So when you order from Cupcake Stylist, who is making YOUR toppers?
Deborah Jeffrey, aka "Cupcake Stylist"
MY BACKGROUND
is in fine art, graphic design, children's book illustration, customer service management, marketing, and cake decorating. I used to paint watercolor and digital portraits of life (of people, pets, places and favorite things), and I enjoyed cake decorating.
Due to an accident, followed by hand surgery, I lost strength and coordination in my dominant hand, and lost my ability to paint or squeeze icing bags.
I am creative soul at heart, so I put behind me the things I couldn't do, and looked forward to the things I could do, and found that working with fondant was both enjoyable and an artistic outlet.
Today working with fondant to create cake and cupcake toppers / decorations has become my passion! I LOVE WHAT I DO!!!!
MY STUDIO
used to be my art studio, but after a recent renovation, is now my Cake and Cupcake Topper Studio. The light is great and I love the view. There is a garden just outside the window, and beyond the fence a Eucalyptus grove, the water tower that used to hold water to replenish the old train steam engines, and birds galore. I just LOVE my working conditions! The studio is a stand-alone, dedicated outbuilding on our property -- smoke free, pet free, and conforms to California's requirements for a cottage food establishment.
My "topper" making portion of my studio
My clock (from Catching Fireflies.com)
 |
| My tools and supplies |
 |
| Vintage ladies head vases hold my tools |
 |
| A "Forked Up" art sculpture holds my business cards
|
Other sections of my studio include my computer station, my shipping station, storage, and everything I need to run my topper business = )
MY COMPLIANCE
is according to the State of California guidelines and requirements for establishments that make and sell food products, and I hold all of the necessary permits, registrations, certificates and insurance.MY OFFERINGS
I offer three "styles" of toppers for both cupcakes and cakes...STANDARD toppers -- these are the toppers that I offer in my Etsy shop (www.CupcakeStylist.Etsy.com) and on my website (www.CupcakeStylist.com). I have already "figured out" HOW to make the various designs, and they are offered at the most economical price.
PERSONALIZED toppers -- these are the toppers that are based on the "standard" designs above, but are personalized to match your color scheme, or to add a name, number, hat, flower, bow, etc. to make it your own. These designs are a little bit more than the standard items above.
CUSTOM toppers -- these are designed just for you and can be made to match your party theme, color scheme, inspiration photo or board, etc. Custom designs are developed as you share your vision for an unforgettable cake or cupcakes, to serve as the centerpiece of your special event. Custom designs include:
A sketch of your design, so you can envision how your final cupcakes and/or cake will look, and regular updates to let you know that all is under control, freeing you up to attend to all of the other details involved in planning an awesome celebration. Custom toppers are more of a white glove service and as a result are the most expensive. You can leave the details to me and I will do all that is necessary behind the scenes to ensure that you receive a fabulous, one-of-a-kind sugar art topper or set to grace your cake and/or cupcakes at your special celebration.
MY PROCESS
I am often asked, "How early should I order?" To which I respond, "As early as possible." And here's why...I have a full time day job, so I can accept only a limited number of orders each week. As a result, my schedule fills pretty quickly.
When I receive your order, I don't actually make your toppers right then, but add your order to my scheduling calendar. For orders shipping within the United States, I add your topper order to my calendar to make 2-3 weeks before your event date, and ship out 1 week before your event date. This ensures that your toppers are the freshest possible, yet have adequate time to dry, which ensures their stability during shipping. For orders shipping internationally, the time is increased, as the shipping time alone can add an additional 1-2 weeks to the schedule.
Given the above, I recommend ordering a minimum of 5-6 weeks before your event date, but again, you can never order too early. In fact, I currently have orders scheduled that aren't due to ship for another 4 months.
MY PASSION
Is making edible cake and cupcake decorations to not only free you up to attend to the other details required to make your party memorable, but to give you the means to create a truly fabulous cake and/or cupcakes that will be the talk of your party.I would be honored to work with you and invite you to contact me to make your fondant dreams come true.
