And the winners of our Holiday Giveaway for 10 Leuchtturm Pocket Ruled Notebooks are … (drumroll please …)

Roger – Black

Andrew B. – Blue

David N. – Brown

Matt H. – Green

Dawn D. – Light Blue

Michelle R. – Pink

Sandra S. – Purple

Brian D. – Tan

Noah – Taupe

Lois S. – White

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Didn’t win? Pick up a Leuchtturm Pocket Ruled Notebook in your favorite cover color here on EuropeanPaper.com … and don’t forget your 10% off coupon that covers your entire order! Use coupon code PERFECT10 at checkout, but don’t blink, it expires at midnight Dec. 14 (that’s tomorrow!).

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Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway and spread the word! We have more giveaways, articles, tips & tricks, etc. on the way, so check back frequently. To keep in the loop, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to our RSS feed, and/or sign up for our weekly newsletter.

If you have any ideas or feedback, definitely let us know in a comment on this blog, or you can email us at info@europeanpaper.com!

Happy Holidays! As a gift from European Paper to our amazing fans, we have 10 Leuchtturm Pocket Ruled Notebooks to give away! With one of each cover color (Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Blue, Pink, Purple, Tan, Taupe, and White), you’ll have a chance to snag your favorite color.

Designed with the details in mind, the Leuchtturm Pocket Ruled Notebook has 185 numbered pages with a table of contents at the front for easy organization, 8 perforated pages in the back for quick notes, as well as stickers for labeling the spine and cover. The thread-bound hard cover notebook with 80 gsm acid-free paper opens flat to capture all your thoughts without fumbling around. With a matching cloth ribbon placeholder, elastic closure, plus rear expandable pocket, the Pocket Hard Cover Ruled Notebook helps keep your life in line.

Giveaway Details & Rules:

• To enter, comment on this blog post and tell us what you’d use the notebook for. 
  • Include your top 3 cover color choices.
• One entry per person please.
• The giveaway will close on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at midnight.
• Winners will be announced Thursday, December 13, 2012!
• This giveaway is only open to U.S. residents.
• Copy and paste this easy-to-share link with family and friends: http://wp.me/p2cRT5-1eu 

Packaged in a sophisticated Palomino-embossed gift box, the Blackwing Luxury Large Notebook & Folio Cover (7.5 x 10) is the perfect gift for writers, artists, and designers alike.

The Blackwing logo is subtly embossed across the luxurious front cover of the included ruled notebook with the same prestige and class found in Blackwing Pencils. With 160 acid-free, 100 gsm pages, use it for sketches and drawings, endless writing, and art journaling. The Folio Cover features pockets for storing business cards and other loose papers and a pencil holder that is specially designed to hold a Palomino Blackwing (soft graphite) or Palomino Blackwing 602 (firm graphite) pencils.

All in all, the Blackwing Luxury Large Notebook and Folio Cover brings inspiration and confidence to artists, writers and musicians alike.

PLUS, take 10% off all Blackwing pencils with coupon code WING10 at checkout!

With centuries of paper-making experience, Fabriano’s EcoQua Notebooks in a set of 2 are as environmentally-friendly as you can dream for. Made in Italy, the EcoQua Notebooks are not only FSC certified paper, it’s also chlorine free, acid free, and completely recyclable. Available in myriad fashionable cover colors so you can choose your favorite, the EcoQua Notebooks have 85 gsm off-white paper, and the notebooks are fully recyclable. Grab them all, color code your notebooks, and protect the environment at the same time with the Fabriano EcoQua Notebooks!

Now you can have the best of both worlds: a notebook and sketchbook in one with the Clairefontaine GraF It Sketch Pad!

Available in four sizes – pocket (4 x 6), large (6 x 8), A4 (8 x 12), and A3 (12 x 17) – and each with 80 micro-perforated sheets of 90 gsm Clairefontaine white, acid-free paper, you can sketch, doodle, and write to your heart’s desire. Use your favorite pencil, pen, fountain pen, and other writing instruments to fill the matte pages.

The GraF It Sketch Pads are both glued and stapled at the top so the cardstock front cover and the sturdy cardboard back cover never fail while giving you proper support. Clairefontaine’s GraF It Sketch Pads come in assorted cover colors and designs. Check them all out here –>

Have you ever been writing in your journal or notebook and noticed the disturbance of the lines? One of the biggest downfalls of customary paper is that the lines on the paper are simply too prominent. Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way lessening the importance of the lines, as I am a huge neat freak when it comes to writing. I like everything clean and readable and straight. However, when looking at writings and drawings on traditional paper, the text looks anything but clean. After putting things down on paper, the lines’ assistance completely goes away and they become more of a limitation than an asset. Enter Whitelines.

For so long we have simply accepted traditional writing paper without questioning the fact that the lines of the paper, created to provide a foundation for your writing and drawings, acts as an interference forcing your thoughts and ideas to compete with the lines of the paper for attention.

Years ago Olof Hansson, the founder of Whitelines, was doing sketches of a new invention of his. Annoyed by the dark lines disturbing his creation, Olof became astutely aware of the hindrance of customary writing paper. He set out on a mission to create paper that did not impose limitations.

The obvious solution to this problem was to take the dark element out of writing paper. Still desiring the support and functionality of lines, Olof turned to a slightly colored paper with white lines. Quickly Olof found that not only did these two light elements provide a solid foundation for both note-taking and drawing and provide a strong contrast between the paper and the writing, but the paper also gave an enhanced reading and writing experience. The eye and the brain, without having to decipher between the writing and the lines of the paper, can process the information more effortlessly, making it easier on the eyes. Additionally, the gray tone of the paper delivers less glare. Whitelines was born in January of 2006.

Regular paper on the left, Whitelines paper on the right. Image courtesy of guest blogger Kaylee B.

Whitelines paper is for all those that want a supportive writing paper. The reason Whitelines is so popular among so many groups of people is because the paper makes the writing and reading process more pleasant for everyone. Students find note-taking and organization much more agreeable. People in the office place enjoy the ability to scan and fax the paper with the lines disappearing leaving only their writing. And the creative folks – they just get it. No longer do their drawings and creations have to fight with the constraints of traditional writing paper.

So go ahead and give it a try. Test out the paper for yourself to experience a writing experience without limitations. A bit of a forewarning: once you start using Whitelines paper, it’s difficult to go back to the distracting lines of traditional writing paper. With so many options to choose from (Hard Covers, Soft Covers, Wire-O), we don’t think you’ll have a problem finding a notebook for each need of yours.

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Meet the Writer: An avid list-maker and moderate risk taker, Kaylee Bergstrom handles all of the logistics for Whitelines North America and, having never heard of Whitelines prior to her current position, has become hooked on the unique design of the notebooks. Rarely spotted without a good tube of mascara, an A5 or pocket notebook and her Jack Russell / Shih Tzu puppy Russell, Kaylee enjoys spending her free time with friends and family, getting hooked on a good book series or catching a mind-bending thriller.

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We’ve fallen head over heels for the new Palomino Luxury Medium Sketchbook & Folio Cover (5 x 8.25). It’s a fantastic, luxurious, and hip Folio Cover for Palomino sketchbooks that can be bought separate and inserted in the cover. The high quality, super soft faux leather cover also offers a place to store your writing tools, has a magnetic closure, and brings a strong presence to your office desk, in your briefcase or backpack, and at home.

• Features holders for eight pencils (the Palomino Mixed Grade Graphite Set fits perfectly!), one eraser, and one sharpener.
• Comes in a Palomino embossed gift box.
• Easy to travel with to keep your essentials nearby.
• Replaceable sketchbook has 96 acid-free pages of 120 gsm weight.

Creativity never stops, even with summer fading into memory and fall approaching rapidly. While the weather is cooler it still doesn’t stop people from drawing inspiration from their daily lives. Whether you’re writing, sketching, or art journaling you can draw on your creativity at any moment. Many people have certain places where they are more creative than others, but sometimes you have those moments when you just draw a blank.

Well, what’s better than getting inspired from everything that is already around you? Based on my experiences, these are my top 5 areas for inspiration away from home:

Parks - Are you an outdoorsy type of person? Whether you flourish outside or need a little push, parks are a wonderful area to get inspired. People are constantly moving, you’re surrounded by nature, and the fresh air can all help to stir up some creative juices. Just take a few moments to capture snippets that you see because those snippets can develop into something more. The best part is you can always refer back to your observations for later use.

Malls/Restaurants - Do you enjoy a lot of active stimuli? Malls are great for that because you can observe a wide variety of people in a short amount of time. People are constantly walking by and engaging with friends or family. Take notice of the details of the situation as those people can be used as inspiration for your creativity. I put restaurants next to malls because they are in similar realms where you can observe several groups of people in a short amount of time. Whether you’re dining at a nice place or getting a quick lunch you can partially eavesdrop on conversations as something you hear could spark an idea.

Libraries - Besides the obvious (observing people around the library), you can read! Most people at the library probably already have their noses stuck in a book. When you’re out of creative juices, pull out a novel, magazine, or book that sounds interesting to you. Who knows, reading the literature and exploring it can lead to your own ideas. For those not in the mood to flip through a book, use a computer and just start browsing the web. The libraries where I live provide computers for research, you just need a library number which is free to obtain. (Computer availability may vary depending on your location.) If you’re still stuck you can always ask a librarian, they are always there to help you out.

Take a Walk - While you’re out and about shopping or getting some exercise, keep a piece of yourself alert to your local surroundings. If you’re taking a walk around your neighborhood you can let your mind wander or you might want to get to know the people who live near you. Your neighbors might have a quirk or a story that may inspire you. You might also gain a lifelong friend. If you live in a city, getting lost in it can be fun. You can observe the artistic architecture of various buildings or the meticulous landscapes surrounding them. Cities are usually bustling with activities, you just have to dive in and interact with them. Some of the greatest minds were inspired by their local surroundings.

Fairs/Museum - Another inspiring place where you are surrounded by many people or by culture are fairs or carnivals. You can observe people, enjoy the music/conversations, and eat good food – all wonderful inspirations! There is always something going on and it’s up to you to find out what it is and how you can use it for inspiration. Museums are wonderful to gain inspiration from because they contain works by some of the greatest creative minds. Surrounding yourself with their works can be an indirect way to get you to open your mind and allow it to imagine the impossibilities into possibilities.

Gathering inspiration from these places can be a cinch on good days. You might want to note that most of these places can get crowded. If you can’t handle large crowds you can always move to a more quiet area. You can find yourself a less traveled road for your observations if you’re a creative introvert who doesn’t enjoy large crowds or too much interaction.

I usually find an empty area or sit on a distant bench for observations. Of course, everyone has their own preferences and may dive into the experiences only to distance yourself later or vice versa. There is no wrong or right way to get inspired. As long as it works for you then you’re doing it right. Just don’t forget to take notes or you might forget! (You have a notebook or sketchbook on you, don’t you? If not go get one!) Now my friends, go forth and create!

Meet the Writer: Lis (Aisazia) Huey is a Notebook/Sketchbook/Comic/Manga lover. A swimmer and a dreamer. A story enthusiast with the dream of telling and sharing stories through art. She has been an avid fan of web comics, indie comics, and fantasy/sci fi novels since high school and since then has always wanted to create one of her own. She feels that everyone has at least one story to tell, but some may have more than one. She hopes to be able to share her hopefully fresh and original stories and entertain my audiences at the same time. To find more about Lis, find her at: aisazia.deviantart.com, twitter.com/aisazia, and etherealvoices.blogspot.com

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It’s time to share the Rhodiarama love! For a limited time, you can get any color of the Rhodiarama Pocket Webnotebook for 15% off when you use code WEBBIE15 at checkout.

Share the love with your friends & family while this coupon lasts!

It’s love at first write! Exclusively available at EuropeanPaper.com, Apica Premium Notebooks are in celebration of Apica’s 25th anniversary.

Indulge yourself with the incredibly smooth paper of the Apica Premium CD Notebooks and you’ll be challenged to find another notebook with such a high quality vellum. Use the thin, sophisticated notebook for class notes, at work during meetings, or at home for personal journaling.

The silky smooth, acid-free paper can handle pencil, ballpoint pens, and rollerball pens, and some fountain pens. For an added touch of class, we love the Baroque flourishes that frame the identification panel – perfect for writing in your name, project, subject, date, etc. Plus, the classy header on the front cover says it all: “Choose the paper like you would a good pen.”

With the sophisticated designs, modern styling, and a variety of colors and sizes, we guarantee you’ll fall head over heels for the whole Apica Premium CD Notebook series.

The Apica Premium CD Notebooks are available in three sizes (A6, A5, and B5) and each size comes in three versions: black cover with plain pages, blue cover with ruled pages, red cover with graph pages.

A special tribute to U.S. agriculture, the Field Notes National Crop Box Set consists of six memo books celebrating American farmers and the six leading crops they grow.

With 48 pages each, a different cover color per book, and a strong 3 side-staple binding, Field Notes Memo Books have a “go anywhere” attitude. The light-tan lined graph paper inside each notebook is perfect to record notes, keep track of your to-do lists, or organize your plan for world peace.

Packaged in a custom box and with an included souvenir reference map, this special National Crop Box Set is full of information about American corn, soybeans, hay, wheat, cotton and sorghum.

Made in the USA, Field Notes is a collaboration between Portland, Oregon’s Draplin Design Company and Chicago’s Coudal Partners. An instant classic, Field Notes harkens back to the days of agricultural memo books and simple pocket notebooks. With a bit of cheeky humor and a whole lot of personality, Field Notes’ tagline says it all: “I’m not writing it down to remember it later, I’m writing it down to remember it now.”

Read our brand story on Field Notes here, and shop Field Notes memo books on EuropeanPaper.com here!