Back to the hobby rotation

While I enjoy cooking new things, and organizing or rearranging our **teeny** condo, I sometimes get bored (and frustrated) with the adult responsibilities/hobbies and revert to the careless hobbies I enjoyed during my not-so-busy years.

Fashion took a big chunk of my time: reading up on it, checking out fashion exhibits at museums, reading endless blogs and message boards (MUA) about it, etc. Then it got a leeeeetle expensive and I put myself on a voluntary shopping ban for the remainder of the summer. OUCH!

Skincare and makeup has always been a big deal, and resurfaced as my new main hobby a few weeks ago. Found a good UVA+UVB high PPD sunscreen, some vitamin C and other antioxidant serums and I"m done/spent. When you have an entire dresser full of these items and a place the size we live in, and then you start to say ok no new XXX until I finish the old XXX. Darnit, think anyone will care if I flush the remainder of my UVA-protection less Kiehl's sunscreen down the drain just so I can go buy a new moisturizer I've read wonders about? :P

So now I'm back to the scrapbooking or artsy phase...or soon, I will be. Forget the fact that we don't have a wedding album yet, I'm feeling the urge to make stationary or cards--something along those lines, especially given all the birthdays, holidays, and special events we have this summer. Ahh, my new lemming. It's the Gocco Printer :)
Now this investment would have made a lot more sense pre-wedding, but I had plenty DIY stuff going on that another gadget might have made me go insane. So what's this Gocco printer do?
The Print Gocco is essentially a mini printing press that is capable of printing whatever you can imagine if you can create it and make a B&W photocopy of it.

1. You draw (ya right, not me) or use a photocopy of a design (hello computer!). A flash bulb instantly turns your artwork into a screen stencil.
   
2. Tape this screen stencil against the flat or single curved project (Works best on flat surfaces or cylinders that have no or slight tapered area.).
   
3. Then for something glass, you just brush on a thin layer of Armour Etch Glass Etching Cream, wait 2-3 minutes,
   
4. Remove screen stencil and immediately wash the etching cream off the glass under flowing water.
   
5. Wash the screen and use it again and again and again!

Well that's nifty! Apparently these are hard to come by because the original Japanese distributor stopped selling them? Something like that, rumors on saveGocco.com say that a U.S. company may take over distribution of these printers in the U.S. this summer. We shall see, in the meantime I'm tracking one down and contemplating a non-shopping-ban-relevant purchase! :)
Check out some cool work done with this printer at flickr and etsy:
www.flickr.com/groups/gocco/
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=1045

**image courtesy of HeatherJeanY's stationary on Etsy