About

Hello, and thank you for stopping by! 

I'm Natasha, cheerful proprietor of Amelie's House: baker, artist, designer and illustrator, Mum to two amazing bundles of energy (a.k.a 'the kidlets') and wife to one (generally less cheerful, and far less energetic) husband (a.k.a 'Mr.Lemon Drizzle'.)

Amelie's House was started as a place where I can share my projects, my thoughts and inspiration  - please take a look around! - but while you're here I thought you might like to know a little bit about me, and how this site came to be...

I grew up in a very creative environment; both my parents are working artists and have always encouraged me to express myself creatively, and although I was always free to choose my own path through life they were both visibly relieved when I gave up on my early career plans to become a dentist (I know - me, a dentist, what was I thinking?) and study illustration at University.

After graduation I muddled along as a jobbing illustrator for a year and then fell into textile design, which really suited me: while I was at Uni I had done a holiday project on flowers, which I recall my tutor looking at and saying, "It's nice, but do you really want to paint flowers for a living?" - and I remember quietly thinking yeah, that would be great... and in the end it was exactly what I did! I worked in both furnishing and fashion textiles for ten years, finally ending up as the Assistant Art Director in the London studio of a New York fashion textile house.

However, by now I was married and commuting to London wasn't an option with first one, and then two little people in my life, so I gave it up to look after them. That was easier said than done - ever since I was a child I have sketched and painted and crafted, and the few years after having children were the most creatively barren period of my life, which I found very tough. I was constantly searching for some kind of creative outlet, and I made scrappy attempts at getting myself back into some kind of work: knitting lessons, cards, fabric knick-knacks...nothing worked.

But with the advent of the kidlets came children's parties...and with parties came cakes. I started making more and more adventurous cakes and eventually decided that they were good enough to sell. I have never had any formal training and dislike using piped icing, so I decided to play to my strengths and experimented with painting on cakes. I was delighted when it worked, and have since started the Nevie-Pie Cakes specialist bakery to sell my work through. I love the fact that my cakes have two purposes, to both look good and to be eaten. I like the practical use that something beautiful can also have...it's transient design.

After being a keen member of the Flickr community for a few years I was drawn into the world of blogging, and almost immediately wanted to write my own blog....and that's how Amelie's House got started. I hope you like it - please have a read of the posts, download some of the recipes and craft projects, and leave me your feedback: I am so grateful for the response Amelie's House has had - the wonderful support I have received is always spurring me on to bigger and better things.
I hope that you will continue to come with me as I explore my new and exciting life...