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Has anyone ever heard of or read Beautiful Cards Magazine? Apparently, it is a British magazine and they are currently offering "free" shipping to the US. One year subscription (6 issues) for about $30. Can anybody comment?
I received an invitation to subscribe to the magazine last week. I'd never heard of it before then, and I think $30 is a lot of money for only 6 issues. Besides, I subscribe to so many magazines, I don't have time to read them all as it is. That's why I dropped Creating Keepsakes and Paper Crafts. I'm not too crazy about them anymore.
I'm a UK subscriber to this magazine. It's depends on your style whether it's for you. I find it more cutesy than grunge/shabby chic but it does have some lovely card ideas in it.
The only problem I've found (this months issue was very obvious) is they repeat a lot of the stamps they use for card making. There is a new home card in Jan 09 issue that is really lovely but using the exact same stamp used in the Jan 08 issue for the new home cards... I know this as I bought the stamp after seeing the card in the Jan 08 issue. There are a few in this months issue like that.
I did order the magazine because it was recommended to me by a customer. Received my first issue. It was okay. I looked at my check book to see what I paid for magazine and it was only 19.95 for one year...by special invitation. Not sure I would pay 30 for it...like I said it was okay, not spectacular.
I'm based in the UK & used to buy this regularly but I don't anymore - over time the cards feel samey and most (but not all) are fairly basic cards. I've gradually stopped all my subscriptions to magazines other than for take 10 (maybe its a case of the grass being greener on the other side of the ocean!)
I find I get more inspiration and learn more from browsing the galleries on SCS and blog hopping.
hope that helps
becky
I used to subscribe to it - but stopped quite a while ago. The cards seemed very samey after a while. Also, there wasn't much stamping and many cards relied heavily on packet embellishments and stickers etc. I learned very few new techniques from the magazine too and I wasn't always impressed with the instructions either.
I remember it was one of the most expensive card making mags available here in the UK and I ended up feeling it definitely wasn't worth it for me.
Personally, I don't subscribe to any mags now and I am very happy to use the money I would spend on mags on my Fan Club membership here on SCS. The resources and inspiration available here are wonderful and have surpassed what I got from any magazines.
Just my two pennorth of course! I haven't seen the mag in a while so there is a possibility it may have got better.
Thanks for all your input ladies! I've decided that you are right - $30 is too much for 6 magazines. Plus, I can get all the inspiration I need right here from all of you. I do subscribe to CardMaker magazine and I do enjoy it but since I don't have any of the stamps they showcase I end up really having to THINK to make the designs work for me. I hope you are all having a wonderful 2009!
I have quite an old issue of this magazine - if you want to send me a pm with your address, I'll post it off to you so you can see what its like.
Thanks for such a generous offer! I think I will pass - no need for you to spend postage since I have decided not to order anyway. You're very sweet!
Jen
Wow.. I just received this magazine offer in the mail today. I was thinking of subscribing. I did a google search on this magazine and this was the 2nd input site that came up. I won't be subscribing now either. thanks..
Thanks for the information everyone. I also received the invitation to subscribe. And I was wondering if the magazine would be worth the $30.00. I think I will pass on the offer.
I am a subscriber, but will not renew. I buy other UK mags at Barnes&Noble. I love Papercraft Inspirations, Papercraft Essentials, and others, but did not care for Beutiful Cards. I also subscribe to Cardmaker and have for a few years. When you buy at B&N (and sometimes Borders, if you have one near you, I don't), there are always little extras with the issues..papers, toppers, stamps etc. They are always wrapped in plastic to secure the goodies. I haven't seen Beautiful Cards in the stores.
I subscribed last year after receiving a $19.95 offer for 6 issues. I will not be renewing. The cards are all quite basic and fairly simple. Many are pretty, granted, but not enough to warrant a renewal on my part. It just doesn't excite or inspire me to get my hiney up into my happy room the way other card magazines do.
I have seen Beautiful Cards at Barnes & NOble here in Delaware. I did purchase one or two issues, but also prefer some of the other magazines that I've seen (especially ones that come w/the "extras"). If you subscribe to the UK magazines, you do not get the extra goodies with your subscription (fine print when ordering online) as you do if you purchase the mags in the B&N or Borders.
For now, I subscribe to Beautiful Cards. I will probably not renew. One of the frustrations for me has been that, because the magazine is based in the UK, all the sources they list are in the UK, and the prices are quoted in UK currency, which is inconvenient for me. YMMV.
__________________ Carol
*Olim velis me peraudire.*
Rock is dead. Long live paper and scissors!
meloleary....I agree with you. I've gotten a few of the magazines in my local AC Moore store. I don't find the "extras" attached to be any big deal though. I don't purchase from businesses out of the US.
I also received the 6 for 19.95 offer a while back but did not order. I've taken Cardmaker since it first came out but have not renewed my sbscription this year. As a matter of fact I've dropped all my mag subs as there are so many things that just refer me to a website. If a wanted to go to the computer for all my reading I would. However, I like to turn pages, take a mag with me to the doctor's office, read on a commute, etc. I simply like the printed version better, Have always torn out all the pharmacuetical ads and special offer post cards before reading a mag and the last time I think the ads were more pages than the mag.
I used to buy this same UK magazine here in Australia but don't buy it anymore. There are alot of ads in it and I started to feel that for the price, there wasn't as much content as I would have liked esp. compared to the USA cardmaking magazines.
I took Beautiful Cards for a year. It was ok but I really like Quik Cards Made Easy and Cardmaking and Papercraft. I did order the last 2 from UK. Each month there was a free gift included. Beautiful Cards has a US distributor, that makes it cheaper than ordering from the UK. I recently received a notice that Cardmaking and Papercraft now has a US distributor. If anyone has the name of the company that distributes Beautiful Cards or Cardmaking and Papercrafts, I would appreciate if you could let me know.
Beautiful Cards Magazine
