I am really embarrassed to se that the last time I updated my blog was last summer! I'm good at talking but clearly not at this!

It really has been way too long since I have 'blogged' I am very ashamed to say...in my defense I have been very very busy in lots of other cakey areas!

Facebook: My fan page is now up and running and becoming well established. With in excess of 650 fans, I am getting enquiries from far and wide and it is a great way to keep everyone up to date, especially when I have new creations, or even a sudden gap in my schedule for an additional order! Check it out - there is a button on the Homepage that will take you straight there, Natalie's Creative Cakes. Then all you need to do is 'like'it!

Twitter: Another fantastic way to keep in touch with customers, old and new, as well as other cake minded people! Follow my tweets, NatalieCakeGirl, and keep up to date with all my news. Be warned, I talk a lot!

LinkedIn: As you can see, I'm all for business networking and promotion and this is a great tool for anyone who has their own business...a good way to make contacts and connections and just get your name out there! Look for me, Natalie Cramer, and add me to your network!

As well as all the marketing I have been busy rising to new challenges. Cakes have got more detailed and more imaginative, more and more orders have been for milestone celebrations and there have been many weeks where I have been pushed to my limit!

Newest in my range are the frosted cupcakes with fondant modelling...check out the little frogs and robots they made their way all the way to Pinewood Studios and were a great success!

So, all smiles here and waiting for new challenges....and looking forward to them!

I have been busy experimenting with new flavours and new ideas and spent the last two days baking - what else is there to do when you are stuck at home with a poorly child! So, I have been trying out some new cupcakes...had a couple of disasters along the way, but all came good in the end and I made...

Rich Belgian chocolate cupcakes filled with caramel (yum!), topped with caramel frosting and topped again with chocolate and honeycomb...mmmmmm! Very indulgent and very delicious!

Moist Carrot Cupcakes topped with piped cream cheese frosting and a hand modelled carrot

Gorgeous simple vanilla cupcakes soaked in vanilla bean syrup and topped with rich Belgian chocolate frosting and sprinkles...

What better way to introduce my new range than take the lot to school and entice people to try a free cupcake? (cupcakes, incidentally are BIGGER than fairy cakes, but smaller than muffins!) Most people were more than happy to oblige!

Take a look at the feedback....

Delicious, amazing in fact, thanks for letting me sample... will definitely be using and recommending your services!! xxx Lydia A

The carrot cake one was deeelicious xxx Vicky B

The caramel ones were to die for!! unbelievable! Lauren said it was the best she had ever tasted! very moreish!! well done! XX Jackie P

We LOVED the carrot cupcake!! How do you and the kids all manage to stay so damn slim when you're baking these 24/7!?! Tracy G

Caramel/chocolate cupcake so amazing! order on its way xxx Alison S

Chloe loooooved the carrot cake and asked me to make some more - yeh right!!!! Nicky J

So, overall a success I think! I have named my ranges as 'Classic' or 'Indulgent' - 2 prices, easy peasy :-)

I know we aren't even at Halloween yet...but some forward planning is necessary! I'm starting to take orders for Christmas...gifts for teachers, presents to take to friends, presents for family...these include:

• Festive fairy cakes (see gift section for examples) in gift boxes of 4 (£10), 6 (£15) or 12 (£27)
• Individually boxed single fairy cakes (£2.75 each, min order 4)
• Muffin and brownie baskets, topped with festive fairy cakes
• Bags of brownies

With prices starting at £10 for gift boxes of four fairy cakes, there is something to suit every price range. Please enquire!

I haven't updated this page in a while and thought now would be a good time!

ORDERING

So, what's new? Well, orders are coming in thick and fast and I seem to be fully booked week on week...but please please try to make your orders well in advance. I try never to say no, but sometimes last minute requests simply cannot be taken on board when I have a week where I am maxed out! So, the more notice the better!

You can place an order in a number of ways...ideally call me on the number specified on the website, alternatively send me an email on mail@nataliescreativecakes.com, always detailing the date the cake is required, number of servings needed, flavour and as much other information that you have.

COURIER SERVICE

A number have customers have requested recently that cakes or gift items be delivered. It is now possible for cakes to be delivered locally, with price depending upon distance. Personally, I think this is great for gifts and fairy cakes, but when a tiered cake or sculpted cake has been ordered, it is preferable that it is collected in person.

GIFT ITEMS

Many people have commented that they did not know that I made gifts. Well, I do! Gorgeous cellophane wrapped, tissued and ribboned gift baskets containing a selection of delicious brownies and muffins have proved to be extremely popular. When topped with a couple of fairy cakes with wording on, fit for the occasion, these make a truely fabulous and original gift. Basket prices range between £25 and £40.

Other original ideas that are popular as dinner party gifts, get well soon gifts or juts a 'thinking of you' or happy birthday include personalised fairy cakes in 4's presented in a clear acetate box priced at £10, or 6's in white ribboned boxes at £15. So a real range of prices to suit all budgets.

LARGE ORDERS

I have recently made some fabulous tiered cakes for real milestone celebrations...weddings, Barmitzvahs etc. I am so passionate about creating that these orders really excite me especially when it comes to designing something novel and highly personalised. So please do always enquire - you are by no means restricted by what you see on the website! Just remember, the bigger the order, the more notice required.

With Mothers Day next month, why not be original and rather than send flowers, how about a lovely gift basket or some beautifully decorated fairy cakes or cookies? Book now to avoid disappointment!

I have just purchased some gorgeous clear acetate boxes with gold bases, perfect for holding 4 fairy cakes. These make fab Christmas gifts when tied with organza ribbon and, at £10 each, make perfect and affordable end of term tokens for teachers.

I can now also prepare gift boxes of fairy cakes with just 6 cakes in - please ask for more info. as ever, I will do my best to accomodate all price ranges and budgets!

Last month I made some fairy cakes for the charity Future Dreams, which I had completely forgotten about! Future Dreams held an event at the Picadilly Theatre in London, raising a massive £400, 000 for charity. The money was raised for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the event and the cause phenomenal...more can be seen at http://www.futuredreams.org.uk

The cakes can be seen on the fairy cakes page.

Christmas is just around the corner now and it gets more difficult by the year to be original where gifts are concerned, so, along those lines....

I have some fantastic ideas for Christmas fairy cakes...think sparkling snowflakes, cheeky reindeer, festive Christmas trees, traditional holly....a lovely personal gift and also great to give to teachers at the end of term. If you're still stuck for ideas, them how about muffin and brownie goodie baskets? Prices start from as little as £10 and range through to £40 for that extra special present.

And, of course, fairy cakes are again becoming ever more popular! I have had so many orders recently, either for themed cakes to go with a main cake (check out the cute cute Hello Kitty ones recently added - perfect with a big Hello Kitty cake), or cakes that represent interests and hobbies....from football to Tai Chi, handbags and lipstick to bunny rabbits and dogs, luscious lips to musical notes....possibilities are endless....stunning when presented on a board, portable when cellophane wrapped and ribboned, unique when individually boxed as a gift....

I had the strangest most bizarre request for a cake this week...I received a text message asking if I could make a vagina cake! After picking myself up from the floor I thought, well why not? Being artistic doesn't need to just extend to chidrens cakes and certainly shouldn't compromise my ability - afterall, just makes me more versatile!

Anyway, the cake was created, had a hugely successful response, not just from the recipient but also shown in the 500 hits the site received in just 2 hours!

So, I'm thinking that this could be a great extra string to my bow! Stag and hen nights, intimate parties...you name it. As I have always said, I'm up for a challenge and will always be accomodating when it comes to your choice of cake. And they needn't be as X rated as the Vagina cake! Mini cakes and cupcakes adorned with lacey underwear, love hearts, bee stung lips and stiletto heals are both tasteful and artistic. I have so many ideas so please please feel free to challenge me!

Fairy Cakes are the new 'in' thing! But here we don't make the buttercreamed variey...way too passe! Instead, all the fairy cakes created are iced in gorgeous fondant after first being soaked in sugar syrup and filled with buttercream first to ensure they are moist and delicious every time. Then anything is possible...from simple designs to more intricate flowers, from wording to sugarpaste modelled creations such as handbags, stilettos, sporting equipment. They make a perfect mini blank canvasse for beautiful and unique creative ideas! And don't limit yourself to birthdays - fairy cakes also make unique gifts for Christenings, births, new homes, a personal 'get well' gesture. Presented cellophane wrapped and boxed, or individually ribboned and boxed, they really do look gorgeous :-)

I've been very busy and my gift baskets are now available and on display under my new 'gifts' tab. I've had a lot of fun experimenting with muffin flavours and perfecting the most indulgent brownies, as well as getting stuck into the wrapping and presentation! Next project is beautiful gift boxes for fairy cakes, so watch this space!

Hi all! Just to let you know that I have now been experimenting with muffins. I have created some fantastic flavours including banana & chocolate chip, snickers and peanut butter, and of course more traditional stuff like blueberry and buttermilk. The experimenting will continue and new flavours will be added continually! These make fantastic presents when cellophane wrapped in bags together with chocolate brownies and look fab. I just made several batches for end of term gifts for my kids teachers and they seem to have gone down well! Please enquire as I'm up for a challenge!