AD – I was kindly gifted The Stationery Society’s first subscription box in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own. Please read my disclosure for more information.
If you are obsessed with stationery like me, then this subscription box is definitely for you!
About The Stationery Society
Lucy and Paul, who launched a small indie business ‘The Stationery Society’, have devoted both their personal and professional lives to collaborating with, and showcasing the talents of creatives throughout the UK, manifesting their love for stationery.
Supporting small businesses is so important, especially due to the substantial impact the pandemic has had and still is having on small businesses. What better way is there to not only support a small indie business, but also the work of 4 – 6 talented creatives and manufacturers around the UK, all in one box! But wait, there’s more… 25% of sales from each box is donated directly to a chosen charity related to the specific theme of their monthly boxes. July’s theme is seaside and donations will be made to Surfers Against Sewage – a charity bringing together communities to protect our oceans and beaches.
“Working closely with them to create something very special and unique.”
Source: The Stationery Society
There are several subscription options to choose from:
- Monthly Subscription – £16 per month
- Quarterly Subscription – £45 every 3 months (£15 per box)
- Six Monthly Subscription – £84 every 6 months (£14 per box)
- Yearly Subscription – £150 per year (£12.50 per box)
… and you can purchase the previous month’s box too! (The seaside themed box is the first box)
First Impressions
I feel very fortunate to have received The Stationery Society’s first-ever subscription box and couldn’t wait to look at all the goodies inside. I’m the type of person who trails through reviews to influence my decision on making a purchase – obviously, with this being the first-ever box and no reviews made, I was sceptical of the quality.
When I opened the box, there were two cards placed on top of the packaging, one card gives a short introduction about The Stationery Society and explains which charity that 25% of sales from each box will be donated to. The second card reveals the artists and creatives behind each specific product which is included in the box. It finishes off by announcing the theme for the following month.
The packaging was minimalistic, which I thought was very good, as less is often more. The layout of how the products were placed was excellent, ensuring that each item was neatly on top or against another item to lower the likelihood of the products moving around when the box had been dispatched – it was very clear that a lot of thought had gone into this.
So, what was inside?
Seaside Themed Products
Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside, can’t think of the seaside without singing that, can you?
Cards by Sofia Barton, Rho Rho Illustrations, Nichola Cowdery, Lisa Kirkbride
Finding the perfect card for a specific occasion can be tough as there are so many to choose from, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if there was a card for anything and everything as people are becoming more creative in ways to remind their loved ones that they’re thinking of them, which is absolutely beautiful!
The 4 cards are of high quality, when you hold them you know you’re holding something special.
The selection of cards included in this month’s box was quirky and different. The cards shown in the above image are in the same order as the artists, in the heading, who created them. My personal favourite is the second card from the right, by Nichola Cowdery – the design is unique and despite being unable to think of a recipient to send this specific card to, I would be happy to keep this in my collection of cards (you know the ones, birthday and Christmas cards from loved ones over the years… or is it just me?)
Pin badge by Netoon
You can’t resist an unusual pin badge, even if it is of a seagull. Mind you, I would rather have a seagull pin badge attached to me than the delightful stuff that dispatches from their rear… Hey, instead of the seagull’s ‘luck’, maybe this pin badge could provide you with its own luck and deter the seagulls! I’ll see if it works… watch this space!
This enamel pin badge is intricate yet funky, a combination I never thought would be used in one sentence! It has two pins on the back so that it will securely attach to an item of clothing or any accessory you would like to attach it to.
It makes me chuckle as it brings back all the memories of eating chips on the pier when I was little and I always tried to count how many seagulls there was, but alas I failed as there were too many. Touchwood, I don’t think a seagull has ever stolen a chip from me, but I’ve watched them steal other peoples chips… and I’m sitting there laughing my head off!
“That by even the smallest of purchases from a small indie business, you are making such a big difference.”
Source: The Stationery Society
Notebook by Becky Hodgson
I LOVE NOTEBOOKS… who doesn’t? This amazing A5 notebook is perfect to take with you to the beach, the design is very appropriate, don’t you think?
Do you like running your fingers up and down pages to get a sense of the quality? I do as it is very satisfying. Let me tell you, if you enjoy it then you will be very happy with this notebook as the pages are smooth and flawless. In fact, everything about this notebook oozes quality!
I adore the design as it’s funny and realistic. Although I’m not quite sure what the animal is, I want to say it’s a cat, yet my mum thinks it’s a pig… I’m pretty sure she is going by the colour though! I really like how it’s laid out like a diagram; a must for people who aren’t used to going to the beach. Below is a run-down of what the arrows point to, in the design:
- Envy inducing hat and sunglasses.
- Beach bag (contains snacks).
- Jazzy swimming cossie.
- Crab – Crustacean friend.
- Seagull – Evil snack thief (beware).
- GIANT ice cream.
It’s hilarious as it is the ultimate realistic view of a trip to the seaside!
Added Extra: Postcards and Notepad by Laura Burnett
Postcards feel very nostalgic to me, I’ve only ever seen the same design growing up, which were either a popular aspect of a certain town or that have multiple snapshots of areas around the towns. However, the postcards included in the subscription box are different and it’s refreshing to see!
I like them all, and if these were displayed in a gift shop then I would be more drawn to these postcards as they would stand out from the rest. The card used is very good quality, not flimsy at all. I think postcards are a lovely addition to this month’s box!
Notepad
I’ve seen over the last couple of years that bullet journals are very popular, but I’ve found it difficult to try due to my dexterity and poor fine motor skills, and feeling frustrated because I was struggling to be creative with it and make it suitable for me.
This seaside-themed notepad is IDEAL for me, as it has everything on one page! You can peel the pages off as they are a larger version of sticky notes/post-it notes, but without the stickiness! I counted how many pages there are, and I was impressed when I got to 21 – it has you covered for 3 weeks! Again, like with every other product in this subscription box, it is of high quality!
I know I’m repeating myself now, but this notepad is amazing! My favourite aspect of this notepad is the to-do list as it is the perfect size to write down what I need to do – with all my other to-do-lists, I’ve found them daunting as you can easily flick over to the next page and write more tasks, and it becomes overwhelming, am I right? But this seashell-sized to-do list is fantastic in preventing me from feeling overwhelmed with lots of tasks!
Another aspect I love is the random thoughts seashell as I can 100% guarantee you that if I have a lightbulb moment, you can bet any money that I’ll forget if I don’t write my idea down in the next 10 seconds! Not that I have many bright ideas every day but still, it’s handy to have!
… and the mood crabs because they are cute!
“Happiness can come in beautiful small packages and create the biggest amount of joy.”
Source: The Stationery Society
Overall Thoughts
I am absolutely blown away by the level of quality that has been packed into this box. Every product is unique and, goodness me, there is so much to love about what The Stationery Society do! I’m excited to see the diverse range of creatives and artists that they will be showcasing in future boxes, the different themes, and the amazing charities they will be supporting every month!
The first box has set the bar high and I’m eager to see what designs are included in next month! SPOILER: I think it’s obvious that I will be continuing with this monthly subscription (Sorry Ewan… totally not sorry! He moans that I have too much stationery… ha! what does he know?!)
Note: If you follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, then keep an eye out for snippets of this review, and all the incredible artists will be tagged so that you can support them too!
