I LOVE magazines. You guys know I do! As well as being lucky enough to be in them and to work with the editors, I also love the inspiration they provide and the amazing work people do for them. There is nothing I enjoy more than sitting back with a cuppa and flicking through a magazine, it is one of my ‘treats’. I don’t know about you but I get a real kick from getting a new magazine and unfolding the ideas page by page.
So I’m loving the variety of magazines that have been hitting the shelves in the last couple of years; every time I go to my local newsagent there seems to be a new magazine. Recently there seems to be a strong trend towards the Blogger Lifestyle magazines, Crafter/Maker Lifestyle magazines and Upcycle magazines.
Crafty Magazine is the newest addition to the Practical Publishing Craft magazine offerings and is definitely in the Craft Lifestyle camp, but it also feeds off the Blogger Lifestyle and Upcycle trends too, a great combo for many of us multi-crafter types.
Crafty Magazine was launched in spring this year and has a variety of interviews, projects, news, columnists and inspiration. The editor, Sarah Adie, is a crafty blogger and journalist and you can find an interesting Day In The Life Of Sarah Adie over on Tilly and The Buttons Blog.
The magazine is nicely set out with inspiring photography. It is a magazine you can flick through for eye candy but it is a fun read too, with interesting snippets into crafter-makers’ lives and some fun projects. I particularly like the articles with the latest news on the new craft movement, and the magazine has a two-page spread on what is trending at the moment plus regular columns from Sarah Corbett, founder of the Craftivist Collection, and Mr X Stitch (Jamie Chalmers) keeping it fresh.
I loved the insight into knitwear designer Alexandra Järup’s living space on a narrow boat in issue 2 and I’m definitely going to be looking out for the Tweed Run (issue 3) next year in London. I only got my hands on issues 2 and 3 to review but our very own Stéphanie de Geus, editor of Simply Cards and Papercraft and Get Stamping, has an article on vintage cameras in issue 1, which I’m so going to grab a back copy of.
Crafty Magazine is around 100 pages, A4 size and the matt cover and glued binding makes it feel like a substantial offering and it competes well with other magazines aimed towards the Blogger Lifestyle and Crafter/Maker market. For me Crafty Magazine has more bite than others and I actually want to read the articles. It comes with a cover gift and ideas for its use and retails for £4.99 (in the UK).
If you want to connect, they have a website, Facebook page, Pinterest boards and Twitter stream. You might also want to check out the Google+ community too.
Would love to hear what you think about Crafty Magazine if you have had a chance to see it.
Happy crafty reading.
Kim
[Disclaimer Time: I was not paid to write this review, however, I did get two free issues and well you guys know I do a lot of work for Practical Publishing. But as with all my reviews I always try to give you my honest, unbiased opinion. (Prices correct for the date the blog post went live)]
I got issue one as I knew Nigel Kennedy (Mr Intarsia Knitting) via my former life as a machine knitter. Not got the next as I have not found it in the shops! I like to buy different mags each month. Cloth Paper Scissors is my favourite as I do a lot of mixed media. If I was rich I would get every mag every month, seemingly hooked 🙂
Thanks, Kim, will have a look at these two. A friend had Get Stamping and I had a quick peek and it looked good and I am hoping for a better look at it.
Lucy x
These magazines are very lovely and are indeed a "treat" purchase. They are very expensive I feel.
🙂
We must be twin sisters! I'm from Australia and I am addicted to pens, markers of all sorts and craft magazines! It's not unusual for me to buy 4 at a time! I crave them, read them slowly, eager to make them last. And I never open one without a cuppa and my paper craft note book that I jot down ideas in.