Memorial Day Sale from Pear Tree
Posted by Julie Myhre
If you have forgotten to purchase invitations for an upcoming party or announcements for a life event well you're in luck because Pear Tree Greetings is having a Memorial Day sale. From now through May 27th you can get 15 percent off all orders by entering the code 15MAY at checkout. This offer cannot be combined with any other Pear Tree Greetings offers.
As one of our top-rated photo card services, Pear Tree offers nice quality and unique designs at an affordable prices. Pear Tree offers a solid selection of products from wedding invitations to holiday photo cards to address labels to party decorations. They even sell gifts including personalized children's books, children's coloring books, children's placemats and teacher gifts. Nearly every product Pear Tree sells can be customized with photos, colors and personalized messages.
Read our full review of Pear Tree Greetings to learn more about the service or visit Pear Tree's website to start shopping.
Kick Off Summer with 20% Off from Tiny Prints
Posted by Julie Myhre
Want to kick off the summer with a barbeque or pool party? Tiny Prints wants to help you plan by offering you 20 percent off any order. From now through May 28th enter the code MEM20SW at checkout to take advantage of this offer. Be aware that this offer is not combinable with any other Tiny Prints offers and is not valid towards the purchase of greeting cards, gift cards, gift certificates, calendars or photo books.
As one of the top photo card services, Tiny Prints offers a wide-variety of options including creative designs in a variety of colors and patterns. Tiny Prints is rated out top-overall photo card service so you know your order will be great quality. And, it's one of the only photo card services that will provide a full refund for any reason.
Here's some of the options that Tiny Prints offers for summer party invitations.
The Summer Patio invitation from Tiny Prints is a perfect card for a kick off to summer party. It's simplicity and vibrant colors offer a fun way to remind your guests that summer has arrived. The back side of this 6.18"-by-4.56" flat card can be completely customized with different layouts include one to three photos. You can even opt to not include any photo. Prices start at $2.19 per card — not including the discount — and requires a minimum order of 10 cards.
If you're thinking of hosting a barbeque then Tiny Prints' Cool Kabob postcard invitation might be the best option for you. This 4.10"-by-5.25" postcard offers a cheaper option for any host on a tight budget. You'll even save money on stamps since it costs less to mail a postcard than it is to mail a traditional invitation with an envelope. This 4.10"-by-5.25" postcard can be personalized with a message of your own to your guests. Prices start at $1.79 each — not including the discount — and requires a minimum order of 10 postcards.
Tiny Prints can even help you think of the perfect theme or activity for your kick off the summer party. The Campsite Carving invitation is one of the many unique party ideas we found. This 6.18"-by-4.56" flat card perfectly suits a camping-themed weekend with the wood and simplicity of the card. Similar to the Summer Patio Invitation, the back side of this invitation is completely customizable. Pricing starts at $2.19 per invitation — not including the discount — and requires a minimum order of 10 cards.
Check out our full review of Tiny Prints to learn more about the photo card service, or visit Tiny Prints' website directly to find the perfect invitation for your summer-themed party.
Minted Offers 10% Off Father's Day Gifts
Posted by Julie Myhre
Father's Day is right around the corner — June 16th — and Minted wants to help you get prepared by giving you 10% off all Father's Day gifts. From now through May 27th, enter the code DADS10 at checkout to take advantage of this offer. This discount is eligible on personal and business stationery, journals as well as Father's Day art prints — excluding children and nursery art.
As one of our top-rated photo card services, Minted offers great quality cards and products that are sure to impress fathers of any age. Minted is a great option for someone who is unsure of what they're looking for because new designs and colors are constantly added to Minted's website. These designs are created by independent graphic designers from around the world that are selected by judges as the top designs in Minted's monthly design contests.
Here are some of our favorite Father's Day gifts from Minted.
These customizable journals are a perfect gift for any father that enjoys writing or drawing. Since each journal costs only $16 each — without the discount — it makes for a thoughtful gift that doesn't have to break the bank. You can choose one of Minted's uniquely-designed journals or opt to decorate these 5.5"-by-8.5" journals with your favorite photo of you and your dad. Each journal's cover is made with sturdy, matte, uncoated 130 lb paper, and you can choose the design of the inside acid-free, uncoated, 60 lb. weight paper. Your choices include lined, graph or blank paper.
Another one of our favorites from Minted is it's wide-variety of personalized stationery that offer classic and unique designs that will bring a smile to any writer or professional's face. These customizable 4.25"-by-5.5" flat cards are printed on Minted's luxe paper and even come with a complementary gift box. You can even liven up your dad's stationery by personalizing the back with your favorite photo or selecting one of Minted's designs or customizing envelopes with a return address or personal message that to matches the stationery. Minted's Father's Day personalized stationery starts at $2.33 per card — with a minimum order of 35. Adding designs to the back of the flat card or envelopes costs an additional amount.
Minted's art prints are a great way to liven up dad's office or favorite room in the house. These prints come with a variety of options in terms of the art — from still-life to drawings — that are printed on 100 percent cotton rag paper creating museum quality archival pigment print. To protect the art print during the shipping process, Minted ships the print in an acid-free and lignin-free sleeve. These prints come in seven sizes and start at $28 each. You also have the option to include a black. white or wooden frame for an additional cost.
Check out our full review of Minted to learn more about the service, or visit Minted's website directly to start shopping for your dad today.
Does Cardstore's 'Add My Signature' Tool
Actually Look Good?
Posted by Julie Myhre
Cardstore recently added a new feature to its card customization called "Add my signature." This feature allows you to upload your real-life signature to the card. Naturally we thought this was an interesting feature, so we decided to test it out. We selected a card, and began customizing.
Once you select your card and begin customizing it, you have the option to add your signature to the card. The "Type your signature" option allows you to type your name in the card using the font of your choice. We decided to choose "Scan your signature" because the other option didn't seem too exciting since you can type your signature with nearly every card service we review.
To begin this process, you must print a PDF form, and sign inside of the gray box. The paper includes step-by-step instructions that tell you all you need to know. Once you have signed in the gray box, you more options in terms of how to get your signature on the card itself. You can either scan the signature yourself or mail the form to Cardstore and let them scan the form for you. We opted to scan the form because we had a scanner on-hand. We scanned it, saved it as a JPEG then uploaded it to our card.
Once we placed it in our card, we weren't too pleased. Even after we centered the signature it still was obvious that it was an uploaded item and not written in the card organically. We clicked "Add to order" with hesitation because this feature didn't seem to be too promising. About three days after we ordered the card, we received it in the mail and were pleasantly surprised with the results.
The card actually looked good, and — luckily — nothing like it did on the screen. There is a little pixelation if you really look at the signature, however it isn't enough to really notice. The website states that the signature will appear in black on the card, yet on the card itself it has a tint of blue, which was the color of the pen we signed we used to sign the paper. Since all of Cardstore's cards have a white interior, each card "signed" from home should look similar to our card.
Overall, Cardstore's "Add my signature" is a solid addition. It offers the opportunity for people to sign their cards online and have them mailed directly — through Cardstore — to the recipient. Although this isn't a feature that we're likely to be using often because we enjoy signing our own cards, it still is a great option to have.
7 Tips to Purchasing
Wedding Stationery on a Budget
Posted by Julie Myhre
It’s no secret that weddings are expensive, so anyway that a couple can cut down on the final bill is always ideal. One of the easiest ways that couples can cut the cost includes watching their spending on wedding stationery. It’s easy to get carried away when shopping for the perfect Save the Dates or Wedding Invitations, but here are a couple tips that will help you watch what you are spending on your wedding stationery:
1. Know your complete guest list before you purchase.
This is an important factor that couples often forget. The problem is when you guess or estimate how many guests you’re inviting, then you’ll probably end up with a ton of extra invites or need to order more, often at a higher price. Vanessa Alce, the CEO and Event Planner of I Love My Planner – Event Planning and Design, said that you should have a complete head-and-couple count before you order your invitations. “Divide your guest list by couples, families and individuals to help you determine how many total invitations to order,” she said. “Remember that your invitations become keepsakes for your parents — yes, they get an invitation too.”
2. Order samples to avoid mistakes.
Have you ever sent a note or invitation with a spelling or grammar mistake? It’s definitely embarrassing, and not something you want associated with your wedding invitations. Alce said one of the major ways to avoid these mistakes is to order samples or proofs prior to purchasing. “Although it's often an additional $15, order a proof prior to finalizing your stationery order,” she said. “Having a second pair of eyes to review the proof will make sure you haven't missed any mistakes.”
Ordering samples or proofs can also prevent you from having to re-order your stationery because of design flaws you didn’t expect. Often colors can look different on paper than they do on the computer screen, so this is a good way to see exactly what your invites will look like beforehand.
3. Order rectangular cards and envelopes.
When choosing your invitations and wedding stationery, you might want to consider the shape and size of the paper and envelopes. Although it is fun to pick square, circle or oval-shaped stationery, it will be cheaper for you to mail standard-sized envelopes.
Jamie Chang, owner and wedding consultant at Mango Muse Events said you save the most money when you avoid certain shapes and choose rectangle envelopes instead. “Square envelopes require more postage to send, which can add up easily,” she said. “Some square invitations have the option of coming with a rectangle envelope, which would work fine, but most don't.”
4. Don’t get too fancy.
Bows, ribbons, seals or any other embellishment can make your stationery look cute, but they can also add an unwanted amount to your stationery tab. Alce said if you opt to not include these embellishments, then you can save money on purchasing and mailing. “The United States Post Office measures and determines your postage by the weight and size of the envelope,” she said. “There are simple yet elegant wedding invitations that won't hurt your wedding budget and will compliment your wedding nicely.”
Also, we know letterpress is pretty, but if it’s easier to stay in the budget if you choose other cheaper options. Chang said couples that choose flat-printing options save more money. “There are lots of printing options out there for invites and while it's easy to fall in love with letterpress or embossed styles, the most economical is flat printing,” she said. “It can still look beautiful because of the design, but the printing will be more cost effective.”
5. Ask yourself if you really need all that paper.
Wedding stationery shopping can be fun and exciting, however it’s also very easy to get carried away. Before you order your invitations, ask yourself if you really need each piece of stationery that you have chosen. Will it ruin your wedding if you opt to not use directions or accommodations cards? Choosing not to include them can save you money on printing and mailing.
Caitlin Boshnack, owner of Bridal Mentor.com, said that a lot of brides are opting — or forgetting in the last-minute planning — to not have a ceremony program. “Yes, there is a lot of paper needed for your wedding, but some of them are optional,” she said. “Depending on the formality of your wedding, you may not need the whole gamut.”
Chang said that there are other ways to get information — such as directions and accommodations cards — to your guests. “While these are great things to provide guests, if you want to save some money, consider just providing the invite and RSVP,” she said. “Then direct your guests to your free website for all the other information. Or better yet, have your guests RSVP online instead so no additional paper and postage needs to be used.”
6. Purchase the stationery in one large order.
Once you have finalized your invitations and have a complete head-and-couple count, you should order all your invitations at once. Alce said that it can cost you less money when you purchase all your invitations in one large order. “Special pricing applies to increments of 100, 200, 300, etc,” she said. “Additions are very costly and mostly come in increments of 25 for the invitations, response cards, RSVP cards, inner and outer envelopes.”
Alce also said that it’s also important for you to order a couple of extra invitations and envelopes. “It's a good rule of thumb to order 5-10 extra invitations, and extra inner and outer envelopes just in case you make a mistake while addressing each one,” she said.
7. Be realistic and know how your choices will affect the price.
This is the most important thing to remember when shopping for stationery or your wedding in general. Just because it’s cute doesn’t necessarily mean that it will add anything to your stationery or wedding as a whole. Boshnack said that your guests will keep certain pieces of stationery as a souvenir, but some stationery will also be thrown away, so it’s important that couples are aware of what affects the price. “The two biggest factors of price are the quality of the paper and the type of printing,” she said. “There are many different types of printing and they vary in price.”
The best thing that couples can do to stay in budget is be aware of what you’re purchasing, and make sure you and your budget can foot the bill.
Save Money on Graduation Party
Decorations from Pear Tree
Posted by Julie Myhre
Are you panicking because you completely forgot to purchase decorations for your graduate's party? No need to worry because Pear Tree Greetings is offering $10, $15 or $20 off all graduation products from now through May 31st. Get $20 off your purchase of $125 or more by entering the code 20GRADUATE at checkout. Use the code 15GRADUATE to get $15 off your graduation purchase of $100 or more. Or you can get $10 off your graduation order of $75 or more by entering the code 10GRADUATE at checkout.
Pear Tree Greetings offers customizable decorations that are sure to make your graduate and guests smile. These decorations include table toppers, napkins and yard signs.
The table toppers from Pear Tree include confetti and table decor. Both options come in all shapes, sizes and colors. The confetti, similar to the Hats Off Confetti, start at $2.50/each with a minimum order of 10 sets and cost $2/each when you purchase more than 20 sets. According to Pear Tree's website, 10 sets includes approximately 1250 pieces of confetti, which is enough to generously cover four tables.
Pear Tree's table decor is a larger option instead of confetti. The pieces vary in size from 3"-by-3" to 5"-by-5" and requires a minimum order of 3 sets — 27 pieces of table decorations. Prices start at $5/each and lower to $4 when you order 15 sets or more. The table decor can also be strung together and used as fun streamers or wall decorations.
Pear Tree offers a wide-variety of options for photo or customized napkins. These 4 3/4"-by-4 3/4" napkins can be completely personalized with your graduate's favorite color or favorite photos. The prices start at $0.60/each with a minimum order of 50 napkins and lower to $0.37/each when you order 350 napkins or more.
The final graduation decoration that Pear Tree offers is yard signs. These 24"-by-18" or 18"-by-24" signs are perfect to let your friends and neighbors know where they can celebrate the graduate. They come in a variety of styles and can be completely personalized. Each sign costs $29.99 each, and have a minimum order of one. Unlike the other Pear Tree graduation decorations, there is no discounted price if you order more than the minimum order.
Check out our full review of Pear Tree Greetings to learn more about the service, or visit Pear Tree Greetings' website to being shopping for your graduate's party.
Get a Deal on Your Last-Minute
Graduation Stationery
Posted by Julie Myhre
Looking for last-minute graduation announcements or invitations that won't break the bank? You're in luck because two of our top-rated photo card services — Tiny Prints and Minted — are offering discounts on graduation stationery. As our top-rated photo card services, both Tiny Prints and Minted offer great quality in their products as well as a wide variety of designs for your graduation announcements and invitations.
From now through May 14th, Tiny Prints is offering 20% off all graduation announcement and invitation orders of $49 or more when you use the code MAY20GRAD at checkout. This photo card service offers more than 700 graduation invitations and announcements to choose from, including traditional cards as well as unique, colorful cards. Tiny Prints is NextAdvisor's "Best Overall" photo card service because of its great quality, customization and selection, so you should only expect the best from this photo card service.
Here are some of our favorites from Tiny Prints.
The Grad Snapshots invitation from Tiny Prints is a great way to show off your favorite photos of the graduate. This 7"-by-5" flat card comes in black, white or gray and offers a classic look to show off 12 photos. It starts at $2.39 per card — with a minimum order of 10 cards — and you can customize the back of the card by choosing from a variety of layouts. Matching thank you cards and address labels can be purchased for an additional cost.
Both Refined Graduate and Yet To Come invitations are examples of the different varieties of graduation stationery Tiny Prints offers. Refined Graduate gives your guests more of a classic or formal party-vibe, while Yet To Come provides a laid-back vibe with its bright shades of blue and background design. Both cards are 5"-by-7" flat cards that start at $2.19 per card — with a minimum order of 10 cards. Matching thank you notes and address labels can be purchased for each card for an additional cost.
Check out our full review of Tiny Prints to learn more about the service, or visit Tiny Prints' website to start shopping.
Now through May 13th, Minted is offering 15% off its graduation announcements and invitations when you use the code CLASSOF13. This top-rated photo card service doesn't offer as many options as Tiny Prints, but it still offers a good variety of more than 130 graduation announcements and invitations. Minted is NextAdvisor's "Best for High End Prints" for its custom design tools and high-quality prints.
Here are some of our favorites from Minted.
The Year In Review and Memory Lane graduation announcements are prime examples of Minted's variety because the cards are so different in terms of design. Year In Review offers a look back on the graduate's year and shares future plans in words while Memory Lane allows guests to look back on the graduate's high school or college career through photos. Both 7" -by- 5" flat cards can be completely customized and start at $1.92 each — with a minimum order of 25 cards. Matching thank you cards are also available for an additional cost.
Leaving the Nest graduation announcement from Minted is a simple, yet cute option for a high school or college graduation. This completely customizable 5"-by-7" flat card is printed on Minted's luxe paper, and starts at $1.92 per card — with a minimum order of 25 cards. Matching thank you cards are also available for an additional cost.
Check out our full review of Minted to learn more about the service or visit Minted's website directly to start your last-minute shopping.
Tiny Prints Now Partnered with Vera Bradley
Posted by Julie Myhre
Good news! Our top-rated photo card service — Tiny Prints — has recently partnered with Vera Bradley, which means that some of the colorful patterns and designs that you have on your purses or accessories are now available on your photo cards. Currently the Vera Bradley stationery collection includes birth announcements, baby shower invitations, thank you cards, address labels and gift tags.
Vera Bradley's paisley, damask, floral and animal print designs are sure to dress up any stationery. The Vera Bradley stationery designs match the designs of Vera Bradley's newly-launched baby collection, so if you even have the option to match your baby's stationery with a Vera Bradley baby outfit.
Here are some our of favorites from the new Vera Bradley collection from Tiny Prints.
This baby shower invitation with the Spotted Delight design is a sure way to bring some fun to a baby shower invitation. It's yellow, black and tan leopard print is perfect for any mother-to-be who loves leopard print. This 6.18"-by-4.56" flat card starts at $2.19 per card — with a minimum order of 10 cards — also has a cute leopard print and floral print on the back of the card. Matching stationery — including thank you cards, address labels and gift tags — is also available for purchase with this card.
This address label with the Sublime Simplicity design is a great option for anyone looking to dress up their boring white envelopes. These 2.38"-by-1.12" address labels are sold in sets of 24 labels that cost $7 per set. The Sublime Simplicity design is also available in matching birth announcements and thank you cards.
This birth announcement with the Beautiful Bundle design adds a fun paisley design to a somewhat-simple card. This two-photo announcement is sure to impress with it's appealing layout and floral design on the back of the card. The Beautiful Bundle 7"-by-5" flat card costs $2.49 per card — with a minimum order of 10 cards — and also has matching stationery, including address labels and thank you notes, available for purchase.
And this adorable Vera Bradley-designed stationery can even help you save on shipping because for a limited time Tiny Prints is offering free shipping on orders of $49 or more if you enter the code FS49 at checkout. Tiny Prints is also offering three free stationery samples if you enter the code 3FREESAMPLES at checkout for a limited time, so you can get samples of Vera Bradley stationery before you purchase a bulk amount.
Check out our full review of Tiny Prints to learn more about the photo card service or visit Tiny Prints' website directly to start shopping for your own Vera Bradley stationery.
Where to Find the Best Thank You
Cards for Your Teacher
Posted by Julie Myhre
National Teacher Appreciation Day Tuesday is May 7th, and one of the best ways to show your teacher that your appreciation is to give them a cute, simple card. We searched through all of our reviewed photo card services to find the ones that had the cutest options for National Teacher Appreciation Day cards.
With graduation and Mother's Day around the corner, it's no surprise that the pickings were slim, but it was surprising that only two of our reviewed photo card services with three stars or more — Cardstore and Zazzle — offer the cutest teacher-specific thank you cards.
Cardstore doesn't have the widest variety of teacher appreciation cards, but the five that they offer are very cute. The cards are all priced at $3.49. Here's one of our favorites from Cardstore.
This 7"-by-5" card is called the Big Apple Little Apple card, and is completely customizable from the name on the front of the card to the layout on the inside. You can even choose to add a photo of your child and their favorite teacher to the inside of the card. This sweet card is a cute option that is sure to make your favorite teacher smile.
Check out our full review of Cardstore to learn more about the service or visit Cardstore's website directly to start shopping for your favorite teacher.
Unlike Cardstore, Zazzle had the widest variety of teacher appreciation thank you cards and gifts. Zazzle offers more than 700 teacher-specific thank you cards and postcards to choose from and customize. The postcards start at $0.95 per card and the greeting cards start at $2.45 per card. Both the postcards and greeting cards are completely customizable. Here are a couple of our favorites from Zazzle.
This Teacher Rocks postcard from Zazzle is a fun option for a teacher who enjoys puns — especially English teachers. You can opt to mail this silly postcard to your favorite teacher or you can write a note on the back of the postcard and send it to school with your child. It offers a cheap option that allows students to show their silly side and appreciation. This design is also offered in a 7"-by-5" folded card or 5.6"-by-4" note card.
The Periodic Table Teacher Appreciation card from Zazzle is a card that is sure to make a science teacher smile. This 7"-by-5" folded card is printed on 120 lbs. card stock and is also available in a 5.6"-by-4" note card. The inside of the card is completely cusomizable. You can choose to write a note, add a photo or include both a note and a photo.
Check out our full review of Zazzle to learn more about the service or visit Zazzle's website directly to start shopping for your favorite teacher.
Mother's Day Gift: Stationery, Cake Plates,
Apothecary Jars and More From Minted
Posted by Julie Myhre
Still looking for that perfect gift for your mom? Let Minted help you out. As one of our top-rated photo card services, Minted offers a wide-variety of options — from budget-friendly to high-end — for Mother's Day gifts. These include personalized stationery, cake plates, apothecary jars, art prints, among others.
Here are a few of our favorite Mother's Day gifts from Minted.
Minted's customizable journals are a great gift for a mom who enjoys writing or drawing, and since they start at only $16 per book it is an inexpensive way to show mom you care. You can opt to decorate these 5.5" by 8.5" journals with your favorite photo of you and your mom or simply get one of Minted's uniquely-designed journals in your mom's favorite color. The journal's cover is made with sturdy, matte, uncoated 130 lb. stock paper while the inside is filled with acid-free, uncoated, 60 lb. weight paper. For the inside paper, you can choose between lined, graph or blank paper depending on your mom's needs.
This porcelain cake plate by Minted is a great option for any mom who likes to cook or bake. The 12" diameter plate sits on a 6 1/4" tall pedestal and is stain and chip resistant as well as dishwasher safe making it easy to clean up. This cake plate costs $35. Minted also offers a similar smaller ceramic cake plate for $27 per plate.
Minted's milk-glass cake plate is a great option for any mom looking to spice up their kitchen with some color. The 9 1/4" diameter plate sits on a unique 7 1/4" high pedestal and is sure to accent any of your mom's specialty baked goods. Similar to the porcelain cake plate, this plate is stain and chip resistant as well as dishwasher safe. It costs $65 and is sure to brighten the face of any baker or chef.
If your mom likes to decorate for the holidays or regularly host parties then this bubble apothecary jar from Minted might be a great option for her. This jar is made from clear glass and stands 13" high with a 38" circumference. The glass is shaped to make a modern statement and the jar costs $58.
As one of our top-rated photo card services for high-end prints, it's no surprise that Minted offers a variety of art prints. These art prints to choose from starting at $38 per print and raise in price depending on the print and size you choose.
If you're looking for a gift that will show your mom your appreciation as well as connect your heritage, then this family tree might be a good option for you. It comes in three sizes and prices including 24" by 18" for $200, 40" by 30" for $325 and 60" by 44" for $550. You also have the option to choose your own frame for an additional price. Since the family tree is printed on 100 percent rag paper — a very thick and durable material — printing isn't really a necessity.
If you decide to purchase your mom the family tree art, Genealogy services might be helpful to fill in any holes or tie up any loose ends that you may have in your family tree.
Check out our full review of Minted to learn more about the photo card service or visit Minted's website directly to start shopping for your mom.
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