I am no calligrapher. Believe me, I’ve tried. Usually after reading a bit of Pride and Prejudice. It starts by me donning my English accent, then I grab a pen with a flourish and start to write with a flourish. Of course it looks nothing like calligraphy and more like chicken scratch. This happens a lot during the holidays as I try to replicate the beautifully addressed envelopes that I see floating around Pinterest. Austen-ification fail!
But let me share with you a little secret I just discovered…
Minted has these Austen worthy envelopes that are charming without needing to be labour intensive on my part. Wouldn’t you love to receive a card addressed to you like these ones? Better than anything on Pinterest and to top it off there are dozens of design choices for your envelopes! (And right now they’re FREE when you order your holiday cards.)
If you haven’t heard of Minted before, you are missing out! They are THE online spot for gorgeous art, design pieces, and stationary. They have everything from wrapping paper, to invitations, to fabric, and the best part about their product line is how customizable everything is. Seriously, take a look at this wrapping paper that you can personalize with your own images. You might never want to rip it off the gift!
One of my favourite product lines that Minted sells are their photo art pieces. They are unique pieces that would be great Christmas, wedding, baby shower, or housewarming gifts. I am not exaggerating when I say that Minted has something for everyone and for every time in their life. I wish I had known about Minted when I got married so that I could have gotten Minted wedding invitations.
And there are plenty of items that I want in my house right now. Like this one…
Or this and this and this…
There is so much detail and information on the Minted site that it makes choosing an item easy (well, as easy as wanting everything on a site can be!). When you find a print you like, you choose a paper quality, a size, and whether or not your want it framed. There are plenty of photos to help you understand what you’re ordering, even down to nifty comparison photos that help people like me who really can’t visualize what 16×20 means!
They even have photo backdrops for any occasion!
The thing that really makes Minted so fascinating for me is that it is not just an online shop. It’s a marketplace that sources its products from an international community of artisans who submit their art to Minted’s monthly challenges. The winners are sold on Minted and can open up an online shop through the site, where they can then sell more of their art. Not only does this make their products more attractive to buy for yourself, but it makes it a special and thoughtful gift.
There’s an endless amount of products and they’re always adding new pieces to their lines. Minted started seven years ago as a way to help people around the world showcase their creative work via the internet. Another great thing about Minted is that they don’t limit their design challenges to known artists or photographers. Anyone is able to join in a design challenge. This means you, your neighbour, or an artist, can all participate in these challenges on a level playing field.
Check out the Minted site for a drool-worthy experience (especially if you’re someone like me, and you love stationary or art stores). You’re bound to find some great Christmas presents for everyone on your list…and maybe a few (or ten) gifts for yourself!
Disclosure: Compensation was received for this post. All opinions are solely mine and do not express the views of anyone else.
