Cupcakes for Clara

launch party giveaway

This is it folks... the new product range has finally launched. Welcome to the party! As I'm sure many of you guessed from the sneaky peeky photos, my new range is 'Make Your Own'. 

 

I'm very excited about it, and I hope you like them. There are five different make your own's: three mini box kits and two maxi bag kits. Perfect stocking fillers for stitchy folks.

Mini's - finger puppets, cupcake keyrings, and christmas puddings. 

Maxi's - kitten fatties and robin fatties.

So grab yourself a cup of tea (or wine if it's been that kind of a day), and a slice of cake, and have yourself a little browse through the new range...

Each kit comes with absolutely everything you need to make your goodie. The only thing you'll need is a pair of scissors - unless you are particularly handy with a kitchen knife. 

Wool felt, cotton fabrics, ribbons, stuffing, cotton thread on tiny wooden spools (how cute are they?), even a needle. The last thing you want to do when you're ready to create is have to put it on hold because you don't have a needle. And they all come beautifully packaged in either a handmade box or a cotton bag. 

 

You can see photos of the what the completed projects look like here.

To celebrate the launch of these new cutie pie kits, I have two to giveaway. One robin fattie kit, and one finger puppet kit. 

If you would like to be in with a chance of winning one please leave a comment on this post. And on Monday 23rd I will draw two winners at random. 

Make your own kits are available in the shop now. And for every order placed in November you will receive a free Clara Christmas card. 

Thank you for stopping by - and don't forget to pick up your free party favour before you leave...

 

... make your own gift tags!

naked no more

I'm not getting distracted from work by making doll dresses. I'm not. Honest. Well, maybe just a teensy bit. But it does make her pretty don't you think?

Thank you hop skip jump for selling your poppy doll pattern, it's just lovely. And I found someone else who can't resist her either...

She honestly barely puts her down, it's very sweet. 

And just because I can't resist showing another photo of my girl and her dolly...

Ack! She's so squishable! 

Now, I'm sure that dolly will need a Christmas dress too...

she has a face

and she was instantly snapped up by a cheeky girl. Now if only she had some clothes! 

(Made using hopskipjump's poppy doll pattern.) 

the bers

Well, it's that time of year again. The 'bers'. The wonderful bers. 

September, October, November, December. 

Autumn, Winter, Christmas, Halloween, Bonfire Night. 

Leaves, snow, rain, scarves, hats, earmuffs, skating, walking, parks, hot chocolate in takeaway cups, soup, open fires, hot waterbottles, Christmas films, candles. 

Oh, how I love the bers. 

And I've been working on some autumnal type stitchery...

Two lovely dolls from the brilliant poppy doll pattern by Fiona of hopskipjump. It's so easy to follow and beautifully designed. 

I changed the hair from the pattern to add bunches. I love the size of these dolls, and the long slender limbs. Thank you Fiona.

The picture you can see in the background is a Clara felt applique. She is spinning in the autumn leaves, and I'm loving stitching it. It was based on this little sketch that Tom drew...

I'm not sure whether to embroider the words or not yet. I guess I'll see how I feel about it when the picture is finished.  And just for fun here are some close-ups of tiny in progress stitching...

Oh, but surely summer isn't quite over yet? There must still be a little bit left. I think it's here...

Happy bers to all x

basting

How is it possible that I did not know about basting? No-one ever told me about it. Mum... how come you never told me about it - I blame you!

Basting. Wow! Neat and professional looking. Makes it seem like I know what I'm doing.

Pins. Pah! Who needs pins. Pins you must now surrender forever more to basting. I'm sorry little shiny things, but it's the end of the line for you . Although maybe I can use you first so that I get the basting right? Yep, that'll do it!

friday makes

 -  pinning the activity cube together to see whether it might be one of those ideas that only work in your head or not

 -  stitching up a thank you card based on Matilda's 'helped by mummy' drawing

 -  designing a first birthday present for miss M

 -  starting work on said birthday present

 -  working on the big Peebo adaptation

happy weekend wishes to all  x x

baby toys

Baby toys are tricky. They seem to either look beautiful but not seem that appealing to small babies, or have great colours for babies but in a really yucky design. Or just silly designs like mobiles that look lovely from the parents point of view but not from underneath - where the baby sees it from. Of course there do seem to be some classics, but mostly from what I've seen so far - not so good. 

So I made Matilda an easy to see pram toy...

... and as you can see she's clearly thrilled! 

Of course that's actually the side she sees, us grown-ups get the more subtle far less stripy side.

But the poor little midget has an ear infection at the moment so playing isn't quite top of her agenda.

I would love to design a range of baby products one day - beautiful and stimulating for babies and their parents. Alas no time yet though. I have however been designing some Clara and Macy 'Christmas List' paper to go in my little old shop (very exciting), and wonder would you rather purchase a downloadable version so you can print your own, or real life actual paper ones sent to you in the post? Do let me know won't you.

Living Creatively

The lovely and most beautiful Living Creatively website has featured Cupcakes for Clara this month in its Creativity Exposed section. I'm so thrilled. It is a really great interview and just looks as perfect as a strawberry ice cream on a hot summers day. Thank you so much to Angela and Carolyn who put in all the hard work and were kind enough to choose to write about yours truly.

Thank you x

Keepsies

Keepsies \keep-see-s\ noun:
Lovely little pouches to keep your most special and precious things in.
-
'Aren't keepsies just marvelous for keeping your most special and precious little things in?'
'Oh yes, I just love keepsies.'

Do you remember all those weeks ago when I showed you this and left you guessing for far too long? Well, they are Keepsies. A new Cupcakes for Clara product. They will quite happily hold your mobile phone, digital camera, ipod, credit cards, money, lipstick, anything special and little.

There is going to be a whole range of keepsies. All handmade from wool felt and delicious printed cottons, with fun little embroidery in the Cupcakes for Clara style. A cute little button holds the flap down, and a cupcake label lets you know just exactly where it's from! They will even extend to larger versions soon, to hold your lovely books or notepads.

They aren't quite ready for selling just yet - I'd like to have quite a few made first - but if you are interested do let me know, and I'll send an advanced newsletter to anyone on the mailing list before they hit the store. If you don't receive newsletters but would like to please e-mail me and you'll be added.

p.s. a few extra pages have been added here and there if you fancy a browse... an about page, questions asked a lot, and other bits and bobs.

The Guardian

A belated but very happy Easter to you all. Of course, after another period of absence (explanation to follow soon), I am back! I can't help but think that if someone were to write a school report on me it would read 'could do better' and 'must spend more time concentrating in class'.

But enough nonsense, instead lets move to far more interesting things...

Did you happen to see the Guardian on Easter Saturday?

Cupcakes for Clara was published in it! In the new kids section called the Comic. A lovely feature on how to make finger puppets. And it was even on the cover...

I am excited beyond all belief! I mean the Guardian! And on Easter weekend too! I couldn't help but wonder how many little kids were making my finger puppets over Easter - it's amazing.

If you didn't see it, you can download the spread from the Guardian website here and then you can make your own little finger friends!

And here's what I'm doing at the moment... well, not right at this very moment because I'm typing right now, but maybe in a few moments, or a few moments after that, or a couple after that, but quite soon at least...

Little bird fatties! A robin and a newly designed sparrow.