Cupcakes for Clara

an offer with a difference

I am beyond excited to tell you that my bamboo hearts are ready & available.

Well, almost ready & available...

So if you're interested in ordering a personalised heart with a 30% discount and you don't mind me photographing it to use in my product pages, then please do give me a shout. This offer will be available for one week only, and then I'll be officially launching the hearts the week after.

There are small hearts (42mm, 5mm thick) and large hearts (87mm, 9mm thick) and a set of two hearts (one large, one small).

They are perfect for wedding gifts, favours, new baby keepsakes, Father's day presents, christening gifts, and tons more. 

Each can be personalised, has UK delivery included in the price, comes packaged in a 100% cotton bag with a little information card about how they were made, and you can choose the ribbon.

Awesome huh?

I've set up an album on my facebook page with various photos of sample hearts and more information about the offer, so do head there if you would like to see more.

The 30% offer brings the prices down to...

- small = £6.82
- large = £10.32
- double set = £13.12

And the discounted prices still include UK delivery. Bargain! 

Let me know if you're interested via email, comments, or on my facebook page and I will send a paypal invoice over. 

Thanks lovelies x

the stories of vintage

Over the past few weeks I have been collecting a few sets of vintage metalwork stamps in preparation for stamping the bamboo hearts.

When this set arrived on Saturday all rusty and in need of a good clean, I couldn't help but wonder about their history. What have they stamped before? Where have they been?  

I love to think of the stories that might have been, don't you? 

My engagement & wedding rings are vintage. One from either side of the world, but strangely made in the same year - 1951. There is a scratch in my engagement ring, it was there when we bought it in Australia, and almost every day I wonder how it got there. What was the story, who did it belong to, what were they doing when it happened. I love it. I love that little scratch. 

And these stamps, I love them too. And I'll probably wonder every time I use them what their story is.

instagramming the week

Well what a week it has been. 

Lovely food, lovely post, lovely sunshine. A day in the garden, a coffee date with Tom, having my portrait drawn, baking bread, the very exciting arrival of 800 bamboo wood hearts, the even more exciting publication of Tom's second book (eek, I'm so proud of you Tom!), poorly children, sketching and having my sketches copied by a quick little hand, finishing the Malory Towers books and wondering what to start next, and my heart melting at the message in my Mother's Day card. 

It's been a good week. 

the virtual tea & cake party (and the great big giveaway)

I am beyond thrilled to be celebrating the launch of six new Cupcakes for Clara kits today. As if six new kits wasn't exciting enough, there's a big old virtual tea and cake party going on here too. Grab yourselves a cuppa and a sweet treat and get ready for some loveliness.

There's a great big giveaway too but...

wait one minute...

Quickly head here to download some free activity sheets to keep your little ones entertained while you enjoy your hot cup of tea.

Go, go, go!

It won't take long to print them, and then you can browse the new products in peace. Like what I did there?! Tee hee!

Are you back? Are they settled? With crayons and everything? Awesome. 

I am launching six new craft kits into my Not On The High Street and Etsy shops today. Four large kits and two mini ones. 

The large kits are a bluebird, a piglet, a lion, and a sparrow. The mini kits are both to make finger puppets - one makes three birds, and the other makes three kittens. 

And what's even more exciting... with the new kits comes the launch of my new packaging. All tweleve kits have had the fancy pants new packaging treatment. 

Actually I should say grumpy pants packaging as every kit features a pair of Clara's grumpy pants on the back. Tee hee!

I am beyond thrilled with the new packaging. Who would have thought it would make such a difference? I just love it. And secretly I'm really rather proud of it. 

Each kit has colour coded sides which make them pretty, and make them really easy for me to know which is which when they're stacked in the cupboard. Clever huh?!

They are exactly the same boxes as before with the same contents, just with the addition of the sleeves.

 The mini kits however have had a bit more of a change.

They have moved from boxes into these gorgeous tin tie bags. They're designed as coffee bags I think, and they're still 100% recycled and eco friendly. I love them! Especially next to the bigger boxes. Ooh, and they have euro slot hangers too so that they can easily hang on racks in shops. 

All of the new kits are available now.

And for this week only you can use the code "grumpypants" to get 20% off in the Etsy shop. That's 20% off everything too, not just the kits. 

You can also win yourself a whole bundle of them too. To celebrate the launch of them, and your fabulous support whilst I've been developing them, I'm giving away two bundles. 

~ Bundle one is a bird themed bundle. It includes a sparrow kit, a bluebird kit, and a bird finger puppets mini kit. 

~ Bundle two is an animal themed bundle. It includes a piglet kit, a lion kit, and a kitten finger puppets mini kit.

To enter please leave a comment on this blog post letting me know which bundle you would like to win. The giveaway is open to everyone from every country and it closes on Friday March 8th at 9pm GMT. 

Please do share on facebook, twitter, pinterest, instagram, blogs, posters on garden walls, over the phone, in the coffee shop, and generally shout about it to your friends!

So finish off that lovely cup of tea, nibble those last crumbs of cake, share the details with your friends, and enter the giveaway. Oh and of course if you fancy buying any of the kits that would be absolutely fine too! 

And don't forget to download the free activity sheets to keep your little ones occupied while you drink tea, eat cake, and have a browse through the virtual shelves. 

Click to tweet: Come & visit @cupcakes4clara's virtual tea & cake party for fun, freebies, and a great big giveaway! http://bit.ly/VSzqaU 

Click to tweet: Have you entered the great big giveaway on @cupcakes4clara's blog? You could win loads of gorgeous craft kits! http://bit.ly/VSzqaU

*Thank you so much to everyone who entered and shared the giveaway. The randomly chosen winner was Cally Taylor. Sorry to everyone who didn't win... but we do love you!*

today's the day!

P.S. There will be a great big giveaway, free downloads to keep your little ones entertained while you browse the new goodies, and a discount voucher. Exciting!

celebrating a launch... what do you vote for?

I'm launching six new craft kits at the end of this week as part of my Make Your Own range. What do you think we should do to celebrate?

Vote in the poll and get ready for some fun!

{a little glimpse}

Prototyping the labels for a possible product.

{photoshop in February 2013}

A sketch, photo, or work in progress. A little glimpse into the way we work or what we're working on. Keeping creative and sharing the goodness.

P.S.  If you want to join in with the {a little glimpse} posts please do share your link in the comments so we can pop by and have a peek.

Material World by Perri Lewis ~ a book review

I am thrilled to have been asked by Crafty Magazine to take part in their blog tour to review Perri Lewis's first book Material World. I was lucky enough to work with Perri a couple of times on craft projects for The Guardian, so it's really exciting to see her gorgeous book.

Material World is a fabulously refreshing craft book that's almost more like a text book full of incredibly useful crafting information rather than a coffee table "browse through the beautiful photos" kind of craft book.

Perri focuses on teaching techniques rather than providing long step by step projects. She covers fifteen different crafting techniques, and the theme of the book seems to be here's the basic way of doing this, and here's are plenty of other ways to embellish it.

At 224 pages it really is a bible. There are masterclasses and insider tips from big names in the various crafting industries.

Experts such as Emma Bridgewater, Amy Butler, Tatty Devine, and Rob Ryan share their knowledge and trade secrets to help you perfect the techniques. 

Perri's tone throughout the book is so friendly, it feels quite like being taught by a friend over a cup of tea. She shares her crafty knowledge in such a way as to inspire you to develop your own creativity rather than show off her own extensive skills.

It makes for a lovely read. 

I particularly love the "extras" sections which give ideas on what you can use each technique for. Some of the ideas are really fun - the tips on making straight jeans skinny is one of my favourites. And there are some great troubleshooting tips for each craft too, which is really handy if you get a little stuck. 

It feels like Material World is a bit of a breakthrough craft book. One for crafters not quite so content with following exact instructions to create replica's but one for those wishing to learn a little more, dig a little deeper, and explore their own creativity. 

When there is a section titled "building your stash" really what's not to like?!

To check out yesterday's review by Crafty Magazine head here, and tomorrow why not pop along to Gin Fuelled Blue Stocking for the next stop on the Perri Lewis blog tour. 

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

~ inspired by SouleMama

feeling proud of a lovely little surprise

The Not On The High Street spring gift guide began landing on doormats and in mailboxes this morning.

I am thrilled that my chick and rabbit kits have been included in it. I had seen the photograph Noths took a couple of weeks ago, and I loved it, so was really excited to see the printed catalogue. 

I got my preview copy on Tuesday and before it arrived my friend Gabrielle had said she thought I might squeal when I saw it. I wondered what she meant and nervously waited for my copy to pop through the letterbox. 

The cover is beautiful, and the paper is all thick and luxurious. Was this what she meant I wondered? I opened it up and saw my kits right there on the first page. I did let out a happy little "ooh" but not quite a squeal. And then I turned to page 21...

And squealed! A big loud with a happy dance whilst I was at it kind of squeal. 

My kits have been given a full page!

I couldn't believe it. I still can't. And I'm so proud to see them there looking so adorable. I'm so thankful to Noths for showcasing them so beautifully.

I had really wanted to launch the new range of six (yes six!!) new kits in time for the catalogue, but sometimes when you have two little ones as well as a new business plans don't always work out. But they will be hitting the virtual shops next week for sure. Along with their fancy pants new packaging. So keep your eyes peeled, I think you're going to love them.