I got a couple of questions in my formspring (ask me something anonymously if you like) I thought I’d answer them in a post because it makes me look like I’m actually doing something for the blog when actually I’m just talking about myself.

How do you make your acrylic jewellery? Like, with what? I made a much crappier, but similar kind of thing in high school, and it needed an epic machine..
We use a laser cutter, it is pretty epic! Vector line drawings are created or imported into CorelDraw and this is what instructs the laser. The computer and laser cutter are hooked up and the acrylic is placed in the laser cutter under the path of the laser. The easiest way to explain it is that you print your design and the laser cuts in the appropriate places.

You’re left with a clean edge and occasional residue from the melted plastic which we clean off with a solvent.

What’s on the top of your Christmas list?
Honestly: An engagement ring
If money was no object: DSLR camera or an all expenses paid trip to Germany
Non stuff: That my Grandad makes it through Christmas and the New Year in relative good health and when he does eventually go that he’s not in pain and has not been immobile and full of tubes
From my realistic list: It’s so hard to choose from my lists (1 and 2) – but I guess flask, booklight, clothes, watch, and books. I love everything I am gifted though!

It’s a very exciting day in the Cupcake Factory as one year ago cupcakesandmace.com was born.
“But posts in your archive go back to March 2008″ I hear you cry. And yes, you are right. When this blogging thing started for me I went through a few names before I decided I wanted to take blogging a more seriously and register a domain.

Life has changed a lot since then. I’m self employed now, blogging, thinking up pretties, and interacting with customers on a daily basis. I really appreciate everyone who has joined me along the way. Thanks to you I have no plans to give this thing up.

To say thank you and to celebrate this milestone I’m giving you the present! We’ve started designing necklace squares with helvetica text. I have no idea what to call them collectively, so feel free to help me out.

The Rules

All you have to do is comment and let me know what you’d like your square to say if you win. It can say anything at all. Easy as.

The winner will be picked by a random name draw, but if we really like your idea there might be a prize heading your way too.

And as per usual if you’d like extra entries post a link from your blog to the comp or tweet about it.

You have a week. I’ll draw the winner next weekend on the 3rd of October. And then it’ll be your turn to send me the presents as it’s my birthday on the 9th of October. :D

We’ve been busy in the Cupcake Factory this month, adding a lot of new things to the store in an effort to give you something to look at for more than one minute! We’re going to continue adding new stock and designs until we reach at least 100 products so there is plenty more to come.

These are new products added over the last couple of weeks. Each picture will take you to the Etsy page for more photos and information. (And everything is less than $18 :D)

Well, not so much a postcard as an adorable letter and gift.

Back in February (my how time flies!) the lovely simi of [the now disappeared] Postcards from Simitopia ran a tag giving five people the chance to receive a gift made by her. I was one of the lucky ones and I received my specially made gift yesterday wrapped in black tissue and a sparkly ribbon, with a letter addressed to the Cupcake Factory, a special Simitopia stamp on the front and the Simitopia deer on the seal. So cool!

simi is a crafty little lady and it really shows in the beautiful brooch she made me in my two favourite colours, pink and black.

Thanks simi! You’re great. :]

Last weekend while out shopping with Chickie Little and our significant others we came across a wonderful place. A place full of trinkets, organised just enough that you can find what you’re looking for, a place where the price is right. An emporium so full of wonder it exclaims that there is something for everyone inside. We all scoffed and bet that The Boy wouldn’t find anything, but we were wrong (he bought some wheels)!

This magical place is Pete’s Emporium, in Porirua, about 20 minutes north of Wellington City.

It’s a little known fact that emporiums are one of my favourite places in the world. A favourite shopping destination second only to supermarkets (food emporiums if you will). I can shop for hours, sorting through the junk and inspecting the treasures, deciding how many of each brightly coloured button I’ll choose.

I ended up getting a few brightly coloured treasures for my jewellery making, including some pink and blue bunches of grapes. After much wrestling I managed to turn one pair of each colour into earrings. Get them in pink or blue in the shop now. :] The hooks are sterling silver so your ears stay pretty.

It’s often the case, when a hobby turns into a job, that you love it a little bit less. That your friends are no longer gifted your experiments. And that you only allow yourself to keep the work that doesn’t turn out perfect.
I find myself wearing all the jewellery that doesn’t cut properly and has scratches.

Sometimes we’ve got to remind ourselves that it’s no fun to work like that! There is a reason you count yourself lucky to be your own boss. It’s because you love what you do, and you love it so much you probably started off doing it for free.

On that note I started making myself a charm bracelet. Not just from the left overs that didn’t fit anywhere else, but from the charms I actually liked. The ones that mean something to me, or look pretty, or make me laugh.

The Jack in the Box is my favourite. My Mum gave it to me, it really closes up and then pops out on a spring when you unhook the lid!

The biggest jewellery seller in the Cupcakes and Mace shop is the nameplate necklace. Any name you like (up to 9 letters included in the price) in any colour from our range, and a choice from two chains for just $25 USD.

People love them, they love that they are completely customisable, and that we can cut a shape out of many of the letters for no extra charge. We’ve cut cupcakes, hearts, apples, a bird and a skull so far. The biggest problem with customising these nameplates is finding appropriate fonts, most of the flicks in the script type fonts are too thin to hold it all together during a bit of wear. Our current default font is Courier New (#1 below), it looks good and holds together really well. We let people choose their own fonts too, but we’ve figured that people don’t like having to find out what they want by themselves, it’s much preferable to be given a short list to choose from.

That’s where you come in. Have a look at the list below, and let me know your top 3 choices (in order of preference) in the comments. Your comment will get you in the draw to win your very own nameplate so make sure you use a valid email address! :D

Extra entries are available to anyone who spreads the word about the competition, just leave comment letting me know where you left the link.

The competition will close in 2 weeks on the 15th of July so get commenting.

My favourites are 5, 8, 1, and 3.

The results of the survey are telling me you want more photos. And seeing how the point of the survey is to give you more of what you like…here’s a summary of what I’ve been doing the past month.

Note that all of these photos look better when they’re bigger, if you’re interested. And they haven’t been messed with apart from the occasional crop.

Ready for take off + Whizzing past

10-17 May 2009 – Had a great trip to the Gold Coast of Australia and enjoyed a repeat of the rides at Dreamworld.

Snowing in Wellington + Shattered glass

31 May 2009 – Back in New Zealand the weather is shit. It snowed in Wellington! Albeit the kind of snow that lasts only 30 seconds on the ground. But it’s not supposed to snow in Wellington making it a photo worthy occasion. I also kicked a glass right on the only hard surface that was close by causing it to shatter. :[

Tempt packaging + Tempt cupcake + Chickie Little’s cupcakes

2-3 June 2009 – My last two days of sucky corporate office work. I was treated to a Tempt cupcake on the second to last day, and a whole bunch of Chickie Little’s cupcakes on my last day after a boozy long lunch.

1 + 2 + 3 + 4

5 June 2009 – After one day off work it was straight into 6am 8 hour drive to Hamilton. Thankfully I still don’t drive so while I slept and sang at the top of my lungs The Boy drove. I got some pretty sweet photos of the landscape by accidentally leaving the previous nights white balance active on the camera. Everything turned blue.

Chubby bubby + Hot pools

5 June 2009 – We had headed up to Hamilton for my sister 21st, it was a really short visit. My sister got wasted and I look terrible in all the photos, so instead I’m treating you to a couple of photos of the three eldest siblings when we were littlies. Aren’t my little brother and sister adorable in the left photo!?

Snow on the Mt behind Lake Taupo + Snow capped peak + Desert Road + Big round moon

7 June 2009 – And just like that it was time to go home again. Thankfully driving long distance in NZ is pretty.

Scissors + Wholesale + Seahorse

June 2009 – Somewhere along the way I sold my first Cupcakes and Mace jewellery wholesale order. It was just a small one but very exciting to get. I came up with some new designs and took heaps of jewellery photos too.

STOP Israel + Pine needles + Sun starting to set + Theatre and dramatic sky + Fence

15-16 June 2009 – Monday was beautiful and sunny, I nearly winded myself walking up the big hill to get to the trees near our house. I’m so unfit. Tuesday it all turned to shit again though, so fucking cold! I wish New Zealanders believed in insulation and central heating, our houses are ridiculous.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the Cupcakes and Mace jewellery competition and gave me some feedback in the process.

Two names were picked out of the basket by the boy for first and second prizes. And the winners are:

Bridey - Send me an email with your colour choices for the ring, pendant and chain, plus your ring size and address.

Gem – Send me an email letting me know if you would like a ring or a pendant and your colour choice, with your address.

Yay :D

Quick reminder that it’s the last day to enter the Cupcakes and Mace jewellery competition.
All you have to do is leave a comment on the competition post!

No excuses.

If you win you could be as cool as my sister.