(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
WOW!!!! What a wonderful giveaway! I'm heading up to my favorite LSS tomorrow morning to get my copy. Happy Friday!
Posted by: Jen | March 25, 2011 at 08:34 AM
What an awesome giveaway! I love your magazine, in this issue my favorite was the 3 designer challenge, just love seeing how 3 people can makes 3 totally different layout using the same supplies, very inspiring!
Posted by: Lisa in Texas | March 25, 2011 at 08:40 AM
love the pagemaps, the 3 designer challenge. love it all! what a fabulous magazine. I am going to go out and look for a hard copy. Thanks for doing what you do!
Posted by: Karen Daniell Monroe | March 25, 2011 at 08:47 AM
So much excitement here!! Yippee! I downloaded the issue and can't wait to tear into it. And can't wait to get a copy of CardMaps, too. :)
Posted by: Diana Fisher | March 25, 2011 at 08:49 AM
Holy Moly! What an awesome giveaway! I looks forward to the sketches in every issue! They are my favourite!
Posted by: Stephanie Schan | March 25, 2011 at 08:50 AM
So hard to pick one favourite. I have two that I can't decide which I like better, the 3 designer challenge and the Page Maps, flip it, rotate it, turn it on its side. What a great giveaway. I would so love to win the i-pad. Thanks for the chance.
Posted by: Carrol | March 25, 2011 at 08:50 AM
WOW!!! AWESOME GIVEAWAY. LOVE THE 3 DESIGNER CHALLENGE. LOVE YOUR MAGAZINE.
Posted by: ERIKA SEEVER | March 25, 2011 at 08:51 AM
Best giveaways always! Off to download the issue and swoon - thank you sooooo much!
Posted by: jennifer | March 25, 2011 at 08:52 AM
Happy 5th Birthday to SCT and thanks for all the inspiration you have given me over the years. This is a favorite magazine of mine and I read each and every page. Inspiration, ideas and all the beautiful examples you give us are my favorite part. Keep up the GREAT work. Your giveaways are the best and this one is fabulous. Happy Birthday once again and thanks for everything you give us.
Posted by: Bevb | March 25, 2011 at 08:52 AM
I love the 3 designer challenge. It's fun to see how 3 people can use the exact products so differently.
Posted by: Celeste B. | March 25, 2011 at 08:53 AM
Happy Birthday! :-) As always, there's a lot of inspiration to go around! I loved the readers gallery - 'happiness is' is adorable! The 3 designer challenge is great-loved the stitched lines and the birdies. And 'lily' - great idea for a title.
Posted by: Yolanda S | March 25, 2011 at 09:00 AM
WOW!!! What a fabulous issue! The reader gallery is outstanding. I am so happy I get to share my passion with so many wonderful talented people! Thank you for a fabulous publication =)
Posted by: ~ApriL~ | March 25, 2011 at 09:00 AM
Just had a quick flick through, the best bit is the anticipation of knowing a new issue is coming, then being so exited to see it not actually reading on the first pass.
I know this is unusual but I love the adverts, they're alwasy so inspirational (but unexpected from doodlebug, I do love their montages).
Posted by: Fifi-T | March 25, 2011 at 09:04 AM
can't wait to get mine in the mail, but will definitely take a peek at the on line version just to get my creative juices flowing. another great give away and HAPPY BIRTHDAY #5.
Posted by: Glenda Thorne | March 25, 2011 at 09:05 AM
Happy happy birthday!!! Scrapbook & Cards Today is my favorite scrappy magazine! I always find such lovely inspiration from this magazine, and I am thrilled to have been published a couple of times in it. My favorite is the Reader Gallery. This issue is AMAZING. I think we are all SO ready for Spring, and this issue just makes me that much more ready! Keep up the good work, S&CT...you've got a reader and supporter for life right here! :)
Posted by: Jenny Moore | March 25, 2011 at 09:07 AM
OH ... MY .... GOODNESS!!! What a prize giveaway! I'd have to say that I enjoyed checking out the CHA Winter releases, but at the top of the list has to be the INSPIRATION your magazine generates!!!
Posted by: Susi | March 25, 2011 at 09:14 AM
What an amazing prize! My favourite part of the spring issue was Must have's. I also liked the I spy with Emily.
Posted by: Katy | March 25, 2011 at 09:17 AM
WOW, love the Spring Issue! I just downloaded it. Super page designs, I love the Party Time page (She's Three), plus the 3T's section. I discovered your blog through the 12 days of Holiday Giving and have been a follower ever since! Love that your issues are FREE and your advertiser supporters have such AWESOME giveaways. I have found many companies that I had never heard of just by following your blog.
Posted by: Pat S | March 25, 2011 at 09:20 AM
Love the SCT kind of party!! What awesome "goody bags"! : ) Doodlebug just makes me smile...and same with an Ipod Touch! How GENEROUS!!! Can't wait to see what you have in store next week. Thanks for the great work - keep it up, girls!!!
Posted by: Jamie | March 25, 2011 at 09:21 AM
Such a fun giveaway and a generous prize. My fave part of your magazine is the 3-designer challenge. It's so fun to see the different takes. Thanks for the chance to win!
Posted by: Michelle | March 25, 2011 at 09:23 AM
Great issue! TFS! I like the 3Ts! Thanks so much for a chance to win such an awesome prize!
kmassmanATgmailDOTcom
Posted by: Kelly Massman | March 25, 2011 at 09:23 AM
I haven't rec'd mine yet. I get it with my card kit club. I have always loved the magazine though and the issues that I have missed are on my iphone and ereader. You always have great inspiration in your magazines. Thank you for the great work.
Posted by: Chelle K | March 25, 2011 at 09:23 AM
Happy Birthday SCT! I *heart* you :)
Posted by: Becky Fleck | March 25, 2011 at 09:23 AM
HOLY COW!! What a giveaway!!! I can't pin point one favorite when it comes to the new issues. . . .I will however say that the overall colors used in the edition has got me believing that SPRING really is around the corner . . .despite the horrific amounts of snow that looms outside! Thanks for scooting the winter blahs out the door! :)
Posted by: Nikki Brown | March 25, 2011 at 09:25 AM
Happy Birthday!!! I loved the whole magazine, it is chock full of inspiration. My favourite article is the Spring Greetings cards. They are gorgeous.
Posted by: Jewls | March 25, 2011 at 09:27 AM