Forgive me

let me just preface this by saying - I have had one to many hehe :) :) :) :) :) :)

Now today I went off and brought at copy of the AUS mag Scrapbooking Memories, I'm careful about where I spend my money on mags because lets face it - I don't have that much money in the first place. I must admit I brought SM because it - yay - had the masters mag for FREE with this issue! I have wanted to check the master issue out but being as I said tight with my $$ I didn't believe that spending $15 on a mag that I would look at maybe once was worth my expendeture at the time.

So with the free copy of the masters issue I was suddeced to by SM to buy this months issue. I have just sat in my wossey state of mind and fliped through this months issue.

the first crazy statment I'd like to make is - where have all the layouts gone? It seems that the mag has been taken over my articles and adds - there doesn't seem to be nearly as many pages devoted to people's art work as there use to be. Even the gallery pre-faces seem to lack the old 'wow' factor they use to have.

In my wosey state I looked thought the gallerys in search of the digital layouts - my frineds and the names that I did not know - so maybe I could gain a better understanding of what SM see's as publishable digital layouts...

You know what I found??

I could only find one digital layout. Gemma's. - GEMMA LOVE THE ARTICLE ALL ABOUT YOU!!!

Sure there is the lovely article by Miz Tracy on digital scrapping - Tracy when I am more sobber I'll read it through and through.

But I had to ask myself - Where are the digitals? What does this say about SM and digital scrapbooking - what message is to be gained from this. I know that they have taken up some digital layout for future issues - one of my own well I hope - still waiting for feedback on this - so it's not all doom and gloom But with the growing popularity and consumption of digital scrappbooking out there now - I have to wonder if SM are going to losse readers who want a bit of digital in there - as I know my own reservations to buy the next issue are minimal if that is all my chosen feild of scrappbooking is worth - one layout - I'd rather go with one of the others who seem to be more 'open' to digital.

I once loved Sm - would buy it every month. But I have recently been short of cash and unable to spend the money in this way. I had hopped now that things had setteled I'd be able to go back - but in all honesty I think my money will be spent better else where. - even with overseas publications!

I had always thought of SM as the leading Aussie Mag - but you know even if I was still just a paper scrapper I would find my eye and my purse being suddeced away from SM.

I think for me I'd love to see two styles of mags out there with this in mind - one purely on digital scrapping - not just token gestures - and a mag that was just layouts - no artitcles - just layouts to inspire the reader - and maybe give more scope to the MANY wonderful creative ways that are out there - just not a set few.

But then. that is just my drunken view on it all - maybe in the morning with a more sober eye I'll find more digital content with in the pages of SM and have to come here and retract my comments.

Maybe for my own 'professional' apperance I shouldn't say such things - after all who knows who reads this - maybe I am signing my own publishing death warrent by voiceing this opinoion ..

who knows.

But all I can say is that I love what I do. I value what I do.

As I always say - my dream is that one day that all layouts can be judged on not what they are made of but the heart and love that has gone into them.

Mabye I'm overly harsh.

Mabye I'm wrong - wouldn't be the first or last time.

but to me that it seems that with this Digital is treated as 'second' rate.

After all the digital article - untlike other 'how to' articles - isn't acompanyed by a gallery to show case the points with int the article - which has always been an interesting point to me.