You do have a point about the ink. I think that is where the printer manufacturers make their biggest profit. I just bought ink off of Ebay for 1/2 the cost of what I was paying at the Office Depot. I have not put it in yet, so sure hope it works.

Yes, well, they don't usually have them that old, just the recent seasons. It would be so nice if you could find one that old though.

Yes, I get a discount on my ink because of where my son works, but I still try to be conservative. I do think that I make things too hard though. I just got through looking at that art journal. It is fascinating. What type of book is she using?

Something else to keep my eye out for at flea markets. I love Swap-bot too. I have looked at some of the other swapping sites and I like the way this one is set up much better. It is much easier to keep track of what you are doing. And I like the forums.

I think that she is using one of those Moleskin journals. A lot of people seem to like them. There is a whole set of pics for Mileskinnery on FLICKR. The moleskins are more expensive than the regular sketch books. My sketch book is about 6x9 with a spiral binding on the side. I really like that size.

Yes, I do too. I keep my eyes out all of the time. Yesturday was the patriotic service at church to celebrate the fourth of July. They set off little confetti bombs with red, white, and blue streamers and loads of silver confetti. Girl, I was picking that stuff up big time for my atcs. I may save it for my journal book though, cause I served in the army and I could do a page on that.

Can you recycle an old book? I love to recycle and not have to spend needless money.

I bet you cold do several pages on that. What church do you go to?

Southside Assembly of God.

Recycling an old book is called an altered book. Yes you certainly can and there are tons of resources on the internet about altered books. A lot of people do that. My book round robin is that, Each person starts a book and chooses their theme and then you send your book to the next person on the list and you receive from the person before you. You decorate a portion of everyones book and at the end your book comes back to you with all the different artists work in it. But some people alter an entire book for themselves.

I buy coloring books for 10 cents each to use. The art work is really good. I may cut some images out of them and water color it or paint it with acrylic paints for my atcs.

Wow, that sounds like fun. Is that swap full?

I would love to do a frog themed book. I like painting them. A lady is paying me to paint her a frog. I had better get busy.

Yes the swap is full. but maybe we will do another it is in the Altered Art Assembledge group that we are doing it.

Coloring books are a great idea. I don't think I have seen any for only 10 cents around here though.

My sister loves frogs. So frogs always make me think of her. I can't paint or draw actual figures or animals. But I can paint a mean background.

Oh, I didn't know there was such a group. I would like to join. I get them from a second hand store. Some of the pages are already colored, but they make great painting patterns and you can trace the images.

I am going to go and work on some projects. This was fun, let's do this again!

I am learning. I use a lot of stencils too. I like them and watch for them to go on clearance at Hobby Lobby. I have collected quite a few. I have a great frog stencil page.

AHA second hand store, there are bunch of them in Port Orchard. I need to hold tight to my pennies I am afraid I went a little bonkers at Michaels yesterday and now I need to cool off the credit card and work on the things I bought. I like your recycling ideas they are great.

Clearance Sale are two my favorite words.

Linda, you can also go to wallpaper stores and get their old books. I have also contacted interior decorators and been given a lot of their imported fabric books, and wall paper books. I have even been given some trim. Those are the bomb! I would share but they are too heavy and the postage would be too much. I don't mind sharing my secrets though, and everybody on swapbot can go get their own.

Ok, I need to get back to work too.

Thanks for the great ideas Angie. I will talk to you soon. Linda

wow ten cent coloring books what a steal. My day has been awesome just went to "cupcake" and watched good movie. I also spent tons of money at michaels & sent 17 packages... a little more broke but definatly happier.

My day is just going from bad to worse :(