Take the pen out of the ink and wipe the excess ink from the nib using a towel. Then reassemble the body of the pen. 7. Start writing And you’re done! Your pen is now filled with bottled ink and is ready to write just like it was before with a cartridge. And next time you run out of ink, just repeat the process listed here to refill your pen. (If you are using the same ink you may not need to clean out your pen, however if you change to a different colour you will want to clean out your pen again to prevent the inks mixing) Congratulations on filling your fountain pen with bottled ink! Now a whole new world of inky goodness has just opened up to you. So go! Explore, write or draw with your new found fountain pen ink.