Patty Van Dorin

long shadows

 

held captive in the poetry aisle

Several readers have emailed me asking for more about the pogo printer.
 
the photos from the pogo printer are used in my journal, some I manipulate, some I don't
 
Can you think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than poking around an old bookstore!  A used bookstore the way they used to be, full of old books.  A store stuffed to the ceiling with books. Boxes of boxes and carts of books filling the aisles. Plus a collection of mixed unmatched chairs to sit and browse. Nothing new, no glitz just used and old books.
 
A place that you can not leave without something. Sunday, I was held captive in the poetry section.
 
Finding books you want and finding books you didn't know you wanted.
Finding an a wonderful 1887 edition of Longfellow for less than a cheeseburger. Better too.
 
So here are my thoughts on the pogo printer
-prints are in only one size 2" by 3"  (same size as Artist Trading Cards, just thought I would mention it to those of you doing ATC's)
-it prints using zink, that means the only expense after purchase is the special zink paper
-I use the pogo only for use with photos from my cell phone (bluetooth) but you can connect it with your computer or digital camera. (I have never tried this)
-it won't replace standard photos due to the size limitation
-the prints have a sticky back, so you can peel the paper off and makes it easy for journaling. This is a good travel printer.
-the printer is small, thicker and a bit bigger than an iPhone. (the charger is almost as big as the printer)
-sometimes the prints have streaking but just feed the blue sheet that comes with each pack back through before printing (put on bottom of stack of paper)
-cost of each print is about .25 (I get my paper on amazon and look for specials)
-has a nice glossy surface like standard prints
-and there are all sorts of fun things you can do with the prints

this fun video just about says it all

keeping it simple

 
a few more winter roses and then
playing around with my pogo
 
What I love about the pogo printer is that my phone and the printer work together via bluetooth. I have been using the pogo just for photo printing from my phone. More experiments coming soon.
 
pogo portrait
keeping it simple in the daily journal

poppies

today's journal page

 
and just because I was working, I caught this moment in time
1:11 on 1-11-11
 
 

rut buster

It happens to all of us. Falling in a rut, doing the same old thing over and over again. When this happens to me, I try and challenge myself to try new colors, patterns or working with a medium that I don't use often.
 
Many times these experiments don't turn out well or as expected. I can't say I care much for this page but it was fun playing with markers. I think I will like it more once I add some journaling to the page.
Vintage fabric (below) was used for the inspiration.

 
Colors and patterns that normally don't find their way into the journal.
Next I will play with the vintage Japanese fabric in brown, ivory and pale sage green.

So don't sit and pout. Look around the house for inspiration, try some new motifs and use colors that you would never dream of putting together.

Thanks to all the nice emails regarding the fabric journal and for all the requests for more closeup pictures. Here are a few.
 
 
 

What is Red?

 
Page on the right inspiration is from the crazy colorful pages from an early 70's reader that I repurposed into my "Secrets" daily journal.
When I made this journal, I used the original school book cover and included some of my favorite pages from it.
 
Sometimes I stamp on the original pages and sometimes, I just let them stand on their own.
The 70's really wasn't that long ago but it is clear that it was before certain politically incorrect things were common place in text books.
 
it has been so long since I have posted about the scrapodex project, that I forgot where I left off
 
no matter, here are a few pages
 
my goal is to get the backgrounds down
 
then come back and add more
 
page on the right with the dots is a liner from a tin of cookies
I rubbed an ink pad lightly over the top to give the dots some color and contrast
 
adding more tiny collage bits
this is an ongoing project and is just too much fun

dolmas

 
pages from the daily journal
 
and lunch
 

amazing

 
a page from the daily "secrets" journal

Amazing things observed on Monday
-a russian boar along the road (probably not so amazing for whoever   hit it with their vehicle)
-an incredible waffle flip from one side of the toaster to the other (greek yogurt and waffles for dinner)
-the olive bar had dolmas and the incredible proscuitto feta stuffed tomatillos (I indulged with a purchase of a small container)
-a great horned owl spotted in the oak tree during a late night walk with Ralph the Dog (it was a thrill to watch it fly off under the street light)

Patient

 
The owl was quickly sketched and I didn't really care for it. But after some stamping and collage, it works for me.

The printed text really has nothing to do with the page. Sometimes after I read a paperback and no one wants it, I will stick my finger in randomly between the pages and tear out a section of the paperback and glue it on a journal page. Then the paperback gets tossed into the recycle bin. It's just a fun random thing to do in your journal.

My word for the month is - PATIENT, as in trying to be patient in a month of poor communication and waiting on inspections. Once this last house closes this coming week, I can roll the gypsy wagon on to my next location.
 
Smitten is the word for this Chesterfield sofa.  If I find myself in a more permanent living situation, I may start a quest to find the perfect Chesterfield. It wasn't so long ago, I despised Chesterfields. Now the love affair has been rekindled.
 
 
There could be hundreds of these inspirations journals, I started keeping a scrapbook type journal as a young girl. I am glad I never tossed them out as it's fun to see how your tastes and interests change over the years but the core of what moves you stays the same.

 

Panorama

 
a page from the daily journal