The wedding season is officially upon us. Whether you’re getting married, are in the wedding party or are just another name on the guest list, it can be an overwhelming experience, and the last thing you want to have to think about is what to get the bride for the bridal shower.
Maggie Carter, Woodinville resident and creator of Serendipity Cafe, has a crafty solution to those gifting woes.
Through her Etsy shop, Carter sells hand-stitched cupcakes that look so real they make my mouth water. “They’re zero calories, that’s what’s good about these,” said Carter.
The cupcakes can be used as party favors, decorations or as a gift to the bride. Carter can also customize the cupcakes to match certain colors or a party theme. Custom orders are a specialty, she said.
Over the last few years, there has been a growing popularity in gourmet cupcake shops. Beautifully designed, scrumptious cupcakes have replaced the traditional cake. “But what happens when they’re gone?” asked Carter. The cupcakes she makes aren’t edible and can be saved as mementos for years.
Carter spends about 45 minutes on every cupcake she makes. She stitches them by hand using fabric and felt and decorates them to look real, using sprinkles and glitter.
The cupcakes can make any party “pop,” said Carter.
Though she’s only had her etsy shop for a little over a year, the business is steadily growing. Last year, her cupcakes were featured at the Evergreen State Fair.
Carter doesn’t limit her creations to cupcakes. Recently she has invested a lot of her time in what she calls “diamond dust.” Carter glues glitter to letter blocks that can be used to spell out words such as “bride,” “love,” “cupcake,” and so on. Her designs look like the do-it-yourself pictures on Pinterest that everyone tries but fails to imitate.
Another popular creation Carter sells through her shop is vintage ribbons. She currently offers ribbons in 52 different colors. The ribbons can be used for scrapbooking, cards and invitations.
Carter receives a lot of international orders for her ribbons. She recently shipped a large order to Sweden.
“You gotta go with what’s good, what’s selling,” she said. Carter spends a lot of time online researching what people are interested in. She is now getting into French inspired crafts such as tags with French script or pictures of the Eiffel Tower.
Carter is excited to get her creations “out there to people,” she said. “[They] can be used in a variety of different areas or facets in your life.”
She said she loves making her cupcakes because they “make people happy.”
After a series of unfortunate events in her life, the loss of loved ones and a traumatic accident that almost left her paralyzed, she still considers herself lucky, hence the name, Serendipity Cafe.
Although she currently has a full-time job as the general manager for a storage facility in Monroe, Carter wants to eventually turn Serendipity Cafe into her only job.
“It is a lot of work, but I love it,” she said.
The cupcakes range in price from about $6 to about $15. For more information, visit Serendipity Cafe on Etsy or on Facebook.
