The matches for our Secret Santa Can Suck It exchange have been made and sent to their assignees. After everyone posts about their “gift,” I’ll list all of the entries to peruse. To kick things off, here’s mine.

My recipient was xJane, and from her comments on the ol’ blog here I know that she’s a big fan of spiders, steampunk, and–I recently discovered–pens and writing paraphernalia.

Well then.

Let’s start with with small stuff: She’s going to need a selection of pens.

A rare spider design Mont Blanc pen (#1) is a good starting point. The Michel Audiard sterling sculpted spider (#2) is great for making a statement. The Visconti limited edition Ruby spider (#3) is fine for everyday use, and a set of Mont Blanc steampunk designs (#4) is perfect for the office.

She’ll need ink, of course; two types: First, super-high-quality ink by J. Herbin; their anniversary collection is a good choice:

Next, we’ll arrange for an expert to give her lessons on making her own iron gall ink:

She’ll also need an appropriate inkwell; I can’t think of any better than an antique spider:

She’ll need a personalized wax seal; a Victorian seal should fill the bill:

And to remind her of a favorite pastime, a silver seal charm would be lovely:

Obviously she’s going to need something to write on, so a Victorian writing desk will be required:

…as well as a matching office chair:

Finally–and remember, in this fantasy gift exchange, the budget is Very Large Indeed–she’ll need a suitably inspirational space to write in, and that means a home office makeover. We’ll hire someone from The Steampunk Home to create something like this:

Happy Holidays, xJane! I hope you enjoy my “gift!”