Willy Wonka Bars!

This week we had a delivery of "Wonka Bars".  I wasn't sure how they would sell so I only ordered 20 - HOWEVER, they all sold out within the first day!  I now have a waiting list of 15 people wanting them so obviously I've now ordered lots more.  I have to say they are really great fun and they actually have a Golden Ticket too!  Want one........................?

It's Christmas (well almost)

Christmas is officially coming to the Sweet Shop tomorrow!  We've had huge red tissue paper pompom poppies with black centres hanging in the window this week but now we're doing Christmas. 

I found this picture of the most amazing tree on www.trendytree.com - isn't it just GORGEOUS!  I love it and I'm going to use it as inspiration for the Christmas tree going into the shop window tomorrow.  We've got hundreds of giant swirly lollies, candy canes, gingerbread men (made out of cardboard) and Christmas stockings to decorate the tree and hopefully it will look as cheerful as this one.

And this year the Mayor & Mayoress have reintroduced Saffron Walden's very own Christmas Shop Window Display competition, so we've got to make it a good display.  Luckily, I've got lots of lovely help - some of the Sweet Shop's fan club are coming in tomorrow to help with the decorations. 

I LOVE CHRISTMAS :-)

And all these fabulous things came in today - wooden advent calendars, christmas stockings and beautiful tree ornaments.

Oh and did I mention that I LOVE CHRISTMAS :-)

It's been ages................

I have seriously neglected by poor little Blog! There's been so much going on and there just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do and to tell you what I've been up to.  Never mind, here's a quick catch up and then I'll post some gorgeous wedding pics over the weekend.

First though, thought I'd share with you some images of the Super Mario party that I styled for my friend Vicky. Her son is Mario mad and as I only had daughters who are now far too old for all that, I really didn't know anything about Mario and his pals, so I had a fair amount of googling and research to do.

What we eventually came up with was black and white chequerboard tablecloths, themed drinks labels and lots of red lunchboxes.  At the end of the party everyone went home with a Mario toy, a piece of fabulous Mario chocolate cake from www.nikkinashcakes.co.uk and some sweets all packed into some Sweet Shop stripey bags sealed with a special "Thanks for coming to Matthew's Party" stickers.  I think it all looked great and if the noise was anything to go by, then the children all had a great time!

And of course what else does a 6 year old boy do when he's finished all the food in his red lunchbox?  Put it on his head obviously!

Alice in Wonderland Party

This week we provided a large table centre arrangement and 5 smaller arrangements for a big Brownie Guide party in Chelmsford.  The theme was Alice in Wonderland so we created a large Queen of Hearts Centre Arrangement using giant playing cards, heart shaped lollipops, lots of toffees wired onto florist wire and wrapped in cellophane and even flying saucers that I decorated with icing so that hopefully they looked like pocket watches.  I then added lots of curly ribbon and red heart cards.

For the smaller table arrangements we gave them glass jars filled with lemon sherbet, "Drink me" labels and lots of lollies and jelly hearts.

Apparently all the Brownies dressed up to join in with the Alice theme and were so over excited by the sweets and decorations.  I can't wait to see the pictures of them all.

In a couple of weeks, we're creating a "Super Mario" party for a 6 year old boy's birthday. There'll be Mario images, lots of pompoms and even a race circuit where the children get to have races in the karts that we are making from cardboard boxes - just think Romper Room and you'll know what I mean :-)

Our Window Displays

Amy and I love creating our window displays. And during the week of the Saffron Walden Maze Festival, my lovely Saturday helpers Leanne and Lucy helped to make a Maze out of sweets for the Shop Window decorating competition.  We used fizzy apple strips as grass, rainbow strips weaved to make a picnic blanket and quite a few Bertie Bassetts (and their dog, fudge) and as you can see they are all having a picnic from their very own Sweet Shop hamper!  We then created a maze to look like the famous and oldest turf maze in the Country, which is on the Saffron Walden Common. We used long cola whips and chocolate crumbs and of course more of the Bertie Bassetts trying it out.  And as you can see from the certificate, we WON!  We were all thrilled and so happy to have the recognition. And what's more, we were on the front page of the Walden Local http://Walden Local Maze Competition

Once the Maze Festival week was over we couldn't wait to create the next display ready for when all the children went back to school.  In proper Sweet Shop style we created a vintage "back to school" display using all sorts of old school sports equipment and school photos.  Luckily, a good friend of mine has lots of her old school equipment including her first satchel, lacrosse stick, old books and photos.  It's certainly caused a stir and lots of people have been putting their heads round the door to say how much they love it.

The next display is going to be for our Sweet Shop sponsored football team - The Saffron Rangers!Watch this (window) space ..................... 

Our Biggest Sweetie Tree so far...............

It's been an exciting week - first we make our BIGGEST sweetie tree so far and then our shop window display wins for 1st prize in a competition - but more of that later!

This is our biggest sweetie tree yet!  Standing about 4ft high, made with pink and white marshmallows and Haribo jelly hearts, it was for a very glamorous wedding reception at The White Hart, Wimbish.  The White Hart is our favourite bar and restaurant, always a great atmosphere, amazing service and GORGEOUS food - pop over to the website and have a look, or even better just pop in for a drink and something to eat.  You'll love it and tell them Claire sent you!

Silver Wedding Anniversary

It's hard to believe but last month my husband and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary!  I really don't feel old enough to have reached such a milestone, surely I'm too young!  However, and despite my delusion, we celebrated in style with a casino party at our house, provided by the fabulous chaps at www.moonlightfuncasinos.co.uk.  They provided us with 2 full size tables - a blackjack table and my favourite the roulette wheel.

You know what it's like - you have a party and end up worrying about people enjoying themselves, everyone having a drink and preparing food.  But this time, I was so lucky.  The most gorgeous food was provided by "Gourmet Gandy" aka Andrew White at White's Private Dining.  I didn't have to worry about a thing, he provided us with both hot and cold plates as well as the most amazing plates of profiterole towers.  Everyone loved the food so much there were no leftovers for us the next day......... how disappointing :-)

Anyway, back to the casino........ Steve at Moonlight Casinos gave us a big pile of "funny money" that had been personalised with our photo and the party date and as the guests arrived I acted as Casino Front of House and handed everyone a note which they then exchanged at the tables for chips.  Let me tell you, gambling with chips that aren't real money is sooo liberating and just the best fun.  At the end of the evening we gave a prize (which happened to be a big swirly lolly from The Sweet Shop) to the winner who was the person with the most chips.

We're itching to do the whole thing again, maybe a fund raising night with our Casino boys....... watch this space for an invitation!

Sweetie Bouquets

We've been sending out a few Sweetie Bouquets this week - some as thank you presents at Weddings.  Have a look......................... I know I'm biased but I think they look great!

Amber & Mike's Wedding

This weekend we took our sweet creations to the beautiful setting of The Hertfordshire Golf & Country Club for Amber and Mike's wedding.  Amber told me she "wasn't a flower person" so (and as her colour scheme was blue and white) we made table centres using giant martini vases filled with blue sherbet and then added blue and white swirl lollipops and white icing hearts.  Amber was thrilled with them and I was quite proud of them too!

Amber's cake was brilliant - I must ask her who made the cake - and it reflected the colour scheme and the lollipops beautifully.  And as Amber and Mike have two Chow Chow dogs these had pride of place on the cake too.

In the adjoining party room we created a sweetie table using their choice of favourite sweets, blue and white personalised labels, a large marshmallow tree and some specially created bunting.

Saffron Walden Carnival / 8DayWeekend / My Busiest Week So Far

I have seriously neglected my blogging and I have had SUCH a busy week but it's been fantastic!

I've lived in Saffron Walden for most of my life and I love this quirky little town.  Every three years the Saffron Walden Round Table puts on the Carnival, and for several years it's been called the 8 Day Weekend www.8DayWeekend.co.uk .  That's because it starts on the first Friday in July then runs through to the following Saturday, and this 8 Day Weekend is just full of the most amazing entertainment - Carnival procession, bed race, football competitions, Blues Brothers Night, Ladies Night with the hilarious Stavros Flatley, 80's night with all those old 80's groups performing again for our benefit, and the best of all is the Corporate Night.  I'm saying its the best night because this time we were thrilled to be asked to provide sweetie trees as table decorations (all 62 of them).  I never want to see another marshmallow again - well not for a while anyway!

Everyone was so complimentary about the trees though and thought they looked great.  Things did get a bit messy as the evening went on and the wine flowed - marshmallow eating competitions between the tables actually got quite competitive!

It was the most amazing week put on by the Saffron Walden Round Table.  These bunch of men and all their helpers from the Ladies Circle and willing volunteers from the local community really did Saffron Walden proud.  Bring on Carnival 2114!!

Sweetie Table at Maidens Barn

When I was working as a Registrar, I spent a lot of Saturdays and Sundays at the beautiful www.maidensbarn.com conducting weddings.  So this weekend it was great to set up a sweetie table there for Clare and Gaven Brace's wedding. It's funny seeing a venue from a different perspective and I actually found it even more beautiful.  Before, my colleague and I would come in the side door, spend about an hour in the ceremony room then leave. But on Saturday I pulled up in the courtyard, smelled the heady aroma of climbing roses and really appreciated how beautiful Maidens Barn really is.  I took my daughter with me to help set up the table and on the way pointed out all the village pubs that we'd stop at between weddings - aah it was a great job!  There are always stories attached to various weddings at the venues we'd travel to, the Maidens Barn memory was when we were conducting a wedding outdoors and there was a wandering pheasant behind me.  Trust me, it took all of my concentration to focus on the job whilst being terrified of the feathery terror behind me!  I know, I'm such a wimp but I just have an irrational fear of birds.

Anyway, back to the sweetie table - this wedding turned out to be a colaberation with my favourite wedding professionals.  Hayley at www.hayleyruthphotography.co.uk was the photographer, Jo at www.daiseyley.co.uk made some very cute bunting to match the table for me and Emma at www.abespokedesign.co.uk was the artistic genius behind the invitations and table seating plan. And of course Katherine who owns and organises weddings at the fabulous www.MaidensBarn.com .  So lovely to work with you all again! xx

Our sweetie trees are getting so much attention we thought we'd go one further and introduce "Sweetie Tree Making Parties".  For parties of up to 10 children we'll give them 2 hours private access to the Sweet Shop where we'll teach them how to make a mini sweetie tree of their own, and each child gets to take home their own sweetie tree creation!  It's already gone down a treat (get it) and we love the excitement and the fun the kids have when they are making their trees.  Book your own party (and you don't have to be a child, how about a girlie get together party and bring a few bottles of wine too) - give us a call on 0754 532 9047 to book your ultimate Sweet Shop experience. xxxx

Saffron Walden Rock

I don't know about you, but my childhood summer holidays beside the sea (Cornwall in my family's case) were only complete once I had been to "the rock shop" where I bought various sticks of rock for my friends at school back in sunny Saffron Walden.  So imagine my excitement when the specially commissioned "Saffron Walden" rock arrived in The Sweet Shop!   Yes, that's right, we may not be anywhere near the seaside but that doesn't mean that Saffron Walden can't have its very own stick of the sticky stuff.  We are the only shop in Saffron Walden that sells the rock but we've also just arranged with the award winning Saffron Walden Tourist Information Centre that they will sell it too.  Wherever you buy it, I'm sure you'll love it - just close your eyes and imagine the cry of the seagulls and the lap of the waves...........

Sweetie Trees

It's been a week of "tree talk" at The Sweet Shop this week, with an order for 60 large marshmallow trees for a very exciting event in Saffron Walden in July.

I was also making a birthday tree for a customer on Friday - and the great thing about having a small shop is that customers can see us in action when we're making these great trees - and we ended up taking orders for 3 more of the same that afternoon.  We all love making these trees and our customers constantly give us the inspiration for another creation.  Friday's trees were all for birthday boys and all had a jelly snake theme.  I want to do some girlie ones this week, so I'm thinking candy necklaces and lots of pink................ let see what happens!

Travelling Sweets

My sweets and hire items have been borrowed, begged and stolen for all sorts of things (well not quite but you know what I mean).  This time it was a very exciting photo shoot styled by the uber talented Kate Fletcher.  Kate met with the winner of last year's Masterchef, Dr Tim Kinnaird  for this stunning shoot.  Tim gave up medicine and now has his own patisserie making the most wonderful macarons. I think you'll agree that they look amazing and judging by the goodies on display it was a good move! Photographer for the day was Charlotte Griffiths and I think the images are truly stunning. And Kate, you are, as ever, my styling guru xx

The New Website !

I am SO excited!  The Sweet Shop now has it's very own bright and colourful website - and special thanks for this have to go to Debbie Fogg at http://www.picantewebdesign.co.uk/ for putting up with me for so long and being so patient with me!

SO, here it is http://www.thesweetshopsaffronwalden.co.uk I've still got some tweaking to do but we are basically there.

I hope you like it, I do!

Auntie Doro's Bunnies

Easter has officially arrived in our little shop.  Bunnies galore and so much gorgeous chocolate.  We've dressed the window with some old bunnies, the male bunnies in their hunting gear and the lady bunnies in their flowery dresses holding their babies.  We've arranged them as if they are having a tea party and one of them is taking a photo with my Dad's old box brownie camera.  These bunnies were made by my Auntie Doro about 40 years ago, she was really my great aunt, lived in Cornwall and had an amazing history of nursing and missionary work that I really only discovered when I was much older and a long time after she passed away.  As a family we always went to Cornwall for our summer holidays so would spend many hours at her house helping her make waffles by the dozen which would then be eaten warm with her homemade lemon cheese (like lemon curd but so much creamier).  She was a kind lady who was so loving to her sister (my grandmother) who was unwell and lived with her, and to her mother (my great grandmother) who also lived with her.  I'd forgotten all about these bunnies that she used to make until my Mum dug them out of a cupboard recently.  They've certainly created a lot of interest in the shop window and after Easter when it's Royal Wedding week we'll just turn their little scene into a wedding party instead, with lots of mini union jack bunting.

Water Lake Wedding Show

I chose a pink, white and black theme for the latest wedding show at Water Lake in Clavering, and I was really pleased with how it looked.  It was a (tiring but) good day, had lots of interest in the Sweetie Tables and the Sweetie Trees and made some lovely new friends.  It was also good to see Kate and Jo (VintageHire & Daisyley), and not just because you bought the wine!

Pictures of the Shop

I had the pleasure of first meeting Hayley http://www.hayleyruthphotography.co.uk/ when she came into the shop looking for some colourful lollies for a photoshoot. She then invited me to be a part of the shoot and on that day I also met some other great new friends. Kate http://www.vintagestylehire.co.uk/ and Jo http://www.daisleyboxes.co.uk/ who have since styled my shop window for Mothers Day. Such a talented bunch and these ladies constantly inspire me.

Carnival Theme Sweetie Table

Just a little sneaky peak from our Carnival Theme Sweetie Table - more pics from my favourite wedding photographer http://www.hayleyruthphotography.co.uk/ to follow soon!  Although the weather was a bit breezy, we managed to set up the table up outside and nothing blew away.  The theme was "A Carnival" and we had brightly coloured sweets, a gumball machine, enormous paper decorations and labels to match.  It looked fabulous and I can't wait to show you more..........

Sweetie Kebabs

Had fun in the Sweet Shop today making sweetie kebabs and we've already had orders to use these as favours for a wedding in the summer.  They will look fabulous!

Sweetie Table Booking

Had a booking today for a "village fete" inspired sweetie table for a customer's wedding anniversary party. Hay bales, bouncy castle and even swinging boats!  Fantastic, can't wait to plan this one !  In the meantime, I love the look of the table in this picture by Sweets Indeed in the USA, it's just so cheerful and makes me feel like it's summer already.

New Jars !

Was so excited to receive some new jars tonight - think you'll agree that they are gorgeous.  Can't wait to start using them for the sweetie tables :-)

Photo Shoot

Had the most amazing time today at a photo shoot in Little Canfield.  We used a beautiful rambling farmhouse (thanks to Emma at http://www.abespokedesign.co.uk/) and set up several shots of a carnival themed sweetie table using our sweets, and lots of others - pics will follow but only once Hayley (http://www.hayleyruthphotography.co.uk/) lets us see them :-)
It's been great meeting and making new friends and I look forward to working with you all again soon - Kate at http://www.katefletcherevents.co.uk/, Jo at http://www.daisyleyboxes.co.uk/, Sam at http://www.violetsandvelvet.co.uk/ and Lucie at http://www.wonderlandbakery.co.uk/ - thanks for inviting me to be a part of this project, I had a great day. xx

Party Bags, Hampers and Sweetie Gifts

Having a party?  Come in and order party bags - cellophane bags full of great sweets, so much easier than having to find things to fill a bag to give your party-goers!  Prices start at 50p per bag.

Need a unique present?
Order one of our sweetie hampers. Prices start at £10 for a shoe box sized hamper filled with great sweets - either you choose the sweets or we will do it for you.  The look great !

Sweetie Gifts?
Clear boxes, glass jars and cone bags all filled with sweets of your choice.  What a great present and prices start at £2.95.