I couldn’t resist posting this image that was recently sent to me in an email.  When I saw it my jaw dropped, as I remember this exact issue of Dynamite magazine, of which I was a subscriber when I was a kid.  I actually think I heard the Bay City Rollers when I opened the email and saw this.

Holy smokes!  Another new category?  Yes, it’s true – I’m adding another new category to my blog today.  This time the theme is "Practical", which is for thoughts, advice & ideas of a more "nuts & bolts" nature. 

This category was inspired by a recent comment asking about the type of printer I am now using for archival quality prints.  My latest inkjet printer is the Hewlett-Packard (HP) Photosmart 8750.  I had not purchased a new printer in quite some time (well over two years, a lifetime in technical terms) and wasn’t sure where to begin, so I called HP and we found a printer that I love.  I have used HP for years; I built my greeting card business using HP printers to print all of my cards in-house for the first two+ years of my business.  At one point I had two printers going all day, five days a week.  I ran my printers until they gasped their final breath, and then donated each one with love and tremendous thanks for all their hard work.

These days I don’t need to buy multiple printers in a year or inkjet cartridges by the dozen so I’m not nearly as knowledgeable on the latest & greatest in inkjet printer technology, but I am loyal to HP.  They have a wide range of prices, capabilities, and technological bells & whistles.  My best advice to anyone hunting for a new printer is to simply call HP (or Epson or whoever you are interested in), tell the sales rep exactly what kind of work you will be doing on the printer, what volume, etc. and that person should be able to find something that suits all of your needs.  I now have my new 8750 and my previous printer, a Photosmart 2710 all-in-one.  I like the all-in-one because it also serves as a scanner and copier, and it is better for printing mundane items like text documents, etc.

For more information, visit Hewlett-Packard, Epson & Apple.

A few other helpful & interesting tidbits for the day:

* Get Journaling!!  Michelle Ensminger has started a new blog entitled The Journal Project, and her first entry has a sweet Swirly journal offer, so check it out!

* May 31st – that’s tomorrow – is the final day of my Swirly Booty Call.  Swirly Booty + Free Stuff = Super Fun.  Go to my website & click on SHOP!

* I’ll be announcing my 52 Figments question here each week from now on, starting today with this week’s question:  What is the title of the book you want to write?

* justBe…Inspired!  A blogger’s conference is being organized for 2007.  Click here to read all about it!

A few practical items I can’t live without in my studio are glue sticks, scissors, my metal pencil sharpener, masking tape, plenty of old glass spaghetti sauce jars for painting and yes, my lovely new HP printer.  What are some practical items you can’t live without for your creative work?