Thanksgiving is still a couple weeks away, yet all around us we’re being reminded that Christmas is right around the corner. From holiday music playing in the mall to Christmas trees popping up in store displays – yes it’s that time again!
There are very few times of year that I look forward to checking the mail and the holidays are certainly one of them. I look forward to receiving all the warm greetings from near and far – they’ve become a personalized part of my holiday decorating. I’ve either placed them on our fireplace mantel, bookshelves, hanging on garland etc. The decorating possibilities are endless. I especially love seeing how all the kids are growing up!
This year I’ve actually gotten a great start on my holiday cards and that’s not always been the case – however I’ve been urged on by the awesome early bird sales I’ve been seeing from all my favorite photo book/photo gift companies. One of my favorite photo book and photo card companies is Mixbook. If you’ve followed my blog you’ll also see that I have a tradition of getting photo calendars from Mixbook as well. This year will be year number 8! The holidays are all about tradition right? Check out my Mixbook calendars here!
Speaking of traditions, Photobookgirl readers have enjoyed a number of great exclusive deals from Mixbook in the past and this year is no different. Right now you can save 35% off sitewide as well as 10 FREE cards for orders $75 or more! No need to wait for those Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals! So, if you’re making a photo book, photo calendars or anything else on Mixbook, be sure to take advantage of our 10 FREE card promo as well! Be sure to also check out any other Mixbook deals we have on our site. They are updated frequently!
The number one thing I love about Mixbook is the software. I’m sure many of you have looked at custom cards online and found several designs you liked, but when it came time to place your photo in the box, it didn’t quite fit. Then you realized you couldn’t change anything – the text, the box size, the orientation. Kind of stifles your creativity. It’s frustrating to waste precious time with nothing to show for it. That’s not going to happen with Mixbook. Mixbook is all about customization. You can change just about anything in the design – photo layout, size, text, color and add on stickers or embellishments. On the flip side, if the design is just right there’s no need to change anything.
This year I’ve been eyeing the Editorial Year in Review design. I always do a year in review design for my holiday cards as I like being able to showcase photos from throughout the year.
You can see below how I tweaked the design to fit my needs and the specific photos I wanted to use. Mixbook gives you the creative freedom to do what you want instead of forcing you to fit into their template. Love it.
These are just my family’s snapshots from throughout the year. Don’t think that you need to have a professional photo shoot with perfectly matching photos to make a beautiful holiday card. You just need one good photo! Also be sure to check out my post on photo card inspiration and tips. A good friend of mine did an awesome DIY photo shoot in her own backyard with just a few props. No photographer needed!
Holiday Card Types
Styles include Diwali, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s cards so there are lots of options from which to choose. Holiday party invitations are also available.
Adding Embellishments
If you are a digital scrapbooker and you have your own stickers and backgrounds you can import your embellishments and use them within Mixbook’s software. Just click on “Stickers” at the top left of the main workspace, then click on “Browse Stickers” then “Upload Stickers”. In the past I’ve uploaded my own clip art that I’ve purchased or downloaded from various sites offering high quality freebies. What’s nice is that the stickers (and my photos) I’ve uploaded before are automatically saved under my account. No need to reupload!
If you’re trying out a bunch of different designs but are using the same photos to test out in the various cards, here’s a tip to save time. If you’ve made one card and already saved it, open up another card design and when the “add photos” prompt pops up click on “My Projects” and you can easily select the photos from the prior project so you don’t have to upload the same photos with each different design you try.
Sizes and Paper Choices
Most cards are 5 x 7 in or 5 x 5 in size. There are a lesser number of 4 x 8 and 3.5 x 5 cards, plus some 3.5 x 5 designs.
Six paper options are available ranging from a standard Satin Finish to the high-end Luxe Board card stock.
(The prices below are for 5 x 7 cards based on an order of 20 cards). Sale prices in green below reflect our 35% off exclusive for Photo Book Girl readers which runs through 11/30/18. By the way, new deals pop up all the time – so be sure to check out my deals page before you order for the latest discounts!)
- Satin Finish
$1.63$1.06 - Signature Matte
$2.18$1.42 - Pearl Finish
$2.62$1.70 - Premium Matte
$2.74$1.78 - Cotton Texture
$3.21$2.09 - Luxe Board
$3.61$2.35
Foil cards are also a popular style. This shiny option adds about 80 cents more per card – it depends on your paper choice and on the quantity you order. For every 5 additional cards ordered, foil or otherwise, the price per card goes down.
From my experience ordering from Mixbook last year, the Satin paper gives you slightly higher contrast and punchier color. Matte papers tend to mute colors, but only very slightly. The luxe board is printed on a very thick card stock with a high end touch you can instantly see and feel. You can’t go wrong with any of the papers – it just depends on your budget and taste.
Other Options – Trims & Envelope Addressing
Specialized trims can give you a unique look that stands out from the crowd. Rounded corners are my personal fave. Different edge options such as the “double rounded edge” is quite different and I haven’t seen it offered elsewhere. All of the special trims are $0.20 each.
Blank envelopes are included, but Mixbook can print both return and recipient addresses on your envelopes so you don’t have to. Adding this feature will run $0.25 each. You can also get matching address labels for a complete look.
Magnet Cards
Mixbook also offers magnet cards in two sizes: 5 x 3.5 and 7 x 5. For quantities of 20 cards, the smaller size is $2.84 while the 7 x 5 is $3.57. You can also purchase just a single card. Magnet cards for the holidays are ideal if you’re looking to send a combination birth announcement/holiday greeting or perhaps a wedding save the date or moving announcement during the holidays.
GET 10 FREE CARDS (with purchase) FROM MIXBOOK!
I have two special deals for PBG readers!
Deal #1
35% off sitewide + 10 FREE cards with $75 purchase
Coupon Code: PBGHLDY18
Shipping and taxes will apply.
Deal Expires: 11/30/2018 11:59pm PT
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Deal #2
Photobookgirl Exclusive! 40% off photo books and 30% off all other products!
Coupon Code: Click for Code!
This offer applies to all photo books, cards, calendars and home decor products. Excludes labels and photo prints. Coupon will not apply to Montage and Mosaic brands. Maximum of one per customer. Offer cannot be combined with other coupons, vouchers, Groupons, or applied after an order has been placed. Discount applies only to completed projects. No adjustments on previous purchases. Shipping and taxes will apply.
Deal Expires: 11/30/2018 11:59pm PT
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*Disclosure: This post is a sponsored post and contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a referral fee. Regardless, my opinions are my own and I always give my honest opinion, good or bad.
