Looking for fresh, innovative designs for your holiday cards this year? We found them at Minted! No really, while we say nice things about all that we post because we post what we like, we are super excited about “quality obsessed” Minted.

Because I love to cook with and for family & friends, I am partial to the cool Recipe card. I think this one is guaranteed to make everyone’s kitchen fridge!

Forgive me if I offend, but who really wants to read the old school two page brag letter for the family update. Minted’s clever, concise and contemporary take on family milestones by way of the ‘Yearline” card is simply brilliant.

How do we know they are unique? “Our luxe, customizable holiday photo cards were specially gathered through design competitions held on our site.  Hundreds of the best independent designers from around the world entered the competitions, and our site’s visitors voted for the best designs to be sold on Minted.  We’re offering more than 100 unique customizable photo card templates, including a variety of designs from favorite recipes to hand-illustrated toys.  All of the cards are beautifully printed on matte, heavyweight cardstock that is also 100% recycled.”

Here are some helpful tips from Minted for when selecting your holiday card this year….

1. Order complimentary address labels (they look great on the envelopes and stand out)
2. If possible, use professional (or high quality) photos
3. Choose close-up photos
4. Be different! Go with a limited edition card or a Yearline card that showcases highlights from the year.

WIN IT NOW! One lucky Project Nursery reader will win a set of Minted cards of their choice…

1. Comment on this post with your favorite Minted card. So many to choose from!

2. Extra entries are counted by 1) posting on our Project Nursery Forum (up to 5x) 2) subscribing or commenting that you are a subscriber and 3) blogging about our giveaway. Don’t worry, we track it all!

3. The winner will be selected at random by using random.org

4. Contest ends Friday, November 14th, 11:59pm pst

PS: Go beyond holiday if you have another present arriving in the near future. Minted lalso offers fantastic baby and kid designs!

CONTEST CLOSED -

Tags: Announcements, Giveaways, Holidays

I used to take great pride in my business cards from back in my “working” days. They were something special - Double thick, textured, two-toned, embossed with copper foil and card stock like a brick on the spectrum of paper lbs. While my old career path is currently on hold and the cards are now used for a game of “52 card pick up” with my toddler, I have learned to channel my love of stationary into ordering special occasion and note cards. And there’s nothing more special or stunning than letterpress…

Debra Saba, owner and creative director at Luxe Expressions recently introduced me to her lovely line of letterpress. She also took the time to answer some questions I thought our readers may like to know:

Why is letterpress more expensive and is it worth it? Yes, Letterpress is special and because of the nature (each piece is pressed one by one by hand and by color to get the ink indention), they are on the higher price point than for Offset printing. However, we offer both print methods here at Luxe Expressions.  We do love Letterpress though. You can say the simplest things and it looks fabulous inked into soft cotton papers. Any baby design can be done in Letterpress or Offset and one can add embellishments with bows and other items to make them truly unique.

What is it like working with Luxe Expressions “Couture”? We are a couture design studio and our online pieces are used for inspiration but we find that for our baby clients, most people just want to change colors, names (of course), fonts, etc. For all things baby, we design baby shower invites, baby coasters, baby thank you cards, mommy calling cards, birth announcements, and family holiday cards. Luxe Expressions has endless possibilities for you to welcome the little one with style! Ask our design team how you can customize one of the collections you’ve seen on our site or work with them to custom-design a piece especially for you. Reach us by calling 770.424-6192 or email us at hello@luxeexpressions.com.  We will work up a quote, send an invoice, and begin the design process.  We will guide Project Nursery readers through the entire process.

Good News! Luxe Expressions is currently offering Project Nursery readers Baby Announcements and Baby Thank You Cards at 30% off for 1 or 2 ink colors through December 25^th.  In addition, our readers will receive 20% off family holiday cards in 1 or 2 ink colors. Designs must be in letterpress to qualify for the discount.  Offset printing is also available upon request.   Please use code LUXE4PN when contacting Luxe Expressions to apply the savings.

Tags: Announcements, Discounts, Letterpress, Stationary

Look what the Stork brought me! Clever birth announcements to cherish…

Meet the magnet announcement people, StorkMagnets. I guarantee grandparents all over the world will never take down their grandchild’s birth announcement from the fridge. So functional of course but what amazes me is the quality. It’s a creative, professional picture announcement with a solid magnetic backing. With StorkMagnets, you can create custom photo birth announcements instantly online in just a few easy steps: Choose your design, customize your print, load your best pic, select an image and order your quantity. Announcements will be shipped for free within five business days! Who needs to pre-order birth announcements anymore?

And while Project Nursery is purely a kid design blog, I have to take a moment and to pay tribute to my first children: my Yorkie babies. I can’t help but let out a big “Awe, how cute!” when viewing their canine and feline options! Enter StorkMagnets monthly drawing here for a chance to win a free set.

Tags: Announcements, Magnets, Personalized

I was fairly proactive when I was pregnant and made the time to search for the perfect birth announcement. I took the advice of friends and prepared lists, mailing labels and heart stamps for when the baby arrived. While it was a little “A-type” of me (and for those of you who know me well, that’s not a-typical), it did pan out in the end because birth announcements were the last thing on my mind with a new baby and sleepless nights.
Getting to my point…All that effort went into a very pricey paper announcement. I then began to wonder if my mailing list would appreciate the paper quality, color and font? I then began to think about all the announcements I’ve acknowledged and tossed in the trash. Yikes!

Lillybean Designs developed a creative solution called the “Birth Mark“, a bookmark announcement. Now I am not saying that you’ll have lots of time to read as a new mom, however at least your friends and family will have an opportunity to make use out of a beautiful bookmark. Heck, your baby’s announcement will last more than a couple of weeks!
Lillybean Designs is a boutique paperie offering personalized stationary, wall art, custom photo cards, babe magnets, “birth marks”, business/hip mama calling cards and more! They also welcome custom orders and I can personally vouch for their ability to create lovely custom work. Owner Shawna, was quick to respond and provided creative suggestions in my quest for calling cards the other day. I can’t thank her enough for exceeding my expectations!
Please also check out Lillybean’s wall art (framed or stretched canvas) if your beyond the announcement phase. It’s another Project Nursery favorite and always a popular request among our readers.

Psst…Lillybean Designs will also include custom stickers with your order if you mention “Project Nursery”!

Tags: Announcements, Bookmarks, Calling Cards, Stationary

Framed gifts always make me feel special. Not only is it wonderful to look at on the wall, but it’s very personal and a sincere gesture from the sender.

If you are not already wowed by the complimentary stickers to match and seal the envelopes, have your stationary match your baby’s bedding! Yes, you heard correctly. Some of us can appreciate the hours and agony that goes into choosing the right crib bedding for your unborn baby. When we claim that Babycakes Art will take the time to customize your stationary design needs, we weren’t kidding. The possibilities are endless! Here’s just one example…

And now, the best part: Receive 15% discount on your purchase through June 30, 2008 with code “Project Nursery”. At checkout, enter code in the ‘notes to seller’ and the email address where the revised invoice should be sent. Complete order but do NOT go to Paypal to pay. You will receive a revised invoice, and a link to complete payment, via email reflecting the discount.

Tags: Announcements, Stationary, Stickers, Wall Art

Erin Condren, a cool So. Cal Babe, created an amazing line of bright and quirky stationary filled with announcements, personal note cards, labels and even a growth chart! I love that she is a fellow UCLA Bruin too. I could go crazy on her site ordering stuff for the whole family to enjoy.

If you fancy a little letterpress, a centuries-old printing process, then you will love the artfully modern designs of Dauphine Press. Founded by a graphic designer these cards have a vintage look and feel. It’s pure old-world elegance.

And don’t forget to order some thank-you notes too! Those baby gifts start rolling in right away. I’m a big fan of the Margot Madison collection of note cards. The custom patterns are printed inside the envelope and on the back of each card. So cool. For only $22.50 you can’t go wrong!

Tags: Announcements, Stationary