Remember this post? Where I said I was going to visit the Etsy Labs to make a recipe card holder and swap recipes with crafty folk?

Look at all dem recipes.

Well, I did. And it was awesome!

We were given an envelope template and a big book full of sheets of designer paper, and then we made envelopes to hold the gorgeous letterpress recipe cards that Moontree Press graciously provided.

Swapping recipes with the other crafters was a blast, too. I brought along that recipe for champagne cupcakes, and should probably have picked something that required a liiiiiiiiittle less writing; in fact,  I typed it up and printed it out myself, because I didn’t feel like writing the whole thing out. Ha! (But it’s all good, because some brave souls with a lot of writing stamina copied down my recipe anyway.)

I came away from the evening with recipes for Max’s Mac & Cheese, Moroccan-Style Carrots, Pecan Sandies (which the woman actually baked and brought along for us, and THEY WERE DELICIOUS), and a bunch of other tasty-sounding dishes.

All in all, not a bad night! Think I’ll be back again soon…

awesome recipe cards and photo by Moontree Press

Those of you who know me well understand that I am obsessed with Etsy.com, which is basically an online store for handmade items. Crafters sell their wares (or their craft supplies or vintage items) directly to interested buyers, and it’s basically the best thing ever. (Ask me about my wedding and the amazing stuff my mom found on Etsy for it!)

Every Monday, Etsy hosts a craft night based on a different theme. I’ve never been, but I’ve always thought it would be neat to go sometime. Well, I finally have that extra motivation, thanks to two things: (1) Etsy’s labs are in the same building as my husband’s office, so I already know how to get there, and (2) it’s RECIPE CARD NIGHT!

Seriously, how perfect is that? We’ll get to swap recipes and make a case for our new cards. I’m trying to decide what recipe to bring, and I’m leaning toward these yummy champagne cupcakes from Beantown Baker. (That’s week 17’s recipe…so I guess it’ll take me a little while to get to it on this blog!)

Plus, as if I needed any more reason to go, Moontree Press is giving out the above gorgeous recipe cards.

Plus plus, just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, it turns out that Sweet Tooth of the Tiger will be having a bake sale.

I shall report back on Tuesday with all the details. OH YES!

Nope, this is not my cupcake, which you can tell because it’s a Cowboys cupcake and not a Ravens cupcake (GO RAVENS!). But isn’t it awesome?

Blue Velvet Cowboys cupcake! © Victoria Pearson

Between September 12 and 19, Sprinkles Cupcakes of Dallas is selling special Blue Velvet Cowboys cupcakes. Fully 100% of the proceeds supports the Salvation Army (so if you hate the Cowboys, you’re still not allowed to hate these cupcakes). Plus, one cupcake every day will have a silver star inside it, and if you find that star, you win some neat stuff as well as a chance at the MVP Grand Prize (which includes Thanksgiving Day game tickets, an autographed football, and a chance to see a private rehearsal of the halftime show, among other things).

This idea could only be better if the cupcakes were Ravens cupcakes. Maybe I could bake some. I could try making purple velvet, like the gorgeous cake here (scroll down for the photo of a lovely lavender slice). But I’d probably have to draw the line at recreating the Ravens logo out of frosting. Decorating tiny baked goods with bird heads is probably a little complicated for me at this stage.

(via Cupcakes Take the Cake.)

In Slate, Daniel Gross warns of the cupcake boom’s inevitable bust.

“Cupcakes are having their moment, no question, and many could make sweet profits. But remember what always happens after a sugar rush: a crash.”

He explains how the recession has both paved the way for a “cupcake bubble” and a “cupcake crash.” The sweet treats are touted as an affordable luxury in times like these (and let’s not forget, cupcakes are total comfort food), but in the long run it’s hard to make money off of them, he points out.

Mmm....cupcakes.

I know everyone here in New York City says that cupcakes are, like, so over. But I don’t really see that happening yet. Those plucky little desserts don’t show any signs of slowing down, in my opinion; I mean, we just recently got a cupcake truck. Actually, I guess that could be a sign that cupcakes have kind of become stale…how much farther can we go with them?

(I will note here that personally I think Cupcake Stop is an amazing idea and I hope to come across it in the city sometime very soon. Also I hope the cupcake bubble isn’t about to burst because, darnit, I love cupcakes and I don’t care if they’re not hip anymore.)

So what do you guys think? Are cupcakes going anywhere anytime soon?

(Thanks to John W. Smith for the link.)