Free Valentine Voucher Printables

It only seems as if we just issued in the New Year, however Valentine’s Day is already on our doorstep, can you believe it?

We may still be on maternity leave, but we haven’t left you hanging!  We’ve got a very special freebie for you to download – a Valentine Voucher.  Just download, print and then write down the special offer you’d like to give your loved one this Valentine’s Day.  It couldn’t be easier!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

DOWNLOAD VALENTINE VOUCHER PRINTABLE HERE

Ordering invitations and paying up front / customisation fees

I often get asked the same questions about ordering products, and I guess that it’s common to have queries when every designer works differently.  And whilst none of us go round with a training manual (and until ESP becomes the norm), we’re stuck with old-fashioned communication!

We offer a handy ordering process page to help, but sometimes something more is needed – an explanation into ‘why’ things are done a certain way, and I guess that if you’re not a designer, these things may not make immediate sense like they do to someone who has more experience with hiring designers.

So here goes… the first post in my ‘ordering invitations 101′ series!  And if you still have any questions, feel free to write them in the comments section and I’ll do my best to answer them!

Today I’m going to answer the biggest query of them all….

Why do I pay for the design work upfront?

This would have to be the main bug-bear for any designer and any client.  A client feels a little uneasy about putting up their hard-earned money (especially for custom work) without the benefit of seeing what the end result could be.  The best explanation is to think of a carpenter you hire to build a treehouse.  Would you expect him to buy all the supplies himself?  Should he spend hours working away at dimensions and plans for free?

This is the same as a designer – we spend hours on proofs and designs, and whilst that’s our job and we’re very happy to be doing it, without the locked-in commitment of the client putting up their money, we run the risk of someone pulling out and then all that hard work has been for free (and not to mention that we are now stuck with some 100 copies of cardstock in an odd honey-wheat colour that is so infrequently used that it will be bound to sit at the back of the supply shelves until self-decomposition!)

That does make it a little bit tricky for both sides, but the best advice would be to look at the designer’s portfolio and make sure you like their previous work.  That is the best indication that you’re going to like what they come up with.

Check their ordering process – what happens if you don’t like their work – are there changes allowed within the price you paid?  Do major changes cost extra?

The other reason we ask for monies to be paid upfront is a reason that may have been less clear… to protect our work.

Too many designers work for free providing proofs for clients only to find that the client has a free copy of the design that they can now print on their own home machines without paying a cent!  When the money has been received however, it is security to the designer to know that the client respects the time and dedication the artist has put into the work.

The cardinal rule is that if the designer is honourable, then they have as much to fear from a bad design as you do – not only does their business look bad, but the design will be forever linked to their portfolio, coming up throughout cyberspace like the proverbial ghost that won’t go away.  In this age of social media, any design business that has embraced facebook runs the risk of bad publicity, especially those that like to showcase their work.  Try running with a business like this, usually the ones who are open and honest online will be the ones who will also give you great service and design.

Hope that’s helped to answer this problem.  Please feel free to leave your comments!

Making Owl Cake Pops for an Owl Birthday Party

So there’s 3 weeks out until the party.  I’ve created the invitations, filled in my party planner, ordered the cake, lollies and am in the midst of ordering and creating all the decor… so in other words, I am right in the middle of that chaotic stage also known as ‘why oh why did I decide to do this??!’

There’s party ephemera all around my studio with half completed projects that seem like they are breeding rapidly every time I close the door on them.  And then in the middle of all the mess, something nice happens.  Something goes right!  I created cute cake pops…. which is kinda awesome for a non-chef-like individual!

For those unfamiliar with cake pops, they were the genius of one Bakerella and now adorn many event stylists’ tables.  And the best bit is… once you get the hang of them, they aren’t so terrifying after all.

Want to see my efforts?

Da-da:

however it’s not much fun to look these things up on the internet unless there is a recipe attached so you can try it at home, but before I do, I just want to add a disclaimer: these use the biscuits ‘Tim-Tams’ which are Australian.  I’m sorry if that makes it hard for other countries to make them, however if you google, you’ll find heaps of other recipes (and for the record, if you can get your hands on Tim-Tams one day, you really must take a bite… they’re famous in Australia for a reason!)

Tim-Tam Cake Pops (makes 10-12 cake pops)

1 packet of Tim Tams

80g cream cheese

chocolate melts

lollypop sticks

1. Crush Tim-Tams in a blender until they resemble crumbs

2. Combine with cream cheese

3. Roll into balls and place in fridge to firm up for at least 5 minutes

4. Melt chocolate

5. Using the lollypop sticks, dip end into chocolate melts and then poke into the bottom of a chocolate ball.  The chocolate will seal the stick inside.  Place gentle aside and repeat with all the balls.

6. Place back in fridge to harden again.

7. Dip the entire cake pop into the chocolate mixture, ensuring you tap off excess chocolate to stop drips occuring.

8. Decorate as desired.

*** Cream cheese is obviously easily perishable so don’t keep longer than about 3 days.  I am freezing mine and crossing my fingers that the chocolate isn’t affected too much.  I will let you know how this goes!***

If you want to turn your cake pops into owls, here are the further steps….

Before dipping the entire ball in chocolate, use white RTR icing and a tiny heart biscuit cutter to create heart shapes.  I pushed in the edges a little until I got the exact shape you see in the picture.

You will need orange jimmies for the beak, little candy hearts for the wings and black non pereils for the eyes and finish off with coloured chocolate melts.  I got mine from Baking Pleasures, however any good cake decorating shop should have these.  You will also need a solid styrofoam block to put your finished cake pop sticks in.

So after you do step 7 (dip cake pop in the chocolate melts and tap off excess chocolate), very quickly put on the RTR icing heart face and the heart wings.  You only have a very short time to work before the chocolate sets, so make sure you are set up efficiently.

8. Place the cake pop into a styrofoam block to dry.  Piercing it beforehand with a skewer is an easy way to get it in.