Too good to be true? (Docrafts Creativity!)

Name: cheetarah

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Product:	Docrafts Creativity!
Date:	05/05/08 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Value for money

Disadvantages: Range of stockists

... not in this case. Docrafts Creativity! magazine is a gem of an idea, at an unbelievable price.


I'm sure, like many others starting in the hobby of cardmaking, I'd looked at the range of magazines available in my local newsagent but been put off purchasing one. For me, it came down to one thing - the price. This was compounded by the fact that the magazines tended to be sealed (to keep the free goodies intact), so I couldn't even get an idea of what my £3.50+ (up to £7 something in some cases) was going to buy me.

Then a friend mentioned the Docrafts Creativity! magazine she'd spotted in her local stockist - only £1 she said, would I like one? I jumped at the chance, even before she'd had the chance to tell me that it also came with a sample-sized sheet of stickers.

I now have 5 of these magazines (starting with Issue 4), and I'm confident that I'll keep getting them for the foreseeable future, as I find them a great source of inspiration. The freebie - a sample-sized sheet (maybe 2/3rds the size of a regular sheet, which normally retails for around 99p) of either stickers or peel-offs continues to be an added bonus. In my view, the magazine in its own right is worth £1.

As a bi-monthly publication, Docrafts Creativity! always seems fresh and easily incorporates seasonal occasions and trends. The first 3 issues I bought were mainly devoted to Christmas (I've discovered that you can never start your Christmas cards too early!). The first edition of 2008 was all things spring-like, including Easter, Valentines Day, and Mothers Day. The latest issue primarily focuses on Weddings/romance, with a fair amount of birthday coverage as well.

To get an idea of what's covered in the magazine (which, so far, has consistently been 66 pages per issue), I've looked at Issues 4 and 8. Around half is dedicated to card making ideas, with 12 pages for scrapbooking, and a couple of pages on jewellery making. Another dozen pages or so cover reader's letters and stories, competitions, giveaways, contents, and editorials. Anyone keeping up with the maths will have worked out that we're left with just a handful of pages dedicated to advertising, which makes a refreshing change for a glossy magazine such as this.

While there is an abundance of cardmaking ideas, with step-by-step instructions, some of the designs direct you to the website - www.docrafts.co.uk - for further details. This is definitely worth looking at, as the website is excellent in its own right, with further competitions and giveaways.

Well, its all been positive so far - what's the catch? For me, that has to be the range of stockists. Up here in the North-East of Scotland - my nearest stockist is over 30 miles away. Despite this, I'm still awarding it 5 stars - its so good, I'm prepared to wait to get my hands on a copy!

Summary: Docrafts Creativity! magazine is a gem of an idea, at an unbelievable price.