Jarlights and jarcakes...a new shop.

A few years ago I spent hours searching online and calling bakeries in Columbus, Ohio looking for a place that would deliver an over-the-top-dripping-with-deliciousness treat to my sister for the day of her dissertation defense. I found several little bakeries but not a single one that would deliver.  They were all very nice about it but they just couldn't help me.  I ended up ordering from an online cookie place and even with the rush shipping it didn't get to her until the afternoon after her defense.

If she goes back and gets another PhD, this is what I will send her:

Chocolate cake, peanut butter buttercream, and pb/chocolate ganache

Jarcakes.  (Actually, I'm pretty sure I did send her those chocolate/peanut butter jarcakes later...for graduation.)

They ship well and they are easy to customize for a celebration.  I've been asked to make them for a lot of friends and kept thinking about how to handle it when someone asks if I'll make them some...the thing is, they are expensive to make.  The jars plus all the materials - ganache, buttercream frosting, candy, chocolate embellishments, and of course the cake - they end up costing more than I think people expect. (Although not more than ordering a customized cake for a special occasion...)  So I considered starting an Etsy shop to refer people to with the costs for each variety but I never got it off the ground.  I've just been making them for family birthdays and celebrations.

Lemon cake topped with lemon curd and raspberry buttercream frosting.

The kids and I have also been making jarlights out of mason jars.  Last year we made a couple dozen for Hally's wedding and then to sell at a local art show.  Ben has been particularly interested in going back to sell at the show and as we talked more about how to make the display more effective, we decided to put jarlights in an Etsy shop.  That way there is a contact point for customers who come across his booth at the show. 

Solar jarlights

So Ben and I are now in business together - organized as a dba under Ellies Jewels, Inc - selling jarcakes and jarlights through our shop. He and I will make the jarlights together for him to sell at the Bizarre Bazaar this fall at his own booth.  We've worked together on a plan for materials and gone through costs and pricing and he helped with the shop logo. We've even ordered him business cards.  It's really cool for me to see him really get involved with this and be excited about the business part of it. (Maybe someday he can take over all of that for the mason jar gifts and the jewelry I make!  I can dream...)

Our new Jars Etsy shop is up and running - here's a little preview of what we have listed there so far: