The October 2011 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine is on sale today! From tricks to use your supply stash to treats (like cupcakes, donuts, and more) you can easily create and display on your layouts, this annual Top Ten issue is full of articles with layouts and tips in multiples of ten. Here’s an insider’s look into this fun and exciting issue!
1. Insider info #1: Ten Must-Have Tools—How Do We Choose?
On page 65, you’ll find our editors’ picks for the 10 must-have scrapbooking tools. You might want to know, out of all of the scrapbooking tools out there, how on earth could we narrow it down to 10? That’s a great question! First, we broke the tools down into categories and decided there would only be one type of tool chosen per category. With that bit of structure in place, we took your feedback from surveys and polls on social media and our own experience and started narrowing until we came up with our winners. We know investing in tools can be a pricey venture, so we tried to choose products we felt you’d get the most use from and were the best value.
Want to win all ten of our picks for must-have tools? Enter our sweepstakes and you could one of ten lucky winners!
2. Insider info #2: Happenstance Halloween Do-Overs
CK Dream Team member Suzy Plantamura not only created the darling layout on this issue’s cover, she paper crafted the opening scene for the “Halloween Magic” article on page 48. Isn’t it amazing? As fate would have it, though, creating this scene to introduce things that go bump in the night wasn’t without it’s own bumpy road. The one you see in the magazine is actually the second one she created, as the first got lost in the mail! Suzy was a terrific sport, creating another opener in time for our deadlines, and it adds so much to the issue! You can read Suzy’s hilarious account of this Halloween do-over on her blog.
3. Insider info #3: Halloween Photo magic
When planning the topic of spooky effects for photos, we wanted to make sure you had some that could be done with props and other with the computer. The result is a fun variety of each in the “Photo Tricks” column on page 89, written by CK Dream Team member Joey Manwarren. Here’s one that simply requires a flashlight:
How fun is that? Check out the free download to create a weathered look for photos and an easy-to-follow video tutorial to create a paranormal posture to your photos.
A special thanks to our advertisers in this issue: Advantus, American Crafts, BasicGrey, Bazzill Basics Paper, BoBunny Press, Doodlebug Design, Elmer’s, Eyelet Outlet, Fab Scraps, Fancy Pants Designs, Klic-N-Kut, Making Memories, Michaels, Ottlite, Scrapbook Expo, Sizzix, Sports Solution, Tamron, The Digital Scrapbook Teacher, Therm O Web, Two Peas in a Bucket, Uchida of America, and those listed in the Services Directory on page 96 and the Retreats & Crops on page 95. Without you, we would not be able to publish the magazine, and we appreciate your support!
Thanks, most of all, to you, our readers. Your feedback helped shape this issue, so please continue to tell us what kind of pages and articles you’d like to see in future issues by emailing us at letters@creatingkeepsakes.com.
Would you like to win a free copy of this issue PLUS a free one-year subscription to Creating Keepsakes magazine? Leave a comment below telling us what one of the products on your very own top 10 scrapbook products list would be, and we’ll randomly select three winners by Monday, September 26.
Thanks again for reading—and enjoy this newest issue!
Jennafer Martin, editor-in-chief
Definitely the Big Shot!
Oh whoa! It’s my first time on CK magazine website and thanks so much for the awesome giveaway! I certainly cannot scrap without punches!!:):)
My fiskars cutters, a 12′ for paper and a smaller guillotine for photos. I have to say, my top is my photos and paper, is all I NEED to have…
Absolutly my craft knife – i do everything with it.
Tough call – paper trimmer for sure but also tape runner. Can’t decide.
It would have to be my cutterpede rotary paper cutter.
My Cutterbee scissors are a MUST for me. I love those things!
My paper punches! I wouldn’t have been able to make my layouts half as cute without them! And the other comments here have me interested in looking into diecut machines.
My Fiskars micro point scissors. Pink handles from long ago (early scrapbook years, before pink was pink like today)
I have lots of tools I use often for everything, but these have been with me every single time for every single thing and never have lost their sharpness and are perfect to cut everything exactly how ever is right. I perform magic with these, IMO.
my awesome fiskars trimmer. the one Jennifer Mcguire recommends
I’ll admit it… I’m a rubber stamp hoarder. No page gets left untouched without one or five used somewhere!
Can’t scrap without my Creative Memories Personal Trimmer!
Picking one is hard, but my 12 inch paper trimmer is definitely the most used. My Cricut and Cuttlebug are probably the most loved tools I own though.
Beacon 3-in-1 glue!!!
Probably my paper trimmer. My scrapbooks would be a joke if I had to rely on my ability to cut a straight line with scissors. But I also really, really LOVE my Cricut.
Idea books and magazines for inspiration, paper trimmer,Cricut,Quickutz alphabets, Bo Bunny, MME, Simple Stories,flowers, online scrapbook stores,coupons for Michaels. Thank you for this contest! It was a great opportunity to think about what I love the most.
gotta have my paper trimmer–otherwise I can’t cut a straight line–and sometimes I have to recut even with the trimmer!
I just need to have a good pair of scissors, Zip Dry glue and some paper from Echo Park and My Mind’s Eye and I start from there!!
My paper trimmer gets the most use but, I’d have a hard Tim living without my Cricut.
Must haves are the basics of scrapping – photos, paper, trimmer, adhesive. To make it really fun though, you need to get a few gadgets/extras! Top extras for me are the Big Shot, stamps and alphabet letters.
I really, really, REALLY want a die cutting system like a Silhouette! It would make crafting, scrapbooking, and card making so much easier and expand my horizons a lot!
Tough call, I’ll say my Big Shot. I have really gotten into using it for making cards. Silhouette for the layouts.
My most used tool is my Basic Grey precision craft mat. Cannot believe it was chosen as a must have.
I love my Silhouette, best purchase ever!!
my sizzix big shot machine’s in the top ten! its lovely i’ve never once regretted getting it
My #1 product is Sizzix Big Shot and dies. I can create so much embellishments with it. So versatile. What I love best about Sizzix is, it can cut thicker materials like chipboard. Love it to bits!! & thanks for the opportunity to win.
On my 10 ten list I would have to include an i-rock! I love adding little details that include metallic, or sparkle.
I have to have my “bee” tweezers, glue dots, craft mat, Tim Holtz scissors and ink pads, Fiskar paper cutter and all the bling I can get my hands on!!!
Definitely my Fiskars trimmer – I use that baby every time (even to measure – lol!)!!
OHH! I would totally have the SCAL/Cricut.
I couldn’t scrapbook without my paper cutter, patterned paper and letter stickers!!!
Punches are a must on my top 10 scrapbook products.
I use my Gypsy all the time. I can sit in my favorite chair and design. (Grandkids say i am the only Grandma with her own handheld game)
My list of must haves is long! Top 10 only??? LOL My cutter-bee scissors and 12″ paper trimmer.
My number one item… I think fancy corner punches and patterned paper!