So, after my visit with the Bermondsey Craft Club (make sure you read about that part of my trip here) I was itching to get my hands on some crafty UK publications to see how perhaps the aesthetic or products were different than what I see in the US.
Here are some of the magazines I’ve seen first hand, with a little break down for you. I know that there are more, but either I couldn’t get them at the newsagent there or at a large retail chain here. But this is what I’ve got for you today.
Making: beautiful crafts for your home. Published by GMC Publications and published 13 times per year. I bought mine at Barnes and Noble for the tidy sum of $12.50, but the UK price is 4.99. (How do you like that for a mark-up?) Now, I happened across “The Paper Issue,” but there is a lot more than just paper.
I love that the mag is organized by making a living (kind of a mish-mosh), outdoors, kitchen (yes, food, too) bathroom, wardrobe (clothing and jewelry), techniques, regulars (columns) and features.
The magazine is well-laid out and very sophistcated- there is certainly a lot of “art” in some of these crafts- take this “Paper Doll” article- Using a sewing machine, they show you how to make mini dresses out of recycled maps, mags, and trims. (Also note the continuing trend of using dresses as an art medium.) Nice step-outs, great tips, all well designed and lovely to look at. I also like the sheer variety of Making. This one is going on my subscription list- it will fill some of the void of the recently-deceased ReadyMade magazine. Oh- and make sure you click on the online link- there is some great free content for you there, too! Just be prepared to convert your measurements from metric. *wink*
Next up is Cardmaking and Papercraft, published by Origin Publishing. It’ available in the UK for 3.99, and in the US for $9.99 & Canada for $11.99. It promotes itself as the UK’s #1 cardmaking magazine- but there are some other goodies included too.
This particular issue came with a set of stickers and some “bonus papers” that you can use in your crafting. Although to note: the papers are the same glossy paper & weight as the magazine itself. Usually in the US, the bonus papers are matte and are printed on cardstock-weight paper.
The magazine has some fun inspiration, step-out projects, and columns. It’s really interesting to see just how they style of card-making is just a little bit different across the pond- more coloring images, more stickers, fewer embellishments. And of course, as a reviewer, I loved seeing different companies with different products to try!
Next up is Papercraft Inspirations by Future Media. ALSO billed as Britain’s #1 best-selling cardmaking magazine, it’s available for $9.99 US. ( I got mine at Barnes & Noble.) This magazine also features free “papers” to use in your card making, and has a number of fun articles. I particularly thought the “10 fun puns” had legs.
Again, you can really see the difference in UK trends here- not a single banner, rosette, or grungy/distressed card in the bunch! Instead, there are a lot of comic-strip type characters that are either digi-stamped, rubber stamped, or place on via stickers. Interesting!
DoCrafts “Creativity” magazine is a publication that put out by Design Objectives (Get it? D.O. Crafts? DoCrafts?) and is supported by www.DoCrafts.com, an online company/community unlike anything we have here in the US. You can join a club and get special membership/pricing, but you can also just use the website/magazines for inspiration. From what I can gather, Design Objectives is a craft supplier to stores in the UK (“stockists”) and they support those stores by offering the magazine, website, and TV shows.
This magazine felt most like a US pub, with product features, a lot of US products (QuicKutz, We R Memory Keepers, just to name a few) and tips for good photography. Kind of like Creating Keepsake’s UK cousin!
Craft Stamper Magazine published by Traplet is dedicated to all things stamp-ariffic. They are available for subscription in the US for $86.00 for 12 issues (ouch) or 42.95 in the UK. They also boast of being the UK’s #1 rubber stamping magazine, and offer a free stamp with each issue.
Now, the issue I got hold of is older, but I saw a lovely mix of traditional and mixed-media stamping. It’s fun to see some of the same products (UTEE, Angelina Fibers) being used in mixed-media in the UK, too.
Lastly, I picked a Handmade Living here in the States, though it is published by KAL media in the UK. I got it for $9.25 at Barnes & Noble, but if I’d picked it up in London it would have been a mere 3.50! Now, for a moment, I though it might be an offshoot of Martha Stewart Omnimedia- after all, the word “Living” and the font are almost identical! But no, it’s actually a brand-new pub and is not affiliated with our dear Martha!
Since it’s also a “lifestyle” type of crafting magazine, it’s also categorized : To Make, Famiy, Cookery, Eco, Features, and Beauty. I’m impressed with the variety of crafts and articles in Handmade Living- got great tips on pressing flowers and using buttons in a variety of was!
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I was especially drawn to this fabric bib- I’m a huge fan of fabric yo-yos- and the directions are clear with nice illustrations. I’m putting a pin in this one to make later!
This mag is also super-sophisticated- I’m craving a subscription to this one, as well. It’s kind of like a Martha Stewart Living, but chock-full of crafts. (Not a bad idea- a Martha Stewart Crafts magazine. Are you listening, Martha?)
So there you have it- my overview of crafty magazines. The next time I’ll have to get into all of the knit, crochet, cross-stitching, and more!
If you have a favorite UK-based craft magazine to share, please feel free to tell us about it in the comments section!
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Stazzi says
great job! I really like Craft Stamper. That is one I always grab at B&N to look over while my son plays with the trains. Although I wish we got the stamp that our friends over the pond get with it.
Making seems like a neat magazine. Considering its cost and that they only have a few issues under their belt, I am not sure I would get it very often.
If you like Somerset mags (I know… not UK related) I just saw that Costco is carrying a few now! So it’s cheaper there than at B&N with a membership discount.