A Printer that Ever Scrapbooking addict must have

Sorry all for not posting last week, really super busy week. I spent this past weekend at a crop talking about a printer that I use regularly for all my photos. This printer can print a ton of picture off one set of cartridges and has cheap ink too.

So what is this printer? It is the new line of printers from Kodak that all in one printers. They can scan, print, copy, and some fax. They can print straight from a memory card and save to it. No need to even have a computer attached. Kodak has models ESP 3, ESP 5, ESP 7 and ESP 9. Basically they are all same quality printers with each one having more bells and whistles.

I actually bought the model prior to these called the KODAK Easyshare 5300 for $85 at SAM's Club. It is no different than the newer models other than mine is white and the new ones are black.

All I can say is I am a computer guy here that has used tons of photo printers over the years and this one is the best one yet. The ink costs about $9 for black and $12 for color ink. You can print about 300 4x6 prints and about 50 8x10 prints off one set of cartridges. It prints 8x10, 5 x 7, 4 x6, and many other sizes if you use the software that comes with it. This printer also does awesome copies of photos and can resize your picture as it copies it. Say you have a 8x10 and need it to be 4x6 for your scrapbooking layout, you just tell the printer what size you want to output it to and it does it on the fly. I can print directly from your card or attach it to a computer via USB.

You can still find the older white ones at SAM's club and at Walmart they now have the new ESP 3 or 5 for $85. It don't matter what color you get but you must get this printer. It is a must have for all you scrapbookers and stampers out there.

Glitter Window Christmas Card Technique

I took a class this weekend where we were made Christmas cards for the season. I feel in love with this new technique that you can use with any die cutting system. In this particular case we used the Big Shot to cut out objects. You can use a Sizzix cutting system or anything else that allows you keep the remaining paper after you cut our your shape. This way you can make 2 different cards out of one die.

We made the 1st card will using the Big Shot to cut out a snowflake and add to card, but that's not what i am focusing on. I am focusing on what you do with your leftovers. Here is a technique using the leftover to make another card out of left overs.

You would use the large snowflake die for this card. Working to make my card, I run my snowflake through the big shot and look what I had left...

I just couldn't let that beautiful image go to waste so I came up with this card. You can't tell in the picture but I am using shimmery white cardstock for the snowflake...

Supplies Needed:

• Light Blue cardstock and stamp pad
• Shimmery White cardstock cut to 4.25 x 5.5
• Christmas Greeting Stamp of choice
• Big Shot and Snowflake Die (You can use any diecut but this one was the biggest)
• Clear packing tape
• Sparkling Iridescent White Glitter
• Glue dots
• Pearl from the Pretties Kit (Stampin-It-Up) or a pretty white brad.

We used the glitter window technique for this card.

Here are the instructions:

Attach the clear packing tape to the back side of the negative snowflake image. Be sure to use a surface that the tape will not adhere to. We used two strips of tape to cover the entire snowflake.

Cover the sticky side of the tape with the dazzling diamonds glitter. Tap off the excess.

Add adhesive to the back side of the snowflake and adhere to the front side of the base of the card.

Use a couple of glue dots to adhere the flat side of the pearl from the Pretties Kit to your card. Stamp your greeting and your card is complete! Very easy and very pretty...

Now it's your turn. Don't ever throw out the negatives images cut from your Big Shot or any other die cutting system. They can turn out to be beautiful projects and you are going green and saving the earth too.

Later i will upload some of the other cards we made. Thanks to my good friend Shauna Ruffin from Stampin-it-up. Check her blog for more cool techniques.

Awesome Bargain Scrapbooking Sites

Today is Friday and the day when I do most of my websurfing. I found a couple of great sites that everyone should definitely visit if you are frugal a scrapper like me.

If you have not visited Peachycheap is must visit site for all you scrapbookers and stampers out there. If you have ever visited Woot.com, it very much like the site, but uses all scrapbooking and stamping supplies. The lowdown is that only one item is posted daily at a hugely discounted price and once it runs out, it is gone.

Bargainpack is another wonderful thrifty site you must visit. They have great deals and run sales pretty regularly. Check out the clearance sales as they change almost weekly.

Do you know other site? Let us all know.

Scrappin and Stampin Around The World

Last night was a momentous day for the United States as we saw our first African American president elected. We saw people around the world celebrating this victory and we saw others that hoped that this new president would strength some of our weak presidential ties with other countries. This got me to think international and where the papercrafting hobbiest are around the world and what techniques are used in thier countries.

I was watching a recent episode on Fiskars T.V. that featured Juliana Mansour from Brazil. It was interesting to learn that in Brazil buttons and sewing was are used in the majority of layouts. Also where we rely on tape runners here in the United States, they use glue sticks mostly.

So it brings to question, how is scrapbooking and stampin different in other countries. Do scrapbooking companies make products only specific to a particular country? Are there companies abroad that produce products that we don't know about here? Is there an international papercrafting hobby site?

I am one who believes that one cannot have enough friend especailly in the hobby that I love. I would love to know your opinions and thoughts on scrapbooking in other countries. Having a friend to bounce these ideas off from another country on regular basis would be even better.

I would love all of your thoughts out there on the international scrapbooking and stampin industry.

Guys That Scrapbook

Yesterday I took the 1st step in finding others guys that are into scrapbooking. Being a new member of the Fiskateers, I posted on the general message board trying to find guys that are crafty like me. Being in the scrapbooking hobby now for a little over a year, I have had no luck locally finding any guys that work on any kind of paper crafting whether it be scrapbooking, card making, or altered art.

Scrap booking is a hobby that is dominated by women but is slowly opening to guys. The problem is there is no place for guys to communicate online that I have ever found. We are spread out here and there. I found some on yahoo, others on MSN groups, but still no central spot.

Also so much of the supplies out there are made toward the more girly pinks and pastels and not alot of darker manly colors. Do scrap booking companies not know we exist? I will give it to them that there are more papers coming out lately and some embellishments that men can use in their pages or on their cards but they are still seriously lacking.

I am out to change this hobby. I want to bring paper crafting to more men. I would love your help. If you are out there and like to paper craft, get in touch with me. If you know sites for social networking shoot me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.