Pens, Pens, and more Pens

So...I have a lot of pens. Shocked? Likely not. The topic of pen storage came up in one of the facebook groups I'm in (Zentangle®) today, so I thought I'd jump in.

Since I really got into drawing about a year ago now (wow! a year?!), I have tried a few different storage ideas and found the following:

1> I hate not having all my pens with me at all times, (well not ALL my pens - I have backups and duplicates, but I don't carry more than one of the same thing unless I think something may run out, and not ALL the time, although my friends may argue about that...),  and
2> I DOUBLE HATE digging through multiple boxes/ bags to find the pen I want or to see all my choices.

Here's my current set-up.

This little bag (the zebra bag) holds tall pens, all my black and white pens, and all my metallic pens except Gelly Rolls. The plastic container in the middle holds my super-fancy itty bitty pens (or as Shannon Green says...."using these are like writin' with an eyelash!"), and I also have a few water brushes stuck in here.  I don't mind having the itty-bitties (mostly Pilot Hi-Tec C Maica 0.3) in their own container because I don't use them often and when I do, I am generally focused on final, very fine details.

The bag still has plenty room in it for more stuff...


(as does this paragragh....)

The zebra bag happens to fit perfectly inside this green bag, which is holding all my sharpies, my FC Pitt pens, Gelly Rolls, and "regular writing" pens - well that's what I call them anyway. I use them all the time for writing in my planner and anything else. They are mostly Pilot 07's, with a few Zebra Sarasa's thrown in.  There is a Sarasa limey-green color I especially love.  

This is what is looks like all put together.  This whole bag fits perfectly inside two other bags I have (one simple tote, and one big complicated backpack), in case I want to take them somewhere but want them fully contained.  In fact, on my recent 5 week trip to D.C. for work, I put the zebra bag inside the green bag inside the tote to contain any potential leaks (the tote is plastic), and then put the tote inside the backpack which I was carrying on the plane. Arrived with all pens intact and in their proper assigned location with no fallout or migration (I have no tolerance for pen migration.  Gelly Roll Stardusts should not be mingling with microns should not be mingling with pilots, know what I mean?).  I was quite pleased.  

When I'm actually working, I can see everything in front of me.  I like that.  I read and worried about the whole "store horizontal vs. store vertical" debate, but so far I haven't had any issues so I'm pretending I don't know any better.  

Just LOOKING at this pen bag makes me happy.  Oh, the potential it holds!!!