Every so often a gadget comes along that is simple and yet so effective you wonder how you managed without it! The Xyron Creative Station is just that. It can laminate, add adhesive backing and even transform paper and cards into magnets, all with a twist of the handle! For details visit xyron.co.uk or call 01483 776 060.

How to enter
We’ve got eight Creative Stations to give away, thanks to Xyron, each worth £39.99. To be in with a chance of winning you need to get hold of a copy of the Spring issue of ScrapBook inspirations (on sale 3rd April 09). Turn to page 10 and jot down out the keyword. Go to http://www.futurecomps.co.uk/SBK52 and enter the keyword. Deadline for all entries is 30 April 2009. Good luck!

Death Swatch is the latest book by author Laura Childs and we've got three copies to give away (see the bottom of this post for details). Want to know what it's about? We asked scrapper Julie Kirk to give it a read, here's what she thought:

Had a hard day scrapping? Did your glue runner or, worse still, your inspiration dry up in the middle of a layout? Before tearing your page in half and your hair out, put down the craft knife and pick up Death Swatch the latest in a series of 'Scrapbooking Mysteries' from novelist Laura Childs.

So go ahead, indulge in a generous helping of sleuthing, a side-dish of scrapbooking hints and tips and, for dessert, treat yourself to the tempting Southern Peach Cobbler and let those scrapping woes drift away!

We've got three copies of Death Swatch to give away, thanks to Laura. To enter go to this link: http://www.futurecomps.co.uk/deathswatch and enter the keyword DSWATCH.

Deadline for entries: 30 April 09. Terms & conditions apply.

Sign-ups are now open for Design Team member Cheryl Johnson's latest photography workshop, People Imagery. The course starts on 10 April and concentrates on getting the most from your subjects. It's a four-week course including assignments, a private forum for sharing images and ideas plus regular feedback.

If you're in or around London this weekend then why not pop along to the Stitch & Craft Show?

The show, which starts today, is on until Sunday 22 March, is packed with stalls from top crafting companies, free Make & Takes from Fiskars and our Best of British Scrapbooking gallery. Sunday is an extra special day: not only is it Scrapbooking Day when you can come along and meet the magazine team, but it's also Mother's Day. If you bring your copy of the April issue your mum gets in absolutely free!

For all the details visit the Stitch & Craft website. See you there!

We are currently looking for your original page designs for a Reader Gallery on the following themes:

Dreams & milestones
Share layouts made to celebrate special milestones reached by you or your loved ones, plus pages that document your future hopes and targets.

Ribbon
Spotty, stripy, frilly or plain - ribbon is quite simply one of our favourite embellishments, so we'd love to see the creative ways you use it on your pages.

Email a digital image (please make sure they are not huge files) of your layout at our dedicated address scrapbook.gallery@futurenet.com. Remember to add your choice of theme to the subject line. All we ask is that your layouts are your own work and that you haven't submitted them to any other magazine. ScrapBook inspirations does not accept layouts that have been published elsewhere, that are being considered for publication or have been entered in any competitions.

Please include the following details with your submissions:

About you
Your name and address
A daytime phone number and email address

About your layout
Title of your layout (a few words to describe the story behind the photos and what inspired your design)
Tell us about the techniques you used and your favourite products
What supplies you used and where you got them from

About your hobby
How long you've been scrapping and what inspired you to get started.
Have you ever had any of your work published before?
What's your favourite product?

See there's nothing to it and you've got plenty of time as the closing date for entries is 3 April 2009. You'll receive an email if we'd like to feature your layout.

We're thrilled to bring you the latest news from our sister magazine PaperCraft inspirations. They've put together their biggest ever issue to welcome spring and we can't wait to get our hands on one.

The special boxed issue includes everything you need to add flocked effects to your layouts and cards: inside you'll find five pots of vibrant flock, 100+ double-sided stickers, step-by-step flocking guide and ideas feature.

Issue 59 of PaperCraft inspirations goes on sale on the 13th March, priced at £4.99 for this special issue. Snap yours up quick while stocks last!

The date of our Stitch & Craft show is drawing closer so here's a quick update on what's happening, plus details of an extra treat for mums!

Stitch & Craft is running 19-22 March 2009 at Olympia 2 in London. The show is hosted by us and our sister craft titles: PaperCraft Inspirations, Simply Knitting, Cross Stitcher, You Can Craft, Cross Stitch Collection, and newest kid on the block, The Knitter. So if you know a card maker, cross stitcher or knitter bring them along!

A few things you won't want to miss...

Best of British Scrapbooking gallery
We're displaying all the winning layouts from the 2008 competition. It's your chance to get a good look at all the detail on these gorgeous designs.

Free Make & Takes!
We've teamed up with Fiskars to bring you a selection of free Make & Takes. The Fiskars demonstrators will be on hand to show you new techniques and then you can have a go for yourself.

Workshop programme
Looking for a more in-depth introduction to a new technique? Then the workshop programme is the place for you. There's a wide selection of classes on offer and pre-booking is essential - get all the details at the dedicated Stitch & Craft website now.

Did I mention the shopping?
A huge part of the show is given over to the stands so you can stock up on the latest crafting products. I have two pieces of advice for you: wear comfy shoes and bring a big shopping bag!

Bring your mum along for a great day out

Sunday 22 March is Mother's Day, so to help you give your mum a great day out we've got a few extra surprises: bring along the April issue of ScrapBook inspirations (number 51, shown above) and your mum gets in free! Plus, we'll be selling cream teas so you can both enjoy an extra tasty treat.

You can book your tickets to Stitch & Craft now, as well as book a place on a workshop, join in the pre-show chat and get all the details of what's on day-by-day over at our dedicated website: www.stitchandcraft.co.uk. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show is gearing up for its spring show, held 18-19 April at Alexandra Palace in London. It’s a great place to stock up on gorgeous scrapbooking and papercrafting treats. Brush up your skills too at one of the many free demonstration stands. If you’ve got your other half in tow you can leave him at the on-site pub while you make the most of your day! Ticket prices start at £5 for adults with discounts available. You can book yours now at www.bssbs.co.uk or by ringing 01536 481 778, or why not enter our ticket giveaway? We’ve got 15 pairs of tickets up for grabs, to enter here’s what you need to do...

How to enter
We've got 15 pairs of tickets to give away and to be in with a chance of winning you need to get hold of a copy of the April issue of ScrapBook inspirations (on sale 6th March 09). Turn to page 12 and jot down out the keyword. Go to http://www.futurecomps.co.uk/BSSBS and enter the keyword. The deadline for entries is 2 April 2009. Good luck!

We've teamed up with ten of the best scrapbooking kit companies to bring one lucky reader a stash-tastic prize - 10 kits of the latest scrapbooking and crafting treats! Thanks to: Angel Crafts, Cleo Crafts, Gotta Craft, Indigo Mill, Just a Memory, Kalulu, Memory Keepsakes, Ribbon Mad, Sarah's Cards Ltd and ScrapaGoGo.

How to enter
We've got 10 kits to give away to one lucky winner. To be in with a chance of winning you need to get hold of a copy of the April issue of ScrapBook inspirations (on sale 6th March). Turn to page 35 and seek out the mystery keyword. Click on http://www.futurecomps.co.uk/SBK51kit and enter the keyword.

The deadline for entries is 2 April 2009. Good luck!

I've recently set up a couple of toys ways to keep in touch with the goings on at ScrapBook inspirations HQ:

Twitter is a highly-addictive website where you can post short messages about whatever comes into your head. We're at the quirkily/cutely named scrapbooki. You have to sign up to follow our tweets (messages) and I'll add you right back.

I've also succumbed to the lure of a Facebook group! You can find us here. Again, if you're not a member of Facebook you'll need to sign up. The group is really exciting because you're able to post photos of your layouts, share ideas and hear what we're up to.

Our email newsletter is also quite new. It goes out once a month (just before we go on sale so you'll get a reminder to start stalking postie/newsagents!) and will have previews of what's in the magazine, extras and special offers. Unlike Twitter and Facebook all you need is an email address. You can sign up by clicking the button at the top-left of the blog.