The new school year is quickly approaching and what better way to start the academic semester than with a school must-have...planners! At Cool Pencil Case, we're huge fans of planners, organizers...you name it! With busy days at the office, it's what keeps us organized and definitely prepared. We've put together our favorites below...
Available in four chic designs, the Hardcover Monster Planner and Diary will be your go-to the next six months. With both a daily and monthly outlook to plan your activities, this planner will definitely help you get on top of everyday tasks and monthly projects. In addition to filling in your calendar, you can also even set goals, log in daily activities, with little monsters cheering you along the way.
"Putting pen to paper is said to help the brain regulate emotion and reduces feelings of anxiety, fear and sadness," we couldn't agree more with this quote found in the Color Therapy Planner. Find this planner to be filled with check lists, accounting pages, and weekly to monthly plans. Need a break? Bring out those markers and color in the countless designs you'll find on the pages of this planner.
Join in on the fun with and plan your months ahead with these Mini Floral and Franky Friends Pastel Planners! Filled with weekly, monthly, and a year plan, these planners have you covered for the school year ahead. Available in soft, pretty pastels, these planners come in four irresistible options. You can choose between the Franky and Friends design in Pink or Mint Green or you can opt for a Mellifluous Lavender or Yellow.
Holding a total of 160 pages, you'll find everything you will need in The 365+ Planner. Filled with notes to plan your weekly and monthly activities, this planner is also filled with blank pages for any thoughts and on-the-spot ideas. One of our favorite features? The inner flap on the cover to hold tickets or even loose notes.
Purchase a planner from August 4, 2016 - August 18, 2016 and receive 20% off by using code: PLANNER2016. This discount will only apply to items in the planner collection at CoolPencilCase.com.
We came across @Cicibep a couple of weeks ago on Instagram and were amazed at her fun anime drawings and other illustrations. Lately, she's shown off a couple of her Cool Pencil Case picks, and it turns out she's a huge fan of Sumikko Gurashi! The gals at the office wanted to know a little more about this talent, so we shot over a couple of questions to pick her brain on her design inspiration and art supplies of choice. Oh, and did we mention Cici is still in high school?
Describe yourself! What’s your name, current occupation and choice of artistic expression?
I'm currently a highschool student and my hobbies are of course drawing, jamming to instrumental music and hoarding super cute stationery/art supplies. My artistic style/expression leans toward anime and cartoon. Watching Sailor Moon and Pokemon were what inspired me to start drawing as a small child. I'm still learning how to produce art in which I do in my free time to express my appreciation towards existing characters and my originals.
(Included Above: Sumikko Gurashi Confetti Sticker Pack and Sumikko Gurashi Delightful Castle Pencil Pouch) What Cool Pencil Case product is helping you organize your life and/or making your creative space more manageable?
Sumikko Gurashi products from Cool Pencil Case are what I enjoy using the best! I'm currently using the (Sumikko Gurashi) Kurutoga Pencil to sketch my art and also use it for writing (I basically use it for EVERYTHING). I also use many of Sumikko Gurashi's memo note pads and their folders to keep organize and help with my studies. Cool Pencil Case Products never disappoints! I like to collect all the Sumikko Gurashi products that Cool Pencil Case has to offer but there are many more that I love!
Tell us about your creative process! What inspires you? What is your favorite thing to illustrate?
There's nothing really special about my art process; my philosophy is that I would never force myself to draw, because it never turns out great. I would get sudden urges to draw, and that's when I know I should start. I'm usually inspired by anime that I currently like to watch and produce fanart; currently obsessed with Osomatsu-san and Touken Ranbu. I also draw originals where I just look around for random things, like a house plant, and draw something based off of it. My favorite things to illustrate are men because they are like in my comfort zone haha! And small cat doodles of course.
How often are you drawing/illustrating? What are your favorite supplies to use?
I only draw when I have time because I'm in my third year of high school I don't have much leisure time to draw what I want. The only time when I'm able to draw is if its a paid commission or weekends (rarely). My art supplies aren't as special either, I always use my trusty kurutoga pencil that I've used for 2-3 years! For coloring I use Holbein and copic markers!
What advice do you have for budding artists?
My advice to budding artists is that you guys should accept and appreciate what you are able to produce! Learn to be able to accept constructive criticism and produce art to please yourself first before you try to please others. Always try to use your own skills to draw your art and not rely on another existing piece of work to copy, copying another piece of art won't get you far! As an artist myself, the only thing that really matters is just have fun and draw to your heart's content.
Do you like @Cicibep's Cool Pencil Case picks? From now until 11/14, enjoy 10% off your $30 purchase at CoolPencilCase.com by entering code CICIBEP10! Channel your inner artist and pick a pencil case that you can fill up with your own art supplies!
Butterfly pencil pouches. Pencil cases with pouches. Super bright colors. These fun themes described some of our favorite pencil cases, and with 2016 just around the corner, we're wondering which pencil cases will be at the top of your list! Take a trip down memory lane with us and check out our top 5 cool pencil cases -- and remember, enter code CPC2015 at checkout to receive 10% off your $30 or more purchase!
Hey CPC Club -- If you haven't heard, we're holding our End of Year Sale, where you can get 10% off your $30 purchase at CoolPencilCase.com! See code below and feel free to pass along to friends who also have had an eye out for that special pencil case or planner all year long!
One of the coolest things about making new friends in the planner community is seeing their own creations come to life. Wenda of Wendaful.com (or @wendafuldesigns on instagram) has done an amazing job showing off her planner inspiration to keep more organized, all while upkeeping her own store and personal life. See some of her favorite Cool Pencil Case items below and take notes on how she why she thinks the planner life the best life.
"Ever since I can remember I have always loved pens and stickers. I used to shop at sanrio and even worked there for a little while! I used to love buying the letter sets to write cute notes and letters to friends." -- Wenda
What is your favorite Cool Pencil Case product and why?
My favorite Cool Pencil Case product is my Lilac Happy Baby pouch. Besides the fact that it is so pretty, it can hold so much! I am able to store a ridiculous amount of pens, washi tape, stickers, and more! It is perfect for taking with me on little trips where I know I will want to play with my planner.
Tell us about your favorite and most used planner accessory (bookmark, gel pen, stamp, etc).My favorite planner accessory would have to be washi tape. You can easily decorate your planner with it and is perfect for labeling events.
Can you give some tips on those who love decorating their planner pages but are on a budget?
If you want to start decorating your planner pages but are on a budget scour the internet for free printable stickers! There are tons of resources on the internet these days, my favorite place to search is on Pinterest, just search free printable stickers and you will get tons of results!
When did you start using your planner and how did it change the way you prepared for the day/week/month?
I started planning in April of 2014 because I needed to schedule cleaning the house, making time for the kids, and remembering all of my appointments. I am so glad I did because now I hardly ever forget an appointment, and I manage my time so much better. It's not about having time, it's about making time. Planning for 10 minutes a day can make your day or week go so much smoother.
How do you organize all of your stationery and supplies?
I use two white drawer units to organize all of my stationery supplies. I love the shallow drawers because it makes storing small supplies easier to find. I separated the drawers to organize my stamps, ephemera, sticker books, and washi tapes. I also use a mini binder to store my etsy stickers!
How do you decide how to design your planner layouts? How long does it usually take to complete your design for the week or month?
When decorating my planner pages I always choose two washi tapes to start and work around that theme. Sometimes I use a decorating kit from Etsy and choose washi tape to match that. I then find stickers to use for my appointments and events. It usually takes me about 20 minutes because I often have to go through tons of stickers.
How has the planner community on instagram supported your love for stationery?
I remember first coming across the planner community and telling my husband, "There's a whole world of people into the same thing as I am!" It was amazing I used to browse instagram for hours looking for inspiration. I found a whole lot, and now it has become a place where I can share my love and passion for stationery. Everyone is so supportive of each other and I love being able to help promote other shops.
Name us three of your favorite planner girls/guys that our Cool Pencil Case fans should follow!
There are so many accounts I love but you must follow:
Follow @wendafuldesigns and @coolpencilcase on instagram! You'll be one of the first to know about giveaways and huge sales, like the our biggest sale of the year coming this Thursday, November 26 to Monday, November 30th! Sign up for our newsletter for updates and reminders to get 30% off your $50 purchase this Thanksgiving weekend!
Cool Pencil Case is stationed on the sunny West Coast, so it's hard for use to really feel the transition from Winter to Spring. A daily 70+ degree forecast is old news for us, but please believe we are more than excited for the slew of new arrivals that just hit CoolPencilCase.com! If you haven't been following us on Instagram lately, you're missing on the beautiful images of planners that our friends have been posting! Won't you give @coolpencilcase a follow?
To celebrate the start of Spring, enjoy 10% off your $30 or More Purchase at CoolPencilCase.com! Just enter code "SPRINGWITHCPC" at checkout! Offer ends on March 31!
Folks, it's that time again! Now that Turkey Day is over and you're in the mood for some Black Friday deals, enjoy 25% off your $35 or more purchase over here at CoolPencilCase.com! Simply enter BIG25 at checkout! You've got all weekend to shop (until December 1 at 11:59 p.m. PST, to be exact!) Can't wait to see what everyone gets! Make sure to share photos with us on Instagram by tagging us at @coolpencilcase and #coolpencilcase!
Look through our new arrivals section to see what Cool Pencil Case goodness you need to start adding to your cart!
Since we started engaging with our customers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, we at Cool Pencil Case have gained a sense of community with pencil case lovers worldwide. We didn't realize that people shared the same love of stationery and school supplies as much as we did, and especially with the beauty of Instagram, we become inspired every day with the images of your new pens, stickers, planners, and more.
As we approach 10,000 likes on Facebook, Cool Pencil Case decided to team up with one of our favorite vloggers, LittleSurprisesYT, for a giveaway! Watch the video below to see how you can win a $20 gift code to CoolPencilCase.com. Everyone is a winner for this giveaway -- once we reach 10K likes on Facebook, we'll be releasing a special discount code as a thank you for all who have supported Cool Pencil case along the way!
By the way, if you subscribe to LittleSurprisesYT's channel, you'll get to find out the code first!
