Desk Notepads & Lists
Keep all your Nonsense in one place with these quirky desk notepads and whimsical writing paper.
Words From Happy Customers
Beautiful & Practical
Add Whimsy While You Wonder
Who says a desk notepad has to be boring? Not us! These artist created notepads are made to look wonderful on your desk.
Our notepads feature unique hand-drawn illustrations that look beautiful sitting on your desk, your kitchen bench, stuck to the fridge, or anywhere a thought needs to be noted. Printed on high quality writing paper with a sturdy backing board, they're as practical as they are pretty.
Artist Made Desk Notepads
Meet Melbourne Artist Emily May
Emily May is a self-taught artist with an affinity for the peculiar and a love of making nonsense.
Her artwork is finely hand illustrated, creating beautiful images from thousands of tiny pen strokes. Inspired by old-world whimsy and vintage storybooks, Emily creates her playful, nostalgic notepad art by blending her imaginary world with the modern day.
More About Desk Notepads
The whimsical artwork on each desk notepad and list is hand illustrated by our very own Melbourne-based artist Emily May. Emily is inspired by her love of old-time story books, and bringing a touch of nostalgic whimsy into the everyday.
Explore more of her work transformed into homewares, stationery, and art prints.
Learn more about the artist here, follow her adventures on Instagram, or sign up to our mailing list for more updates.
The artwork you can find on all our desk notepads and writing paper is created using a unique combination of both traditional hand illustration and digital colour.
Every piece starts with artist Emily May sketching out her design in pencil, before building up the illustration using a technique called crosshatching (layering thousands of tiny pen strokes to create form and tone). Emily then scans the drawing and colours it digitally.
The unique combination of hand-drawn line work with bold digital colour gives her desk notepads a playful, yet nostalgic quality.
A good desk notepad is invaluable when it comes to organising your thoughts, something a student with so many things to keep track of absolutely needs.
And that need doesn't go away after graduation. Applying for jobs, making plans for the future, or even organising a celebratory gap year. A wonderfully hand illustrated desk notepad is not just a great student gift, it's a necessity!
Our list size notepads are the best option for keeping daily task lists, to do lists, or shopping lists.
Our list pads are a convenient DL size (that's 9.9cm × 21cm), meaning they are portable, and small enough to easily carry with you when running errands or doing your shopping.
The easy tear top also allows you to only bring the page you need, rather than carry around entire notebooks.
From these stationery lovers to another, we can confidently say you can't go wrong with a desk notepad or list as a gift. These unique artist designed writing pads are both handy and beautiful, making them the perfect gift for anyone who loves stationery.
All of our notepads can be bundled together as part of a whimsical hand illustrated stationery set. Choose any 2 from our notepad range (desk notepads, writing paper or lists) for just $38!
Great news! Desk notepads are the best accessory for a home office because they are fun, handy, and the perfect size.
For a smaller home office desk, these perfectly sized A5 notepads are just right for keeping your thoughts handy, while not taking up too much space.
Meanwhile, DL size lists with magnetic backs can sit neatly on metal whiteboards and shelves in your home office.
Yes! Our desk notepads, including our shopping lists, are entirely designed, printed and put together in Australia by a local small business.
If you're looking to buy desk notepads online, you're in the right place! The Nonsense Maker has a range of fun notepads available to buy right here!
If you prefer to shop in person, and you’re based in Australia (especially Melbourne), it’s your lucky day! You can find our desk notepads at several markets throughout the year. Keep an eye on our socials and sign up to our mailing list for updates.
Alternatively, take a look at our stockist list to see if there is a desk notepad stockist in your area!
Yes, we wholesale all of our notepads, writing paper and lists, along with most of our paper and stationery products.
If you would love to stock our quirky hand illustrated notepads in store, please visit our wholesale enquiries page for more information.
