CUPCAKE WRAPPERS

Another fabulous guest post today from  The Copy And Paste girls.  Today a lovely free download for you from Kirsty.  Check out her gorgeous blog for even more downloads.  

 

As a creative jack of . . . well, maybe not all trades, but certainly a few too many, I completely adore the fact that cake decorating isn’t one of them! As a regular visitor to Natasha’s blog, it means I can sit here, sighing and admiring, and enjoying her beautiful cakes from an entirely objective point of view. For me, it’s very much a case of guilt-free inspiration, and that’s a pretty wonderful thing.

It does mean, however, I was briefly stumped when she asked me to write a guest post. While I enjoy whipping up a batch of brownies or tray of cupcakes as much as the next once-in-a-while baker, my skills are very basic and the end results nowhere near as pretty as a Nevie-Pie cake. What I am a little more experienced at, though, is covering up my culinary disasters, or occasionally (gasp!) disguising the cheat’s option, store-bought cakes. 

 

Cupcake wrappers are like your favourite black dress: they hide a multitude of sins and imperfections, but the best ones tend to be a little on the expensive side. I hope, however, the set I’ve put together for Natasha’s blog party might balance things out a little, being both pretty and completely free! 

 

 

Once you’ve downloaded them, (right click on the pictures above to download the jpg or click here and here for a pdf) simply print onto plain white paper or thin card and cut them out. Use a craft knife to cut along the slit, as marked, then curve the case round. Slide the hooked end through the gap to hold it together, and drop your cupcake inside. It’s worth printing off a single sheet to check the cases fit your cakes before you go ahead and print enough to house a whole batch. You can simply re-size, making them larger or smaller in your regular editing software if needs be. To add a little extra fancy to your finished cases, you could also trim along the top edge with scalloped scissors or pinking shears.

 

If you do decide to try them out at your next tea party, whether with handmade or store-bought cakes (I’m not here to judge), I’d love to see how they turn out.

Thanks so much for inviting me along to celebrate Natasha, and a very happy birthday to Amelie’s House.

 

 

Thanks Kirsty I shall definately be using these!

 

Don't forget our special birthday giveaway.

FLOWERS AND FABULOUS FINDS

Some time ago I was a guest blogger for the fabulous Julie and Kirsty from The Copy and Paste Project, they are two fabulously talented designers.  So I asked if they would be interested in coming along to my own blog party and was delighted that they both said yes!  Tomorrow Kirsty has created some fabulous downloadable goodies but today it's Julie with some gorgeous eye candy.  Thanks Julie for coming along!

Hi there.

It’s lovely to be here helping Natasha celebrate her blog birthday, and not purely because I’ve been lured here by the scent of all those cakes …

No, it’s a way to say thanks to Natasha for bringing cake to the blog party we held when The Copy + Paste Project, the blog I co-host with Kirsty Neale, turned 1 earlier this year! And while I haven’t repaid the favour by bringing a bottle, I have brought some flowers …

As our blog’s name suggests, we like to take ideas from things we see and the paste them into our own creative projects … and when Natasha makes such beautiful confections I didn’t have to go very far before lighting upon some fabulously inspirational eye-candy!

So I’ve been copying Natasha’s hand-painted cakes, by photographing my collection of floral treasures which are so reminiscent of her designs. 

Copy = ‘Vintage Rose Cookies’:

 

Paste = A ceramic ring I found in an antiques fair, at least 15 years ago: 

Copy = ‘30th Birthday Cake’:

Paste = A Capodimonte style glazed rose found in my favourite vintage shop for £4:00!

Copy = ‘Vintage Tea cup Cake’

 Paste = More Capodimonte-esque items. A beautiful brooch from my late Nanna and some cheap-yet-pretty high-street earrings: 

Copy = ‘Painted Floral Cake’

 Paste = Vintage carved perspex handle which I found, neglected, inside a cupboard of the house we moved into! A true treasure for a vintage-loving rose-design freak like me!

And finally … 

Copy = ‘Painted 60th Birthday Cake Detail’

 Paste = An ‘up-cycled’ coat hanger, the making of which forms one of the twelve tutorial projects we’ll be delivering in the The Copy + Paste ‘12 Days’ workshop series  throughout November.

Ok then, I’ll leave it there for now. Partly because I have so many flowery items I could share that I’ll have you here all night and partly because after looking through so many of Natasha’s exquisite creations I’m pining for a sugar fix!

Enjoy the rest of the party here and, if you’re passing, you’re welcome to drop by my place sometime: Notes on Paper.

Julie J

A SHORT HISTORY OF FAMILY FEASTING!

It's time to introduce another guest blogger and a very special one.

In May my Mum started blogging at The Potter's House Penketh and she has kindly agreed to do a post to help the celebrations along.  I'd like to thank her especially for including a lovely picture of the teenage me!

I'm excited and nervous! I'm going to post a blog for Amelie's House and I know it's got to be good!

As it's a foodie blog that she does, I thought that it might be quite interesting to look at our family history of

  "The Importance of being Earnest about Celebration!" 

 Let's start at the very beginning. This is my mother presiding over tea in the garden in Belfast with the Scottish silver teapot.

 This is Aunt Helen sipping tea from china cups in the garden in Belfast!

These two woman taught me all that I know about baking...well apart from the first year domestic science lessons where I learnt how to wash lettuce and stir porridge [as if I hadn't done that a lot at home!]

Of course all of this started way before she of the "Amelie's House" fame was born.

Nana Mary and Great Aunt Helen were the forerunners in the family celebration lark. Having Scottish blood, they were the creme de la creme of shortbread bakers and victoria sponges. In fact it is true that as far back as the 11th century there was a  baker mentioned in the maternal geneology. Honestly!

When I was six or seven, Mary held a prayer meeting in the drawing room at home. I was there each month without fail. What a godly child I hear you cry.....noooo........ the supper she prepared was to die for. Was I going to miss that? I think not! So I waited through it all until at the end, out came little sandwiches, meltingly good scones with Ulster butter and home made jam, fruit cake,almond slices, melting moments, gipsy creams, german biscuits, coconut haystacks, meringues and victoria sponge. I knew that ,without a doubt, all the prayers came for the same reason. The supper! It was obvious even to my young mind. I did my duty and passed the plates around the waiting women. I hope that the prayers realised what I was up to and prayed a little prayer for me!

So you see I learnt from an early age the joys of yumminess and a godly life!

The thing about food is that it's really not much fun to be on your own, so people came to our table to share in it's abundance. Maiden aunts and elderly neighbours as well as my teenage friends.

It wasn't only Mary's side of the family who were the foodie people. No, Aunt Cis, Dad's sister, produced bottled fruits and exotic chutneys and offered them in exquisite sandwiches placed on silver trays with Irish lace clothes. To be invited into the pantry to view the cupboard with the regimented rows of jars with such succulent produce, was like an invitation to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party.

I've had such fun looking through all of the old family photos to find those days of celebrations. Birthdays, weddings, Easter, Christmas, picnics, barbeques and the mad parties we had just for an excuse to feast. Not that we needed much of an excuse! 

We had Murder Mystery Parties and when my neighbour came to one of them she couldn't believe how much we were in to the whole thing, food and dressing up.We had Star Trek parties and the daughter invented wonderful Trekkie food to go with our crazy outfits. One of the best was a Cajan party with mad hats and delicious southern states food.

But I thought that you might like to see the early Amelie's House baker in action. Yes? Well here she is beating up a storm with a wooden spoon.

 Now food should be lovingly prepared and cooked, but that is not the end of the equation, not by a long chalk! Like any art it then must be presented in all it's glory. On china plates, in secret boxes,on  tables groaning under the weight of food surrounded by multicoloured cushions to rest on and enhance the whole theatrical celebration.

Tables laden with Christmas fare.

Baskets overflowing with picnic goodies.

So winter to summer and back again

In savoury and sweet

We will entertain.

With glass raised up high

A toast we will make.

To shortbread and scone

But especially to

CAKE!!

GIVEAWAY!!!

(Update 25/10/10 - sorry everyone, but the competition is now closed. See here for the winner...)

Finally...my first giveaway.  I have been promising myself one for ages.  I had thought to celebrate my 200th follower with a giveaway and then 250, but those milestones came and went. 

So how could I let this birthday go without a giveaway?  I couldn't!  So I have organised myself and jolly well sorted one out!

I want to say thankyou to all you fabulous readers of my blog.  I really didn't think a year ago I would still be blogging, I thought it would be a just another craze but I have come enjoy  so much being able to share my projects and ideas with the bogging community I'm never going to stop!  And it is such a privelege for me that people want to read about them and take time to leave such lovely comments. So as a big big thankyou to you all here are my first giveaway prizes.

 1 .Two Hooty Owl cookies from Nevie-Pie Cakes. (see above)

 2. A cute felt cupcake curtesy of the lovely Marie from Heartfelt Handmade.

 

3.  Two picnic/lunch bags from Amelie's House made from mexican oil cloth.

 4. Twelve fondant cupcake toppers painted with Autumn scenes from Nevie-Pie Cakes.  Click here to see them in action.

5. An Amelie's House felt brooch.

To win all of these goodies all you need to do is be a follower of Amelie's House and leave me a comment letting me know what you would paint on a cake or cookie.  You can also have extra entry into the draw if you link to this giveaway on your own blog or twitter or facebook.  But please tell me via the comments below or I won't know. The competition is open to everyone.

I will draw the lucky name out of a hat on Monday 25th Oct 12pm BST.

Once again thankyou for all your encouragement and good luck!