My friend Paula posted a few weeks ago about the Smash book she was going to do on vacation. It seemed like a fun idea to me, so I started talking to hubby about getting a “polaroid type” camera. He said that unless I was totally bought into that “look”, that I should just get a little photo printer that I could take with us. It is cheaper per print than the instant photos, and then I still have the digital files. So I did some research, and decided on the Canon selphy. I chose it because it is not inkjet, it is actually a process called “dye sublimation” which uses heat, and ink on a cellophane paper. I liked it for two main reasons: the photos are totally dry when they come out of the printer, AND there is no ink loss from clogged jets like there can be if you do not use an inkjet printer for a while. I figure that this printer will get intermittent use at best, so I do not want to be wasting ink. If you buy the 108 print pack, the cost is about 30 cents per print. Much higher than Snapfish, but not as bad as the instant photo film.
I got the printer, and I LOVE it! Not only does it make nice prints, but you can even do little mini collages with it! Such fun. I was seriously considering the Smash book, but my local stamping store was out of stock, and they said they might not get them in till October (this turned out not to be true, the actually got some in later that week.) I also had a chance to look at Paula’s, and I did not like that it is already somewhat “pre-decorated”. So I went to the bookstore and found a spiral bound art journal with plain kraft pages. I’d like it if the pages were a bit thicker, but the Smash book pages are not heavy weight either. It might get a bit “puffed out” with lots of stuff in it, but I figure I can cut some of the pages out if I don’t use them. Now I am starting to collect scrapping stuff from my stash to take with me. I know I have a 6×6 pad of paper that is travel themed, as well as some themed stamps. I’ll take some washi tape and the tiny attacher too. I am going to look for some sort of cool “vintage” (old!!) suitcase at a thrift store to carry it all in.