"My home is my castle": With the products available from edding, even the smallest of bed-sits can be transformed into your very own kingdom. 
 
Holiday destination, oasis of wellbeing or virtual world of shopping: particularly during times when we have less money in our purse, our own home becomes more than just a place in which to sleep. This trend is known as cocooning and was first coined in America back at the start of the eighties by Faith Popcorn. Be it an evening in front of the video with Sarah, a barbecue party with couch-potato soul mates, or sunbathing on the balcony: in the summer, instead of spending money on such pleasures as going to the cinema, the pub or even on holiday, we are celebrating the stay-at-home culture in all its glory. It's a phenomenon made possible by huge sofa islands, modern flat screens and excellent home-delivery services. And, of course, the marker and writing implements specialist, edding. Fancy some examples?

No dosh? No fun? You must be kidding! Because a balcony cheerfully adorned with plants or a nicely decorated terrace will put any impersonal Spanish hotel complex in the shade. Individual flower pots can be created with edding deco markers. The ink is water-proof, which means that not only can zinc containers be decorated in many beautiful colours, but terracotta pots also serve a highly suitable surface for adding highly opaque inscriptions with a silky soft finish. Meaning that you finally know what's what in your herb garden!

And what if Luke doesn't want to join in on a well deserved holiday? Younger ones, in particular, can have a whale of a time painting highly colourful holiday landscapes or amusing anecdotes onto mummy's freshly cleaned window panes. An ideal tool: window markers from edding. Simply shake and pump - and off you go. And there's no need to worry, for the low-odour marker can be wiped off easily with a damp cloth. Not just from window panes, but from bathroom mirrors or the glass doors of kitchen cupboards.

In a sweat? Then quickly get under the shower and put on something comfortable to wear around the house. And if you find that bland, you obviously haven't met the edding T-shirt markers. The pens ensure a personal note on all fabrics, including cotton, linen, jute or silk. Why not, for example, add a cheeky message to a once whiter-than-white T-shirt? Or write "Come and snuggle up" on a cushion cover? And to make sure this togetherness never ends, all works of art will, after fixing with an iron, survive wash cycles of up to 60°C without fading.

And as evening approaches, it's time to retire to the sofa and put your feet up. Naturally, the TV stays firmly switched off. Instead, get those little grey cells whirring once more by doing a crossword. Fill in the answers using the new series of ball-point pens and mechanical pencils. Thanks to a unique oil-based ink paste, the ball-point pens will add magic to any sheet of paper, letter by letter. And if you are not sure whether your answers are correct, simply use the mechanical pencils from the marker and writing implements specialist. All mechanical pencils have an integral, high-quality rubber beneath their cap to get rid of errors large and small in an instant.

Yet, sometimes, even cocooners leave their oasis. But not to go to some ridiculously expensive high-class restaurant or queue for a film at the multiplex cinema. Instead, they visit like-minded couch-potato friends. And, of course, they don't go empty handed! Wholly individual gifts can be created using paint markers. With their paint-like ink, they can be used to write or draw on wine or champagne bottles, bottling jars or even dark card to great effect- and all at the last minute. For, in the end, the paint markers are not just non-fade, they are also waterproof, wipe-resistant and quick drying.

CDs and DVDs are also popular gifts that can be given a make-over at the flick of a wrist using the products from the successful CD marker family. By offering the edding 8600 CD painters from its wealth of ideas, the Ahrensburg-based company is presenting a colourful alternative to CD labels, offering permanent performance on dark or pre-printed silver discs.