| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | Christmas 2010 |

Christmas will be upon us in just 14 days time.

I hope you are all ready - I'm not!  The diary is full to overflowing with customer orders between now and the 23rd, my last official day for deliveries, and I can take on no further committments, so am closing off the year now.

I hope you all have a very safe, very Merry Christmas, and a wonderful New Year.

See you in 2011!

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | New Product! |

Here is the first photo of my newest dessert offering - Vanilla Bean Marshmallows, shown here in their Rosewater Swirl variation.

So incredibly yummy!

Contact me via email for pricing and shipping information...

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | Food Porn |

I snapped this photo a while ago now of some nude cupcakes cooling, waiting to be dressed up.

Happy Friday!

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | Cookie Bunting |

Here is another photo of my cookie bunting, which ahs been receiving rave reviews from all who have seen/ordered one since their recent debut:

(Image courtesy Wildberry Studio & Design)

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | Baptism Cake |

Every now and then, I strike a client that requires no guidance in terms of design.  They have a clear idea of the concept that they need executed in cake.  Sometimes, their design concepts are stunning in their simplicity, but very difficult to reverse-engineer into sugar.  This baptism cake for Ava was no exception!

The invitation was wrapped in lustred and letterpressed linen paper with a water droplet and ripple-pond effect... all in white.  This water droplet and ripple pond was to be the feature of the cake.  Exquisitely different, especially for a Baptism.

What do you think?

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | Wedding Sneak Peek |

This weekend in Melbourne the weather was just awful if you were getting married.  Fabulous for trees, not so much for Brides.  We had storms and rain and thunder and more rain, and HUMIDITY.  Oh, and did I mention the rain?

One of my brides this weekend was being photographed by Vanessa at Wildberry (see below for more of Vanessa's amazing shots)... and here is a sneak peak of what she managed to capture in between all the rain!

The bride had a selection of sweets for her wedding picnic - one of our new cookie garlands, featuring the couple's sayings of "love me - hug me - kiss me", some chocolate fudge cake pops, coconut ice, and vanilla bean sugar cookies.

Thanks for the preview Vanessa, can't wait to see the rest of the wedding!

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | New Products! |

A little while ago, I was contacted via facebook by a photographer who had been struck with inspiration about including some of my sweetness in one of her upcoming photoshoots, and would I be interested in colaborating?

Needless to say, I said yes!...

So, in thinking about what my desing brief was - white with touches of red - I wnted to come up with somthing that was a bit special, that would add that touch of "wow" and "I haven't seen anything like this before" - and I think I have succeeded!  Drawing on the inspiration of the current craze for bunting, I set about creating cookie bunting!  Yes, a world-first, so you all have the scoop on something completely new! - bunting made of cookies.  Perfectly decorative, and edible!

As well as the bunting, I wanted something for the bubba to be able to hang onto (this was a baby shoot, after all), so created a centrepiece cookie, which would make a perfect dessert table centrepiece or photobooth prop - as you will see, munching away on one of my centrepiece cookies is quite a feat, and makes for quite the photo!

Also coming off the design table and into reality are Swag Cookies - individually strung cookie, perfect for hanging from the back of the bride and grooms chairs for a perfect "wow" moment - imagine these done as name tags, with each guest receiving their own personlised swag cookie favour!

OK, so enough talk - here are the photos (more to come!):

(All photos courtsesy Wildberry Studios)

|Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | The World is a Very Small Place |

Ever since the creation of the internet, and our total adaption to life revolving in and around it, I have never been so aware of just how small it has made the world we live in until now.

Even as recently as 10 years ago, if we wanted to talk to someone around the world, we either wrote them a letter and posted it via snail mail, or we spent hours trying to figure out the time differences, and stayed up until an ungodly hour to make sure that they would be awake, in order for us to call them - and then pay the equivalent of a 2nd mortgage to the phone company for the priveledge.

Now, we email at the drop of a pin - we don't even bother to get up off our office chairs to talk tot he personin the next cubicle 10 feet away, we email them instead.  Why waste the spoken word when a typed one is so much easier?  And we Skype too.  We still need to be up at all hour of the night to do it, but at least it costs almost nothing!

So, where am I going with this ramble?   What possible cake connection could there be to this, you ask?  Well, I'm getting to it!

During this past week, there have been many instances cropping up on discussion threads I belong to about photo theft, specifically of cakes, cupcakes and cookies, made by friends of mine, and sometimes my work, that other people on the other side of the world are helping themselves to in order to promote their own businesses.

Thanks to the power of the internet, we can "out" these cheating and stealing businesses as the cheating and stealing thugs that they are - and we can also alert so many people, all around the globe, about what each business is up to , with a single message.  This simply would have been impossible 10 years ago.  Yes, we had the internet, but the power of the "group" was still in its infancy.  Forums and discussion boards were only just coming into being- and now look at what we have achieved.

Adding a protective shield to our work is a new blog, Stop the Cake Thief, and it also has a page on facebook.  What I would like is for each of you reading this post is to stop by the blog, see what it's up to (it's very new, but there are already a couple of businesses named and shamed), spread the word, 'like' the facebook page if you would, and keep an eye out for cake sites that you come accross that don't look right.  Report them, and help us keep our industry honest.

Thank you!




And in other small world news... I got to speak to a fan yesterday, the very lovely Digella, of Digella Emporium, who knows Sharnell, of Sharnel Dollar Designs, who I know through the cake world - how awesome is that?

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | New Items in Store Now! |

We had a lovely surprise today - the DHL delivery man!  On board was a stash of goodies that I am sure you will adore!

Welcome to our new Gorgeous collection:

Peacock Favour Crates, Cupcake Cases and Petits Fours Cases (Mini Cupcake Cases)

Pink Rose Favour Crates, Cupcake Cases and Petits Fours Cases (Mini Cupcake Cases)

Black Rose Favour Crates, Cupcake Cases and Petits Fours Cases (Mini Cupcake Cases)

Everything is in store now, ready for dispatch!

Happy baking!

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | Custom Cookie Collection |

Quite some time ago now, when I was first inspired to work on opening a little store, I thought about things tht people might like to buy.  Pretty cupcake things, of course, but then also some edibles too, things that would make perfect thank you gifts for shower teas or dinner parties, and the idea for some custom decorated cookies was born.  I spent days searching the net for the perfect cutters to use for my new cookies - cutters that were not available locally, that's for sure!  I finally stumbled upon a small, artisan crafter who makes copper cookie cutters all by hand, to order - perfect!  Here are the results - I hope you enjoy them!

All cookie varieties are for sale now through the store, which you can reach either through the website, or here on the blog (the link is at the top right of this page).  All cookies come individually bagged and tied with ribbon, and are sold in orders of 6 pcs.  All designs are $48 per 6 pcs, plus shipping, and are available in our standard flavours of Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Sable and Spicy Gingerbread.  Please allow 7 days for baking and decorating before despatch when placing your orders, as these are baked and decorated to order only!

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | Christmas 2010 Collection |

For quite some time now - well, OK, most of my life!! - I have loved old things, from linen, china and glassware, down to I guess what you would call the "sensibilities" of particular eras - like the 1950's for instance.

From post WWII to the very early 1960's, both class and gender lines were very clearly drawn, directed and, for the most part, embraced by society at large.  Women were very clearly feminine.  Families dressed for dinner, and everyone met without fail around the dinner table every night, even if it was to tackle some new fangled thing (TV dinners anyone?!) just launched to housewives everywhere.

There were pretty specific colour palettes back then too.  Manufacturing was advancing, but not fast enough to expand colour choices past electric brights (red, orange, lime, yellow) or pastel gelatos; pink, aqua, and white - aqua and white was, after all the No 1 colour combination for the American automotive industry during this period - and for good reason - they look fabulous together!

So, this year, to celebrate the memory of what was a golden era, I have been inpired to include a heavy sprinkle of 1950's America - I hope you like it!

All items will be available for order through my online store, which you can reach through the link at the top right on the blog, or you can also reach it via the website.  Orders can be placed now through to December 20th.  Last day for delivery is December 23rd.  Last day for mail order (cookies and coconut ice only) is December 18th.

Cookies are available in

Spicy GIngerbread, Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Sable

Cupcakes are available in all my regular flavours.

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | Exciting Update |

Gosh, what a great start to today!  Checking in on emails this morning, I had a fabulous email notifying me that one of my cakes has been featured on Martha Steart's Dreamers Into Doers website.. 'Wow!' I think to myself, and click through - and not only is my cake featured, but it's on the very front page, and on the top row!!!

Now, just to be featured on 'Martha' and my "to do" list would be empty!!

| Sweet! Cupcakes and treats | Open for Business |

Well, finally it's happened, my little fledgling store has spread its wings and opened for business!

I am going to be adding some wonderful, gorgeous new cupcake papers in the next week, so keep a look out for them - they will be available in regular, mini and a special size too, perfect for packing up edible gifts in - so stay tuned!

Also, the website and the blog have both had a facelift today - hope you like it!

You can get to the storefront both on the blog (the page link is right under the header), or on the website, to double your shopportunities!  If you want me to stock something in particular, please drop me a line to let me know...

I will be adding some gorgeous vintage-inspired sparkly toppers in the coming weeks too, just in time for Christmas party season!

Stay tuned next Friday the 15th for my launch of our 2010 Christmas collection - this year, it's all about 1950's vintage style.  Think pink, white and aqua, with sparkles to boot!

Well, that's it, just wanted to stop by and say hello, and thank you for following along!

Happy baking!

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | Boutique Opens tomorrow! |

Be on the lookout for a giveaway prize pack on Portobello Bride!

Starts Monday!

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | Christmas 2010 |

Cupcakes and Cookies

All with a Sweet! vintage twist

For a limited time only - orders open 15 October ~ Close 15 December 2010

Cupcakes for pick-up or delivery only

Cookies shipping nationwide!

| Sweet! Cupcakes and Treats | e-store opening this week! |

A hint of things to come

Last night I had the amazing pleasure of working with some amazing vendors on an inspiring photoshoot:

Virginia of The Bouquets of Ascha Jolie
Naomi of Nomie Boutique Stationery
and
Carly of Ambince Image Photography

Here is a sneak peak at some of what we got up to: