The Sweetest Birthday Treat Ever

Do you ever have “one of those days,” where you just need a little lift, or encouragement, or a listening ear from a friend? I was having one of those days earlier this week. Now, typically, I’m a gal who carries her own sunshine, so a cloudy day is rare. And on this day, it didn’t last long: in one of my first meetings of the day, our entire art studio surprised me with an early birthday gift—and to call it a “gift” is a huge understatement! Our team of talented artists had created literally dozens of cupcakes of every variety, small to humongous, creamy to meringue, with chocolate swirls, ornate frostings, even sprinkles and candles. Only one thing—they weren’t made with sugar and flour, they were made entirely using Close To My Heart products. The best surprise of all was that each cupcake held a hidden note, a birthday greeting from the artists and other employees to me. I honestly screamed with delight when they paraded in, showcasing these amazing paper confections. (It’s true! Ask the employees next door who could hear my yells of happiness right through the walls.)

Whatever somberness I had that morning immediately vanished. I felt so loved and appreciated—and what’s better than feeling loved by the people who matter? It reminded me how essential it is to reach out to others, with simple gestures, kind words, or even a homemade cupcake, and to let them know that they’re loved. They might be having a rocky day and that little something from you will make all the difference. It did for me, and I’m forever grateful. This really was one of the sweetest birthday treats I’ve ever received!

Each cupcake is too good to eat, and impossible to resist. Check out the photos I’ve posted of several of the cupcakes, along with some of their amazing standout features. The first cupcake I call the Botanicals Cupcake uses our Fancy Cuts Botanicals as a topper, with each layer stacked and separated by foam squares to give it some great dimension. The base is a nut tin covered by accordion-folded papers, and it’s ideal for filling with little treats.

The Meringue Cupcake uses a really cool technique to achieve that special “meringue” look. The artist used sculpting foam as “frosting” to cover the lid of the empty sculpting foam container. Then, she blended pearl paint with standard kitchen cornstarch and painted the dried frosting. Add a little glitter, and you have a yummy meringue! I also love her candle: notice that the flame is actually a stamped heart shape turned upside down (from the D1194 Birthday Love stamp set).

I love the delicious Party Top Cupcake. It also uses sculpting foam, around a styrofoam ball, with designer icing made of Liquid Applique. While the appliqué was still wet, she added glitter, then used a heat tool to add some “puff.” I can’t believe how realistic it looks! And speaking of realistic, check out the fabulous Chocolate Mousse Cupcake. Look at the frosting! Here, the artist mixed sculpting foam with chocolate re-inker, then put it into a cake-decorating bag with a star-shaped tip. The result is good enough to eat. You’ll see that the next few cupcakes also used liberal amounts of sculpting foam, clever paper liners, and the just-right use of embellishments to bring them to life. I also love the innovative “cupcake purse,” which is just right for holding a treat, gift card, or a love letter. My artists are the most creative ladies I have ever met. I want to thank my sweet friends. I love these ladies. They know that my favorite part of my day is looking at their art up close. It is truly amazing. And if you’re like me, you just can’t get enough of these cupcakes, and you probably wish you could see these in even greater detail. Am I right? Then I invite you to stay tuned to our online “Art & Soul” show. In one of our summer episodes, I plan to feature my “birthday surprise” and you’ll be able to see all the cupcakes and their amazing techniques up close and personal. I will also include a link with the exact instructions so you too can have these sweet treats. And for those of you wondering about my birthday: it’s today! I plan to start celebrating by taking our entire management team to lunch—we call it “everybody’s birthday lunch”. It’s another fun tradition of ours. My birthday wouldn’t be a party without such great employees, whom I’m also privileged to call my friends. May your day, whether it’s your birthday or just an ordinary day, be filled with sunshine, cupcakes, and the kind words from those who matter most.