Local Focus-Star Bakery

This month's local focus is Star Bakery who I recently blogged about,  their cakes were so fabulous I couldn't help but want to know more.  Based in Hucknall Nottingham they are an any excuse occasion to eat cake and here at FFF headquarters we say why blinking not!

Your bakes are gorgeous and look almost too good to eat (almost!), where do you find your inspiration?
Why thank you! I find my inspiration from lots of different places. I'm not a planner by nature so most of the time my creations come together as I sit down with a piping bag in front of a naked cupcake. There are so many great 'cupcake artists' out there and I often find myself looking at websites and magazines to find great colour combos and stimulate ideas. We're also open to clients suggesting ideas as it personalises the cakes and makes them really unique.

Where would be your ideal holiday destination?
I love the buzz of a city, walking around and discovering hidden places in the midst of urban living is my favourite. I've always wanted to go to Seattle (a hangover from my grunge loving roots) as it seems such a mellow place to be.

What do you usually day dream about?
New cupcake designs! Seriously, I keep myself up at night thinking about the next design idea. At the moment it's all about Mother's Day cupcakes. I won't rest until they are done!

Top 3 tracks of the moment?
I love songs that keep me going in the kitchen and at the moment they are: Bat For Lashes - what's a girl to do, Kate Nash - Mariella and Kanye West - Gold Digger. My music tastes are heavily influenced by my husband as he's a real music lover and he introduces me to lots of new music.

What are your Favourite movies of all time?
This is the toughest question to ask an ex-film student! My list is constantly changing but my all time favs are: An Affair to Remember, Rebecca, Stardust, Zombieland (new addition to the list), The Goonies, Shaun of the Dead to name but a few. 

 What are your plans this spring?
Once I have my designs sorted out for Mother's Day and Easter I can concentrate on planning for the events we'll be attending throughout Notts when the weather warms up. I also hope to try and fit in a little time away with the family as cupcakes have ruled our life for the last few months and they deserve some time off too!

What is next for Star Bakery?
We're a relatively new business still finding our feet but our emphasis is on making local connections and building these relationships. This not only generates more work for us but people have great ideas on how to expand the business so we are always open to new ideas! My dream is to one day own a little shop in Nottingham where people can come to chill out and buy some cupcakes, something with a vintage feel ideally. It's not something we can afford to do immediately but I think having an ultimate goal really pushes you to succeed. Everybody loves a good cupcake.

Local Focus-Miss Ladysmith

Home is where the excitement is, Nottingham is a wonderful city brimming with culture and talent. I can see the city bloom before my eyes.  After visiting a Christmas craft fair recently I came across Miss Ladysmith, she handcrafts beautiful jewellery and I got to ask her a few questions...

Hi Amanda and welcome to our first Local Focus, please do tell us about yourself and your wares

 I’ve been working as an artist in various fields for the past 10 years. My main interest has been film and photography, where over the years I’ve had many commissions. Since graduating from  Nottingham Trent as a mature student in fine art in 2009, I wanted to try my hand at doing something completely different. Like most women, I love jewellery and I own a lot from over the years. I’d always wanted to have a go at making something, but had never had the time until last summer. I loved it far more than I could have imagined, I found myself dreaming of designs which I would make the next day and it kind of grew from there really. I really like the idea of jewellery being unique to the wearer, for the individual pieces to be designed in relation to how the beads might respond to light, or movement.

I approach each piece with a concept or I collate an array of components and explore how they interact with each other. My main concern is that they are beautiful, easy to wear and that women get enjoyment out of wearing them.

Your jewellery is very beautiful, where do you find your inspiration?

I find inspiration in so many things, from 20^th century art through to films and music, lyrics and poetry, archictecture and nature. I take a lot of ideas from my own abstract photography as well.

I spend hours trawling the internet for unusual findings, vintage beads or gorgeous gemstones – the components themselves are a great inspiration.  

Where would be your ideal holiday destination?

So many places that I want to go to – particularly Morocco, India, Turkey – I would like to go to Russia again as well, I went back in 1989 whilst I was studying Russian history. I would love to go back and experience it now its no longer a communist regime – architecturally it’s a very beautiful place that I think I would find very inspiring.

What do you usually day dream about?

To see my jewellery in major glossy magazines, to be able to travel frequently, to live abroad – ideally a little place in Greece not far from my parents and maybe a little city pad somewhere like Prague – I love that city..

I could go on here for ages, I daydream a lot  - I really love this quote:

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.”

I cant recall who said that  - but it always makes me feel my daydreaming is a positive and not a waste of time!

Top 3 tracks?

I’m more of an album person myself, so all I can think of is what I’m listening to in my studio at the moment which is:

Ministry of Sound Karma collection.

Miles Davis – Miles Away collection.

Ministry of sound – Electronic 80’s

All of the Yeah, Yeah Yeahs albums as well!

I find listening to music is essential whilst I’m making so I tend to play the longest albums I have through my ipod so I don’t have to move once I’ve begun creating.

What are your Favourite movies of all time?

There are so many for so many different reasons!

One of my all time faves where I can still remember the first time I saw it is Paris, Texas – so beautiful, how it’s shot, the colours, the locations – and of course the story – I frequently return to that film.

I loved The Darjeeling Limited when I first saw that at the cinema – again for the cinematography, the rich colours and the soundtrack is really good too.

Angel-A by Luc Besson which for some reason didn’t seem to be very popular at the cinema yet it is one of the most visually stunning film of recent years, shot in black and white, you literally cannot tear your eyes away from the screen – and such beautiful story – everyone should see it! I could go on for ages about films but I fear I would begin to bore you all, so I’ll leave it there.

 What are your plans this new year?

I’ve just released my first few mini limited edition pieces – where there are only about four or five of each design, these have proved to be really successful – and as I have two online stores it means I can literally be in two places at once, so I will continue to launch more of those – ideally one a week along with several one off pieces every week as well.

I’ve also been invited to make a few pieces for a few very well known ladies – I cant say anymore than that at the moment, but I’m very excited about it!

I just intend to work really, really hard at creating so that Miss Ladysmith can make lots more women smile – and maybe launch a range for men as well.

So along with working really hard I hope to be able to squeeze the odd foreign adventure in there as well – but who knows?