I used to read women's magazines when i was younger, but i'm 33 now, a married woman, and clearly don't need the Top 10 Flirting Tips or learn for the 7392th time how to perfectly apply lipstick and eyeshadow. I know how to shave my legs, and my closet is full of pretty dresses, so why care about fashion that
I love home decor, DIY, paper and fabric crafts and scrapbooking. But interesting magazines about said hobbies are a) hard to find and b) often times the content is less than exciting for someone who practically lives in an internet full of great blogs and Pinterest, of course.
So when Scrap365 had a call on their Facebook page last week, looking for 10 people to review their magazine, i got super-excited and sent my application right away. Well, i was accepted ( thanks so much!) and this is my review. I'll start with some basic information.
1. The price:
Scrap365 is a bi-monthly publication and the current price for one issue is £4.95 ( British Pound) or £29.70 for a one-year subscription. Since i'm not living on that beautiful island up there, i would have to buy a european subscription for £39.60, which is roughly 46€ and makes 7,66€ per issue.
You guys in the US and Canada have to invest $59.94 USD per year/ $9.99 per issue.
Considering that the standard price for most national monthly magazines is already 5,50€- 10,50€ nowadays, that is a very fair price to me.
2. The cover:
The cover is fantastic. One pretty photo on a white background, and the main content information below. The shades of pink, aqua and green match the photo perfectly. Very neat and organized!
3. Page 1 ( page 3 technically, but the first page inside the magazine):
I opened the magazine, and expected to see countless pages of advertisement ( hello InStyle). But believe it or not, the magazine does actually start with a note from the editor. I rarely read those, as i find them rather useless. What i do read however is the imprint, which can be found on this page as well. I guess i'm weird somehow, but i really like to know where a magazine is printed, who the publisher is, etc.
Next is the page of contents.
I usually skip those too, unless i am looking for something specific. But just like the cover, this page looks so well-organized again. The contents are sorted by topic, and the links to social media and blogs are all in one place ( no Instagram *weep*)
4. The content:
Oh, where do i start? The magazine feels quite skinny with only 98 pages, but it is full of inspiration!
All througout the magazine are numerous layouts by different designers. I'm not telling you all the details, but the first one is by Gabrielle Pollacco. Need i say more? I don't think so. Each feature contains beautiful photos, a description by the designer, a step-by-step tutorial, additional tips and tricks, and a shopping source.
Then there are the themes: for every issue, Scrap365 asks their readers to submit layouts that match given themes. The themes in this issue are "weather" ( i missed the deadline, argh) and "food". Moreover there are the PDQ's. That means "pretty darn quick" layouts that can be made in under an hour. All the submissions are a fabulous collection of different styles and colors.
That's one of the things i really, really like about the magazine in general: there is variety!! There are numerous layouts in every style for every taste. And there are so many great tips and ideas on every page.
Of course you will find advertisement too, but they are kept to a minimum. And let's face it: no magazine could ever live without sponsored ads, and the ones you can find in the Scrap365 are a helpful resource of scrapbook stores, manufacturers and stockists.
All in all, there is only one point i have to criticize. I was really looking forward to the Mini Book Special in this issue, as we took those super cute photos last week at MisterT's birthday party with some fun photo props, and my plan is to print the photos of my niece and nephews and create a mini album for my parents and sister. So i wanted to read the Special first, only to find out that the mini book projects are scattered all throughout the magazine. I don't like that! If it's a special theme, I want to see all projects in one place, without having to flip through the entire magazine. But the features itself are great, of course.
So, to sum it all up: The magazine is a fabulous source of inspiration!
But why buy it when you have the internet? Because it is real. It is paper, you can touch it, you can bookmark pages, and you have access to all the information and inspiration you need without running back and forth to the computer. Without staring at it's screen and ruining your eyes. You can read it during a t-storm when power and internet are down. You can read it in the bathtub. You can keep it until the end of your life, just like a good book.
Thanks so much, Scrap365, for letting me read and review the current issue!
P.S. This is not a sponsored post. I was sent a free magazine for review. All opinions are 100% mine and i did not receive monetary compensation for my opinion.
