Cake Ink.

2012-02-16T16:36:00.000+11:00

1. Poppies for Grace rose garden mini cards
2. Dawn Tan Vegetable Chart archival print
3. Sweet William art print
4. Blueberry Paper hydrangea wrapping paper
5. Mortlock 'save the date' by Akimbo
6. Elephant invitation set by Bella Stationery

What's on our desk today...

2012-02-10T02:00:00.032+11:00

- Save the Date postcards for Janelle, Jess & Nicole

- gorgeous turquoise ribbon

- our cute new kitty cat wrist rest from socksmakeover

- an ever-growing to-do list

- AND I managed to drink a cup of tea that was actually HOT! thanks baby Lewis for snoozing long enough :)

What's on your desk today??

PS: it's my gorgeous husbo's 30th birthday today - Happy Birthday Lloydy! we love you!

Our first day at home as a family of 3 (4 if you count Whiskey the Cat)

~ Samone xo

Valentine freebie download part 2 (& a recipe!)

2012-02-07T13:00:00.000+11:00

As promised, here's the second half of our Valentine's Day free printables! This little set, which you can grab over here, has a little card, cupcake flags and a couple swing tags to finish off those little pressies for your lover.

Nothing is sweeter than a gift of home baked goodies... so here's our recipe for easy vanilla sugar cookies; perfect to fill your Valentine's favour bag with! And they are super delicious (I have eaten wayyyy too many during this little photoshoot!!)

Easy vanilla sugar cookies

Ingredients:

6 cups sifted plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (450g) softened unsalted butter
2 cups caster sugar (or soft brown sugar for a slight caramel flavour)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste)

Method:
1. In large bowl, sift together flour and salt. Set aside.
2. Use an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
3. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Mix in vanilla until well combined.
4. Remove 1/2 of dough from bowl, shape in to a ball and then flatten to a disc about 2" thick. Wrap well in plastic wrap. Repeat with 2nd half of dough.
5. Chill both discs of dough for about 45 minutes to an hour. Dough must be reasonably firm.
6. Remove one disc and remove plastic wrap. Place on top of a lightly floured surface.
7. Roll dough to an even thickness of about 1/4" using a silicone rolling pin. Cut out shapes using selected cutter(s). Remove excess dough ready for re-rolling.
8. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius (160 degrees fan-forced). Place cut out shapes on baking trays lined with baking paper (or silicone baking mats), leaving about 2" clearance. Place filled trays in freezer for about 15 minutes to chill.
9. Remove from freezer and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.

10. Cool cookies on trays for 5 minutes, then gently move cookies onto wire racks to finish cooling.
Cookies may be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

*We decorated our cookies with tinted royal icing and sprinkled them coloured sanding sugar. You can also use coloured fondant: simply roll out tinted fondant to 3mm thick and cut out desired shape using the cookie cutter. Stick the fondant to the cookie using a few small dabs of water and carefully smooth the top. A simple and easy way to make gorgeous decorated cookies!

Happy Valentine's Day, we hope you have a sweet day with your special someone!

Valentine freebie download!!

2012-02-03T12:30:00.000+11:00

who doesn't love a freebie download?!!

we have created this little printable favour bag for you to download and make to fill with goodies for your lover this Valentine's Day - enjoy!! click on over to here to grab the art file, print on heavy paper or light card (we used a creamy recycled card with a fleck through it), and fold it up following our super-easy instructions. sweet as!

the cute little tag will be available, along with a card and some other designs, next week sometime - so be sure to check back then!!

~ Samone xo

Wedding colour palette: soft pink and white

2012-01-31T18:02:00.000+11:00

We're currently working on a wedding cake in gorgeous soft pink and white tones for a lovely couple to match their stationery suite we created late last year... here's a pretty mood board we put together as inspiration. We think these classic tones make for a very romantic setting and we're looking forward to setting it up on the day!

We hope you're having a great start to the week... oh and we'll be sharing a free Valentine's Day treat for you, our awesome readers, very soon so please check back!

Custom stationery suite by Cake Ink.
All other images via Style Me Pretty

meet our crafty friends

2012-01-27T13:54:00.000+11:00

I want you to meet one of our crafty friends, Amy and her gorgeous bunting over at Giggleberry Creations.

Amy is one of those crafty peeps that has lots of ideas and can make and do anything. We have had the pleasure of working with her for a few of her parties she has thrown for family, and it's lots of fun hatching new ideas for elements for little and big kids' parties! Amy's rainbow ribbon garland featured in one of our favourite Cake Ink. parties, and I also have one of her beautiful custom-made bunting hanging in Lewis' bedroom. Pop past the Giggleberry blog for a read on all Amy's latest happenings, or check out her shop to pick up some of your own bunting for your next event or to brighten up your home!!

Invites for a 70's ski themed party, and custom designed party printables

*Top photograph by www.hayleyjohnson.com.au

Have a lovely weekend!!
Samone xo

Planning a New York wedding

2012-01-24T16:08:00.000+11:00

It's not every day we get to plan for one of our own so we're excited to be putting together all the bits and pieces for my wedding in September! We thought we'd share the progress along the way so here's a snapshot of some initial inspiration we're using to create the custom stationery suite for our big day...

So far we're working on postcard-style save the dates, formal invites including wedding map, ceremony & activity information, tabletop stationery and welcome gift bags for each guest. We're also working with some AMAZING local wedding vendors but more on this later!

I can't wait to say 'I do' to my amazing husband-to-be (who we affectionately call The Cake Engineer due to his handyman prowess) and to celebrate with our nearest and dearest in an amazing city! Love you Stu!

Janelle xx

Recent work and some Cake Ink. news!

2012-01-16T13:58:00.000+11:00

We've neglected our blog a little lately as we've been super busy, but we're back and ready to start the New Year with the promise of some exciting new projects!

Firstly, we'd love to introduce you to the newest (& cutest) member of the Cake Ink. family; Samone's little boy Lewis!

Lewis was born on November 24th 2011, and was a teeny 6 pound 5, but is growing super fast! We can't wait to teach him to bake cupcakes haha!! but we are enjoying his baby sweetness for now, and he is keeping Samone super busy!

We're also busily working on the details for Janelle's destination wedding later in the year so we'll be sure to share the progress along the way!

In the meantime, some recent Cake Ink. projects:

Chloe's 1st 'ladybird' birthday

A beautiful vintage inspired wedding cake**

Classic rose and lace wedding cake

A bow-tie christening cake

A fun engagement cake

Gorgeous custom wedding and engagement stationery

**Images from Milk Photography, all other images by Cake Ink.

Red velvet cake recipe

2012-01-16T11:41:00.000+11:00

We had a few requests via our facebook page to share our red velvet cake recipe! Well here it is... it's the best version we've tasted and is perfect paired with delicious cream cheese frosting.

Red velvet cake

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

31/4 cups plain flour

1/4 cup cornflour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch process)

1½ teaspoons salt

2 cups canola oil

2¼ cups caster sugar

3 large eggs

6 tablespoons liquid red food colouring (or 1 teaspoon red food colouring paste)

1½ teaspoons real vanilla extract

1¼ cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons baking soda

2½ teaspoons white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (160 degrees celsius fan-forced). Place teaspoon of butter in each of 2 round 9-inch layer cake pans and place pans in oven for a few minutes until butter melts. Remove pans from oven, brush interior bottom and sides of each with butter and line with baking paper.

2. Whisk plain flour, cornflour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.

3. Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring. (Take care: it may splash!) Add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.

4. Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and then add immediately to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.

5. Divide batter among pans, place in oven and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pans 30 minutes. Then remove from pans, flip layers over and peel off parchment. Cool completely before frosting.

Hot Tip:

Cakes can be stored in

the freezer for up to five days if tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

Yield: 2 nine-inch round cakes or 2 half-sheet pans, or 24 cupcakes filled 1/2 full.

*Adapted from "The Confetti Cakes Cookbook" by Elisa Strauss

Enjoy!

Andrew loves Elizabeth 29.10.2011

2011-11-02T11:04:00.000+11:00

We had the absolute pleasure of contributing to the wedding of some dear friends this past weekend; the lovely Andrew and Elizabeth. Liz's vision for her special day was in keeping with her South American background - a feast of colour, energy and fun! We created a custom wedding stationery suite incorporating these elements using typography (in Spanish) and some gorgeous traditional papel picado illustrations.

The stunning venue, The Baths in Sorrento, provided the perfect backdrop for the four tier floral cascade cake that we created using the bridal bouquet as inspiration. The cake featured three delicious flavours as chosen by the bride and groom: coconut, orange and almond and white chocolate mud...perfect for the summery feel of the day! The bride looked amazing, complete with awesome bright turquoise shoes!

The weather held up brilliantly for the afternoon ceremony on the sand before the guests kicked up their heels for a night of dancing and fabulous food.

Thank you Liz and Andy for letting us be a part of your special day. We had a blast!

View photography from the day over at Stewart Leishman's website.

Flowers: Hello Blossoms

Venue: The Baths, Sorrento VIC

Cake, stationery and styling: Cake Ink.

Photography: Cake Ink.

Ida and Dan's wedding at The Hotel Windsor

2011-10-26T10:53:00.000+11:00

We were lucky enough to make a gorgeous wedding cake and custom favours for the lovely Dan and Ida at the weekend. They hosted an intimate reception at the beautiful Hotel Windsor in Melbourne. Ida's favourite colour is lilac so they wanted this reflected in the details of their special day. Congratulations guys!

Recipe for Bienenstich (bee sting cake)

2011-10-19T08:48:00.001+11:00

photograph by Stewart Leishman

We made this cake for our recent photoshoot for Wedding Nouveau, its a traditional German cake named Bienenstich, or Bee Sting Cake - and not only did it smell amazing as we were baking but it tasted delicious! The crunchy honey almond topping reminded us so much of baking honey joys in the school holidays as kids - the smell, yum!!! The cake is really simple to make, and even though it has quite a few steps is totally worth it for a special occasion - we will be making this one again that's for sure!! (Recipe from about.com)

Makes 10 to 12 servings of Bee Sting Cake - Bienenstich

Ingredients:

Topping:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Cake:
1 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, slightly softened
5 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
Filling:
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 large beaten egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Preparation:

For the Topping: In a medium saucepan, melt butter and honey. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Add vanilla and almonds, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
For the Cake: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut a parchment circle to fit the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Coat pan bottom and sides with cooking spray. Place parchment circle in bottom of pan.
Combine 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream 4 ounces butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in 5 tablespoons sugar, about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup honey and beat 1 more minute.
Blend in eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Add vanilla and half the flour mixture, and mix briefly. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add milk, then remaining flour, beating briefly after each addition.
Scrape into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle top with remaining 1 tablespoon flour, then pat top of cake smooth with your hand. Pour topping over batter, gently spreading evenly. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick tests clean. Do not overbake. Cool cake in pan completely on a wire rack.
For the Filling: In the top of a double boiler over medium heat, combine cornstarch, milk and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir constantly until thickened, at least 3 minutes. Add in 1 beaten egg and keep stirring constantly for about 2 minutes until very thick. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract, if using.
Chill in an ice-water bath, stirring occasionally. Place plastic wrap in direct contact with surface of pastry cream and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.
Whip the cream with the cream of tartar and confectioners' sugar until stiff. Add a dollop of cream to the pastry cream and stir to lighten the cream. Then fold in remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate while you prepare to assemble the cake.
Run a knife around the edges of the cooled cake and remove the springform ring. Invert cake onto a plate. Peel off the parchment paper and invert again on a serving platter, so the almond side is showing. Cut cake in half horizontally and fill with pastry cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

collaboration with Stewart Leishman for Wedding Nouveau

2011-10-14T12:11:00.000+11:00

We're so pleased to finally share these with you!

We have been looking for the perfect project to collaborate with the amazingly talented photographer Stewart Leishman for a little while now, and when the lovely Fri from Wedding Nouveau asked us to contribute to their Fall 'Playhouse' issue, we knew we had found it!

We were asked to create a dessert tablescape that was influenced by childhood fantasy. So we loosely took the theme of the story of Little Red Riding Hood and its German/French origins, and ran with it! Traditional German sweets like lebkuchen (spiced cookies), bienentsich (bee sting cake - which is DELICIOUS!), black forest cake, and classic donuts, teamed with a gorgeous centrepiece cake to create a lush dessert landscape. The stationery was based around a traditional papercut which told a typical 'boy meets girl' story. And our little matching favours sewn into sweet little glassine bags are a nice little take-home treat!

Working with Stewart was a great experience and a really fun morning in the Dandenongs on a rather chilly wintery morning! Thank you so much Stewart for interpreting our story so well!!

We are also giving away a digital copy of Wedding Nouveau's Fall issue, so be sure to check out our earlier post on how to enter - the competition closes on October 16th so hop to it!

Happy weekend!

Wedding Nouveau sneak speak

2011-10-10T17:34:00.000+11:00

We are super excited to share with you a sneak peak of the upcoming Fall edition of Wedding Nouveau, a really lovely digital mag that is "the premiere style guide for intercultural brides and multi-ethnic weddings". Their strapline is 'Dream in Culture' which we think sits with the Cake Ink. branding quite nicely, so when we were offered the chance to submit some pics for a dessert buffet feature we jumped at the chance! We collaborated with the amazingly talented Melbourne-based photographer, Stewart Leishman, whose work is impeccable - he has such a great eye for capturing spirit and character and his images tell amazing stories!

You will have to wait until 'The Playhouse Issue' launches on October 13th (US time) to see our feature but here is a little taste! :)

We are also lucky enough to be able to give away a digital copy of Wedding Nouveau to one of our readers (thanks Fri!). All you need to do is subscribe to the Wedding Nouveau newsletter (you can do that here), OR become a 'liker' on their facebook page, then just leave a comment here to let us know you've done so, then consider yourself entered - easy! The competition is open to all our readers, and runs from October 10-16, with the winner announced on October 18th. Good luck!

Have a lovely week, and we will share more with you soon...

2011-09-15T13:29:00.000+10:00

1. Magnolia Rouge, 2. via 100 Layer Cake,
3. Ruby and Willow, 4. source unknown

With wedding season fast approaching us here in Oz, we have been flat out designing stationery and planning matching cakes, favours, menu and placecard settings, reception decor, floral arrangements - you name it, it's on our to-do list!!

With a couple of vintage-feel, winery/Australian themed weddings in the pipeline, we are loving the amount of fresh inspiration we keep finding day after day online! just a few of the gorgeous images we have been collecting are above... be inspired by natural colour palettes, recycled and found objects, and fresh posies in the prettiest of pinks!

AND THE WINNER IS...

2011-08-01T11:21:00.000+10:00

Welcome to Monday, a new week and a new month! What a busy few weeks we have had here (hence lack of blog posts...) here is some stationery and party decor we have created lately for the gorgeous Josie and her 30th birthday celebrations!

We also need to congratulate the winner of our latest competition (winner was generated using random.org): Daisy and her Mickey Mouse cake took out the prize of some printable stationery! Congrats Daisy, we will contact you.

Have a lovely week peeps! x

Inspiration Central! Over at Inspire Me Weddings

2011-07-12T12:48:00.000+10:00

We are in love with the new Inspire Me Weddings site - so much beautiful, pretty pictures to waste away some time over...

from Inspire Me Weddings!

Like this gorgeous colour inspiration post featuring Tiffany blue. With a Tiffany-inspired cake in the works here at Cake Ink. HQ its perfect timing!!!

Inspire Me Weddings can be found on facebook too... love!

Don't forget there are still a couple weeks to enter our giveaway... xo

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

2011-07-06T10:48:00.001+10:00

Well, we are just so overwhelmed by the support and love we have received lately!! Can't quite believe we have over 800 'likers' on facebook! To celebrate we would like to give away a little DIY customised print-your-own party pack. This pack includes personalised artwork, sent to you via email, to print your own invites, menu cards, choc bar wrappers, favour bag tags and party sign, all in our super cute stripes and bows theme - just like Chrysa's first birthday party! We will even customise the design in any colour you choose, so think a soft pastel blue for a baby boy's name day, or a lovely yellow for a bridal shower!

The competition is open to anyone, anywhere in the world. To enter simply leave a comment here about your most memorable birthday cake - who made it, what flavour it was, what age you were and what it looked like!! The competition is open until July 31st 2011, and we will then pick a random winner and notify them by email. The prize will be available for use for 12 months, so don't worry if you don't have any party plans in the near future - we can send you artwork to use for next year's birthday!!

thank you so much to all our followers and fans - it really is so humbling and exciting to have people love our work!!

Pretty pink first birthday

2011-06-28T16:24:00.001+10:00

We had the pleasure of putting together a cake and sweets table for the gorgeous Chrysa's first birthday! Chrysa is a girly-girl and Mum Elaine bought her a cute little tutu outfit to wear on her big day. We replicated the outfit on the custom cake topper and carried the pink bow theme throughout the table decor.

Chrysa's friends each received a custom favour bag to fill with sweets and a cute little pencil! Here is the birthday girl enjoying her party at the Clowning Around Play Centre in Northcote.

Chrysa's Mum told us she'll keep the cake topper to show her when she's a little older... how sweet! Happy first birthday from us xx

Cake, cupcakes, cake pops and custom chocolate bars: Cake Ink.

Custom table cloth, bunting and printed party stationery: Cake Ink.

Pink choc beans and accompanying glass vessels from: Sharnel Dollar Designs

FREE download - printable DIY treat cones!

2011-06-10T13:50:00.000+10:00

Happy Friday! It's a long weekend here in Melbourne this weekend - yay!! we are almost in weekend mode, just a few jobs to tie up for the week.

We thought we might share some downloadable files with you guys today. Remember our little treat cones we used as favours on Mothers Day?? We created our own design using a template from the wonderful Martha Stewart (see her original paper cones here) - and we decided that we would share it with you!

Just click here to download the art files, it includes instructions plus there are two colourways!! Instead of reading Happy Mothers Day there is a cute little area for you to write your own message - sweet!

Enjoy - and happy weekend! xx

Pear and raspberry tea cake recipe

2011-06-03T09:19:00.003+10:00

This is one of our fave tea cakes to serve during a relaxed afternoon tea. Made with sour cream and fresh poached fruit, it's moist and delicious with a light texture. Be sure to use real vanilla bean, it really does make a difference!

Pear and raspberry tea cake

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter, at room temperature

350g caster sugar

1 and 1/3 vanilla beans, seeds scraped

4 eggs, at room temperature

200g tub sour cream

300g self-raising flour, sifted

24 poached pear wedges (see method below)

150g fresh (or frozen) raspberries

Method

For poached pears, peel and wash 3 beurre bosc pears and cut in to 24 wedges (8 wedges per pear). Start your sugar syrup by adding 400g caster sugar, 700ml water, the scraped seeds from 1/3 of a vanilla bean and half a lemon, sliced, to a large saucepan. Bring to the boil on high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once boiling, turn the heat down to a slow simmer and add the pear wedges to poach for around 25 minutes, or until the pear can easily be pierced with a knife. Take off heat and drain, reserving the liquid if desired. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius (190 degrees celcius if fan forced). Grease and line a 12" round cake tin with baking paper. Add butter to electric mixer and using paddle attachment, cream butter for about a minute. Add the sugar and vanilla seeds and beat on medium-high until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, making sure it's well incorporated after each addition. Turn the mixer speed down to medium-low and add the sour cream in two batches until just combined, then add the flour in two batches being careful not to overwork the batter.

Spoon the batter in to the prepared tin and using a spatula gently smooth the top to form an even layer. Arrange the poached pear wedges in a circular formation on top of the batter and sprinkle the raspberries on top. Bake in oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer poked in the centre comes out clean. If the top of the cake starts to brown, cover loosely with baking paper. Remove from oven and allow to cool in tin for 30 minutes before turning on to a wire rack to cool.

Cake is best eaten on the day of baking but will last well for up to three days in an airtight container.

Best served with a spoon of double cream and a lovely pot of English Breakfast. Enjoy!

Mother's Day Tea Party

2011-05-27T11:04:00.000+10:00

We created this custom afternoon tea table for Mother's Day earlier in the month at the gorgeous Eynesbury Homestead just outside Melbourne. We think it would be just as fitting for a bridal shower or special afternoon tea!

A huge thank you to the oh-so-talented Amy Atlas and her team for featuring our table on her fabulous blog! You can see the post here.

Custom cake, cupcakes and yo-yo cookies: Cake Ink.

Custom invitations, cone favour boxes and doily garland: Cake Ink.

Macarons: Lindt

Flowers: Ann's flowers, Cheltenham

We'll post a recipe for one of our all time fave tea cakes next week, you won't want to miss it!

Mother's Day inspiration

2011-05-05T15:10:00.001+10:00

An inspiration board for a special Mother's Day afternoon tea we're putting together this Sunday.

Sources:

Tea and scones: via Woman’s Day
Bird and floral tea set: Ada and Darcy
Favour cones: via Martha Stewart
Peony invitation: via Martha Stewart
Flowers: unknown
Perfume: Anais Anais
Doily pattern outline: via Crochet and knitting
Doily cushion: Spotlight
Sparkling wine: Veuve Cliquot
Handkerchief love cards: via Eat Drink Chic
Bird bowl: Anthropologie
Turquoise vase: Anthropologie
Cupcake: unknown

New website!

2011-05-04T16:46:00.000+10:00

We've just launched our brand new website! Designed by Red Letter Studio (Samone) and developed by Green Label Design, we couldn't be happier with the result :) Check it out here and let us know what you think!

Now that our website is complete, we can't wait to start including DIY tutorials, recipes and our party inspiration in future blog posts. In the meantime, we're getting back in to the swing of things after a short break and are working on a special Mother's Day afternoon tea for this Sunday... stay tuned!

its been a LOOOONG time between drinks (or posts as it is)

2011-04-04T15:28:00.000+10:00

Well, we have been a little quiet on the blog front haven't we!! shame shame. I (me - Samone) am flying solo at the moment while Janelle is taking a well-earned break over in the US (lucky thing!).

So things have been a little quiet at the front of Cake Ink. for the last couple weeks, but behind the scenes we have been humming along! We are currently working on our brand new website, which is super exciting, and also have been working on lots of little fun paper and print jobs, like invites and paper party kits.

This is just a little preview of what we have been working on, well what I have been working on, without my other Cake half!! AND - I did a wedding cake. All by myself. My girlfriend talked me into it, and while I think I will stick to graphic design, it didn't turn out too badly - thanks to the gorgeous flowers anyway!!

Hurry up Janelle and come home!!! ;)

Phillip & Gemma

2011-02-28T14:19:00.001+11:00

We had the pleasure of making the wedding stationery, cake and favours for a gorgeous couple who got married at the Royal Botanic Gardens on the weekend!

We met with Gemma and Phillip about six months ago to discuss their theme; they wanted to incorporate vintage lace with a contemporary twist in a colour palette of soft coral, warm grey and white.

The stationery set included save-the-date-cards, invitations, seating plan and place settings - cake pops for each of the two hundred guests.

Congratulations to a lovely couple, we hope you enjoyed your day! x

Rainbows everywhere

2011-02-18T15:46:00.003+11:00

It all started with an invite... and a gorgeous rainbow ribbon garland from the lovely Amy at Giggleberry Creations! Here are the details from Ava's 'rainbow of ribbons' 4th birthday party:

A big thank you to Amy Atlas for featuring our table on her blog, see the details on her post here!

The rainbow party printables we used are now available in our Etsy store... they come personalised with the guest of honour's name and party details! Order them printed and ready to go or purchase the pdf files to DIY print and assemble.

We hope you have a fabulous weekend, Samone (the party stationery half of Cake Ink.) will be selling her Red Letter Studio wares at The Handmade Show tomorrow so if you have time pop by and say hello!

A trio of Mexican-inspired cake goodness!

2011-01-21T16:12:00.002+11:00

A gorgeous Mexican bird bunting was the inspiration behind this fresh and summery cake table we put together for a recent outdoor engagement fiesta. Three coordinated cakes decorated with hand made large sugar roses and rustic piping were the focal point against an airy aqua and white backdrop.

Refreshing iced tea accompanied the rich slices of cake. Guests took home a bar of hand made soap that we wrapped in beautiful floral fabric, held together with our matching labels as a party favour.

The bird bunting, napkins and 'Summer loves Mexico' tea towel are all from super-talented NZ design house Citta Design. We instantly fell in love with their stunning collection of Mexican inspired homewares; well worth a look!

We're working on some very exciting projects in the coming months and can't wait to share them with you! A new Cake Ink. website is also on the horizon, which we hope will allow us to include more things like our favourite recipes, inspiration, DIY projects and things we love on our blog. What would you like to see featured more? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Have a lovely weekend!

Sophia's first birthday

2011-01-07T18:29:00.001+11:00

We had the pleasure of making a sweet 1st birthday cake and matching party stationery for Sophia last week! Her Mum used their gorgeous rose garden as the party backdrop and it also was the inspiration behind the vintage rose theme.

The cake featured a large hand made sugar rose and a piped floral garland, in keeping with a soft vintage feel. Customised chocolate bars were the take-home party favour and the menu cards were used on a pale pink dessert table put together by Sophia's Mum.

Happy birthday Sophia! xx

FREE printable downloads for a very Aussie Christmas

2010-12-13T18:27:00.002+11:00

Our Christmas this year is all about casual gatherings with friends and family, and combining our love of lush Moroccan-style trimmings and treats with a fresh Aussie summer! Sweet treats like baklava and turkish delight, washed down with a delicious zesty spiced orange iced tea, and even some cute little jars of tea for our guests to take home with them!

As a thank-you to you, for just being lovely enough to read this far into our post, download our printable Christmas gift tags and wrap here! Print them off and use them as many times as you like; as you can see from the images above you can use these prints and tags in lots of different ways. Let your imagination run wild!! We would love to see pics of your pressies all wrapped up in our paper, and what ideas you come up with, so send them through - upload them to our facebook page!

Thank you so much for all your inspiration and lovely comments over 2010!! We can't wait to get stuck into 2011 and see what it brings for Cake Ink.!

A rockin' birthday cake

2010-12-09T10:04:00.002+11:00

We created a special cake for a keen drummer (my brother Matt)'s 26th birthday last week! On top of the chocolate mud cake is a replica of his very own drum kit, complete with cymbals, high hat and of course miniature drum sticks. The kit is completely to scale and was constructed using the help of supplied photographs.

This week we're busy working on a Lego themed 21st dessert table - we'll be sure to share all the details! We're also putting together Cake Ink.'s Christmas spread, Moroccan summer style. Stay tuned for details, and a special surprise for you too!!

Have a great week :)

A Rainbow of Ribbons...

2010-11-30T19:33:00.000+11:00

When Amy from Giggleberry Creations contacted us about creating custom invites for her little daughter's 3 year old birthday party we were too excited! Amy's brief to us was to create an invite for a rainbow-themed party.

We designed and printed the invites, and then created some custom party printables which Amy adapted for use on favours for the little guests, drink bottle labels too and a sweet little sign to hang above the candy buffet - oh and her adaption of some of the art was turned into a little garland to hang on the table too - all so cute!! Take a look at Milla's birthday party over at the Giggleberry blog.

Amy also created us the beautiful rainbow ribbon garland you can see in the pic above - we plan to use this over and over again for our events! We are planning to put some of the rainbow party printables and the custom invites into our store early in the new year, and we can't wait to make our own rainbow desserts and treats! Dunno that we can beat Amy's scrummy looking rainbow chip birthday cake though - how good does it look?!

Go and visit the Giggleberry store now and see the beautiful bunting and garlands this talented Sydneysider makes, her strawberries and cream bunting would make a great addition to our Christmas dec's this year!!!

Giveaway update...

2010-11-30T09:37:00.001+11:00

Congratulations to Laura from Moags & Smeet for winning our little giveaway!! We will be in touch to ask what your fave colour is ;)

If you missed out on entering our comp, never fear! We are working on some Christmas goodies as we speak, and plan to have some free downloadable files soon...!!

Roses, lilac and a giveaway!

2010-11-22T17:18:00.002+11:00

We made these classic rose and lilac cupcakes for a lovely lady's 70th birthday afternoon tea last week. They would be just as fitting for a bridal or baby shower, and look sweet against our art deco inspired party stationery!

Speaking of which, we also wanted to take this opportunity to thank our readers and Facebook followers, so we're pleased to announce our first competition!
Simply leave a comment below telling us about the best birthday party or event you remember and why it was so great! You are then in the draw to win one of our gorgeous art deco inspired party packs, valued at $85!

The pack contains twelve ready-to-go invites with envelopes (they are printed on beautiful recycled stock and all you need to do is fill them in and send them out), plus a set of 12 matching thank you cards & a mini cake bunting in the same colour scheme, ready to use on the big day! AND best of all you get to choose the colour! We'll randomly select the winner next Monday November 29th, with the competition being open to our Aussie as well as International readers.

Good luck and have a great week! :)

A beach wedding - Kate and Damien 12.11.10

2010-11-18T15:01:00.003+11:00

We just have to share some of the details of Kate and Damien's special day with you. Married in Barwon Heads in Victoria recently, we were lucky enough to design their seaside themed invitations and matching event stationery - plus of course the cake! The wedding cake was a fruit cake lovingly made by a friend of the bride's mum, and we covered it in ivory fondant to match the bride's dress. The custom made cupcake tower featured the same printed seashell paper as the wedding stationery, making it the perfect backdrop for the subtle sea themed cupcakes.

The stationery features hand-drawn seashells, in colours of the couple's choice which of course is carried throughout the rest of the wedding festivities.

The bombonierre for each guest was a scrummy chocolate mud or vanilla cupcake with fresh homemade lemon curd filling, topped with vanilla buttercream frosting and packaged in cute little favour boxes. We attached sweet thank you tags with a little message from the newlyweds.

The venue for the reception was perfect - At The Heads, right on the beach. The dark stormclouds of the early evening provided the perfect backdrop to the bridal table - just as the girls changed into their thongs for the night!

Stationery for the reception included traditional placecards, along with menu cards and table numbers, and a large seating plan which sat at the entrance to the venue.

The couple were given a beautiful cake server and matching knife from some good friends which were engraved with words from the invitation - the perfect ending for the cake!!

Such a lovely wedding and a great couple - all the best for the future Kate & Damo! xx

Isabel the Pirate Princess!

2010-10-25T16:38:00.003+11:00

What an awesome theme we got to work on this week! The adorable Isabel turned three and her Mum Meegan (of Madame Bonbon) ordered the party stationery and matching cake, cookies and cupcakes for her Pirate Princess party! We styled up a mini-table of all the goodies before we delivered them to show you the details...

X marks the spot, so follow the cupcake treasure trail over to Cake Island, where you'll find Pirate Princess Isabel!

Once there, don't forget to throw out your anchor before you stop for a well deserved drink!

Following a long and adventurous day, grab a goodie bag and fill with treats for your travels back home.

For more pics check out our gallery page, and we will be adding the Pirate Princess invite plus a couple of goodies for your party to our etsy store soon, plus a version for your little Pirate Prince!! Shiver me timbers!

Happy Birthday Isabel, we hope you had a great day and thanks for letting us share the fun! x

Cake, cupcakes and cookies by Cake Ink.

Stationery by Cake Ink.

Stripey drinking straws by the lovely Mon Tresor

Cake Ink. on Martha Stewart's 'Dreamers into Doers'!

2010-10-18T10:21:00.001+11:00

Yay! Our Enchanted Garden cookies were featured on this section of the Martha Stewart website today!

Click here to check it out... in the meantime we're busy preparing for Isabel's 3rd Birthday party this weekend, should be a swashbuckling good time! Have a great week x

Queenie and Will's wedding

2010-10-14T11:38:00.001+11:00

As promised, a pic of the cake set up at the gorgeous Butleigh Wootton Receptions in Kew. The room was decorated beautifully with soft pastel flowers and these beautiful place settings (we believe put together by the bride herself who's a graphic designer!):

Each guest took home a rose cupcake in a box tied with sweet ribbon and a thank you card. Queenie and Will; thank you for letting us be a part of your special day!

Vintage rose wedding cake

2010-10-09T18:06:00.001+11:00

We just finished this wedding cake for the lovely Queenie's wedding tomorrow! 110 cupcakes with hand made pastel roses, daisies and blossoms, piped with soft cream buttercream. The top of the tower features a 6" chocolate mud cake finished with Lindt chocolate ganache, ready to be adorned with a cute topper supplied by the bride. Queenie's brief was well detailed - she wanted the cake to reflect the other feminine and soft details of her day. We'll show you a pic of it set up at the venue tomorrow!

I also wanted to share this awesome birthday present Samone made me... very fitting don't you think? I love it and can't wait to hang it in my new kitchen!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, I think I need a lie down!! Janelle xx

A Rainbow of Ribbons!

2010-10-05T16:31:00.000+11:00

We're so excited to be working with the lovely Amy from Giggleberry Creations on planning her daughter Milla's 3rd birthday! Check out the Ribbons of Rainbows party sneak peak on her blog... thanks for featuring us Amy! We love our latest fun and colourful theme and hope you will too... we'll share some more of the party details with you soon, along with adding stationery in this theme to our online shop!

Like Milla's invites, we love creating personalised party stationery (and cakes!). Whether you choose from our range of ready-to-go paper goods or request a custom design, it is a really sweet and unique touch having the guest of honour and their party details, plus each of your invited guests' names printed on the invite - it really does add that something special!

ahoy! happenings at Cake Ink. headquarters this week

2010-09-30T16:44:00.001+10:00

Creating the cake decorations for Isabel's 3rd birthday has been so much fun! We can't reveal too much but our lovely Pinky the Parrot and his mates are sure to be a hit with the party guests... stay tuned for the details!

We're also busy making a mountain of sugar roses for a wedding cake/cupcake tower; the inspiration being a cute porcelain cake topper supplied by the bride...

We'll share some pics of the finished product but in the meantime, we're doing some planning for Cake Ink.'s Christmas range - what kind of party paper goods do you use on your Christmas table? Napkins? Place cards? Menus? We would love some ideas and inspiration to create some unique party products - and we promise to share - in the FREE downloadable printable department perhaps??!

www.loxsavvy.com.au

Ok, so it's not exactly a Christmas card but we love geometric stuff at the mo, strong patterns and colour... Hmmmm its gonna be a bold Christmas!!

she sees seashells by the seaside wedding

2010-09-27T10:06:00.000+10:00

We had a lovely day crafting in the sun yesterday, busily planning for some upcoming weddings! Here are some progress shots of Kate and Damien's beach wedding stationery, custom cake/cupcake stand and cupcake favour boxes. The couple wanted an understated seashell theme in hues of blue, ivory and a touch of silver for their special day. We can't wait to show you pics from the day!

We're also working on the birthday cake, cupcakes and stationery for Isabel who's turning 3 very soon... her awesome party theme involves treasure, tiaras and a pretty pink party dress! Can you guess what it is?

Enjoy the week and we'll keep you posted with some of our other exciting projects ;)

Spring Picnic themed party goods now in our etsy store!

2010-09-18T15:25:00.001+10:00

Good news! You can now get party goods in our art-deco inspired Spring Picnic theme from our etsy store. They are fully personalised, you can select your own colours, AND you can order printed custom packs ready to go, or add a little DIY to your next event and purchase customised artwork to create your own party goods, just like our cutlery sleeves and little mini food flags!

Happy Weekend!! xx

lemon inspired birthday picnic

2010-09-12T09:08:00.001+10:00

We've been looking forward to sharing the details with you from our birthday picnic in the park last Sunday! Even though we only saw a few short glimpses of the sunshine, the fresh colour palette of soft yellows and grey served as the perfect backdrop for an early spring day.

Lemon infused desserts included home made coconut and lemon curd cake, lemon and vanilla mousse verrines and mini lemon meringue pies. Each guest took home a personalised favour bag filled with cookies resembling sliced lemon! Who said kids should have all the fun?

Lemon myrtle beer, pisco sours and home made lemonade were served alongside savoury bites such as mini hamburgers, quiche and french baguettes.

Since it was Father's Day on the same day, we adapted the stationery to create a surprise table setting for our Dads :) We love you!

We love this colour palette as it's suitable for any type of event; from birthdays to kitchen teas or even a gender neutral baby shower.
If you'd like to purchase any of the stationery used in our picnic - like the customised cutlery sleeves, coasters, patterned food flags, personalised favour tags and of course the invites - they will be available in our online store soon.

Welcome to Spring Australia! Bring on the sunshine!!

sneaky peek pic... plus guest blogging with Calico & Co.!

2010-09-07T11:09:00.003+10:00

Well our event on the weekend turned out pretty well after some hairy moments (and freak-outs from me) in the dicey Melbourne weather - you can imagine how I felt viewing the weather reports and flood warnings for Victoria in the lead-up to your outdoor boutique BBQ! But we managed to get through it pretty well! We will add the pics to our gallery soon, and are working on the paper pieces to get them into our etsy store.

BUT - in the meantime:
I was lucky enough to be asked by the gorgeous Amanda of Calico & Co. to be a guest
blogger to celebrate her blog's 1st birthday! So to check out our fave 5 ideas for events, go and check out our post here.

Amanda is also the talented woman behind Lemon Tree Lane - we love her pastel hues and subtle messages
- plus eco friendly attitude to paper goods!!! Visit her Made It store to see their lovely
Home Tweet Home print plus other prints and cards.

Happy Birthday Calico & Co.!!

Boutique Picnic sneak preview...

2010-08-23T10:44:00.001+10:00

We're busy preparing for our next event - a birthday picnic in the park for three guests of honour! To mark the beginning of spring, we decided on a crisp and fresh colour palette of lemon, white and soft grey. The menu is also starting to take shape; think mini hamburgers, gourmet quiche and an assortment of lemon sweets. To wash it all down, we'll be serving boutique beer, citrus cocktails and home made organic lemonade.

Here's our progress on the paper and fabric elements - yes that's 6 metres of bunting and a miniature version for the cake!

We hope you have a fabulous week and in the meantime, check out Becs Lake's blog! She emailed us some pictures of her awesome NZ inspired dessert table - the sheep cake pops are absolutely adorable! Thanks for sharing Becs =)

...we all scream for ice cream!

2010-08-20T10:37:00.000+10:00

We're putting together some new party ideas at the moment and with warmer weather fast approaching, what better way to celebrate than with an ice cream party!

Cookies and greeting cards by Cake Ink.

Ice cream sandwiches by Martha Stewart... here's the recipe!

What would you like to see at your ultimate ice cream party?

welcome to Layla's enchanted rose garden!

2010-08-13T09:04:00.001+10:00

Here are some details from Layla's first birthday! The gorgeous lovely giant pink rose in full bloom was the inspiration behind this theme. Our mini table included a two tier chocolate mud cake with handmade sugar rose, butterfly cupcakes and cookies, fizzoes, iced VoVo's, meringues and cloud marshmallows. Pink lemonade was served in vintage glass bottles complete with cute themed straws.
Each guest took home a vanilla cupcake in a personalised box tied with sweet ribbon to remember the day.
A big thank you to Amy Atlas for featuring our party on her fabulous blog!

Create your own enchanted garden party with Cake Ink.'s themed paper goods - available from our Etsy store very soon! We can also create something unique and special for your next party, just contact us!

Cake Ink.'s ETSY store now open!!

2010-08-08T15:35:00.002+10:00

we are so excited to announce that our Etsy store is now open!

pop over here to check out what we have on offer - you can purchase the locomotive party paper goods from Benjamin's first birthday party all customised and ready-to-go for your own kids' party! we offer a convenient deluxe party pack with all the items printed on eco-friendly stocks and ready to use, or you can purchase individual items, like the invites, or the other goodies like the cute cookie favour bag header cards in convenient print-your-own customised files! so busy Mum can pick up a pack ready to go, or DIY Dad can add his own touch to the party and print things himself!

we will be adding more items soon, with lots of fun themes for adults and kids, so check back often. and don't forget we offer a completely customised service - if you have a special event coming up that could do with the Cake Ink. touch then email us! we love creating custom party goods and all-importantly matching desserts!! yummmmmm!

a first birthday in an enchanted garden

2010-08-06T15:10:00.002+10:00

Blue skies, butterflies and flowers in full bloom. You're invited to Layla's first birthday!

Our latest theme, the enchanted garden, is perfect for sweet little girls. More details on Layla's party to come soon, however a range of coordinated party printables in this theme will be available at our online store in coming weeks.

the tiara project

2010-08-06T09:48:00.000+10:00

We're attending The Tiara Project's 'A Girl's Night Out' fundraiser next month! The Tiara Project is a not for profit organisation that provides free formal dress loan to girls attending school formals, debutante balls, weddings and other special events, who couldn’t otherwise afford it.

Visit The Tiara Project for more information on this great initiative and for details on how to book tickets!

all aboard for benjamin's train party!

2010-08-02T15:21:00.002+10:00

Here are some pictures from our latest project, Benjamin's 1st birthday! We decided on the theme after learning of Benjamin's favourite toy train. The colour palette was easy; shades of blue, red and white just seemed the right choice for a little boy. The menu was filled with fun traditional sweets and of course a delicious giant chocolate mud cake! The sweet little train topper is just the perfect centrepiece, don't you think?

The birthday boy looked adorable in his custom made felt railroad cap; enjoying the sweet treats with his friends after a long afternoon of colouring in!

A big thank you to Sophie for being a wonderful and creative photographer. Her skill and professionalism is second to none and we can't wait to work with her again. Stay tuned for more of her work!

Cake Ink.'s new online store will feature these locomotive paper goodies, along with a range of other fun party themes, very soon. Until then, be sure to check out the rest of the pics from our locomotive party in our gallery section.

phew what a weekend!

2010-07-26T13:39:00.002+10:00

talk about busy! we had Benjamin's 1st birthday party on Saturday and it was a blast!! stay tuned for pics to come... in the meantime check out the cupcake bonbonierre for Madison's Christening yesterday - yes that's 100 cupcakes peeps! vanilla cupcakes with strawberry preserve buttercream frosting, delish!

have a great week!

Guest dessert table feature for Amy Atlas' blog

2010-07-12T13:19:00.001+10:00

[picture from Amy Atlas Events]

We were so excited and thrilled to see our flamenco rose inspired dessert table featured on Amy Atlas' blog, Sweet Designs! She's the queen of style when it comes to dessert tables, having designed tables for the likes of Oprah and In Style magazine in the U.S. Check out our featured article here.

Benjamin's 1st birthday party - coming soon...

2010-07-06T16:59:00.000+10:00

A sneak peak of an upcoming project later in the month... we've been working on all things locomotive to create something special for this little boy's first birthday!

Liz & Andy's engagement party

2010-07-02T17:58:00.001+10:00

Welcome to Cake Ink.'s first ever post! This past weekend saw us style a spanish themed engagement fiesta for the lovely Liz and Andy. The theme was inspired by the couple's love of travel, particularly Spain and South America, and is a subtle tribute to Liz's family heritage.

The dessert buffet featured a two tier chocolate mud cake, dulce de leche cupcakes, Spanish nougat, jars of red candy and various other sweet treats. Adorning the table were hand made paper flamenco roses, personalised favour bags, a sangria style menu board and a banner of the couple's favourite holiday snaps.

We were impressed to see many of the guests arrive wearing the colours of the night, but no one could have outshone the beaming bride-to-be in her gorgeous red frock.

Congratulations Liz & Andy and thank you for making us a part of your special day x