**Edited 10/19/00 too add more detailed information**
I have been scrapbooking for a couple of years now, and although I am not as creative as most, I really enjoy what I am doing. I know that when my daughters grow up they will appreciate all the time and hard work I put in to their scrapbooks. As it is now at 4 and 1 1/2 years old they love looking at my scrapbooks. They know that when I am working on my scrapbooks they can't peek. When I am all done we sit down together and look at them. It is really a special time.
Creating Keepsake helps with ideas for my scrapbooks. They have lots of great ideas, and tons of color pictures and tips from expert and novice scrapbookers. I have taken many ideas from Creating Keepsakes magazines.
The magazine is a little expensive if purchased separately, but is a pretty good bargain if you have a subscription. I don't have a subscription, I just pick issues up here and there. Each issue is $4.95. I have found a trick to getting it a little cheaper though. On Sundays when I get my newspaper there is usually a Michael's Craft Store ad and in this ad there is often (not always) a 40% off coupon. You can use this coupon for any regular priced item. I will pick up Creating Keepsakes magazine at Michael's with this coupon and I save 40%.
As I said the magazine has lots of color pictures which helps account for its cost, but it also has ALOT of advertisments which would lead one to believe they could lower the price since they are getting alot of dollars in advertising revenues. The ads used to be bothersome but now I find that it is a great way to learn about online sites that have scrapbook materials and ideas, new stores in my area, and many new products. I find a lot of useful information in these full color ads.
Some of my favorite features of this magazine are:
Themed Issues: Each month the issue has a specific theme. The theme may be anything from Babies, Camping, Zoo's, Masculine Scrapbooks, Heritage Scrapbooks, Bugs, and things like that. Each of these themes then has an area in the magazine devoted to them. Here they showcase great ideas for scrapbook pages. They show you the perfect bug layout or whatever the theme of the month is.
Ads: I know it sounds strange that the ads would be a feature that I like but they are. I have found new products that I just have to have from all these colorful ads. There are ads for stores in my area, new products (like Border Buddies, Journaling Genies and many many others), Software and even storage supplies. This, of course, is just a sampling of the ads. Most are big and bold ads with a lot of color and lots of pictures of the product. Many even show layouts that used the product which is a way to get free ideas for your own scrapbooks.
Feature Articles: The feature articles change each month, but they are always very helpful. They contain a lot of pictures and layout ideas from scrapbookers all over. There are tips on using die cuts, different themes (like 60's or 70's or Gardening, etc). There are also features on new products that have been discovered at tradeshows and other places.
Departments: There is always useful information in Creating Keepsakes. There are articles or columns on preserving your pictures, columns on getting organized, Tips and Tricks. There is also a Question and Answer section where readers can write in with their questions.
They frequently have contests where they showcase readers' works. This is really nice. I like being able to see what other scrapbookers have created.
I also like when people send their completed layouts in and Creating Keepsakes has people do a "make-over" on the pages. Sometimes they have different people do the layout so you will get to see 3 or 4 different versions of the same sets of pictures. I really enjoy that. It is fun to see what different people do with the same sets of pictures.
Creating Keepsakes is a must for any scrapbooker, as it gives a multitude of ideas and all the latest and greatest materials out there for scrapbookers. I highly recommend Creating Keepsakes Magazine for any scrapbooker, beginner or expert.
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