Thursday, September 15, 2011

blackberry book launch cupcakes

I have no photos of the lovely afternoon we spent picking blackberries in Rathdrum, two girls, one medium boy and one tiny girl who took to it like a duck to water, standing at the side of the lane and scoffing all the juicy berries in reach. It was very cute and the kids loved it. A very satisfying activity.

Then they got turned into this:


Doesn't it look like something scary? Me liver, me lights, and four abortions, as my granny once referred to a toilet bowl full of discarded, mouldy jam that she'd forgotten about, and frightened the the cable guy with.

Then they turned into this:


Next this:


I love the military rows of tiny cakes...


Then this, with all the little books in situ:


They were so much fun to do,  though the books did take about 4 hours of my time in the end. It took me a while to work out the best way to do them with maximum efficiency and effect. Solutions do come to me nicely, but slowly, nonetheless.

I must admit, as I sat there cutting and pasting (as 1am ticked by...), I did think of how fun it would be to be able to do that as my job, and not worry about getting up in the morning for other work related things. I just read about a cupcake bakery that underestimated its passer-by sales and started out making 500 cupcakes a day. They had to keep up-sizing, and are now making 10,000 a day. 10,000 cupcakes! Damn.

The launch was in Bridge Street Books in Wicklow, and it's a really nice shop. I hope they continue to be able to live on their business, because it would be sad to see it go. I hope to develop a cupcake relationship with them in the future! They did tell me though, of a cupcake someone they know recently won five grand in... damn it, why did no one tell me? 5 grand would have solved a LOT of my worries, and all with one cupcake! 

10 comments:

Tatty Franey said...

Read "The clor of tea". I thought of you throughout the book.
xxx

Denise Emanuel Clemen said...

Yay for cupcakes! (And breastfeeding!) I was a La Leche League leader in L.A. for awhile. Those days are long past.
Enjoying your blog!

Jo said...

Tatty, I should look it up, then?

Hi Denise :) The problem is I signed the breastfeeding blog up to this, and I had to share a profile with it, which wasn't my intent! I must do something about that situation...

Mwa said...

Mmmm... cake...

Rechru said...

Jo! Don't you have a blog or a Facebook page for these?? These are AMAZING.

Jo said...

I don't, because I've no HSE clearance, so I can't really do it officially :(

But spread the word if you know anyone who ever wants them!

Rhi@FlourChild said...

They look BRILLIANT! I totally know that feeling of satisfaction when they are all lined up. And I would do exactly the same with the little books too ;)
I think I need to get me some big plastic boxes like you have - when Milla had to take 24 cupcakes for her birthday at school I sent them in three separate stupid little tupperwares :)
I hope you get lots more black-market-black-berry-cupcake-business! x

Jo said...

Rhi, I got those at the Cash and Carry, if such a thing exists for you, and you have a retail contact of some sort. Or you can buy a membership too. They're great! My fridge is even wide enough for them, though not many of the places I take them seem to have big enough fridges. I also yearn for a cupcake caddy, that would be fab.

Rhi@FlourChild said...

Oh I love the cupcake caddies too, but all the ones I have seen are SO expensive.
There are very very few "Cash and Carry" type stores here in Belgium (and even fewer cupcake stores and cupcake cooks) I am always on the lookout though.
:)

Jo said...

I know, the price of it all... I want a ... whatsit called - a big squeezy bottle with measurements, with a tip, that lets you measure out uniform amounts of batter. I think it's €13... a bit frivolous... but it's on the list!