MAGAZINE WEEK part 5: crafts

Over the past 10 years or so, I have been a connoisseur of craft magazines. I have subscribed to several over the years. But I have become much pickier in the last year or two. I was often frustrated to get a new issue in the mail and find nothing inside that piqued my interest. So, right now I have only two favorites, Paper Crafts and a line of magazines out of Britain.

Paper Crafts is great for me because it gives a variety of ideas - cards, gifts, and scrapbooks. I think they have a great balance of information - a list of supplies, simple instructions, and pictures. Not too much information so that you get fewer projects, but also not so little that I get frustrated because I can't replicate something. I enjoy a lot of their specials issues, too, like Card Creations, Holiday Cards, etc.

The British publisher is Practical Publishing. Recently I treated myself to a couple issues of their magazines (They are $15 each - thank goodness for coupons and discounts at Barnes and Noble!) - The Complete Stamping Handbook and Quick Cardmaking. I went through each page carefully, circling products I thought I might use some day, marking projects and techniques I wanted to try. For the first time in ages, I savored a craft magazine, finding something of interest on almost every page. I will definitely be looking at more of their publications in the future!

So, that's the end of MAGAZINE WEEK. I hope you have enjoyed the change of pace. We'll be back to our normal book review schedule next week! Happy Summer!