(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
Congratulations on 5 years! I love Becky's PageMaps and seeing how each of the sketches are interpreted by the different designers. Another amazing giveaway! You guys are the best!
Posted by: Janice Macfarlane | March 25, 2011 at 10:18 AM
Such a generous giveaway. I enjoy easy, detailed and expert in each issue. Honestly, if you made a whole book on this concept, I would buy in a heartbeat. And congrats on your accomplishment.
Posted by: Keianna | March 25, 2011 at 10:19 AM
Happy Bday! Loving this issue full of inspiration. Thank you for 5 amazing years here is to 50+ more!
Posted by: Ellie | March 25, 2011 at 10:21 AM
Happy birthday. I enjoyed the easy to advanced Layouts article and the reader's gallery was fantastic. (All those bright springy colors throughout was nice too.)
Posted by: Tami B | March 25, 2011 at 10:21 AM
I down-loaded, can't wait to flip through it later, need to head off to work. Awesome giveaway, thanks for the chance to win!
Posted by: Nancy B | March 25, 2011 at 10:24 AM
First Happy Birthday!!!! Second, I would so love to win. You all will just laugh, but I don't even text yet...the Ipod Touch would be a dream come true! The awesome Doodlebug supplies would be icing on the cake! :)
Posted by: ruth tacoma | March 25, 2011 at 10:27 AM
SCT you made my Friday with this new issue release and doodlebugs and ipod touch giveaways! I hope the postman delivers my cardmaps issue today and I will be all set for my weekend reading.
The 3 designer challenges are wonderful and so unique in the own ways. I had to stop and take a closer look at how the designers used the same products to get such different looks. Also liked the Bring on the borders tips.
Happy 5th Birthday SCT and many many more!
Posted by: Debbie C | March 25, 2011 at 10:28 AM
Of course I LOVED the projects made in the magazine!! They were great inspiration, and make me want to scrapbook ALL DAY today (which I will probably do)! I also loved reading about the top 10 CHA things. Do I have to pick one? I also loved when the design team was given supplies, and came up with 3 totally different projects! All the projects were amazing!! Thanks for the chance to win this fabulous giveaway! Love you guys!! Thanks again!
Posted by: Cherie Goyer | March 25, 2011 at 10:30 AM
Happy Birthday and WOW! to the amazing give away! I am so glad that I follow your blog! You are such an inspirational source! I love your whole magazine, I don't know if I could pick one aspect but I will say that I love the fresh, springy feel to it and the ideas that abound! Thank you!!
Posted by: Melissa D. | March 25, 2011 at 10:33 AM
Congratulations and thank you for such a great resource. As always, my favorite article is the 3 designer challenge. It always helps me get more "mileage" out of my supplies. Tip and Tricks is another favorite of mine which I usually print and keep with my embellishments to refer to often.
Posted by: kae | March 25, 2011 at 10:33 AM
wow!! What a great issue, can't wait for my paper copy to arrive, now I know that spring is just around the corner. Thanks to everyone for their hard work on this issue of SB&C it is a winner.
Posted by: Joan Tipping | March 25, 2011 at 10:37 AM
What is not to like about this awesome magazine????????? I like the sketched the very best~~such good inspiration!! Just please keep up the magazine and blog!! I love them both!! Happy Birthday!!!
Posted by: Lesa | March 25, 2011 at 10:37 AM
Happy Birthday SCT!!
My favourite is always the reader gallery. There is so much inspiration to found there!
Posted by: Janet Zeppa | March 25, 2011 at 10:40 AM
I always love product reviews and seeing them used in your projects!
Posted by: Angela Fehr | March 25, 2011 at 10:43 AM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! i loved the spring greetings page.those cards are so cute!
Posted by: liz hagage | March 25, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Happy, happy birthday!!! I love PageMaps...sketches always inspire me and get my mojo flowing and Becky's are always fabulous.
Posted by: Catherine O. | March 25, 2011 at 10:48 AM
A very Happy 5th Birthday!! I would be so happy to win the wonderful give aways. I am another newby regarding the I-Pod Touch. I love Doodlebug Designs too!
I am waiting for my magazine and the special
Page Maps Issue to arrive in the mail. Your magazine is the one to go to for inspiration!
I love the Page Maps, the three T's, and the 3 designer challenge. All in all, your magazine is a keeper!!!!
Thank you. Marguerite
Posted by: Marguerite | March 25, 2011 at 10:50 AM
Great issue - so many cool ideas! I really loved "From the Heart" this month. Great layouts and a good article! Happy Birthday!
Posted by: MichelleGB | March 25, 2011 at 10:54 AM
Love Page Maps the best but everything is GREAT!
Posted by: Din T | March 25, 2011 at 10:58 AM
I couldn't wait for mine to come in the mail so i peeked!! Love it!! I couldn't decide on a fav it was all good! But i will choose the 3t's tips and techniques and the readers gallery! i always enjoy seeing how talented everyone is!!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
Corrinna
walkers4@shaw.ca
Posted by: Corrinna Walker | March 25, 2011 at 11:00 AM
Happy Birthday to You! What an awesome give away and I'm downloading the new issue to my iPhone so I can enjoy it anywhere, anytime!
Posted by: Jena Baker | March 25, 2011 at 11:00 AM
Beautiful issue. Thanks so much for all the inspiration and fabulous articles. Although I loved the whole issue, and will reference it over and over again, if you make me pick a favorite I would have to say that today it is the Easy, Detailed, Expert. Gotta go re-read and look at all the pretty colors and wonderful creations!
Posted by: Susan DR | March 25, 2011 at 11:04 AM
Happy Birthday! I just discovered this delightful blog and magazine and want to thank you for creating such a delightful publication! It was so much fun to click through each page and see some of my favorite vendors and some new ones, some great inspiration and links to some new products. I really like the 3-designer challenge.
Posted by: Lillian Child | March 25, 2011 at 11:05 AM
Good morning & Happy Birthday!!! I was so excited for today that I came into work early, sat down at my computer (with my Tim Hortons coffee) and went straight to your blog. As I was reading I could feel my eyes bugging out at my shock and excitement as I saw your over the top fabulous super generous giveaway. WOW!!!!! The Spring issue is amazing beginning to end and it's so hard to pick what I love most but to name a couple - The 3T's/ Photography for Todays Scrapper (this was my NY's resolution go learn more on photography)/ and of course "Spring Greetings". Thanks for brightening my rainy day and making it a FAB FRIDAY!!!!
Posted by: Charlene Ogden | March 25, 2011 at 11:06 AM
I love all the inspiration from the scrapbook layouts! Always a fabulous magazine!!! Happy birthday :-)
Posted by: Rebecca K | March 25, 2011 at 11:08 AM