Customer Reviews

Cardmaker

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Cardmaker is one of the few magazines of its kind and it's one I have been thumbing through since I first learned about it last year. It's a publication dedicated to making cards and it is one of the few magazines that remains almost 100% committed to its cause. With other publications, there are usually at least a couple other articles that talk about a subject different (or slightly different) from the main topic. But Cardmaker is true to the end. Every article in this magazine talks about making cards. The article might cover embroidery, sayings, colors, printing, or something else. But everything you read in this magazine is about making cards and in this respect, Cardmaker delivers what you expect plus a little bit more.

One might wonder how a magazine can devote all of its pages to one narrow subject but Cardmaker has no trouble accomplishing this. How?- because it offers so many creative ways to design a card. Once the creative floodgates are open, there is virtually no limit to the different ways a card can be made. Cardmaker Magazine talks about the usual things, like catchy, sentimental sayings and the use of colorful objects to get the recipient's attention. But it also talks about other things and I was a little surprised at first because I never thought there could be so many ways to make a card. Cardmaker talks about creative touches like adding a music chip, adding a row of stitching with yarn, and designing cards in unique shapes rather than constantly relying on the basic rectangular card that you find in stores. Just when I think there is nothing else that could be done to a card, Cardmaker surprises me with a different creative touch.

Because Cardmaker covers so many different aspects of card making, it is one of the more reliable and consistent magazines on the market. But this reliability also makes Cardmaker a tad repetitive. Even within the same issue, it is common to find identical themes talked about more than once. Those who love to make cards won't mind this but I know that some readers will grow tired of reading the same things over and over again throughout the year. For this reason, I think it would be better if Cardmaker offered a little more flexibility in its reading. Maybe a news story relating to the card business or an article about saving paper by sending e-cards would make the magazine less monotonous. Purists will likely love the magazine just the way it is, but I would like to see a few changes made to broaden the reading material.

Overall, Cardmaker is still a very nice little magazine for those who enjoy the craft of card making and the creativity that goes into it. It's a magazine 100 percent dedicated to the cause and while this does mean the magazine can get a little repetitive, it also means the magazine can be counted on for complete coverage of its main subject.

This magazine is all about card making; with fun ideas, samples and suggestions.

The July 2008 issue boasts "103 hot projects for summer card making!" The cover also announces an article about "Cards gone Wild!", Ink Essentials, Celebrate Summer!", and Postcards that rule. Feature articles in the July issue also included: "Card Calendars", "Stars and Stripes Forever", "Summertime Fun" and "Christmas in July." The articles and samples with were charming and fun. The work is lighthearted and despite the abundance of exclamation marks, the magazine doesn't go over the top on the topics covered.

My favorite ongoing column is "Readers Reach Out". In each issue a recipient is picked to receive cards, and readers are encouraged to follow a theme. In the July 2008 issue cards were sent to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, and the theme was gratitude. Cardmakers were encouraged to leave the inside of the cards blank so that the cards could be used as thank you notes from card recipients. What a wonderful RAK to participate in!

This issue also had an article on the different uses for different inks. I always try to read articles on inks, since I experiment a lot and sometimes wonder what's best. This article clearly described the differences between pigment ink, dye ink, chalk ink, and specialty ink. Lisa Johnson, author of the article, suggests dye ink when using clear stamps. This was the first time I read about an ink suggestion for clear stamps. Now I will have to try and compare!

I enjoyed CardMaker Magazine, but it is not a magazine to learn new techniques. The samples are beginner to intermediate level, fun and interesting with quick descriptions. If you have never done the technique before you may find it hard to follow, so use the magazine for ideas and inspiration. The card samples are fun; enjoy the show!

This magazine gives great ideas and shows you how to do techniques very well. They use different manufacturers on the same project so you can see how to incorporate different styles. I just renewed this magazine because I find a lot of projects in each issue.

Addictive! The ideas this magazine has presented have, so far, been beyond beautiful and easy to do for the beginning to intermediate card maker. Will continue to purchase despite it being a touch thin on its fabulous layouts.

Cardmaker provides excellent ideas for anyone who enjoys making cards or even scrapbooking. The instructions are simple and the supplies are listed so that one knows what they will need and where to find them. I am using Cardmaker for my online card shop, Sunflowerribbon, which is on artfire, because I love the talented individuals they showcase, the reader feedback, and the many project ideas they provide.