Cricut Magazine Volume 2 - Review and Blog Candy

Happy Monday, Cricuteers! Alrighty, so Cricut Magazine contacted me and asked if I would review the newest volume (April/May) of their magazine. I said "of course!" and they sent me one to review and a few extras to give out as blog candy. Sweet!! I have FOUR copies to give out this week, so be sure to leave a comment today, and come back each day this week for more chances.

Ok, I'm going to be honest in my review here. Cricut Magazine didn't pay me to do this, and they didn't ask me to say anything in particular - just do an honest review. So here goes...

I will say first of all, the the magazine is beautifully published. It's put out by Northridge Publishing, and they've been around for quite a while, so it looks very sharp, the editing and photography are all top notch, etc. The other nice thing is that it's not just full of advertising like some magazines are. There's actually not a whole lot of advertising - maybe just 10-12 pages out of 130 pages, and even those ads are relevant, so it's not bad at all. Perhaps that's why the magazine is a wee bit on the pricey side at $14.95 newsstand price, but it is more like a book AND you can get it for quite a bit cheaper per issue if you subscribe.

Cricut Magazine is quite full of bunches and bunches of useful ideas, and there's quite a variety, so there would certainly be something for everyone. There are altered projects, cards, layouts, even fabric projects. I personally am a huge fan of layouts, and the ones in the magazine are great, but most are 1 page. There are some 2 page layouts, but I'd like to see more. My years of teaching with the Cricut have shown me that most people prefer 2 page layouts. But you can always adapt the 1 pagers and make a coordinating second page. The cards are varied - some simple, some a little more detailed, so again it's a good variety.

There are a few places in the magazine where they really dig in to show and explain some cool techniques step by step. For instance, they show how to use Tim Holtz grungeboard in your Cricut to make some beautiful dimensional flowers, which are stunning! They also show step by step instructions to cut fabric in your Cricut and make the most adorable little baby onesies. That's very useful information, and certainly would cost you less than paying for a class.

In my opinion, the one thing they could improve would be the consistency in providing detailed information in the directions. Some projects have Cricut cut sizes listed, and some mention only what cartridge the cuts are from, but no sizing. However, I think they might be working on making that a little more consistent for future issues - I hope so. The only other thing I noticed was that some of the projects are very Cricut-focused, and on others, the Cricut work looks like more of an after-thought. So maybe it's a beautifully detailed layout, but just has one little Cricut cut on it. No biggie, though, and by far most of the projects are pretty Cricut-centered.

Overall, it's a fabulous magazine, and there's plenty of "meat" in it - both for the beginner and the more advanced Cricuteer. This is really what all of us Cricut fans have been begging for for years! I'd say it's well worth the money for the ideas, and especially for the step-by-step techniques they include. I looked in the magazine, and it says you can call 1-888-225-9199 to subscribe. Or you can do so online HERE. It says it's $39.95 for 6 issues (=$6.65/issue), $74.95 for 12 issues (=$6.25/issue), $109.95 for 18 issues (=$6.11/issue), or $144.95 for 24 issues ($6.04/issue), and I believe it's published once every 2 months. Also, HERE is the link to their Facebook page so you can "Like" it and find more info.

Who else has received the new Cricut Magazine, and how do you like it?  Are you all excited to win a copy?? And btw, if you'd like to submit projects to be published in the magazine, HERE is the link to their submissions page.