(download/view HERE)
Good morning everyone! First, before we even get started, we would like to say a huge THANK YOU to each and every one of you for joining us today to celebrate our FIFTH birthday! It seems like yesterday we launched our first issue in March, 2006 and just five years later, we are thrilled to present issue 21! It is because of you and some amazing advertising sponsors that we have reached this milestone today. This spring issue was so much fun to put together - from the beautiful cover by Christine Middlecamp to the fabulous reader's gallery, and everything in between! A great issue to celebrate our birthday!
And, for those of you that know us, you know that not only do we LOVE rewarding our readers every Friday but we love a celebration (remember our annual "12 days of holiday giving"?) Keep reading friends...it only gets better ;)
One of the great parts of Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine is that it's free. Free in the stores and free to download anywhere in the world - 122 countries and counting! When the magazine first launched many asked "why free?" My answer was very simple - because I LOVE my local scrapbook store and I truly wanted to give them something special that they could share with their customers four times a year. While I initially loved my local large craft store, I never felt better than when I stepped into my local store where they educated me, celebrated with me and enhanced my creativity (and caused me to learn to hide some receipts!) While I know many do not have a local store near them, I can also say that I came to love an online store who had a message board that was a wonderful source of inspiration. There are so many that share our passion for scrapbooking and card making, so thank you for sharing yours with us.
Over the years we have built a great team of editors, designers and staff who passionately love this craft and work extraordinarily hard (and sometimes on some pretty tight deadlines!) to bring you the latest and greatest in trends, techniques and design principles in a clean, well-design, approachable way. I am blessed to have such an amazing team of talented people and by you being here today, you have shown us that we have done a great job. A huge round of applause for the Scrapbook & Cards Today team!
So now for some fun on a Friday! One of the companies that have supported us since the very beginning is doodlebug designs. I don’t think I could ever get enough of their sugar coated cardstock or their new adorable buttons (and have you seen their brand new cards? OH MY!). Of course when they heard it was our birthday, our friends immediately offered us a fabulous birthday prize to give away! Just look at this all this doodlebug prize!
But wait there’s more friends! Are you wondering what is in the adorable bag our editor extraordinaire Becky Fleck created on page 7? Well, over the past year we have worked hard to reach out to you not only with our magazine but also online through this blog, our website, our facebook page and twitter. We designed our online magazine so that you can read it right from home but we would like to go a step further. We would like to keep in touch so that you’re in touch with your very own .....“ipod touch”!
That’s right, one lucky winner will receive an Apple ipod-touch so that you can keep up to date with us no matter where you are!! (and btw...you will all need to have the Bazzill App!) To win the ipod touch and the doodlebug giveaway, just leave a comment below telling us what you enjoyed most about our spring issue! Easy! Leave your comment before 6:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 31st and we will randomly choose a winner that will be announced on Friday, April 1st.
We hope you enjoy our spring issue (download/view HERE!) and once again we want to thank you for being such AMAZING supporters of Scrapbook & Cards Today. Join us on Monday for a very fun blog hop with our design team celebrating the launch of our brand new CardMaps Today special issue, on Tuesday with a great tutorial from Becky and some surprise announcements on Wednesday and Thursday. And did we mention that we will have a prize giveaway every day next week? Make sure you join us every day!
~ Catherine
Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to Scrapbook Cards and Today! Happy Birthday to you! Wow amazing giveaways and Bazzil WILL be one of my apps! :) Also thank you to all who have ever done anything to help support SCT! They ROCK! Please, please keep up the GREAT work, I just love the magazine and EVERYTHING in it. It is so VERY inspiring!!!!! Congrats to the team!
Posted by: Anne Marie B | March 25, 2011 at 09:29 AM
Horray for all the Scrapbook &Cards Today staff! You guys do a wonderful job at making such beautiful paper creations. I love everything about the spring issue!
Posted by: Rose Williams | March 25, 2011 at 09:29 AM
Happy birthday SCT!!! Yay for another wonderful upcoming year:-) I love teh 3-designer challenge. I'm always in awe with what the designers can come up with by using the same papers, embellies etc...Thanks for the chance to win this giveaway!!!
Posted by: Jennyfer L | March 25, 2011 at 09:31 AM
Great issue! Always a fan of Becky's sketches and the 3 designer challenge.
Posted by: ArlaMo | March 25, 2011 at 09:32 AM
Congratulations on 5 years ! I like to see the 3 designers challenge as well as the Pagemaps for inspiration.
Posted by: Tracey | March 25, 2011 at 09:32 AM
I love the sketches. That's the one thing that always hangs me up when doing cards - I can coordinate everything down to the last brad, but knowing where to put it throws me for a loop. And CardMaps - OMGoodness ! You truly are my favorite magazine, and are very good to your subscribers with Amazing giveaways ! Happy Birthday - and I made you a cake last night, but got the midnight munchies - but it WAS a very good cake.
Posted by: Elizabeth P | March 25, 2011 at 09:33 AM
Happy Birthday! This is the first time I have ever looked through an e-zine and I am impressed! It is full of inspiring layouts and projects and useful information. I really like the 3 Designer Challenge, but everything was wonderful. Thank you!
Posted by: Raechelle Bellus | March 25, 2011 at 09:34 AM
Amazing giveaways! I love everything about your magazine!!
Posted by: Lori Kobular | March 25, 2011 at 09:34 AM
HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY!!! WHOO HOO!!! Time sure flies! I always look forwrd to seeing the 3 designer challenge, so much amazing inspiration there and in the whole issue!!! Thanks for all you do!!!!
Posted by: Tracey Kuzniak | March 25, 2011 at 09:34 AM
I'm so new at card making and never knew your magazine was FREE! I was just introduced to you on facebook. Love all the ideas as now my cards look oh so plain!
I would love to win the ipod to be able have the ideas right at hand.
Posted by: yvonne | March 25, 2011 at 09:36 AM
I cant wait to get my hands on this issue!! I LOVE the cover. Happy Anniversary!!!
Posted by: Mellissa T | March 25, 2011 at 09:40 AM
Woohoo! How exciting! I totally love your mag!
Posted by: Janet B | March 25, 2011 at 09:43 AM
Happy Birthday! Way to go SCT! Great job!! Love the PageMaps section, 3Ts section and the From The Heart article! But, all the content was inspiring and educational and professional and to the point! I don't have an Ipod Touch so that's an awesome giveaway! And, heck ... who can't use more doodlebug supplies!!! lol
Posted by: ** Elaine S ** | March 25, 2011 at 09:45 AM
Well, I've already read the entire magazine and the CardMaps release as well and they are both pretty dog-eared! I always appreciate the 3T's - I learn a lot each issue (and when I re-read), but this issue the 1st part of the journaling series was the first article I came back to. It is very hard for me to express myself on my layouts (sad, I know, particularly since I am a clinical social worker LOL). Becky's and Marnie's layouts are inspirational for me and both are pages I really want to scraplift and then, do them justice. I can't wait for the rest of this series. Thank you, as always, for a wonderful magazine!
Posted by: Penny Douphinett | March 25, 2011 at 09:46 AM
I love this issue! The "home sweet home" card is so cute and so are the chalkboard tins and well everything in the magazine!!
Posted by: Jamie Greene | March 25, 2011 at 09:54 AM
oh how FUN! My fave thing is punched border flower...omw! it's brilliant...love it! Another great issue :):):)
Posted by: ellen s | March 25, 2011 at 09:57 AM
Oh My!!! I just love the colors that jump off each of the pages of your newest issue-when I turn the page I just get the feeling of the freshness of spring! Thanks for all your hard work to bring us such a lovely magazine-there is so much in every issue that is inspiring, things to try, ideas to copy, just the best! Happy Birthday and many many more!!
Posted by: Diane S. | March 25, 2011 at 10:02 AM
I can't pick just one section; Every page is a must read, do, and save. Thanks for another great issue.
Posted by: Sandy W | March 25, 2011 at 10:03 AM
wow, what a great giveaway from a great magazine! I haven't gotten a chance to read it yet, but I will when I get a break from work later today. Can't wait! I always love all the inspiration!
Posted by: Megan A | March 25, 2011 at 10:07 AM
Seriously? WOW, Happy Birthday! Good luck everyone. Even being in the running for such a prize is exciting.
Hugs
Tanya
The 3 designer challenge always impresses me!
Posted by: Tanya R | March 25, 2011 at 10:07 AM
I haven't seen the spring issue yet, I am saving myself for the paper magazine coming in the male. Nothing beats flipping through the pages. I always look forward to it. My favorites in previous seasons, are the sketches and the 3 designer challenge.
Happy Birthday, and thanks for the opportunity to win!
Posted by: Vanessa | March 25, 2011 at 10:07 AM
I love the Tool Shed section because I like learning about how to use different products
Posted by: Katiria | March 25, 2011 at 10:07 AM
Happy Birthday! I've only known about you for the last couple of years and it's been wonderful! Thanks especially for the daily blog inspiration! I came here today to download your Spring issue to my iPad. Your magazine looks gorgeous on the iPad! Thanks so much for your generous giveaways!
Posted by: Melanie Lawinger | March 25, 2011 at 10:12 AM
One question. What's not to like? The cover of the spring 2011 issue literally made me smile (: The colours used are so cheerful! The comments & letter section is really nice! The way you advertise the products really made me feel like buying all! haha. And kudos to you for putting a top 10 list. It's very easy for viewers to read through. Lists are always a good way to attract people to read. The tutorials listed are easy to understand and put to use especially for a new scrapbooker like me =D I look forward for the next issue! Well done ((:
Posted by: Marina | March 25, 2011 at 10:13 AM
Happy 5th Birthday. I can't wait to receive my issue. I love the inspiration from the readers gallery the most but everything about the magazine is fabulous. Also can't wait for spring. It sure looked like spring until Wednesday. Thanks for all the great giveaways. Would love to win the doodlebug collection.
Posted by: Chris | March 25, 2011 at 10:14 AM