Grand Daddy Printer & Black Friday Supplies

Tonight, I was reading a friend's blog - Jen Allyson's The Project Girl - and she has posted her top ten gift ideas for crafters. She has a great list and I can definitely point to a few on her list that I would sure like. However, number 2 really got me thinking about those things that you just drool over and wish you had but just can't justify it for yourself... which took my mind back to seeing my mother-in-law's large format printer.

It isn't your usual "large format" printer that you would hear scrapbookers talking about having but rather a grand daddy of large format printers. I knew she had a "large" one but until I saw it in person when we went back to Canada to visit, I had no idea quite how large... so instead of describing it to you as I can't do it justice, I will instead show you a quick photo Mike snapped of it for me. I was busy playing with transferring photos & doing a hdr composite on her computer to take it myself.

She works with a Canadian artist, Tyler Thompson, and they use this printer to print his giclee canvas prints so for them it is a necessity whereas for me, it would just be a droolfest.

Instead, I have a simple little HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-In-One Printer which fulfills my needs as I am not one to print a lot of things. I picked it because it prints directly onto printable CDs/DVDs and has a document feeder which are two features I was looking to have over my previous printer.

This weekend's Black Friday/Cyber Monday specials have also helped me stock up on printer ink & photo paper at really nice prices so I am hoping to do a little more experimentation with hybrid projects.

I definitely wasn't complaining at the discounted and then additional 40% off my printer inks which I got to order from the comfort of my home in my pjs at 1pm in the afternoon while others had braved the crazy shopping hassle of Black Friday. And then again wasn't complaining at the $25 Kodak photo paper sale for $4 or the $13 Staples double sided matte paper sale for $2 that I got today in a nearly empty store! Unfortunately for the paper deals, they are mail in rebates so I had to outlay the cash now and will get a rebate in a month or two but I can handle that for the end result prices! I can play a lot more and not feel like I am potentially wasting a lot of money if they are dismal results.

Do you have a favorite or dream printer? Get any great Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales?