The Dumpling Doll Company

A new Korea for a Dumpling!

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:18:57 +0000

Hello Cookies!

Well its turned really cold in Doughland, even George and Gerry are icing up! Do make sure you wrap up warm!

There are lots of sweet things to report from the Dream Factory, so why not grab a hot drink and lets enjoy a little hot gossip together!

We had a really enjoyable( even if very cold), weekend at the little dream store, lots of our little fresh bakes found new mates and travelled off to began their Dumpling careers!

Lottie Dumpling found her perfect soul mate, when Minjoo Kim, featured below from Soul, gave Lottie an invitation to Korea ! Now we think Lottie is a really fortunate cookie!

A career changing move for Korea bound Lottie!

By the way! Dumpling friend Linda buy called by again, to buy a boy, and so a boy by the name of Jo said his good byes!

Now as you may well know, we love being re-visited by Dumpling friends and getting to hear, just how our little confections carry out their Dumpling duties!

Not so very long ago, Carol from Kent was thoughtfully selected by her sister Joan to allow Millie Dumpling to be her comforting companion, and we are delighted to learn that Carol and Millie really hit it off together! Carol on behalf of Millie and all your new friends in Doughland, We wish you a very Happy Birthday and all our very best wishes for your full recovery! xx

Now featured below is Pat from Sandbach Cheshire, who was surprised by her Husband with the presentation of Hannah as part of her 60th Birthday celebration, Pat admitted to being reduced to tears of joy, with the introduction of her birthday bake and has promised Hannah will just be the very first of her new found Dumpling friends! So we expect many more happy returns please Pat!

Well from Pat -a- cakes to soul mates, that's about all I have time for at present, So Dumpling friends, please return again soon, as without you Doughland would be a far less happy place!

To each and everyone of you, we send our warmest Dumpling best wishes.

Love and deep filled thoughts, Your friend for all times!

Mrs D xxxx

Warm thoughts, Not a cold snap!

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:25:57 +0000

Hello Munchkins!

All is really sweet and candy here in Doughland and we are very pleased you have rolled by for a visit.

We introduced lots of new bakes to new mates at the weekend and so lots of my Dumpling dolls got to travel far and wide, to all who called, we as always appreciate your friendship and again we thank you for your support.

George and Gerry the gingerbread twins both received cameras for Christmas! So now they are driving us all crazy, as they insist in photographing everything and everyone in Doughland! The Dream Factory is now plastered with their photos. We really have had enough of their ginger snaps! ( Crumbs sorry! that's yet another really bad joke thats escaped from the broken biscuit tin of life! )

Talking of Photos!................... We would rather see your pictures than George and Gerry's!

So thankfully sent in by her auntie Liz, pictured here is our Dumpling friend Emily from Pontypool.

Just in case you are wondering? No Emily has not broken out in a rash! She is featured happily dusted with Dumplings! As you can see her batch of fresh baked friends are very close to Emily and they all really look up to her!

Like Emily, you and your own Dumpling batch can be featured here in my diary. Just upload your photos on my contact page and then you could appear here too!

Go on, please hurry up and make it snappy!!!

At the weekend we had a visit from a lovely Dumpling friend called Margaret from Holloway in North London. Regular readers of my diary may remember that Margaret and her husband invited Holly Dumpling into their lives, Margaret called by on Sunday to thank us for Holly's company, who she informed us had really been her comforting companion over the past months and that the Dumpling recipe was for her so very true and helpful.

Margaret, we are so touched that Holly really has done her Dumpling best for you! Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, our own thoughts are now with you!

Well Doughfolks, Spoon is busy mixing up some new little surprises for the website and I am off to make and bake. So we hope you will call back again soon, until then, please stay as sweet as your are!

Yours with oven loads of love and hugs

Mrs D xxxx

Wedding bakes and birthday dates!

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:35:03 +0000

Hello Cupcakes,

All is well and happy here in Doughland, my little dream team are all busy in the bakery, with tray loads of fresh bakes being prepared for their kneaded roles!

We had lots of new and already made friends visit us at the little dream store at the weekend. As always we enjoyed meeting with you all!

We have lots of exciting new things planned and happening here in Doughland. Amongst these, later on this year we will bringing out our "little wedding bakes", and funny enough at the weekend our Dumpling friend Andrea, re-visited and shared with us her own beautiful wedding day, and as you can see her "made" of honour was little Lydia Dumpling!

The beautiful bride Andrea!

We sincerely wish the couple much happiness, and of course these wishes go to the Bride and Groom as well!............ seriously though, Warmest congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Smith, and thank you for allowing Lydia to share your very special day!

( We hope there were no wedding day tears?........ there's nothing worse than a soggy Dumpling!..... someone told us, that even the wedding cake was in tiers!) SORRY!!!!

Must send a very special Dumpling wish to Emily from Pontypool, who's celebrating her birthday on the 19th and has three new Dumpling friends joining her growing batch thanks to her Gran Olives very kind support.

Happy Birthday Emily from all your friends in Doughland!

However which way we our little project continues to grow, the recipe for its success's has one vital ingredient, and that is you, yes YOU! our very special Dumpling friends. Because without your kind encouragement and support, our own wished for dreams will never be achieved, so for every little crumb of your valued support, we are truly grateful. Thank you friends!

Fondantly Yours

Mrs D xxx

Rosie Times Ahead!

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:21:40 +0000

Hello Doughfolks,

Well here we all are again, with another new year arising from the little mixing bowl of life, all your friends in Doughland, hope that whatever is cooking in the year ahead, 2012 will turn out to be your sweetest year yet.

We have just spent our first full weekend back at my little dream store, and even now, oven loads of new bakes still managed to make lots of new found friends, your appetite for my comforting confections seems to grow and grow, and for this we are really very thankful. All around the world our little fresh baked friends are being welcomed to help spread my story and allow my dolls to fulfil their Dumpling missions, to bring a little comfort and companionship whenever a special friend is kneaded!

Must just tell you another amazing moment we had with the magic naming bowl! A lovely couple from Lancashire stopped by my little dream store and got to hear the Dumpling tale, and they then kindly decided that they too would like to welcome a Dumpling doll into their lives, well together they carefully selected their new fresh baked friend, and then low and behold the name they choose from the magic bowl was Rosie, Which brought shrieks of joy from the lady! As this was the very same name she had selected over 75 years before for her very first doll! We were then informed Rosie Dumpling was actually now being picked to be the ladies very special forthcoming 80th Birthday present!.............. Now is that fate or what!!!

Rosie and her very special new found friends!

Another very strange event to report on, was when three people on the trot picked the name Jasmine from the magic bowl and each customer had a connection with or was buying it for a Jasmine!......... Strange yes! but honestly Dumpling true!

Well Doughfriends, I really better get back to baking, Please call back again soon and do hurry up and get your photos in to us, as we are looking forward to sharing them with all our fresh baked-mates around the world!

Until next time,

Be sweet! Be happy! but most of all, be You!

Love and warm winter Hugs

Mrs D xxx

Happy New Year!

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 11:14:48 +0000

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We wish all our Dumpling Friends around the world a very happy, healthy and harmonious 2012.

Love and deep filled wishes

Your fortunate friends

Mrs D and her Little Dream Team xxx

Christmas crackers and ginger snaps!

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:41:23 +0000

Hello My Little Mincepies!

We do hope you are all enjoying Christmas and all your hoped for wishes have come true? Not everyone gets all that they wish for, but sometimes unexpected surprises are every bit as special!

Spoon was however a little upset, because he somehow mixed up his wish list, he asked for lots and lots of M and Ms, and wasn't to pleased when he got all Eminem's Cd's instead, he wasn't to disappointed, as he said they were all very well rapped!.... Me? I asked for a new cooker, an aga! but I woke up on Christmas day morning to find Shrek cooking in my kitchen........ OK! I can see how you can mistake an Aga for an Ogre, its not a giant mistake is it?

George and Gerry the gingerbread twins always fight and fall out over Christmas. This year it was over which one of them actually got the most cards!..... boys!!! .... Guess its just a "mail" thing!................... hopefully they will get over it post Christmas!

The Bakery is closed until the 3rd of Jan and so we are all enjoying a well earned rest, ( except Spoon, who's up to his neck in a bowlful of custard and jelly, so he's still a trifle busy!)

Our sparkling new, New years card to you, opens here in Doughland on Saturday night, please be sure to call back and see it.Until then cupcakes, be good, be happy, be you!

Oh yes! just before I go, a quick note to little Molly Watson from Coatbridge, Golly Molly! Thank you for your most valued Dumpling friendship, Molly Dumpling really has found her very special Dumpling friend, please take great care of her, as we know she will do of you!

Like Molly your photo could feature here or in my gallery, please just go to the contact page and click to email us and then upload your own Dumpling photos, its really easy to do..... go on, please give it a try...........see you soon?

Love and happy thoughts to all.

As always, yours when kneaded!

Mrs D xxx

All Present and Correct!

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 10:25:22 +0000

MERRY CHRISTMAS CAKE-MATES!

We wish all our Dumpling friends a very merry christmas.

Love and hugs to you,

Mrs D xxxxxxmas

Christmas Wishes!

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 09:36:46 +0000

Hello Christmas Puds!

We had a frantic last minute rush for Dumpling orders!

Andy Bell from Rotherham ( now known as Andy "Jingle" Bells) just had to keep his special promise to his Grand Daughter for doing her very Dumpling best and sleeping snugly for seven straight nights! ( sweet Dumpling dreams Brodie! ) then just as we were on the eve of eating our Doughland pre-Christmas lunch, Dawn ( now known as Christmas Dawn!) from Huddersfield called us to explain she had only just been informed by her daughter Olivia that another Dumpling was requested on her Santa wish and birthday list, and so Mary Dumpling, was quickly baked to help ensure Olivia had a very Mary Christmas and a happy Dumpling birthday!

We know lots of you will be meeting new found Dumpling friends over Christmas, We do hope you will enjoy the company of your new bake and allow them to share in all your hopes and dreams, You are the very best friend a Dumpling could ever have or wish for!

Another little Dumpling presents herself for Dumpling Christmas duty!

All of us here in Doughland wish all our Dumpling friends around the world a very merry christmas and we hope that everyone gets to enjoy a happy, joyful, dream filled time and remember please, that there is always a little Dumpling Doll just waiting to be your fresh baked friend when ever kneaded!

Warm Dumpling wishes to you all, but as always, most of all to you!

Love and Christmas hugs

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Mrs D xxxx

Sleighbells and Doughballs!

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:03:20 +0000

Hello Doughballs and Snowballs!

Well that's it Doughfolks! we have just baked the very last little Dumplings for this Christmas and we are all done and happily Dumpling dusted. ( Martha and Faith were added very last minute to Christmas wish lists by Dumpling friends!)

George and Gerry the Gingerbread twins, will now be loading up Santa's sacks, and Norman our postman will then set off to Lapland ( North of Doughland! ) to deliver them on to Father Christmas to make sure all the requested Dumplings are presented where ever they are needed!

At my little Dream Store at the weekend we had another tray-mendous batch of new bakes head off to scrumptious homes with doughlightful friends from all over the world. Thank you to all who called and saw the knead for a fresh baked friend!

Must just mention the ladies from Jersey, who on meeting my Dumpling Dolls decided to present each other with a new found friend, so four little Dumplings headed home with the Jersey girls! We hope you will show up again soon for the Jersey boys!

Its always smashing when Dumpling friends return to say hello and head off home with even more new made friends, We are very fortunate this is happening more and more as my little story gets told and retold. We are very grateful that our Dumpling friends enjoy spreading the Dumpling word and finding even more kneaded homes! Talking of finding homes, we must mention the lovely ladies from Notts, who are always looking for those who have not got, and then help with lots more going off to Notts! (try saying that without getting tied up in knots!!)

Mixing up more new friends to bowl off to Nottinghamshire!

Now regular visitors to my diary page may recall a short while ago we featured a young lady called Victoria who chose Lottie Dumpling to be her first baked friend and we stated then that we hoped she would be the first of "Lots". Well guess what ? Victoria returned on Sunday to increase her little batch with the addition of two more comforting confections! Tommy and you guessed it, Hope!

It just goes to show that lots of what you hope for can come true!

To Victoria and indeed all of you, our special Dumpling friends ( Yes! even to you Harry! ) We as always say thank you for your appreciated Dumpling support.

We will talk again before Christmas so please be sure and call back again soon, until then.

Stay warm, stay safe, stay you!

Your friend as always

Mrs D xxx

Christmas Dates!!!

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:54:36 +0000

Hello Dough-friends,

Doughland is now looking very festive and as Christmas rapidly approaches all your friends here at the dream factory are working hard to "bake" certain that all kneaded Dumplings will be ready, present and correct for their new Christmas adventures!

Please remember our last date for baking is the 20th of December and then the Dream Factory closes until the 3rd of Jan. George and Gerry are off to Chile to chill and Spoons planning to be in Jersey, not the channel Islands Jersey,but he hopes to be sleeping in a warm woollen Jersey for a week to recover from the Christmas rush!........... That reminds me of a silly Joke that had me in stitches!................ why did the balls of wool itch? because they both had knits!..... SORRY!

We do enjoy telling you, just how important you all are to our little project, because without your valued support and help we will never reach our own dreams, and it made us think, we don't always remember or take the time to tell those who are close to, just how we feel about them, So why not this week, make a point of telling those you love and care about, just how much that really is................. Its always nice to know you're loved and valued! So this week in Doughland, its now officially "Extra val-you week!"

Pictured here is our new Dumpling friend Joan who after hearing our story, kindly selected Pixie Dumpling to be her first fresh baked friend, We love the fact that our little Dumplings appeal to all ages and its so refreshing when the child who is resting inside us all, is invited and allowed out to play.

Joan welcomes Pixie Dumpling into her life!

We must thank all of you who called at the little dream store at the weekend for the pleasure of your visit and the warmth of your support. We thank Linda Carman for finding us and helping spread my story further, To Emily from Cumbran for adding Martha to your batch and for choosing to be a Dumpling friend. To Mr and Mrs Wood for branching out next door! To the Dutch ladies late on Sunday night for your appreciation of our efforts, your Dumpling friendship is Doughlightfully appreciated, as indeed is yours, yes YOU, all you our "valued" Dumpling friends!

Warm dream filled thoughts,

Fondantly yours

Mrs D xxx

New baked friends!!!

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:10:12 +0000

Hello Flour friends,

Well as you can imagine its busy, busy, busy here in Doughland, We are rolling out tray loads of fresh bakes as fast as we can, your appetite for Dumplings is just fantastic and we do appreciate your support!

We must apologise to any cake mates who may have written to us here in Doughland and have never received a reply!!! Norman, yes Norman the Doughland postman faces the sack !!!, although normally Normans a good sort, It turns out he may have accidentally misdirected some of your emails to us in the last three months !!! So please, if you have written to us and not heard back, please do write to us again, as your letters and thoughts are important to us and Norman wants to keep his job!!!

Spoons been so busy and mixed up, he some how managed to fall out of the magic bowl and land head first in the sink and he nearly drowned! He then spent the whole day recovering, sat perched on the top of the Dream Factory's Christmas tree!! Very strange behaviour even for Spoon!, but then we realised what had happened, He must have swallowed a mouth full of washing up water, which was full of Fairy Liquid ! So he thought he was the Christmas fairy !!! so it really goes to show you should always DETER -GENTS from drinking washing up water! ................... Sorry! .................Golly! just how far can our jokes sink!!!!

We had a Dumpling Delicious weekend at the little dream store, We met and re met lots of delightful Dumpling friends. Fresh New Dumpling friend Olivia from Bury St Edmund's discovered the little Dream store and left in the company of her first baked friends, Kitty and Charlie, who are certain to be, if Olivia has her way, going to be joined by oven loads of lucky little friends in the times ahead and all of us in Doughland welcome Olivia and her Mum Nicola to the world of Mrs Dumpling and we are delighted you have discovered us and joined our little story!

Olivia meets her very first fresh baked friends!

Holly our Dumpling friend from Nottingham, who already houses a contented batch of Dumplings, Kindly visited us again to boost her bakes with a new little Christmas friend and headed home with Christmas Evie!

Holly and her special Christmas Evie!!!

Thank you to all who called and visited us at the weekend, we as always thank you for your valued support and Dumpling friendship.

We really do hope you like our little Christmas card to you? We will be introducing a range of Dumpling cards next year along hopefully with lots and lots of other fresh new ideas, and we really do hope you will like what we are planning because as we always say, You are the most important and magical ingredient in everything we are planning to cook, so please stay just as sweet as you are!

Until we chat again, Thanks for being you!

Your fortunate friend

Mrs D xxxx

A man of letters!

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:58:10 +0000

Hello Dough friends and a very warm welcome to more hot gossip from the Dream Factory!

As yet another week rapidly disappears into the little bread bin of life! Winter has at last made an appearance and soon Christmas and the wonders of another New Year will be with us, time flies and waits for Norman, Yes i know I said Norman! he's the postman in Doughland and at this time of the year no man is busier than Norman he really is the busiest mail in Doughland!

The ovens in the dream factory are currently working overtime with tray loads of fresh bakes being packed and made ready to become special friends to special people all around the world.

We must just give another little mention to our most senior Dumpling friend Doris from West Yorkshire, who on the 27th of November received Harry for her birthday present. Harry is to be a companion for the Dumpling doll she bought herself last year, Doris is 93 years young and we are proud to have her as our Dumpling collector and most senior Dumpling friend!

Happy birthday Doris, from all your friends in Doughland!!!!

Spoons been really busy mixing up a special Christmas cake that he and George and Gerry the gingerbread twins, had planned to present to Norman the postman as a little thank you gift for helping deliver all your letters to us here at the dream factory. They made the cake in the shape of a letter which was great until they decided to pop it into the post box to surprise Norman, and yes Norman was surprised!. its taken him a whole week to get the icing, sponge and jam cleaned from his sack! that was one special delivery Norman will never forget!!!

Once again at the weekend my little dream store was visited by lots of Dumpling friends, there's nothing we enjoy more than introducing my story to new friends and then seeing old friends return to help us spread the story further. At the weekend a whole batch of new bakes headed off to the Isle of Man, I hope they realised all our Manx bound Dumplings come with tales behind them!!!!

Isabelle, featured above was in London to see the show Matilda, She visited us at the little dream store and now she's at home showing Matilda Dumpling to her friends! We hope Isabelle and Matilda will now be life long companions and enjoy lots of fun filled moments and happy times together, As indeed we hope all our Dumpling friends will do.......................Our Dumpling club will be starting next year and we hope that our Dumpling friends of all ages will join and become part of our unfolding story!

Our Christmas card to you will open on the site from next week, please make sure you get to see it, it is addressed to you! ( and yes Norman helped deliver it!!! )

Well that's about all for now from Doughland, Please remember to mix with us again soon, until then,

Love hugs and warm Dumpling thoughts,

Your Friend forever

Mrs D xxx

Dream dates!

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:55:41 +0000

Greetings Dough friends!

Its time for another sifting of news, views and muses from Doughland!

We once again thankfully enjoyed the company of many Dumpling friends at the weekend, and as ever tray loads of fresh bakes headed off to new homes around the globe!

We are delighted that so many people return to our little dream store to help spread our comforting confections far and wide and we really do appreciate your continued custom and friendship. Our shop on line is also now thriving and we are all working hard in the bakery to keep up with your appreciated support.

Those of you who are regular visitors to Doughland, will already know we are quite used to funny things occurring with the magic bowl.................... but on Sunday the funniest thing ever happened!!! A lady from the North west was absolutely stunned and delighted to discover our little dream store!!! Sadly having lost her mother very recently, she had been having a strange dream all week long!...... and in It featured an old mixing bowl? As soon as she spotted the magic bowl she recognised it as the one in her dream and when she read the Dumpling recipe she honestly felt her dream had been explained. She was happily introduced to Georgia ( another Georgia!!! ) Dumpling and announced to all the other visitors present how her dream had been magically broken!!! Naturally everyone present was bowled over!!! ( sorry I just couldn't resist that one!!! ) and the lady was delighted to invite Georgia home to be her very special comforting companion...........................................

Well doughboys and girls we have lots of work to do, so will end here and hope you will please call back again soon.

Until we chat some more.

Love hugs and dream filled days to you all,

Stay as sweet as you can!

Your friend in flour.

Mrs D xxxx

Here's a little picture of our Dumpling friends Rob and Lindsay and family with the latest addition to their batch of Norfolk Dumplings!

PS Our Christmas card will be appearing on the site soon please do remember to call back and see it!!!

Buy Georgia!

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:45:15 +0000

Hello Bake-mates!

Well its getting really busy here in Doughland, Spoon and the little dream team are working flat out, making sure all the required fresh bakes will be ready for their special Christmas dates!

Once again at the weekend lots of our kneaded friends fortunately found places they were needed.

Our Dumpling Dolls often get selected by thoughtful people as gifts for those they love and care about, as a little messenger for words that can not always be expressed and easily said. Millie Dumpling was lovingly selected by Sharon for her sister Carol from Bickley in Kent, who although already having spent the past 14 months in hospital, still faces a long and arduous time ahead. Millie will now be doing her Dumpling best to add a tiny crumb of comfort and companionship on Carols journey to recovery........................ everyone in Doughland also send our very best wishes to Carol and its our sincerest wish that you and Millie are able together to visit our little dream store in the very near future!

Millie was the wining Dumpling selected to do her Dumpling best and accompany Carol win her brave fight to recover!............... Our Dumplings are "bread" to rise to any challenge!!!

Funny things often happen at the dream store and at the weekend it happened again. It was just over a week ago, that we featured on here a young Dumpling friend called Jorja meeting and choosing a birthday baked Dumpling! Well this weekend, a new cake-mate from the North East of England also picked a birthday bake (and she was even wearing a badge of a cake!!!) and so Jessica Dumpling was selected and when we asked the new Dumpling friends name it again turned out to be Georgia......... Gee whizz !

Crumbs! don't they look great together! Fresh baked birthday mates Georgia and Jessica Dumpling!

Well that's about all the news for this entry, but just time to say there will hopefully be lots of new and exciting things happening at Doughland very soon and we hope you will all be joining us as we bake and take things further, It's only with your Dumpling friendship and support that our little project can really be cooked. You are the vital ingredient in our recipe for the future, So please remember if you have enjoyed and like being apart of my story to tell a friend as well.................................. Sweet thoughts to all.

Your Friend

Mrs D xxxx

PS To regular cake mates Lindsey and Robin, sorry you will be featured here next week ! And to our good Dumpling friend Linda Buy " wow" thank you for your continued support, do please keep buying. That's it now, so it really is Buy Bye from Doughland until the next time !!!

Special moments!

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:59:28 +0000

Hi Dough-pals, Warm greetings from the Dream Factory!

Well that's it guys, fireworks night has come and gone, this years certainly rocketed by hasn't it! Thankfully we had a sparkling weekend at Covent Garden, lots of fresh bakes headed off with new dough-mates.We hope all who called and left us with a new found friend are getting on really well with your new Dumpling companions and that you enjoyed your visit with us, just as much as we enjoyed yours?

Christmas is now just around the corner, and we are all busy here in Doughland making sure that a certain kindly gentlemen with a white beard and red suit will be able to deliver all wanted Dumplings to those who would like like the company and comfort of a little fresh baked friend this Christmas! Our little shop on line will be open until the 20th of December which will be the very latest date to bake, So please make sure you get your letters in early to Santa as we don't want any Christmas disappointments do we ?

A quick happy birthday to the young lady below from Buckhurst Hill who invited Katie Dumpling to be her new birthday cake mate and help celebrate her special day.

Katie and her new friend ( it was fire works night when Kathrine-wheeled, out a new best friend! )

As you know, all our customers and friends are special, and on Sunday we had an extra special meeting with some really very special folks. Teachers and helpers ( no! not Santa's little helpers! ) from the Springfield Special School called in at the dream store and decided some of our little kneaded friends were needed for special roles in their special school, and so Jessica and Charlie Dumpling felt very special, when they were selected to be special school friends! The school will now hopefully be helping leak my story in leek and so to the nurture staff in staffs, we send our very special Dumpling thanks and trust Jessica and Charlie will always do their Dumpling best and to let you know your visit with us was especially doughlightful!

Special kneads feel needed!

All of us here in Doughland, really value your Dumpling friendship and appreciate your amazing support, without you, our little project would always remain purely just a dream, so it's thanks to you and your encouragement that we are now looking forward to some very exciting times ahead and it's our wish that you will please continue to share in all our future plans and adventures, as without you, our project will never be properly baked! and yes we are talking about you!!!! Yes all you, our special Dumpling friends!

Deep filled thanks, yours when ever kneaded!

Mrs D xxxx

Birthday Bakes and Bangla-dash

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:12:44 +0000

Hello Munchkins!

Hope all is good with you? Everybody here at the Dream factory enjoyed Halloween, Spoon dressed up as a ghost by dipping himself in flour, he kept floating all around the bakery, (it was self raising flour!!!) he then dipped himself in golden syrup and played "treacle-treat!......................... sorry another bad joke !!!!!!!!!!!

At the weekend tray loads of new bakes found new homes and we even had our first dumpling head off to Bangladesh. Thank you to all who called and visited us, we trust you are happy with your new found friends!

Our very best Dumpling wishes go to Jorja from Colchester, who very kindly and thoughtfully invited Pippa Dumpling to be her special friend. Pippa popped out from the oven just in time to make it as a special birthday bake. The photo shows the new cake mates looking forward to celebrating Jorjas birthday together and we look forward to their future visits ...... so yes Jorja we really do wish you many happy returns!!!

Well dough friends its a really busy week in Doughland so I will end our chat here, Please be sure and call back soon, until then, Stay as sweet as you are!

Love and Dumpling thoughts

Your friend as always

Mrs D xxxx

Victoria stations Lottie!

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:30:56 +0000

Hello Cake-Mates!

Welcome to another brush with the little egg wash of life that is Doughland.

We had another Dumpling delightful weekend, with lots of old and new friends visiting us at my little dream store.

A lucky batch of 14 Dumplings joined one far flung family and got to visit France Spain Italy and even Australia. We thank Alan and his delightful family for their valued support and for helping spread the Dumpling word far and wide! We hope Sunday went as well as it could for you.

Nothing makes us happier than when a Dumpling doll gets to find the perfect home and makes a special friend for life! A young lady called Victoria from Camberley in Surrey, visited us a little while ago with her family and whilst she wasn't ready on that visit to house a Dumpling, she promised she would soon return and then choose a special friend. On Sunday Victoria did indeed return and this time she left in the company of a carefully selected Dumpling . Victoria has promised Lottie Dumpling will be just the first in her now planned batch, so from Lottie will there now be lots? We do hope so!

Lottie Dumpling looks up to Victoria and knows she's now in very good hands!

Talking of hands!!! I had to rush to the doctors yesterday. I came out in a very strange rash, my hands looked like they were covered in a mixture of chocolate gateaux, victoria sandwich and lemon drizzle cake?????? The doctor said there was nothing really to worry about and it would soon go, It was just a bad case of sponge fingers !!!! He gave me some cream, I asked if this would help clear it up? he said no! but it would make it taste a lot better and not be nearly so dry!!............. OK it was a joke, (a handy one!) and one that was very nearly funny!!

Well Dough-friends that's all for now.

Be happy, then be happier still and then please remain the happiest you've been.

Your Friend

Mrs D xxx

Dream Vocations!

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:28:08 +0000

Hello Jelly-beings!

Welcome to yet another spoonful of trifling titbit's from the little sweet custard pot of life that is Doughland!

We are all extremely busy in the bakery, thanks to another bumper batch of fresh baked friends leaving us for helpful roles around the globe!

Our weekend began with old customers rushing back for kneaded new bakes and ended with new bakes rushing of to Russia with new customers.............................. Billy and Becky featured below are off to Moscow, we are really delighted so many Russian people enjoy the story of Mrs Dumpling and her comforting confections and that many of her little creations are then invited to visit, we hope they will remember to PUTIN a good word for us at the top!

To Russia with our Love!

Regular visitors and established Dumpling friends, will already know how the Dumpling Dolls were created to help when ever and where ever they can, So we were delighted at the weekend to learn of a Dumplings latest special mission...................

We met a lovely lady from Suffolk, who now works for a charity that runs an orphanage in Madurai in Southern India. She herself invited a Dumpling called Abbie to accompany her to India and help introduce Mrs Dumpling and her dolls to the children housed there. Abbie was joined by a little Dumpling called Hope, who just knew it was her Dumpling duty to also meet the children and spread a little kneaded love!

Abbie added a little Hope on her Indian orphanage mission!

Our dolls are often purchased to be presented to those in need of a little lift and given as a special thoughtful gift by those who care. This weekend we heard of quite a few dolls being lovingly selected for this role and we all at the dream factory pass on our very best wishes and trust all the little confections will help to lift the spirits and do their very Dumpling best to help!

A pair of Dumplings are becoming very popular as special wedding gifts, often being exchanged between the newly weds themselves!

Dumplings Leo and Lucy were purchased at the weekend by Mandy and Gabriel who discovered our little Covent Garden dream store whilst on honeymoon from their home in Hong Kong! We wish the couple much happiness together and of course that goes for the Bride and Groom as well !!!!

Chinese fortune cookies for wedding baked Dumplings Leo and Lucy as they head home to Hong Kong with smashing honeymoon couple Mandy and Gabriel. Many Congratulations folks it was a pleasure meeting you and thanks for your Dumpling support.

We had our very first Dumpling doll head off to the beautiful Island of Mauritius,. Now as you might well know that was the Island that famously housed the long extinct Dodo! Now we sincerely hope the Dough Dough dolls that are the Dumplings will last a lot longer!!!

Sarah very kindly Invited Tilly to be the very first Mauritian Dumpling! Sarah is training to be an accountant, So we do hope she will figure out how to add to her Dumpling numbers soon!

Well Dough folks that's about it for now, we hope you enjoyed this little taste of life in Doughland and that you will call back again soon.............please do-do!!!

Warm thoughts to all.

Love and Hugs

Mrs D xxxx

Oh Man!

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:01:40 +0000

Hello Favoured Flour Folk

Welcome to another sifting of fresh baked news rolled out to you from Doughland.

A quick question dough-mates, why was the pastry out of breath ??? ..... because he was puffed of course! OK so it's not funny but it's a lot better than what's coming up next!

Spoons been his mixed up self as usual, He's just spent the past three days stuck head first in a bowl of sand???? He claims he is now officially a desert spoon! George and Gerry made matters much worse by trying to free him whilst dressing up in Arab head-wear and squirting him with banana flavoured milk and asking if that made them a couple of Milk sheiks? They finally managed to use their loaves and prise him out of the bowl using two slices of bread!, claiming they had just invented the sand-wedge!!! Oh man...... it's mad here!!! Now talking of Oman we had two Dumplings leave us for Oman, but both were little girl Dumplings so no man to Oman!!........ Oh dear!!

At the Weekend loads of new Dumpling friendships were made with lots of Dumpling dolls being purchased for Christmas gifts.

Amongst our visitors to the little dream store came Tricia and Pauline from Aylesford and Rainham in Kent, who eventually left us with Six now found friends. They have now become the official Kent Dumpling Doughnuts are are promising to spread the Dumpling word.

Happy Jam packed Doughnuts head home to Kent!

There's nothing nicer for us than when Dumpling dolls are invited to become inter-generational family friends. At the weekend A charming mother and daughter from Southport Merseyside selected three Dumplings to be Christmas gifts for family members but then decided they too also needed a little fresh baked friend, so they both chose a Dumpling doll to call their own!

Two of the Southport five are presently in safe hands! This remind us to state that our Dumpling Dolls are not just for Christmas they are for the present too!

Well Cupcakes that's all the latest news from Doughland at yeast for now! Please remember to call back again soon because without your visit Doughland would not be as half as sweet and we would been talking to ourseleves!!

Stay Sweet

Your Friend always

Mrs D xxxxx

First I ran , Then you ran, then we ran

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:40:34 +0000

Hello Bake-mates!

Gosh its hot here in Doughland, the sun is smiling and its really baking hot!! Lets all enjoy it while we can as Winters just around the corner and soon we will all be iced!!

Spoons been injured again!!! He was attacked by two irate hens, who caught him beating up their eggs! He was left very mixed up, covered in flour, milk and a pinch of salt, so he was very badly battered! Both chickens are known to the flying squad and have records as assault and battery hens!............ OK it's a joke! not a cracking good one but still a joke. George and Gerry crumbled up laughing when I told it to them.

We love it when my little fresh baked friends get to visit somewhere new, and last weekend Holly and Amy Dumplings ran off together to Iran, and became our very first Iranian Dumplings.

Holly and Amy who ran first to Iran!

Three little comforting confections trotted off happily to Swindon to win their Spurs with the Spurrs family. Olivia Poppy and Bonnie Dumpling were invited to accompany three generations of the family in all their future adventures

Now that really does make us a proper family bakers!

To everyone who visited us and invited a new friend home , we as always thank you for your Dumpling support and valued custom and trust your new little Dumpling companion, really will be a fresh baked friend for life!

Roll on sweet things for you all.

Love and Hugs, your friend in flour

Mrs D xxxx

Roll playing!!!

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:51:59 +0000

Hello Sweet-things

Welcome to all the very latest news views and tasty bits of gossip from the dream factory, All of us here are delighted you've dropped by for another slice from the little toaster of life, that is Doughland!

At the weekend, more tray loads of fresh baked lucky little Dumpling Dolls headed off to lots of new and exciting destinations, and my little story will again hopefully get to be told and retold in many different places, but no matter what language it gets told in, the most important and essential ingredient in the story is always you our Dumpling friends because without your participation and support the magic recipe would never be complete.

Isabella from Dulwich gives little Ellie Dumpling a helping hand to begin their Dumpling adventures together!

And finally George, Gerry and Spoon have been acting half baked once again, they spent ages making dough models of London's Tower Bridge and one of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge! Stupid boys, they must have misunderstood when I asked them to make some bridge rolls! Heaven knows what we are going to do with them, guess we will just have to cross that bridge when we come to it, needless to say it cost a fortune in flour, So I suppose they may well be kneading a bridging loan to pay for them!!!

Well Dough folks that's all for now, promise to roll back soon, until then stay sweet!

Your Friend forever

Mrs D xx

knead a gift ?

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:47:29 +0000

Hello Dough friends.

Hope all is good with you?

All of us here at the Dream Factory are well and happy. We are all very busy keeping up with the demand for our little fresh baked friends!

Our newly decorated web shop seems to be thankfully working well, with on-line orders popping up all the time. If you are maybe thinking of presently presenting presents to people, please perhaps possibly prudently purchase planned presents prematurely, preventing possible potential problems persisting, particularly pre-Christmas. proper precautions placate problems permeating permanently............................. Phew! and to think as a child, I never really did like peas!

At the weekend lots of old and new friends visited my little Dream Store in Covent Garden and as always many lucky new bakes were kindly invited to share in all your hopes and dreams. We thank you all, for allowing our little confections into yours and those you care about lives, we trust and hope that sweet things will happen for you all.

Alice and Jack Dumpling began their special duties by bringing smiles to the Stenton family from Bury St Edmund's, Who we must say got our weekend off to a smashing start by kindly inviting these two lucky little fresh bakes to share in their happy days ahead.

Kenny Dumpling was selected to become the first Male in the batch being gathered by Karen from County Durham, who's total now stands at 4 and she promises us it is set to continue to rise. We took a photo of Kenny and Karen but regrettably it failed to turn out, we will endeavour to feature Karen and her batch in a future entry!!!

We had a delightful couple of Ladies visit us from Sweden and who invited Ellie to join them and be a Dumpling companion to their Grand Daughter, Ellie as you can see was bowled over to be invited to join them.

Sweden bound Ellie mixes in well!

Dumplings are often given as special gifts to all sorts of people and make the perfect thoughtful present to the young, the younger and the youngest at heart! Three delightful ladies from Derbyshire wanted Dumplings to join them and decided it would be perfect to exchange them as gifts for Christmas, So Abbie, Faith and Jessica were wrapped to be asked to present themselves for Dumpling Duty!

Remember please, A Dumpling is not just for Christmas they are for the present too!

Anne featured below started off deciding to purchase one little fresh bake then got the Dumpling taste and together with her friend invited 6 little Dumplings home to Scotland, now that's a ready made batch!

The very first of Anne's happy half dozen!

Finally featured below is Poppy and her new owner from Christchurch in New Zealand, who met and knew they were just made for each other, Poppy is as you can see now in very good hands! Shes been selected to pop off to help bring a little happiness to a school in Christchurch, that was very badly damaged in the earthquakes that hit the region earlier this year, We hope Poppy gets to build some lasting friendships and does her Dumpling best to help. Our thoughts go to all who meet Poppy and all here at the dream factory send you our Dumpling best wishes.

There is always a Dumpling just waiting for the right home and their owner to turn up, it just takes a little mix and match and then the friendship is baked! A Dumpling is ready when asked, to be a kneaded friend, whenever they are needed!

Well that's all the news from Doughland

Love and warm hugs

Mrs D xxxx

Global Warmings!

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 21:01:38 +0000

Hello Fondant Friends,

We are ever so busy in the bakery, So just time for a little sprinkling of happy thoughts from Doughland.

We had a bumper record breaking weekend at the little dream store and tray fulls of fresh bakes headed off in all directions, From Sweden to Saudi Arabia ,from Turkey to Thailand from Australia to Russia , Kneaded friends set off to places needed! Thank you to one and all for your Dumpling support and for spreading my little comforting confections so far and wide!

Swedish smiles as Anna heads home to Stockholm.

Turkish delight as Abbie and Edward headed off to Turkey, Annie was also selected but was too busy saying her Dumpling farewells to feature here.

Deserting us for the desert, Georgie joins Dumpling friends already made in Saudi Arabia, if he thought the oven was hot, wait to he feels the baking heat of the gulf!

Near or far, all of my little Dumplings crave a place to call home and a special friend to share their days with. So please help us spread the word further and tell a friend to visit us here in Doughland, you are our very best advert for my little story, so please tell a friend to call.

Now for a little footnote! I trod in a bowl full of cake mix and had all these lumps appear on my feet, went to the Doctors and he told me there is nothing to worry about, it's just a BUN-ion or two!

See you soon?

Love and sweet moments to you all.

Your forever friend.

Mrs D xxx

Jam packed weekend!

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:12:46 +0000

Hello Dough friends,

Thank you for joining us and catching up with all that's new from Doughland, We hope you will enjoy this latest serving of sweet talk and gossip from the Dream Factory!

We had another happy jam packed Dumpling delicious weekend at my little dream store with oven loads of fresh baked friends making lots of new warm friendships.

We must give a little Dumpling mention to the Hinduja family from New York, who found themselves stranded in London because of Hurricane Irene and then luckily discovered my little dream store and kindly invited two little Dumplings to join them. We do not know much about Hurricanes but we were very thankful that Irene blew Shauna and her smashing family our way, it was a really Dumpling delightful and fortunate meeting! and we thank them for their valued support.

We also had our first Dumpling Doll heading off to Cambodia, when Dannie Dumpling was chosen to help Emms teach English, we hope my story gets told and retold often and that lots more little Dumpling Dolls will eventually join Dannie in her new home and we all in Doughland wish her a dream vocation!

The little Dumpling pictured below is off to Brigstock near Corby Northants, Adam and Joanne carefully selected her from the batch to be a special Dumpling friend for their daughter and then surprised us all when they drew the name Olivia out, which was the name of their daughter? Some things are just meant to be, I think you will all agree!!!

Adam and Joanne kindly welcome Olivia into their daughters life!

Just time to tell you about Spoons latest misadventure, He found himself stuck head first in a bowlful of sugar and strawberries............... claims he wasn't so much stuck as jammed!!!

Well that's all sweet-things for now.

Please stay happy, please stay safe but most of all please stay you!

Love and warm thoughts

Mrs D xxx

Hot gossip and warm whispers!

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:38:53 +0000

Hello Sponge-cakes!

Time again for another little dusting of sweet thoughts from Doughland!

All is really sweet and candy here and we hope it is with you too?

Spoons been acting very mixed up as usual and he's been in quite a stir. He keeps asking for a puppy!!! says he really wants a whippet as they just can't be beat, or if not one of these then he wants a doughbermen!!!!!

The Gingerbread twins are working hard, sorry that's a mistake, they are actually hard work, keeping them in order is a full time job for this busy little baker, even getting them up in the morning is hard, I guess i really should have made them self raising!!!

One of the nicest thing about my little dream store in Covent Garden, is that people from all over the world get to meet the Dumpling dolls and so lots of my little fresh bakes get spread all around the globe. Dumpling Dolls are now located far and wide and my story gets told and retold in many different languages, but one thing doesn't change, no matter what country they are located in, and that is, my little comforting confections are always willing to be a special kneaded little friend when ever one is needed!

At the weekend Marisa and her Gran visited us again from Lowestoft, and Hannah and Adam Dumpling were happily added to her batch and Marisa also got to place her order for her special Christmas bakes.

Smiles galore as two new lucky little fresh bakes head home with our Dumpling friend Marisa!

As lots of you already know, the naming bowl is always surprising us with its little bits of magic. This weekend we again had lots of special moments, none more so than when Diane from Windsor couldn't resist the call of a little fresh baked friend waiting to be her special companion. Millie was magically selected to be her very special friend. All here in Doughland hope and trust Millie and Diane will now find much future health and happiness together and we know for certain that Millie will always do her Dumpling best to help!

Thank you to all our customers old and new for your valued support and kindness, we are happy and delighted to have you as our Dumpling friends!

Well there will be more news from my little dream factory soon, so please be sure and hurry back to catch up on all the fresh gossip and fun from your friends in Doughland, until then stay sweet!

Love and warm comforting hugs,

Your Friend always

Mrs D xxx

Currant things!

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:47:10 +0000

Hello Dough-friends

Sorry, its been quite a while since I wrote in my diary but I have been a really busy little baker with lots of rolls to fill!

Life in Doughland is thankfully very good, and I hope it's good with you, where ever you are!

Oven loads of my fresh bakes are still being dispatched to homes around the world and lots of new Dumpling friendships have begun.

Dumpling dolls are bought for all sorts of reasons, lots are chosen as little pick me ups when a lift is needed or as a thoughtful special present, gifted by someone who cares, lots are purchased when words themselves are not always quite enough, but for whatever the reason, my little comforting confections are always chosen with love and care and are carefully baked using the same ingredients!

On Saturday Lucy Dumpling was lovingly picked to be a little fresh baked friend to Audrey Beverage by her thoughtful daughter and when she was collected from the dream store by Audrey's Granddaughter Claire and her partner Phil, they too ended up housing their own Dumplings Chloe and Josh in their first home. Thank you for your support and kindness we sincerely hope our little fresh bake friends do their Dumpling best for you all!

Lucy,Chloe and Josh, new fresh baked friends!

The Magic naming bowl always seems to conjure up a few surprises. On Sunday, three times in a row the magic bowl produced the names of the person the new bake was being presented to!

Holly pictured below was picked to be the special companion to Holly and her parents just knew they had selected the perfect Dumpling!

Holly Dumpling Bowls them over!

Spoon, George and Gerry are back from their holidays and are all looking rested. Spoon spent two weeks learning to swim in a bowl of dried mixed fruit, he enjoyed the adventure but had trouble floating because of the strong currants! George and Gerry spent their time resting in a broken toaster, They also had a good time but found it a little boring as nothing really popped up!

LATE NEWS! Earlier today a fight broke out between a bag of self raising flour and a bag of plain flour, we do not yet know who's to blame, but the police are currently sifting through the evidence!

That's all for now flour-friends, remember please stay as sweet as you are!

Love Hugs and warm wishes as always

Mrs D xx

Dough pals

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:42:16 +0000

Hello Sweet Things,

It’s time to sift through the very latest news from Doughland. It’s been very hot and sunny, so it really feels like summer has at last arrived here at the Dream Factory. George and Gerry the gingerbread twins have been toasting themselves in the sun and they are both glowing nicely. Spoon has been resting headfirst in a bowl of cold custard and jelly trying to keep cool; obviously he looks a trifle silly but that’s just typical of our little mixed up friend!

Me? I’m busy getting ready for the publication of our very first book, there is still lots to do but it’s getting nearer to being cooked and we think it will be out in time for Christmas. Please keep visiting us for all the latest news and remember that our Dumpling Club will be starting soon with lots of exciting things planned! The weekend at my little Dream Store was, as always, sweet filled and Dumpling delightful, with lots of my little fresh bakes again invited to join up with family and new friends far and wide. From Australia to Almeria, from Saudi Arabia to Switzerland, our lucky little Dumpling Dolls again headed off to help spread the story and a little Dumpling happiness around the world.

We welcomed many Dumpling friends back to the dream store and lots of new Dumpling Friendships began

Home bound From Doughland more lucky little fresh bakes find the nicest homes!

Well, Dough Friends that’s about all for now. Do please join us again soon because Doughland is always a much happier place when you are around. Remember to also tell your friends about us and help spread the Dumpling word to those who, like you, will also enjoy the comfort of a little warm freshly baked happiness.

Love and Hugs as always,

Mrs D xxx

What's Cooking!

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 08:55:18 +0000

Hello Doughmates!

We have had a little break from the diary as it's holiday time in Doughland and everyone has packed their pastry cases and gone away, so there's been very little to report............................

Thankfully as always there are still cake tins full of fresh bakes being housed and new unions made.

We have had lots of happy deserving Dumplings desert us for the desserts of the Gulf region and we have now also held our very first official Dumpling reunion, when Poppy popped off with Hanta to be the first Dumpling to live on the Reunion Islands, located in the Indian Ocean! Gosh our Dumplings really do get to travel far and wide don't they!

We have had this lovely photo sent in by Dumpling friend Mrs Hadley from Northern Ireland and we thought we would share it with you.

We are now about to expand the gallery section of the Dream Factory, so we would ask that you please submit your own Dumpling happy shots for inclusion, just email us your photos and as usual please do your Dumpling best!

Until we waffle on again, Happy holidays to you all.

Yours in deep filled friendship

Mrs D xxx

New Dumpling Rolls !

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:45:39 +0000

Hello Fondant Friends,

Thanks for calling in to sample another slice from the sweet cake tin of life that is the Dream Factory!

Doughland has as ever been a happy place to be this week, we had another delicious Dumpling delightful weekend at my little Dream store and oven loads of fresh bakes headed off to lots of loving homes.

On Saturday, Maisie was one of the very first little Dumpling dolls picked to leave us and she very happily headed off with the Winstanley family, who carefully selected her to be their first baked friend .............. Funny enough they had been up to see the show Les Miserables, but more happier and nicer people you could "Notts" hope to meet, so we know Maisie Dumpling will now be sharing a much less miserable time in Nottingham...............!

Maisies the victor Hugos (who goes!) to les(s) miserable people ( "oh gosh now thats a really pad bun!" says Spoon mixing up his words as usual............ spoonerisims! )

Our good Dumpling friends Mr and Mrs Woods, called again and added to their batch with the addition of Alfie, and they shared with us the fact that Katie Dumpling had been taken with them on their recent holiday to Egypt (of course we asked had she seen her Mummy! ). Alfie now makes number 12, so we thank Mr and Mrs Woods for their continued support and glad they openly shared the story about Katie's Egyptian adventure and they are not in De- Nile!

Two very lucky Dumplings, Daisy and Polly put their best feet forward, when they were invited to Join the Body Basics Dance Academy from Victoria Australia on their European tour. We thank Morgan and Anita for their support and for allowing our little confections to join their troupe. We hope the rest of your tour was successful and rewarding.

Our Dumpling dancing duo take their first steps down under.................................

Oh yes!!! Our very best Dumpling birthday wishes go to Nikki , Who kindly selected Emma to be her birthday present and Emma was presented to Nikki by partner Sam who was also present!

Nikki, Sam and Emma, All Dumpling present and correct!

Finally just one last new Dumpling friendship to report on, is that of Faith, who is heading off to Long island, New York with Lauren. Lauren and Brian are currently an ocean apart ( Brian is living in London! ) but they at least now know they can always keep the faith together!

Lauren and Brian and their faith full Dumpling friend!

Well cakes mates that's all the news views and latest little tit bits of gossip from Doughland for now, Thanks for visiting us, please be sure and call and see us again soon, the Dream Factory is never as sweet with out your company.

Until we meet again, remember to be as good as you can and stay as sweet as you are.

Love hugs and sweet filled Dumpling dreams to you all.

Your friend forever

Mrs D xxx

Currant events !!!

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:35:08 +0000

Hello Light-bites!

Time for a few more crumbs of gossip from here in Doughland.

A big batch of new bakes left the dream store at the weekend to begin all sorts of exciting Dumpling adventures. To all who called and left with a little fresh baked friend we thank you for your support and Dumpling friendship. We hope you will now be lifelong companions and forever a comfort to each other!

Miss placed!

Two lucky little Dumplings heading off on their new missions with a young lady called Miss Haven Nutt who took Miss Polly and Mister Oliver-Adam Dumpling to Mississippi, needless to say we are missing them!!!

Miss Haven and her Mississippi bound Miss Polly and Mister Oliver-Adam Dumpling.

More Dumpling folks head to Suffolk folk!

We had lots of of visitors from Lowestoft this weekend including our friend Marisa's Nan, so her batch of Dumplings was increased yet again when little Leonard was very kindly invited to join her collection and to be a companion for Lily! Marisa is visiting us herself in August, so we better get busy baking! Thanks again for your appreciated Dumpling support.

Also happily heading off to Lowestoft is Hannah, who was lovingly picked to be the Dumpling companion to a lady called Anne by her daughter and daughter in-law; very regrettably Anne suffers from MS. So we sincerely hope Hannah does her Dumpling best and we thank her "girls" for giving her this very special role!

Hannah Dumpling is bowled over to be "Kneaded" to be Anne's special little comforting confection!

Life's Great in Notley!

Great big Dumpling best wishes go to great friend Dumplings Rose and Lily, who were greatly surprised but greatly delighted when they were selected to be Dumpling friends to great friends Mia and Finny! We do hope you all have a great time together in Great Notley. We hope you do your great big Dumpling best and we are grateful for your great support!

Just hope this message doesn't grate to much!!!

Finally, we must tell you about Spoons latest misadventure! Which resulted in another trip to hospital for our very mixed up friend.

Spoon was busy stirring up a batch of fruit scone mix when all of a sudden he fell from the bowl and began to glow! Turns out he hadn't been watching what he was doing, and as he was racing around the bowl he tripped and fell over a sultana and a raisin and then, because he never got fully round the bowl, this caused a short circuit and so he got an electric shock from a currant!.................... OK it's a silly joke but you must admit you laughed!

Well Dough-mates that's all the latest news from the dream factory for now. Please remember to write to us here in Doughland as we love to hear from you. There's nothing better for a little baker than receiving flan-mail.

Love and sweet Dumpling hugs and as always here when ever Kneaded

Your Friend

Mrs D xxx

When Candy is not dandy!

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:03:10 +0000

Hello Flour-friends,

Here I am back again with more fresh news and views from Doughland.

Firstly, thank you to all who visited us at the weekend. It was baking in Covent Garden, so the Dumplings felt right at home but they all still needed housing!

As always lots of my little confections headed off all around the world to begin their Dumpling missions. We now have Anna Dumpling housed in Alaska........... so I guess we can rightly claim our first baked Alaskan, we really hope Anna enjoys her new home in Fairbanks and she is warmly welcomed there and melts a few hearts!

Lily and Harry( below) happily headed off to Ashford in Kent to begin their Dumpling duties, we trust they are settling in well with their new found friends?

Raising a new Dumpling batch in Ashford!

Also calling at the Dream store at the weekend, were two young ladies from Guildford who had an encounter with two Dumplings called Georgie and Candy, after which they all happily left together to begin a lifetime of wishes and dreams. Megan and Molly were exactly the special loving friends the two lucky Dolls had wished for to share in all their Dumpling adventures !

Fresh baked friends for ever!

Ezzie pictured below with her new Dumpling friend had a strange encounter with the magic naming bowl. She too pulled the name Candy out for her doll............. but as that's the name of the family car ??? we thought it would be a good idea if we parked Candy back in the bowl and picked another name, she then pulled out the name Grace, so the moral of this story is................ if you pick the wrong name out, don't worry its ezzy as Ezzie found out, as a second name can be a saving grace!

Grace Dumpling is the new driving force in helping Ezzie hopefully reach all her wishes and dreams!

We love nothing better than when Dumpling friends return to the Dream store to house another Dumpling, and thankfully this is happening more and more. On Sunday Ashlee from Cockfosters, who has already befriended a Dumpling called Faith, returned to choose a Doll to be a companion for her Nanny and to share her forth coming birthday...................... We were informed Ashlee's Mum will also soon be inviting a Dumpling into her life! Thank you so much, as you know all my Dumplings are just bred to be spread!

Ashlee's nan bred Dumpling Olivia!!!

We are really Dumpling delighted that my dolls are being invited into more and more peoples homes and we thank you all for welcoming our little confections into yours and the ones you love and care about lives.

Until we chat again, Please stay as sweet as you are and as good as you know you can be!

Love and Dumpling hugs,

Your Friend always

Mrs D xxx

Lots of sweet moments!

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:41:30 +0000

Hello Cake-mates,

At last, time for a few more little crumbs of comfort from the Dream Factory. All is well and happy here in Doughland. A new batch of fresh baked friends entered the cake tin of life and headed home with new found friends on all sorts of wondrous missions and adventures. The weekend got off to a flying start with a batch of five heading off to Russia and new loving homes in Moscow. My little creations are, it seems, very popular over there and the word is spreading sweetly.................спасибо SPASIBA! (Thanks! to all our Russian friends )

Later, a sweet young lady called Faith kindly invited Jessica to be her Dumpling companion and they headed off happily together to Christchurch in Dorset for what we hope will be a long and lasting friendship.

We think Jessica's probably the curliest haired Dumpling to have ever been baked!

There's nothing nicer for us than when family's join together in the "Dumpling experience" and our thanks go to a couple, who having previously enjoyed introducing their grandparents and parents to a Dumpling, on Sunday picked Poppy to be their very own first baked friend. Guess what, they were actually on their honeymoon!

We really want our Dumplings to be enjoyed by all ages and so to think we already have three generations of Dumplings living on Jersey, makes us really happy. Thank you Mr and Mrs Buckley, we wish you and our first ever honeymoon Dumpling, much future happiness together.

Poppy joins her new family on honeymoon!

When my helpers at my Covent Garden dream store introduce my comforting confections to visitors, naturally not everyone ends up taking a new fresh baked friend home but most thankfully do enjoy hearing the story of how the Dumpling Dolls were created from those two tiny tears. On Sunday, brother and sister, Sophie and Charlie from Devon listened to the tale and decided that they too really wanted to invite a pair of Dumpling Dolls to share their adventures. Their Mummy and Daddy very kindly helped them house Holly and Tom, but it made me think- everyone who invites A Dumpling home must please remember wanting one is easy. The hard part is loving and looking after a Dumpling, as they all need a regular supply of your very own wishes and dreams to flourish, So please remember, just like Sophie and Charlie did , that A Dumpling's most important and magical ingredient is your own happiness and smile!

Happy Dumpling devoted Devonians Sophie and Charlie with their new very best friends Holly and Tom.

Well sweet-things, that's about all the gossip and chatter from here at the Dream factory, but before I go must just mention the Haves from Havant who kindly 'have' again and Kim Davies from Devon who enjoyed her visit and has promised to purchase a Dumpling every year for her daughter. Also a very big thank you to the lady from Ilford who is spreading the word and collected another batch of three for friends in Dumpling knead!

Do remember please to write and tell us your own Dumpling thoughts and adventures; all your letters and emails are really appreciated and enjoyed. Until we chat again,

Love and sweet thoughts to you all

Mrs D xxx

A chance for happiness!

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:25:18 +0000

Hello Munchkins!

Gosh we are lucky, each weekend come rain or shine oven loads of my little fresh baked friends are invited to become companions to special folk from all around the globe.

From our little Dream Store in Covent Garden my Dumpling Dolls get to travel to all corners of the world and help share and spread my story further.................... Never did I ever imagine that those first two tiny tears of magic would lead to such a flood of happiness!

This weekend, Dumplings Billy and Kitty were kindly invited to join Mr and Mrs Samuels as they celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary and they decided it would be sweet to exchange Dumplings as gifts to mark their special occasion. So now Billy and Kitty are off to Pontypridd for their own honeymoon and we hope they will end up as contented together as their new owners, Congratulations Mr and Mrs Samuels and thanks again for inviting our little confections to share in your happiness!

Billy and Kitty, happy ever after!

Dumplings often get selected because of some special magic pull or calling, That was certainly the case when a lovely young lady from Gloucestershire had a chance encounter with a little Dumpling, which led to an instant friendship. As you can see below "Chance" has really met his match and neither will ever be blue and alone again, as they are clearly made for each other!

A lucky Chance and his new special friend!

Well Pastry Pals that's all the news for now as we have lots to do in the factory, where more oven loads of Dumplings are being prepared for another hopefully jam packed weekend at my Dream Store. Perhaps we will get to see you there soon?

So until we meet again,thank you for your valued support.

Love, hugs and as ever deep filled wishes to you all

Mrs D xxx

A really good mix of friends

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:57:11 +0000

Hello to all my Special Bake-Mates,

Gosh! we had a marvellous mouthwatering marshmallow of a weekend, Oven loads of my happy fresh bakes met lots of happy fresh mates and lots of new Dumpling friendships began, to all who came and visited my little dream store, thank you for your time and most valued and appreciated support.

Here are just some of the new bakes with their new special sweet mates! I think you'll agree they all really seem made for each other! What a happy mix!

Grace and Polly ( above ) spotted each other and just knew they had to be friends!

Libby and Faith knew Dudley would do right for them! (they were actually looking for a shady spot!! and luckily someone in shades did just that! )

Maisey and Poppy had no hesitation in joining Ciara and Kirsten to help make their own little Dumpling dreams come true and accompanying them on all their happy dream filled adventures ahead.

All these lucky Dumplings and more found happy homes this weekend and whether you visited us from Norway or Norwood, we hope you will all enjoy lots of happy moments together and please remember that all my Dumplings are just bred to be spread, so please, if you get the chance tell someone you know about them and help spread the word a little further. Thank you

Well that's all from Doughland for now, please stay as sweet as you are

Your Friend always

Mrs D xxx

Baking Hot!

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 20:01:01 +0000

Hello, my little Cherry Muffins,

It has been so hot here in Doughland recently, and even though we have opened the windows as wide as we can, it doesn’t seem to help. In fact, we lost three batches of butterfly cakes yesterday when they all decided to flutter out of the window.

As usual, Spoon is full of hot air, and has been puffin and panting. The trouble is, the puffin wasn’t very happy dressed in pants, even if they were Gerry’s best pair, and so George had to take the puffin back to the cliff by the sea, where he had found it. He brought back some shingle from the beach instead and suggested Spoon made some rock cakes, but Spoon told him not to be so silly and gave him a stony stare.

Then Spoon decided to mix some more cakes, as we had lost all the butterfly ones. When I went to look at what he was doing, I said, ‘That’s not a very long cake, is it?’ ‘No’, he said, ‘it’s shortcake.’ Then he put a tiny loaf beside it. ‘And that’s shortbread,’ he added!

Anyway, the Dumplings then came up with a plan to cool us all down – they mixed up lots and lots of icing! So now we are all sitting in an icing igloo feeling much cooler – though, as Gerry points out, we should really call it an ig, because it doesn’t have a loo……..

Mind how you grow,

Mrs D. xxx

Branching out!

Tue, 31 May 2011 20:51:19 +0000

Now Wood you believe it, these two make it 11 !

Mr and Mrs Woods with their latest batch! Wow that's quite a family tree!!

Hello, Sweet flavoured flour-friends,

Well, at last here’s another fresh dusting of news, views and gossip from Doughland. Spoon’s been in big trouble, he’s just spent the last two days stuck in a bowl full of jelly and custard; thankfully George and Gerry eventually managed to pull him out, but obviously he was a trifle upset! Myself, I am at this moment on a diet. I’ve given up desserts for an hour or so, as I think this might well help me with pudding on wait! OK, that’s the silly jokes over with for this posting, but be warned there will be more soon!

The Dream Store was busy as ever at the weekend and lots of fresh baked friends headed off happily to new homes, The magic bowl was as usual helpful in finding the perfect names for very well chosen Dumplings: a Chloe went to Chloe in Brentwood, while pleasingly Poppy promptly popped off to Poppy in Pompey.............. perfectly picked presumably! A message to Neave from Reading, thank you for finding your new Dumpling friend Jessica on your birthday, we hope you come back to visit the Dream Store soon ... so we all in Doughland really do wish you many many happy returns!!!

I must also give a special little Dumpling mention to Marrissa, from Lowestoft in Suffolk, who is very kindly collecting lots of Dumplings with the help of her Nanny Maureen. Olivia was the latest Dumpling selected to join her growing batch. We thank you all for offering homes to our comforting confections. Your support is much valued.

Oh, and just in case Mr Filerman from Hollywood reads this, please don’t forget us! We really could do with a Dumpling boy called Oscar!

Until the next sprinkling of happy thoughts, stay sweet please.

Love and hugs

Mrs D xxx

Busy Busy Busy!!!!

Wed, 25 May 2011 14:20:52 +0000

Hello Munchkins,

Sorry but its all been a bit frantic here in Doughland so there's really only just time for a quick little word from the Dream factory, we are all very busy with lots of exciting little Dumpling projects at the moment, so my diary has been a little bit overlooked, but we will be bringing you up to date with all the very latest news here in my diary section very soon !

Must remember to tell you about two little Dumplings who went to the woods to play............................ more follows soon!

Oh yes and a quick message to Bianca and Natalie in Basle, please let Polly and Holly, just be the start!!! and allow lots more of their Dumpling friends a Swiss roll !

Love hugs and warm Dumpling thoughts to you all,

Mrs D xx

Twinkle Twinkle!

Mon, 09 May 2011 22:34:41 +0000

Little Star Attractions!

Hello Muffins!

All has not been well here in Doughland! George and Gerry the Gingerbread Twins have been in big trouble! They were both arrested. Yesterday at 6am the Dream Factory was raided by van loads of policemen who began searching the factory from top to bottom. George and Gerry were eventually packed off, both escorted by two burly police officers, into the back of one of the vans. When they asked why, they were told they were being taken to the police station for questioning. They both nearly choked on the large cake they were eating, which they had only just received from their cousin Gerhard from Germany. It turned out that it was all a very big mistake; the police believed the cake they were both eating was actually Stollen!! OK! It’s not a funny story but Spoon thought it was hilarious and he keeps laughing and repeating it over and over again, so much so the joke itself is turning into a life sentence and well past its cell by date!

Seriously now, Cake Mates, we had another tasty little weekend at the Dream Store, as Dumplings galore departed for their new vocations all around the world, beginning many new lifelong special Dumpling friendships. Two very lucky little Dumplings, Emma and Charlie didn't have to trek far home, only to Barnes in West London, but it was a trek with Shrek. You see, Emilia Jones is appearing in the new production Shrek at the theatre Royal in Dury Lane, and had met the Dumplings the previous weekend. She had decided she had to act as a Dumpling friend to Emma, while her smashing little brother Lucas also really liked the idea of inviting Charlie home to be his friend. The two appear starring in the photo above. (Shrek himself declined to appear in the photo as he had a giant list of things to do!) We wish Emilia a successful run in the show and thank Lucas for his supporting act. All the other Dumplings were really jealous of the loving home Emma and Charlie were offered, and, like Shrek, are now a little green, but then again, we all like to keep up with the Joneses, don't we?

Also, a little Dumpling thought goes to Tina from Rugby who selected Hope to be her new close friend, and we wish them a long healthy life together. One final mention to Joanne from Westchester, New York, who flew two Dumplings, Ellie and Lucy, home. We really enjoyed your visit and thanks for your very own Dumpling belief and support, it was most valued.

Well that's all the little crumbs of gossip from here at the Dream Factory. We wish all our special Dumpling friends delicious dreams and lots of magic moments.

Stay as sweet as you are,

Love and Hugs,

Mrs D xxx

Hello!

Fri, 06 May 2011 19:26:53 +0000

No royal icing!

Our very first Dumpling wedding! even the cake was in tiers!!

Off track !

Thu, 05 May 2011 13:09:49 +0000

Hello Cake-mates!

Just to report that everything is sweet and well here in Doughland and we hope that all is fine and candy with you. We managed to deliver another bumper bowl full of happy Dumplings all around the world at the weekend and lots of special new Dumpling friendships were begun.

Little Molly headed off to her new loving home in Denver, Colorado with the nicest of folks, whose family she was most certainly destined to join. Two Dumplings who caught the wedding fever, named William and Kate, (a really magical day, a really fairy tale wedding! We loved it!) are now happily off to honeymoon in Greenwich with their new best friends Josephine and Teresa.

Hannah made it to Antwerp, but very nearly didn't go, as it was only thanks to their coach home breaking down that Johnny and Nancy made it back to the Dream Store to pick up their new family member - Hannah. She was then hurried off home (we noted she seemed a little out of breath and chesty, but that’s probably because she is now happily a little Flemish Dumpling!!!)

Now a sad tale! .......... A short while ago a Little Dumpling called Georgie was selected to be best Dumpling friends with Sally, but unfortunately after a long and exciting day in London, Georgie was somehow left behind on the train and despite much searching has failed to be tracked! So if anyone travelling on the East Midlands line should happen to spot a little orange Dumpling looking rather sad and lost, would you please let us know and we will certainly reunite the Dumpling friends. The moral of this tale is, if you are travelling home on the railway, please remember you must train to get your Dumpling off safely! (Sally has a new Dumpling friend currently being baked, so a happy'ish ending is being cooked up.)

Well Munch-mates, that’s all the gossip and chat from the Dream Factory, please remember to call back soon for another little slice of the sweet life!

Until then I remain,

Your friend always and forever,

Mrs D xx

A Dumpling Wilts!

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:15:53 +0000

Morning Wedding bakes, it’s nearly the big day!

Well, we had yet another fun-filled weekend at the Dream Store; as usual lots of freshly baked Dumpling girls and boys were selected to be comforting companions sprinkled all over the world. We really do enjoy all your visits and greatly value your Dumpling support. We love baking my little comforting confections and sharing them with you, but most of all your friendship and kindness is the icing on our own cake!

We heard a strange little Dumpling tale that we felt we had to share with you and hope that it will act as a warning to all those with special friends.

Not so long ago three little Dumplings were selected to live happily together in Salisbury Wiltshire. One Dumpling Olivia was eventually supposed to go to support Hayley at University, but the little chosen Dumpling never made it there. Instead she was invited to visit Hayley’s Granny in Hull, who having previously met the Salisbury three and fallen in love with them, had asked that one should be brought up to her own house for a visit. The visiting Dumpling was never to return to Wiltshire and is now being held in Hull!

The moral of this story is, please be careful if you take your Dumpling to your Gran’s house, as the dolls appeal to all ages and it might just be held hostage – especially if, like Hayley, your Gran just happens to be called Mrs Ransome! Hayley and her Mum are featured above holding up two new Little Boy Dumplings collected on Saturday; one was off to live in Salisbury, and, yes, one was off to be ransomed in Hull!

Until the next crumbs of news from the Dream Factory,

Love, hugs and dream filled thoughts,

Mrs D xx

Baking in the sun!

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:40:49 +0000

Off to Washington!

Hello Bun-nee-kins!

Happy Easter! It’s been wonderful here in Doughland, the sun is shining and all seems set fair for a bright and happy eggstended Easter break for us all. We have been egg-stra busy in the Dream Factory, baking a very special Dumpling cake for a certain wedding that’s taking place next week. We Wills not give you a clue who we are Kate-ering for, but our cake has lots of royal icing on it! Of course, our best Dumpling wishes go out to all who are soon to be wed.

My little Dream Store was once again visited by lots of old and new friends at the weekend and many new delightful Dumpling friendships were made. Firstly Holly headed off to Holland, then we had our very first Dumpling whisked off to Estonia to be best friends with Hannah-Rahel; we do hope she grows tall in Tallinn. Minnie left us to head off to help raise funds for a hospice near Troon in Scotland, but before going she became the very first Dumpling to compete in the London marathon. Hopefully we shall be running a full report on Minnie’s marathon adventure soon.

Another six lucky fresh baked comforting confections travelled north east to Washington, County Durham with the lovely folks pictured above, who were visiting London to celebrate Elizabeth’s birthday. They were introduced to the Dumpling Dolls by their friend (The lady on the left ) who had bought two on her last visit to Covent Garden and was now very kindly spreading the Dumpling word whilst increasing her own batch with two boys!

I must also give a little birthday Dumpling hello to Ivy from Green Park (that seems appropriate!) whose fifth birthday it is on the 25^thand who is now going to be celebrating it with Matilda Dumpling. Matilda was very carefully selected by her Great Auntie Jean who shared a few magic moments with us at the Dream Store. We hope you will now enjoy lots of happy times together. So (yes, here goes!) from the Holly to the Ivy, Happy Dumpling wishes to you all!

Love and special Easter hugs.

Your friend always

Mrs D xxx

Stars and Bars!

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:41:29 +0000

Hello to all our flan-tastic Dumpling friends.

Well, there’s lots of good things to report from my little Dream Store after the weekend. And to all who came and mixed a while with us, we as always say thank you.

Collector Linda Buy from Oxford thankfully lives up to her name and when in Covent Garden regularly buys a Dumpling Doll or two. This weekend three of our new boy Dumplings got to join Linda’s batch, which now remarkably totals ten! Thank you Linda you really are a Dumpling friend to us!

I must also tell you about two Dumpling owners who are about to begin their own special missions to attain their very own wishes and dreams. Firstly Hannah Blake (shown above with her Mum), from Lincolnshire, is about to graduate from Drama Academy and begin her journey to stardom. Her wonderful adventure will now be supported and enjoyed by her very special Dumpling companion, George, whose name was picked from the magic bowl – and remarkably, George was also the name of her own Grandfather. We now look forward to seeing Hannah’s name in lights and hope her new found little Dumpling co-star, George, will act as her favourite leading man on her very successful journey to the stars!

Another very special Dumpling friend, Gemma Read, is about to qualify as a barrister. Gemma has introduced all her family to our project, presenting her Mum with Kitty, her very first Dumpling, on Mother’s day. This weekend, she brought her Mum and Step-dad up to the Dream Store, and they went away accompanied by Mickey and Daisy, who they kindly invited to join them on their holiday to Cuba! (Mickey and Daisy are travelling together in their suitcase, so for them, it’s obviously a package trip!) We are promised photos soon and will share them with you. Gemma has become a special member of the Dumpling family and is now an in-law! It’s our opinion she has a wonderful career ahead of her, and trust we are proved to be good judges here. Gemma we do appreciate your Dumpling friendship and support and for being found very guilty of spreading the Dumpling word. Thank you and best wishes for the trials ahead!

Well Bread-Mates, that’s all the crumbs of comfort from Doughland for now, please keep visiting us to get all the news, views and tasty little slices of fresh gossip from us here in the Dream Factory. Don’t forget that no matter what we try and do, there’s one major ingredient that’s essential for our little project to really work, and that’s a big helping of your support. So, Cake Mates, please be kind and remember to spread the word and tell your friends to call.

Love and warm sweet wishes to you all.

Mrs D xxx

Yorkshire born and bread!

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 20:38:43 +0000

Hello Dough-friends!

Not much to report as it's all sweet and candy here!

We are really enjoying the sunny spells in Doughland. All the Dumplings are rolling out a little more rosy-cheeked than usual. The new boy Dumplings are now baked and are happy to be joining the Dumpling mix. Soon we will be rolling them out on the web site.

We must just give a little mention to the "Bridlington batch" who were all happily led to the Dream Store by an already committed Dumpling friend (the lady now with the boy Dumpling) and who all returned home with a whole ovenful of fresh bakes! Thank you! And a note to the lady whose daughter is taking her first steps to stardom; we all in Doughland offer you both our Dumpling best wishes and really do hope your dreams are reached. Remember, please, all our Dumplings are bred to be spread.

Well, Fondant Folk, that’s all for this sweet tweet from Doughland. Please be as happy as can be, and hope to see you soon!

Until then, love, hugs and dream filled days as always.

Mrs D xxx

Mums the word !!!

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:43:38 +0000

New Homes in the bag !!! is that you Mum???

Young at Heart !

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:58:58 +0000

Hello Bun mates!

Well where does the time go? Time has certainly sprung forward this week and we are rushing happily into summer.

It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday and I must find lots for this week’s fresh bakes. All Dumplings need a mum and hopefully all mums need Dumplings. We always find it sad when people announce they think they are perhaps to old to befriend a Dumpling, because the child you were is still hidden inside you, always waiting just to be invited to come out to play. So remember you are still that child no matter what the years may say.

We had yet another a fun-filled weekend at my little Dream Store and lots of Dumplings set off on their new adventures all around the world. Faith headed off to begin her new life in Majorca; I think she was off to visit someone called Ester. Well, I think that’s what I heard the lady say, "Faith would now siesta happily"! See, it’s not only spoons who sometimes become a little mixed up!

A special pair of Dumplings were invited to join the Lewis family from Blackwood, South Wales. One, called Ruby, was to be a house warming gift for their daughter in London, and one, Polly, was picked as a special anniversary present to celebrate their own 32 years of marriage. I hope they get them the right way round, because if not it could end up to be a Ruby wedding anniversary.......... sorry!

To all the Mums in the World, (Mother’s Day is on various days around the world), we hope you enjoy your special day, but remember, to us you’re special all year round.

We may not tell you, but "Mum’s the word!"

Love and Hugs

Mrs D xxx

Alls sweet in Doughland!

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:02:35 +0000

Hello Dough-mates

Well everything here in Doughland is thankfully good and the Dream Team are all happy. As always they're busy making sure there are enough of my freshly baked little comforting confections to go round.

There's not really that much else to report from the Dream Factory; everything is rolling along very sweetly. Spoon, of course, has been behaving in a rather mixed up way but that's nothing new, whilst the Gingerbread Twins, it seems, are being good for a change! Myself, I am eagerly looking forward to receiving the first copies of the very first book in my ‘Bakers Dozen’ series, which is being released very soon now. The first 1500 copies are being published in a special limited edition print run, and hopefully, in the years ahead, these will prove to be highly sought after and possibly very collectable items. So if you would like to be amongst the first to own one of these signed limited editions, or want to present the book to someone as a very special keepsake, then please reserve a copy by emailing us or visiting the shop regularly, to ensure you get one as soon as they are released. The cover price is £9.95 and if you pre-order this will include the postage. So go on, why not book your copy now?!

Thanks to you, our Dumpling friends, we had another successful fun filled weekend at my little Dream Store with lots of new Dumpling friendships beginning. The Magic Bowl worked its usual spell and some weird and wonderful things happened for many who dipped into it, finding suitable and well chosen names for their new-found special friends. We hope you are all getting on happily together.

We must say a very special Dumpling hello to the many new visitors to my Dream Factory from Qatar, who have just discovered us by virtue of Gulf Radio’s wonderful feature on my dolls. Welcome to Doughland. Enjoy your visit.

Well that's about all from the Dream Factory for now, so, until the next time we talk,

Love, hugs and, of course, dream filled wishes to you all.

Mrs D xxx

We got it off pat !

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:12:31 +0000

Hello my little Baked-Beings!

Gosh I woke up this morning in a right paddy then I realised it’s nearly St Patrick's day!! OOPS! Sorry, Cake Mates, that was Spoon’s supposed little joke. When he arrived at the Dream Factory he was dipped head to toe in green colouring and talking with a little Irish lilt, calling out all day long "The top of the morning to you" until eventually he got tired and mixed up as usual. He ended up calling out "Morning to the top of you" which went right over our heads! (In case you didn't know he suffers from Spoonerisms and so often mixes up his words!)

Another good weekend was enjoyed at the little Dream Store, and here's the latest News: a new found Dumpling friend called Linda, found our little Dumplings on her visit from Newfoundland and landed up with TEN new found friends, who are now bound for new found homes in Newfoundland. Thanks for finding us Linda! I just hope you find your old way back!

Once again we enjoyed the company of many fresh new friends at Covent Garden. To all of you who came and baked and mixed a while with us, we, as ever, thank you for your company because, between ME-NU, the perfect recipe for an uplifting Dumpling delicious weekend always takes a good helping of you, our very special Dumpling friends.

Stay as sweet as you are!

Love hugs and deep filled thoughts,

Mrs D xxx

Feeling flat today?

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:59:46 +0000

Hello Dough-Mates,

Gosh I had a bad night. I was tossing and turning all night long, then when I woke up I felt really flat. It was only when I arrived at the Dream Factory this morning that I realised why. It's Pancake Day!

Spoon adores Pancake Day, he loves serving his with lots of sugar and lemon, but George and Gerry prefer their pancakes savoury. Last year was a real disaster. You see, Spoon accidentally put too much salt into the savoury mixture and then George and Gerry felt very sick – after eating sixteen each! They had a big quarrel with Spoon and accused him of deliberately trying to poison them, threatening to call in the taste police and have him charged with sixteen counts of asalt and battery! Spoon, of course, assured them it was just a mix up on his part and asked them not to send him to jail because he would go stir crazy! He has already organised a pancake race this morning; the Dumpling Dolls lined up with their pancakes, but it was no contest. The Dumplings won – the pancakes knew their batter had been well and truly beaten. They ended up in a big heap and Spoon covered them in sticky syrup, so we now have very stuck up pancakes who speak to each other in posh voices!

We’ve just had another funtastic wish-filled weekend at my little Dream Store and we met lots of sweet people as usual. We always love hearing from you, our Dumpling friends, so please remember to write in and let us know just how you and your own Dumpling friendships are going. Don’t forget to tell us about your visits to our little Dream Store and factory. One funny Dumpling tale from the weekend was that we had a little Dumpling Doll heading off to South Dakota, USA, to Sioux Falls! How about that for great Dumpling work? Sioux falls and a Dumpling is sent to pick her up!

That's all for now, Munchkins

Sweet Dreams, Love and Hugs

Mrs D xxxx

Has Spring Sprung?

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:44:21 +0000

Hello Sweethings!

Well thankfully it appears spring has finally sprung here in Doughland! The (taste) buds are breaking free from their winter slumbers, The birds are tweeting (funny thought birds tweeting??? I’ve never even seen one with a mobile!) and the days are at last getting longer.

You can always tell when it’s spring in the Dream Factory because Spoon starts telling us his favourite joke for this time of the year; "Why did the Jack in the box go on holiday in March? He said he needed a Spring break!" No we didn't laugh either, but Spoon thinks it’s so hilarious and laughs very loudly every time he tells it! What a crazy mixed up chap Spoon is!

We also had a funny sort of weekend at the Dream Factory, We had our very first Dumpling Doll disappear off to Bermuda with her new Mum and Dad (they made up such a nice triangle together!). Then two glazed but happy Dumplings travelled miles with Linda to Cheshire and we trust that they will be well received. Who knows, could they, if they’re very lucky, be the first of many?

Lots of other Delighted Dumplings headed off all around the world to begin their exciting new adventures. The Mother and Daughter from South Africa now living in Kent were voted our favourite customers of the weekend and we hope they are still enjoying the pleasure of their chosen Dumplings’ company as much as they did their introduction to them. Finally Brian from Walt Disney's Lion King show (The Dumpling Dolls’ all time favourite) on his own very first visit to London, invited a special little Dumpling to be the new best friend for his daughter back home in New York. So we willingly swapped a Dumpling for Simba as he suggested. (This bit is, of course, not true. But I guess you knew all along I could be Lion to you! )

Well my little Hot Cross Buns that's all the chat and gossip from here in Doughland for now.

Love, hugs and sweet delicious dreams to you all, until the next time.

Your Friend as always,

Mrs D xxx

Wails from the dream factory

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:45:50 +0000

Bore da, my little Welsh Cakes,

Did you know that St. David’s day is nearly here? St. David is the Welsh patron saint (in Wales, he known as Dewi Sant) and in his honour we have been very busy in the Bakery making Welsh cakes, Bara Brithand other Welsh delicacies. All my little Dumpling Dolls are wearing daffodils in their hats and Spoon has been singing the only Welsh song he knows, or thinks he knows, which is all about a Welsh cuckoo. As you know, Spoon gets mixed up even when he’s speaking English, so when he’s trying to sing in Welsh, it sounds very strange indeed. However, he assures me these are the right words, so maybe one of our Welsh-speaking Dumpling Doll friends could reassure me that he isn’t being rude when he sings ‘Gwcw fach, ond wyf ti'n ffolog, ffal di ral di rw dw ri ral tai to.’ Later he told me he was thinking of going to Cardiff for a few days – he really wanted to go to llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch but he couldn’t say it.

When George and Gerry, the Gingerbread Twins, heard that we would be having a ‘Welsh day’, they decided they would go and practice their rugby, but they found it was difficult having a scrum when there were only two of them. Gerry said it was more like a ‘scrumpet’. He scored a try, and then another and another. George was fed up because Gerry was being so very trying, so he tackled him and gave him a penalty kick. When Spoon handed them both a red card for breaking the rules, the twins rudely told him he was a Welsh dragon and that they weren’t going to play rugby anymore, they were going to play pel-droed (football) instead.

Meanwhile, little Poppy wrapped a check duster skirt round her fluffy toy rabbit, tied on a red scarf to make a cloak and gave him a hat made from an empty tin painted black. She said he was a special Welsh Rabbit, and put him on the table in the Bakery. Unfortunately, he fell into the cake mix so she had to wash him to get the goo out of his fur. She knew Emily had something called ‘Hare Spray’, so she sprayed him with it. Now he keeps waving at us all, and we were puzzled till Emily explained that it says on the can, ‘Gives hare a permanent wave’.

Hwylfawr,my daffy dils,

Cofion cynnes,

Mrs D. xxx

French Fancies!

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:02:08 +0000

Hello my petits fours,

I hope you all had a lovely Valentine’s day with plenty of sugar kisses and flours galore. Spoon was given a valentine card, and it made him even more mixed up than ever. The card was postmarked France and when he opened it, he said, ‘Oh, look at my dovely lard, I mean, my lovely card. It says it’s from Leah," and he blushed bright red. Of course, Gerry and George the Gingerbread Twins started to giggle, and Spoon protested that he wasn’t blushing at all. He said that his cheeks were pink because he had been using the red cake colouring and it had stained his wood a bit, but no one believed him.

"Spoon’s got a girlfriend, Spoon’s got a girlfriend!" sang the twins, dancing round the bakery, but Spoon ignored them – he was too busy trying to work out who Leah was. Eventually he remembered. When he was visiting a cookware exhibition recently, he had met a charming red saucepan called Leah Creuset. So today, in her honour, we are all ‘Frenchified’ and have been baking brioche, baguettes, croissants and gateaux. The bakery smells even more delicious than usual, (though the French onions, which Spoon insisted would make things more authentic, are a little pungent) and soon we shall make some meringues.

I’ve knitted Spoon a beret and a striped matelot shirt, so he now looks the part, and he told me he was thinking of getting a French poodle dog (well, he actually said, ‘ a French doodle pog’, but I think that’s what he means). He also suggested that the Dumplings made themselves some pretty chevaux to wear today, instead of their usual felt hats. It’s a good job I can speak a bit of French – I realised just in time that he meant chapeaux; otherwise my little Dumplings would all be wearing horses on their heads.

Au revoir, mes petits bonbons,

Mrs D. xxx

Wood you like another, Ive got Five !!!

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 09:43:20 +0000

Hello Merry Munchkins!

Gosh! What a fun filled, thoroughly scrumptious, Dumpling delicious weekend we had at my little Dream Store. We had lots of friends both old and new visit us and so loads of fresh baked Dumplings were invited to travel far and wide to spread the Dumpling word.

Ruby and Katie made it numbers seven and eight in the branch of Mr and Mrs Wood’s Dumpling batch housed in Islington. Several lucky little Dumplings were dispatched around the world, including a batch of five who happily sprouted off to Brussels, and we had our very first Dumplings heading off down the road to Damascus, hopefully to do some serious Dumpling sweet things in Syria! Another batch of five made it to Beds, well not just to Beds but to their dream homes in the Bedfordshire area and Northants with Mr and Mrs Ive, so that really was another happy batch of F-ive!

Each and every visitor to our little outlet is very special to us and we would really love to feature and mention you all in my diary, but alas, this is just not possible. However, every single Dumpling friend is a valued and much appreciated member of our own special little Dream Team and without your own support, help and encouragement our project would not nearly be as much fun or enjoyable, so as always we say thank you to all our Dumpling friends.

Now, regrettably, a sad note. We heard this week that a special Dumpling friend was required by a young lady named Emma but when she excitedly travelled to visit and meet her new companion, she was devastated to find out that the Dream Store was not open during the week, only at weekends! Oh dear! We are so sorry you were disappointed Emma, and we know that arrangements are being made for a very special Dumpling delivery. We hope you will be very happy together and that you will get to visit us again in the future. Who knows? By then my planned Dream Emporium may be open and Dumplings available all week long!

Love, hugs and warm wishes,

Mrs D xxx

must go to moscow!

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:53:59 +0000

Hello Sugar-snaps!

Well thankfully my Dream Store at Covent Garden is getting back to normal after all the bad winter weather and now more and more of my little Dumplings are once again being invited to travel all around the world. This weekend we had lots of new Dumpling visitors and we were able to tell the Dumpling story to many new people. To all those of you who listened to the tale, thank you, and to the people who then kindly invited a Dumpling into their own life, or that of someone they love, we as always say an even bigger thank you.

Amongst the Dumplings to find homes we had our very first Dumpling set course for Corsica, as a thoughtful birthday gift from a daughter to her mother, who now enjoys the company of a little doll called Faith. Happy Birthday! Anna is the Dumpling who is now on her way to Norway to visit Aurora, while Matilda was invited, after a great deal of careful Dumpling thought and deliberation, to see Dirty Dancing, before travelling off to her new home in High Wycombe. Polly happily headed off to Northern Ireland, very excited about her first flight, and finally a gentleman and his mother came to us from Moscow with strict instructions from his girl-friend to collect and select a little Dumpling for her mother. Now that really is to Russia with love! Thank you everyone!

Well we have lots to do in the Factory, because it’s Valentine’s day soon and all the Dumplings love this time of year. Even Spoon gets romantic and buys flours!

Anyway Cupcakes that’s all for now.

Happy dream filled wishes to you all,

Mrs D xxx

Food for thought!

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:05:38 +0000

Hello, Pudding Pals,

There is a delicious smell in the Bakery today; we’ve been making Yorkshire puddings. It was Spoon’s idea, he suggested that we should make some regional foods so that wherever our Dumpling Dolls are sent, they’ll know the food speciality. So this week we’ve cooked Cornish Pasties, Bakewell Tarts, Chelsea Buns, Manchester Tarts, Welsh Rarebit and Banbury Cake. George giggled and wanted us to cook Bath Buns, using Gerry’s bath sponge for flavouring – he said they would be his own invention, Bath Sponge cakes.

So, of course, Gerry had to be silly too, and said to George, ‘Irish Stew in the name of the law for stealing my sponge.’ Spoon couldn’t stop laughing, saying, ‘Irish Stew, I arrest you, oh, that’s clever, that is!’ until he shook so much with laughter that the egg whites he was beating for the Yorkshire Puddings turned very thick and had to be used for meringues instead. Poppy, the youngest Dumpling, had been listening to all the fun, and whispered shyly, ‘There’s a cake of soap in the bathroom!’ which set everyone off laughing again, while she looked surprised, wondering just what was so funny.

So, that’s what we’ve been up to in the Bakery lately – cooking place-name foods and being silly. Maybe another time we could cook some regional foods from other countries – Danish pastries or Swiss Rolls, for instance. And one final joke from Spoon (I told him off, because it’s rather naughty); ‘If you get Fries from France, Buns from Belgium, Sausages from Germany and Omelettes from Spain, what do you get from Nicaragua?’ I’ll leave you, Sweetlings, to work out the answer.

Love and hugs my little doughnuts,

Mrs D. xxx

Better at last!

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:39:04 +0000

Hello My Little Sweetie-pies

Well, the flu finally flew, fluttering far away, and so we are back to normal again, well, as normal as we’ll ever be. Spoon has been busy beating the eggs – he has beaten them at table tennis, cricket and hopscotch. The Gingerbread Twins decided that they wanted to play draughts, but Bowl started shivering when Gerry opened the door and George opened the window. It was just too draughty, but at least Bowl’s shivering meant that the batter was mixed without Spoon needing to whisk it at all.

After Spoon’s disastrous efforts at making peppermints recently, (you many remember he used far too much pepper), the Dumpling Dolls decided to try sweet making. They let Spoon have the first taste of their concoction, and he said, ‘Bah, Humbug!’, so they were pleased because that’s what they were trying to make. Then the Dumplings made belly babies – they should have been jelly babies, but they turned out rather fat – and also some chocolate zips, which were like long narrow chocolate buttons. Now, though, they’ve had their fun and it’s time to start baking again. The Dumplings’ sweets will make perfect toppings for our delicious creations; they really will be the icing on the cakes.

Just a quick note to The JLS fan club who joined the Dumpling club at the weekend, it was great meeting you and also to "Carats" a couple of real gems from Brighton for inviting little Martha home! it was good meeting you all, and thanks again all for your valued Dumpling support!

Love and hugs my little lemon sherberts,

Mrs D xxx

It flew by!

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:39:27 +0000

Hello, my little Roly-Polys (I guess we all feel a bit like that after the Christmas fare).

All has, I’m afraid, not been well here in Doughland – in fact, all has been ill! It was Spoon’s fault. He opened the door and in-flew-Enza (he said it was better than opening the window, because last time he did that, In-come Tax). So we have all been poorly – even the Gingerbread Twins, George and Gerry, have lost their spice. The Dumplings look pasty-faced and doughy, while Spoon had a dreadful sneezing fit yesterday. We were really worried until he confessed he had knocked over the pepper pot while trying to make peppermint creams.

Until we can get our influenza to fly somewhere else, the cakes can’t be baked (or as Spoon said, while he was dizzy with sneezing), ‘the bakes can’t be caked’.

So I’ll love you and leave you, my doughlings, before my flu flies to you.

Mind how you grow,

Mrs D. xxx

Present News!!

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 12:37:20 +0000

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL.

love and our very special christmas wishes

Mrs D and all the Dream Team

XXX

MORE DIARY NEWS SOON!

XXX

Christmas is all wrapped up!

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:09:43 +0000

Hello Christmas Cake-mates!

Well, that's it, we are all done! Thankfully, every single little Dumpling that was needed for Christmas has left us and the dolls are now on their way to their new homes, ready to begin their Dumpling friendships and adventures. Lots of customers visited us at the Dream Store at the weekend despite the winter white-out. To all those who made it through to us, we as ever thank you for your support and friendly custom that kept us nicely winter-warm despite the inclement weather. I am going to mention a lot of new Dumpling friends who visited us at the weekend, but if I have missed you off please forgive this little baker, as my diary notes landed in the snow and became a little smudged!

Amongst the many who flocked to the Dream Store was a young lady called Mia who honestly appeared a little sheepish when she first arrived, but left with Lily, who was selected to be her Christmas-Birthday present and to begin a new Dumpling life in Peterborough. Happy Birthday Mia for the 25th and thanks for your kind email and promised Dumpling support.

Also, Dumplings Emily and Rosie travelled from Doughland to Poland to visit twins Alicja and Hanna, while three happy Dumplings, Sophia, Bella and Rosie headed off to Kettering with four ladies who we think were actually Santa's little helpers! Ruby found new best friends in a family from Stafford who came to us via South Africa - now that's the scenic route – and Olivia at last found the right Dumpling home and headed off to Barnsley, a little ‘jaded’ but very happy!

Maisie was invited to be a Dumpling companion to newborn Lola in Thornton Heath, and they will enjoy a lifetime of happy dreams together. Honey-Marie joins a growing Dumpling batch after their owner’s hazardous three-hour journey from Wiltshire, which was made especially to secure a Dumpling for her granddaughter this Christmas. Hopefully, the two will share a happy future. Finally, lucky Dumplings Lily and Sophie had their own wishes come true when they found their dream home together with two sisters from Surrey. At last the Dream Store’s work for Christmas was complete.

Well, Dumpling friends, that's all my Dumplings baked for this Christmas. To each and everyone of you who have invited a Dumpling into your life or that of someone you care about, or have offered us an encouraging word and listened to my story, we thank you for your tremendous support and valued custom and kindness. We hope all your very own wishes and dreams, like ours, are now about to be unwrapped.

Happy Christmas Puddings!

Love, hugs and warm wishes from all your friends in Doughland!

Mrs D and her little Dream Team xxx

All done and (snow) dusted!!

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:32:40 +0000

Hello Little Bun-Mates!

So at last we are very nearly there! All the Dumplings are now on their way to their new dream destination or just awaiting their collection from the little Dream Store and then we will have, hopefully, Dumpling-delivered all the wished-for Dumplings and done our very Dumpling best. The weather has caused a lot of problems to people and their plans this Christmas, so we do hope everyone who is expecting a Dumpling friend gets their wished-for one and that all the new-formed friendships last for ever.

Spoon, the Gingerbread Twins and all the Dream Team are going to be busy this weekend gathering up their own final bits for Christmas. So if you happen to see a mixed up Spoon or spot a couple of dubious looking gingerbread boys on a high street or shopping centre near you, do please say a big Dumpling hello – and watch out for George and Gerry's mistletoe!

If you’re planning to come to the Dream Store we look forward to welcoming you there. Do please wrap up warm and have a safe journey. We await your visit and so does your special Dumpling.

Take care,

Love and crisp bright warm winter wishes,

Mrs D xxx

Ruby does well !

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:04:36 +0000

Hello once again from the Dream Factory,

Well, my little favourite fondant friends, there's now just one weekend left to go and then it will be Christmas at last! All of us here hope that your Christmas wishes are granted, all your hopes and dreams come true and all our Dumpling friends and their loved ones will get to enjoy a happy, healthy and fun filled time.

At the weekend, we had another Dumpling delightful time at the Dream Store, when customers old and new once again visited us and travelled off with loads of fresh baked friends. The Magic Bowl as ever managed to pull off a few surprises; it never fails to amaze with some of its special magical feats! First Dumpling of the day to leave us was Ellie, whose name somehow managed to be pulled from the 50+ names in the magic bowl to be a Dumpling companion to Ellie by her amazed Grandparents who visited us from Derbyshire. They loved all the Dumplings they met but went home knowing Ellie really was especially made for them!

Liz from Northampton visited the Dream Factory website on Friday and then made it down to the Dream Store on Saturday to increase her own little Dumpling batch with the additions of Beckie and Maisie. A lady from Faversham in Kent let us know that a Dumpling called "Ruby" was now a most valued member of the household and had successfully done her Dumpling Duty when thoughtfully purchased by her husband as a little ‘pick me up’ when she was very unwell. They are now both described as very "comfortable" together!

A lovely lady from Islington who met the Dumplings for the first time on Saturday brought her husband back to meet the Dumplings on Sunday. They went away with two new friends for their nieces, who they knew would really appreciate the company of two well chosen Dumpling friends for Christmas. To everyone who made it to the Dream Store, thank you once again for finding homes for my little confections, and, just like Ruby and her best friend, I know that you too will be comfortable together, as special friends should be!

Please remember if you too have enjoyed your own Dumpling experience, then please tell us and then also please tell a friend ..............as my happy little Dumplings are really bred to be spread!!!

Happy Times to all.

Love and warm Dumpling thoughts,

Mrs D xxx

Spare a thought!

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 11:51:10 +0000

Hello Cupcakes,

Well another weekend beckons at my little Dream Store and Christmas is now just around the corner. Doughland is starting to display its Christmas decorations and is looking very festive. The snow has melted away and although still very cold, the happy feel of Christmas is helping to take the chill off a little!

Lots of little Dumpling Dolls have been raised and are now ready and willing to bring comfort and joy to those inviting one into their lives. Christmas, although a very happy time for most of us, always brings with it a little sadness to those who have perhaps recently lost a loved one or have parted company with a companion or a friend. So please remember to spare a thought for those who have loved and lost and who perhaps may just need a little extra thought and comfort at this time. My Dumplings are always willing to listen to a fond memory or to hear about a special moment, and will constantly be there just for you, to share in your emotions –whether they be good, or, even, sometimes, bad!

Well Cakemates I must get back to the Dream Factory as yet another batch of Dumplings have just popped from the oven, and so now it’s time to mix some more,

Love and sweet thoughts as always.

Mrs D xxx

A Fare way from home!!!

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:42:10 +0000

Greetings Special Doughmates!

A winter warm welcome from all your friends here in Doughland. Frost, ice and snow are the main ingredients for this winter wonderland we find ourselves in, but like us, we hope you're all managing to keep warm and Dumpling safe.

Production is in full flow here, we are under snowed – sorry, that should be snowed under – with orders, and all the fresh baked Dumpling Dolls are happily rushing off the production line to various new locations. Holly hopped to Iceland (she was very well acclimatised before she left!) and a little Dumpling whose name when drawn from the magic bowl was Jasmine, went appropriately to live with Sheena in Jasmine cottage! Sophie's name magically came out of the bowl to be a Dumpling friend with Sophie from Bishop’s Stortford, Ellie found a new home in Seven Oaks, Maisie made it to Maidstone, whilst three happy Dumplings called Libby, Georgie, and yet another Jasmine, nipped off to Norwich. Loads of other little lucky Dumplings were invited to welcoming homes around the globe, from Kiev to Kentucky!

Now, here is a little Dumpling Doll’s adventure which we heard about this weekend. Rosie Dumpling was chosen to live in Scunthorpe and before happily going to her new home she was due to spend a night in a London hotel. After leaving us at the Dream Store, Rosie was packed up safe and warm in her Dumpling bag and was taken by London black cab back to the hotel – but somehow she got left in the cab by her new owners and spent the next four hours riding all around London. Then the driver was informed of his extra passenger and he very kindly took Rosie back to the hotel where she was safely reunited with her distraught, relieved and grateful owners.

After this weekend Rosie now has a sister, who we understand was travelling back to her hotel, this time by Tube. We hope she made it to Scunthorpe safely, and will no doubt get to hear, but should you be on the London underground and you spot a little lost Dumpling, please put her off at the stop for Scunthorpe!

Well that's all the news from the Dream Factory for now. Do please call back again soon as it’s always good to see you here.

Love, hugs and warm mugs of all things sweet,

Your friend,

Mrs D xxx

Deer oh Deer!!

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 10:59:21 +0000

Hello to you my little frosted friends,

I hope you're all managing to stay snug and warm wherever you are. Winter has certainly come in early and hard this year. Life here in the now iced Doughland is thankfully going on as usual, with lots of fresh baked Dumplings rolling off the little conveyor belt of dreams and awaiting their call to begin their new Dumpling friendships and adventures.

If you are planning a trip to my little Dream Store this weekend, then do please wrap up warm and watch out for the frozen cobblestones around Covent Garden. We all know there's not long left now before Christmas but please don't hurry as there really is no need to get your skates on yet!!

Have you read the latest news about Father Christmas? He's had to lay off Rudolph and Prancer because he "herd they were just two deer"! Sorry, that's another one of Spoon’s favourite little jokes, (and lucky for us we get sleighed with it every year!).

Well snow-boys and girls, that's all from the Dream Factory for now. I hope we get to talk again soon, and until then do stay warm.

Warm winter wishes wrapped in happy thoughts.

With love and hugs,

Mrs D xxx

Ready Steady Snow!

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:35:07 +0000

Hello Snow-flakes!

Well, freeze me with a snowball, how cold is it with you? It’s bitterly cold here in Doughland, and we've even had to de-ice the Christmas cakes! George and Gerry are dressed in thermal vests, scarves and mittens, while Spoon has spent the whole day bathing in a saucepan of boiling jam just to "conserve" his heat. All the fresh baked little Dumplings are refusing to leave the warmth of the oven! Cold? It’s freezing here..............................!!

Still, here is some hot news from my Dream Store to hopefully warm you. We've managed to break the oldest Dumpling owner record yet again - and guess what? This time the new record holder actually visited the Dream Store and purchased her own little Dumpling as a present for her 91st Birthday (on the 27/11). How wonderful is that? We have posted a lovely picture of Doris and her new Dumpling in my Photo Gallery. In case you are wondering, young Doris is the taller and fresher looking one of the two! She has promised us she will be back to purchase another on her 92nd birthday - how’s that for a real collector?

To everyone who visited the Dream Store this weekend, we really enjoyed meeting you and loved having the opportunity to introduce you to your own special little Dumpling. We hope that you too enjoyed your visit and that you are now really happy with your new companion. Every Dumpling doll lovingly created at my Dream Factory is a little messenger carrying with them warmth, hopes and dreams, which are their main ingredients, but none of these comforting wishes would mean or count for anything without you. So, as always, we say thank you to you our Dumpling friends, for your own Dumpling support.

Anyway, my little frozen friends, that's all the news from Doughland for the melting moment.

With love, hugs and warm winter thoughts

Mrs D xxx

ice-cycles beware!

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 20:33:41 +0000

Hello Ice-pops

Well thankfully Spoon has now fixed my diary page and I am back with a pen in my hand.

Gosh, it’s so cold here in Doughland, everything is iced up. Spoon’s caked in it! It’s now ed here. Sorry, that should read ‘it snowed here’! (It’s so cold my teeth are chattering and I keep getting distracted and listening to what they are saying!) We made George and Gerry into snowmen but they didn't like it much as they don't like the cold; they naturally prefer being ginger snaps to cold snaps!

Last weekend was record breaking again. Two lucky Dumpling Dolls headed off in a westwards’ direction (with Mr and Mrs West) to the Isle of Wight, as thoughtful birthday gifts to Brenda who is going to be 80 on the 1st of December and to Elsie who will be 90 years young on the same day. That’s a combined birthday age of 170! Wow! Elsie is now on record as our eldest Dumpling friend, unless of course you know different! What they won’t know is that their Dumplings are the first ever recycled ones, as the poor two little Dumplings were involved in an accident on their way home and had to be returned to the Dream Store for a little extra TLC repair (terrible little cyclist repair). So Happy Birthday Brenda and Elsie, and to Mr and Mrs West our best wishes and a "speedy" recovery.

Amongst many other Dumplings of note from last weekend were Jasmine and Ruby who travelled to Pontarddulais (pronounced Pontarddulais!!), Hanna who frankly popped to Frankfurt and Anna and Sophie who are now enjoying new happy Dumpling lives in the West Midlands. Again, to everyone who has invited a Dumpling home we, as always, say a big THANK YOU!

If you are coming to my little Dream Store at Covent Garden this weekend then please do wrap up warm and be sure to remember a Dumpling is not just for Christmas, as they enjoy Birthdays, Christenings and all occasions when a nice little thoughtful gift is needed.

Warm Thoughts and Happy Dreams,

Mrs D xxx

Cold Comfort

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:44:43 +0000

Hello Cupcakes,

Just a little line to apologise that the diary entries are late because of a hechnical titch, sorry that should be technical hitch, so please "bear" with me while I get Spoon and the Ginger Bread boys to fix it.

Love, hugs and warm thoughts

Mrs D xxxx

Cream Puffed!

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 08:09:09 +0000

Hello Dough Mates!

Gosh its been a really Dumpling delightful week here in Doughland. We've had a bumper busy baking time, Spoon’s been in a right stir, he’s been so mixed up because he’s had heaped spoon fulls of work. He’s now so tired he’s completely bowled over! George and Gerry the Gingerbread Twins have also crumbled under the pressure of work, and so our sweet little pastry boys have come up short and appear a little flaky.

We really love hearing from our Dumpling customers so thank you to all who have taken the trouble to write in and tell us about your own Dumpling encounters and tales. If you too have a little Dumpling tale to tell, please share it with us.

The first book in my Bakers Dozen series is now well underway and will be ready for its scheduled release in March. We will also be issuing some very special collectors’ editions and soon we will be announcing news of how you could win one of these. So if you want to be amongst the very few to be able to own one of these very special editions do please keep visiting the web site to be kept fully updated.

Well, Munchkins, that's all from Doughland, well at yeast for now, so stay sweet.

Your friend in Dough

Mrs D xxx

The Pudding club!

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:59:22 +0000

Hello Little Custard Creams,

Another quick update from Doughland. Hasn't it turned cold? All the buns were iced up this morning. Even the hot cross buns were frozen (but still very cross!), the melting moments didn't and the Belgium buns were all a little Flemish! The only really happy confection was a baked Alaska. It was very cold at the Dream Store but my little Dream Team were kept warm by the warmth of the customers who braved the chill and stopped by to offer a kindly home to a Dumpling. The weekend started off very strangely though when two nice ladies from Hitchin turned up desperately searching for the Pudding dolls! Thankfully, they eventually sweetly deserted us with Dumplings Evie and Annie, and their mission was successfully accomplished!

Two very happy little Dumplings called Evie and Holly headed off to the Stoke-on-Trent area with new special best friends, and they were eventually joined by Dumpling Belinda, who also luckily got potted off to the potteries. (So that made three Dumpling staff who headed off to Staffs!)

Candy was as sweet as ever to us and then finally there were three very Norfolk broad smiles when Grace, Holly and Sally headed off with the very nice folk from Norfolk. Well, as they say, that's all folks....................................Thanks to everyone who visited us and for all your most valued Dumpling support. We do really appreciate it!

Keep warm, keep safe, but most of all please keep being you!

Love and Hugs

Mrs D xxx

Presently waiting!!

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 05:57:19 +0000

Hello Marshmallows!

Well this week’s fresh baked batch of Dumpling Dolls are all packed up and ready to journey to the Dream Store and then onwards to their final Dumpling destinations. Who knows, that could be at home with you?

With Christmas now just around the corner, it’s a good time to remind everyone that a Dumpling Doll is not just for Christmas, as they make thoughtful gifts all year round, and as we are gratefully finding out they really do appeal to a wide range of ages. Our youngest customer so far has been the unborn baby of a 6 months pregnant lady (so -3 months old), and they go right up to Irene who will be 86 years young in a few days time. Dumplings enjoy the companionship of anyone and everyone who likes something a little different, and thankfully it seems that people who like something different like Dumplings! Dumpling Dolls are produced to be comforting confections, sweet little pick me ups, who love nothing better than sharing in all their owners’ hopes and dreams, and being a special friend whenever one is needed. So please remember there is always a Dumpling Doll waiting for your call!

Have a great weekend,

Sweet Dumpling dreams to all,

Mrs D xxx

Icing up!

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:09:43 +0000

Hello Dough-friends !

Gosh, it's turned very cold here in Doughland. Winter is now well and truly here and so its time to ice the Christmas cakes!

It was also very cold at the Dream Store at the weekend but thanks to the warmth of our Dumpling customers lots of new bred Dumplings once again found warm welcoming homes all around the world. The weekend got off to a great Dumpling start when Karen (with godmother Lesley) just couldn't wait to take Milli home to Shildon to join her own growing Dumpling batch, and we thank Karen for her continued and most valued Dumpling support.

Lots of little Dumplings are now happily living in Kildare and Kilkenny and we thank the lovely crowd who kindly flew them to Ireland. We hope all the Dumplings are being good house-guests. We have already heard from Lorraine that her chosen doll Jasmin is doing her Dumpling duty and has now made a new best friend in Caitlan.

Su invited a Dumpling Doll to be her very own special birthday gift and was over the Dumpling moon when she picked Ruby from the magic bowl for her new little friend’s name, because guess what? Ruby is the name of her youngest grand child! Another case of the magic bowl doing its Dumpling best to please!

The Jersey Dumpling club continues to grow nicely, thank you and Annie travelled to be the first Dumpling to make it to Guernsey. To each and every Dumpling friend we warmly toast you, as always, and say thank you!!

Before I go, a little footnote to Roberta; Emily will be better soon!

Warm thoughts to all

Love, hugs and dream-filled moments,

Mrs D xxxx

Spread the word!

Sat, 06 Nov 2010 20:57:02 +0000

Hello Sweet Things!

Another Dumpling delight-filled week draws to a close in Doughland and lots of new fresh baked Dumplings are now off to the little Dream Store in Covent Garden, where they eagerly await their selection and then the commencement of their special Dumpling duties! A Dumpling Doll’s "kneads" are small; a best friend and a loving home brings a Dumpling 100% fulfilment with a sense of real purpose and satisfied contentment. So if you know of someone who would benefit from the companionship of a little comforting confection, then please remember Dumpling Dolls are just bread to be spread and there’s one freshly baked, ready and waiting for you!

Must say a special big Dumpling thank you to Christine and Colin from Jersey who have very kindly begun to spread the Dumpling word over there, and now thankfully lots of Dumpling Dolls are heading off to the cream of the Channel Islands. Thank you, (your magic bowl is on its way!)

That’s all for now, Cakemates. Until next time, stay as sweet as you are.

Love, hugs and warm deep filled thoughts,

Mrs D xxx

Stowed away in Stornoway!

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 10:45:05 +0000

Hello Cake-mates

Well we had yet another Dumpling delightful record-breaking weekend and it’s all down to you, our fresh baked friends! Many thanks.

Amongst lots of lucky new-housed Dumplings from the weekend, we now have many little Dumplings resident in the Outer Hebrides, on the Isle of Lewis (Stornoway), so thank you for inviting our little people to your special place called home! We hope lots more will get to follow on.

Thank you to the really sweet little folk from Winchester who invited Emily and Lucy to be their new best friends. Another Emily accompanied Martha to seek her new special home in Newcastle, Dumpling Grace happily travelled to Bristol, whilst Jenny went nuts when she was invited to settle in Brazil! Olivia did no wrong when she was luckily selected to fly off to Hong Kong, and just when we thought we had set a record to stand for ages, Mr and Mrs Vincent kindly came (back) and invited a little Dumpling named Irene to be the 86th birthday present for their own special Irene, who now officially becomes our most senior Dumpling Doll friend on the 15th of this month (Happy Birthday Irene ) – that is unless you know differently?

Each and every Dumpling customer is very special to us and much valued, so to everyone who supports us in our happy little project we, as always, say thank you.

Warm regards.

Sweet dreams to all.

Your friend in dough,

Mrs D xx

Extra Time!

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:08:45 +0000

Hello Pastry People,

Well, another week disappears into the little oven of life. Gosh, just where does the time go? There are now only 63 days left to Christmas and around 71 left of this year, but thankfully we all get a bonus hour this Sunday – 60 minutes free time to spend as we like!

Here in Doughland we are all busy making sure that those wishing and hoping for the visit of a little fresh baked friend this Christmas will not be disappointed. So Spoon, alongside George and Gerry and all my little Dream Team, is hard at work producing hundreds of Dumpling Dolls, who are all eagerly awaiting the opportunity to travel to their new best friends and take up their positions in life! Now that's exciting!

Enjoy the free hour this Sunday. Why not spend just a little minute of it to tell the ones you care about just how much that really is?!

Happy times to all.

Sweet thoughts,

Mrs D xxx

late again!

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:33:49 +0000

Hello Dough-folk!

Welcome to the very latest chat and gossip from my little Dream Factory. I do hope you are feeling OK and clear headed because Spoon has asked me to allow him to write today's diary update, and, to be honest, he's been so busy stirring up the Christmas puddings that he's feeling very mixed up. So please expect to be spoon fed some stir crazy rants!

Well once again, as has happened a lot lately, I'm sorry to relate the latest news is late again, so I need to offer my latest apologies for the late arrival of this, the very latest, late update – but guess what? I'll do that later!

Some people buy our Dumplings, some don't, some people have Dumpling dolls, some haven't, and last week a really nice family from Havant who hadn't and so didn't, did and have now done so and now they have lots. So to those who now have from Havant we say thank you for your valued support......(after this sentence Spoon has given up the job of writing this and is now lying down in a darkened drawer and resting. Hopefully you haven’t done the same. Oh gosh, I have it now!)

We also now have the first Dumpling doll who is resident in Iceland and we thank Julia for allowing her into her life, thanks also to the young couple from Harrow who invited Grace and Faith to join their family. (Faith has a special mission with Grandma!) We say thank you for your support, as indeed we do to each and everyone of you for helping us spread our little confections far and wide – and remember to do so if you haven't (now let’s not start that again) done so yet.

Love, hugs and warm Dumpling thoughts.

Your friend in Doughland,

Mrs D xxxx

new aged news!

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:28:30 +0000

Hello Sweet Things!

Well, at last here is some more fresh news from my little Dream Factory, As you can well imagine it’s busy-busy-busy here in Flourtown, production is at record levels with Dumpling dolls heading off all around the world. Thanks to all of you who are supporting our little project with so much enthusiasm and kindness and helping spread the Dumpling word far and wide.

There were more funny happenings arising from the magic bowl at the weekend; this time we had a Holly who went off to Holloway and then lucky Tilly trundled off to Tilbury! Thanks to all who took a Dumpling (or two, as in the case of the young lady and her family from Sudbury ) home with them from Covent Garden. We trust you are all getting on well together with your new best friends.

We think it’s a record that a lady called Margaret from Scotland is due to receive her first Dumpling to celebrate her 84th birthday on the 18th, and believe Margaret is now our eldest Dumpling companion. Or perhaps you happen to know someone older who has one? Please let us know. In the meantime we want to wish Margaret a very Happy Birthday from all of us here at the Dream Factory. Every one of our customers is special to us because without them our little project would not nearly be as much fun, so as ever we thank them all. Please know you are Dumpling delicious to us!

Well, Pudding Pals, that's all for now. Please call back again soon.

Until then, remember to stay as sweet as you are!

Your Friend always,

Mrs D xxx

Late News!

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:07:04 +0000

Hello to all my little Cake Mates around the world,

Firstly I am sorry this diary entry is a bit overdue, but I have been busy mixing the puddings for Christmas; what a job it is. We also had a little problem when we found what we thought was a giant raisin with a white stick, stuck right in the middle of one of our puddings ................turned out to be nothing serious, it was just a blind date! (Sorry that was George and Gerry's little joke – not funny, agreed, but better than some they tell us)

Since the magic naming bowl was introduced at the Dream Store, many funny little things have occurred when customers have dipped into it to find the name for their newly purchased little Dumpling doll. This weekend was no exception, and so the couple from Castleford enjoyed it when they fortunately pulled out Martha and Lily for the presents they were buying for, yes you guessed it, Martha and Lily! Lots of strange and nice coincidental things have happened, which have all helped add to the magic of owning a Dumpling. Many customers have funny tales to tell about their own Dumplings, and we hope that these will be appearing on the site in the future, but we need your stories to do this. So please, if you have a Dumpling tale you would like to share, tell us and we will spread the word!

Well there are lots of fresh made Dumplings rolling off the conveyor belt of life, all ready to begin their new adventures so I had better be off and help send them on their way. Until the next time,

Love, hugs and warm thoughts,

Mrs D xxx

Dream Destinations!

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:19:12 +0000

Hello Sweet Things!

Another day in Doughland and its very soggy here! It’s been raining most of the day. Not a lot happening here at the Dream Factory, we are all hard at work raising lots more little Dumplings. The conveyor belt’s going at full speed and new Dumplings are rolling off ready to begin their exciting adventures!

Thanks to last weekend lots of new locations can expect a visit from a Dumpling soon. The very first one now is on her way to Bulgaria, and so the adventure continues to grow. Wherever our little creations end up, we do hope they are made welcome and bring a little bit of happiness and companionship to their new friends’ lives.

Well, Doughnuts, that's all for now. It's back to the mixing bowl for this busy baker.

Please remember to call again soon.

Happy thoughts as always

Your friend in flour,

Mrs D xxxx

Not the Spice Boys!

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:58:14 +0000

Hello Pastry Mates!

Well it really seems like Autumn’s blown in and Summer’s finally now gone off on her holidays! Next stop Winter! Gosh, hasn't this year just raced by?

All is good here at the Dream Factory, although Spoon’s been feeling a little bit off colour, so he has spent the past day or so lying down tucked up in a darkened drawer. All the little Dumpling dolls have been nursing him and making a real fuss over him, which he pretends he doesn't really like. But there he was having grapes peeled for him - talk about being spoon fed!!!

Having failed their 6th audition attempt, George and Gerry say they wish to give up on their thoughts of becoming world wide pop stars (Jedward can now perhaps rest easy!!) and they are going to concentrate on being good bakers instead! So for them its no longer the X factor dream, its now more extra Dream Factory! At least here they can still dream if they wish (but please no more singing!)

Well, my little Melting Moments, that's all from Flourtown for this week. If you’re planning to come to the Dream Store this weekend, then please do wrap up warm. Hope to see you soon.

With love, hugs and warm mugs of all things sweet!

Your friend as always,

Mrs D xxx

A Wish-per in your ear!

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 20:20:24 +0000

Bakey! Wakey! Shaky! Cake Mates, because it's your time to rise up and shine!!!

It’s another wonderful fresh baked day in Doughland and all is thankfully sweet here. Spoon’s busy mixing and stirring, the Gingerbread Twins are hard at work (it’s usually hard to make them work!) and all the little Dumpling dolls are happily sifting through your wishes and dreams that have arrived at the Dream Factory. They are now just awaiting sorting, and then a magic moment or two!

Life here at my little Dream Factory would not be nearly so good or fulfilling without your visits and support, so, as always, my very own wish is that if you do - as we all hope - happen to like and enjoy your own little Dumpling experience, please tell your friends all about us. A quiet little whisper in the right ear can easily turn into a loud shout in the ears of many! So please help my little project to grow by telling a friend of yours to come and visit too..............Thank you.

Well Munchies there's lots to do here in Doughland, so until the next time we chat, take care and be happy and remember to keep that smile upon your face, because that's what suits you most!!!

Love and warm thoughts as always

Mrs D xxx

Smile Please!

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:21:00 +0000

Hello Shortcakes!

Well thankfully we are now all set for another fun filled exciting time at my little Dream Store. Are you coming to visit us this weekend? We do hope so!

A new fresh batch of my happy Dumpling dolls are all ready and eager to begin their little adventures, and we hope they all find their correct homes and special friends who will love and enjoy their comforting companionship. Who knows, that might even be you!

Wherever and whatever you are doing this weekend, do please remember that a happy face is a very infectious thing, so wear yours and share a smile or two.

Happy Smiles to all!

Love and warm wishes

Your friend as ever

Mrs D xxx

Christmas Wishes!

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:16:39 +0000

Hello to all my special little Pie-pals

It’s really getting very hectic here in Flour-town, lots of Dumpling dolls are rolling off the magic conveyor belt, all ready, willing and able to begin their special Dumpling journeys, seeking out new adventures and going wherever a little comforting companionship is needed or required. Also, we are gradually building up our stocks as we head towards the peak Christmas period and all of us here at the Dream Factory will be working extra hard to make certain that the homes requiring our little Dumplings to visit will not be disappointed. Please could we ask for your help? We are hoping for, and anticipating, a bumper time and if you know for certain that you are going to invite a Dumpling home for Christmas, then please let us know and get your orders in as early as possible. This will ensure you get the Dumpling doll that’s been awaiting your call and who has been made especially for you! Thank you!

Well, Munchies, that’s all the fresh baked news from here. I will be back in touch soon, so until then,

Be happy and dream sweetly,

Love and Hugs

Mrs D xxxx

From Russia with love!!!

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:08:44 +0000

Hello again cake-mates!!!

Well after my little sunshine break I am now back rested and ready to begin the build up to Christmas!! I had a wonderful time baking in the sun, but there is nicely golden brown and then there is burnt and, yes, this baker now admits to being on the very well cooked side of life!!!

We had a great weekend at my little Dream Store in Covent Garden, and thank you to everyone who visited us there. I must just mention the family from Moscow, who arrived at the very start of the day and who came especially to find the Dumpling dolls after reading someone's Internet report on their own enjoyable Dumpling experience after visiting us from Russia and telling others all about it. Then later on Sunday we had two girls from Belarus take the very first Dumplings to settle there, and the final sale of the weekend saw little Dumpling Ellie become the very first Dumpling to visit and settle in Siberia (with Olga and her family). We really hope and wish that lots more will now follow these in the years to come. Again, to everyone from all around the world, thank you for your help in spreading the Dumpling word!! We really appreciate your support!

Well we have a busy week on the cards (news on this later!! ). So we will talk again soon, until then be happy! Be kind! |And as always, please be you!!!

Love and fresh baked warm wishes

Your friend as ever

Mrs D xxxx

A snap break!!!

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:35:53 +0000

Hello Cake-Mates!

Well crumbs! That’s been a quick week hasn’t it!

Another fresh Fridays risen already! Gosh!!! Just where does the time go?

There’s nothing really much new to report from here in Yeastville, this week’s batch of Dumpling dolls are ready and eager to begin their exciting adventures and they are all looking forward to meeting their new best friends. My dream team are busy as ever, cooking up lots of new ideas to try and make it an even more Jam packed Dumpling world!

Spoon alongside George and Gerry have been up to their usual fun and games, Spoons always stirring the ginger bread twins up by pretending to mix up just who is who and which one is which, and then they both get identically very annoyed, and then they argue!! (Spoon just loves Ginger snaps and he certainly knows the perfect recipe!)

I’m away for a few days next week, so there will be no diary from me, but will fill you in on all the Factory gossip when I return...............So until then please be as happy as you can!

Love and fresh baked thoughts

Your Friend Always,

Mrs D xxx

Book up now !!!

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:33:46 +0000

Morning Cookies

Well another weekend is upon us and this one brings with it a bank holiday so we are hoping for a really Dumpling bumper one (please!). Let’s hope the sun is kind and shines upon us all!

All of us here at the Dream Factory are off to the annual Flourtown summer fete on Monday, and you will soon be able to read all about our special day out, because it’s going to feature in our very first Dumpling story book. We have just found out this week that it will be published in spring time next year!!! Please keep watching the website for all the information on its release and also some other exciting Dumpling developments which we will hopefully be telling you about soon.

All the exciting things which are now happening with our little project, are all thanks to you, our Dumpling friends, for without your amazing support and encouragement, our own little dream would still be a wish away..........so whether you're from Stevenage or Sacramento, from Newcastle or Nepal, from Swansea or New South Wales, to you, our special Dumpling friends, we thank you all!

Love and sweet dreams as always

Mrs D xxx

Bun and games!

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:17:59 +0000

Good morning to all my little Fondant Friends!

It's Wednesday here in Doughland and the bakery is in full flow, everyone is mixing and stirring and making sure that this week’s fresh batch of comforting confections are going to be raised to perfection! I could do with a few days holiday. (It’s often said bakers usually just enjoy loafing around. I would enjoy a large slice of that!!) Maybe next week?

Had a very funny thing happen in the factory yesterday. Two iced buns turned up and asked if they could rest awhile with us, but they spoke very nasally and kept coughing, so much so that we could hardly understand what they were saying. We asked them if they were ok. They said they were fine but it was that they were actually Belgium buns so they were sometimes just a little Flemish! (That was actually Spoon's joke but he got the ending rather mixed it up as usual.)

Anyway Bun-mates I'd better get back to work now, so until the next time, please be happy!

Wishing you lots of fun filled moments as always,

Mrs D xxx

Tea( pe) for two ?

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:06:10 +0000

Hello Marzipans!

Well would you believe it, Friday's popped by again. I do wonder just where the weeks go?

All’s well here at the Dream Factory. It’s been a really good, but as usual, busy week with another oven busting batch of Dumpling dolls now just about ready to enter the mixing bowl of life and hopefully bring a little slice of happiness to where ever it may be needed.

Spoon and the Gingerbread Twins are taking a little camping holiday this weekend. Now that’s certain to be a little in-tents as they are taking a picnic but they are very fussy with their food, so be warned there could be some nitpicking picnickers in a field near you! If you see some twins loitering with intent, you'll know who they are!

Whatever you are doing this weekend we all here at the Dream Factory wish you a fun filled time.

Dream Sweetly Cupcakes

Happy Thoughts

Mrs D xxx

Rolling up and down

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:21:28 +0000

Hello Bun-mates!

Another day bakes and so begins a fresh slice of life in Doughland!

We are getting down to up production of my little comforting confections, because thankfully every weekend the Dream Store is now welcoming back more and more Dumpling friends, who return to visit us and help spread the Dumpling word a little further. Your support and kindness is the biggest asset for my little project and makes all our toils in the Dream Factory so rewarding. So to all our special Dumpling friends, as ever, we say, "Thank you for keeping us busy as that is what makes us happy"!!

The Gingerbread Twins George and Gerry are sweet little chaps, but they do very strange things sometimes! They have now begun putting photos of croissants and bagels all around the Dream Factory, and then they keep staring at them. When asked why, they reply they want to be more worldly wise and have decided these two would make good “roll models!!!” (And it’s Spoon who is supposed to be the one that’s mixed up??)

Well, Dumpling friends, that’s all the very latest goings on from here in Flourtown, please remember to sift back to visit us soon for the next dusting of sweet talk.

Have a happy time and until we talk again, please be you!

Happy Hugs

Your friend always

Mrs D xxxx

Pick 'n'mix !

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:04:23 +0000

Hi Cupcakes,

Well Friday's found us again and we are just about ready for another Dumpling delivering weekend. Fridays are always exciting here in the Dream Factory with everybody wondering where exactly our latest batch of little crumbs of comfort are going and to end up, and with whom? Their Dumpling adventures and missions are now about to start and as we say they are all bred to be spread, so who knows where they will end up? Gosh! No wonder they get so excited and all cry out “PICK ME” !!

My little Dream Team are always busy in the factory, planning new ways, how and which way to spread the Dumpling word and we are now working on lots of further ideas. But if you, our special Dumpling friends, have any clever ideas please do let us know also.....thank you.

To all my Dumpling friends around the world, please have a great dream filled happy weekend and remember to stay as sweet as you are !

Love, hugs and warm wishes

Your friend always

Mrs D xxx

another week another dough-note!

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:08:26 +0000

Morning Munchettes !

A fresh week begins and the bakery is as usual very busy! The Gingerbread Twins are now back from their holidays and looking a little burnt if you ask me! .....but guess that's a pleasant change from their normal half baked selves! Spoon's busy mixing and stirring everybody up as usual. He meets all his work head on!! The Dough Dough bird is helping me count the hundreds and thousands for a stock take, and guess what? There are hundreds and thousands of them!!!!

The Dream Store was busy as ever and lots of people from all around the world got to hear and learn about my little Dumpling Dolls; this week one has even travelled off to Nepal and will now soon be living in Kathmandu!!! Wherever our little confections end up we do hope they bring a smile to a face and if necessary help wipe a little tear from a sad eye, because that's the reason they are raised and they're the things they like to do!

Well that's all the gossip from here at the Dream Factory, please do pop back soon and until then stay as sweet as you are. Remember to tell the ones you love just how much that really is!!!

Warm wishes and sweet thoughts

Mrs D xxx

Doll Filled Day Dreams!

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:34:27 +0000

Hello Mini Macaroons,

It's Friday already and another weekend beckons at our little dream store and lots more of my little crumbs of comfort are ready to begin their exciting new Dumpling adventures.

We will hopefully have some very exciting news to tell you soon, so please make sure you keep visiting the Dream Factory to keep up with all the latest gossip and remember also to become a friend on my Facebook page ( Hetty Dumpling ) which now helps connect our Dumpling friends around the world.

Also, most importantly, please remember to tell all your friends about the Dream Factory, as we really do enjoy having visitors calling in to visit us and your very own recommendation is our biggest and most powerful tool to achieve this ............. My Dumplings are just bread to be spread !!! So go on, please remember to tell a friend to call as we really do knead their support as well. THANK YOU!

Love, hugs and deep filled wishes

Your friend

Mrs D xxxx

Never down in the Dump (lings) here!

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 10:22:24 +0000

Hello my little Pastry Pals!

Well there's lots new to report from flour-town............... firstly we had another 'delight full' Dumpling weekend at my Dream Store in Covent Garden and met new friends and old and placed lots more of my little crumbs of comfort in loving and welcoming comfortable homes! Thank you once again, we so appreciate your dumpling support!

On a Dumplings' friend's suggestion I have opened a Facebook page (Hetty Dumpling) and so lots of dumpling friends are now linked and spreading the Dumpling word far and wide ...The happy Dumpling message is after all, just bread to be spread!

We are always working on new ways to raise the Dumpling word so if you have any ideas or clever Dumpling thoughts please drop us a line.............. we knead your help!!!

Anyway mini muffins that's all for now,

Stay sweet

Your friend in dough

Mrs D xxxx

A slice of life?

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:06:40 +0000

Hello Pastry Mates!

Well yet another weekend rolls out from the mixing bowl of life and once again we look forward to a fun packed weekend at the Dream Store and finding more fresh homes for all this week's new bakes!

Not much to report from the Dream Factory, as we have all been really, really busy trying hard to keep up with the Dumpling production. Spoon's now back from his own short break and George and Gerry have packed their pastry cases ready for their holiday next week to the Spice Islands! (With twin beds naturally ! )

Next week I might try making Madeira (cake), which will be the closest thing to a holiday for this very busy baker!!!

Well sugar-cubes have a great weekend.

As always my deep filled wishes and sugar dusted dreams to you all,

Your friend in Doughland

Mrs D xxx

Rolling out some more!

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:30:21 +0000

Hello Mini munchkins,

And so begins a new week here at my little dream factory and something tells me its going to be another jam packed dumpling delightfully one, because once again we had a record baking weekend at my dream store and every lucky little dumpling doll in need of a home managed to secure a home in need of a dumpling , so again we sold out completely, it seems the more we bake the more you take............ so we thank you all for your most valued support and encouragement .

Spoons going on holiday this week, he's placed himself into a cardboard box and has asked the twins to take him to the post office and post him( luckily he's a male!) 2nd class back to the dream factory, says its his new idea for a cheap package holiday!!! Some times we all so wish Spoon had been given heaps more common sense!!!

Anyway my little mince pies, thats all for now.

Be good, be happy, but most of all please, be you!

Love and thoughts,

Mrs D xxx

dough not try this home!

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:39:15 +0000

Hello Cake-Mates!

Just finished another busy week's production in the Dream Factory and now all the fresh-baked Dumplings are ready to seek out new friends and to begin their Dumpling adventures at my little dream store.

Its been a funny half baked sort of week here; firstly Spoon had a very silly falling out with Bowl, which caused quite a stir in the factory (or perhaps didn't as the case may be!) Then George accused Gerry of always copying him, so Gerry then accused George of doing exactly the same thing. (Guess that's perhaps just an identical twin sort of thing!) Then finally the Dough Dough bird announced he was thinking of leaving us and becoming a pilot???? ( A flightless bird on a plane!! Guess he might just possibly get a job at Un-Easy Jet!! )

Anyway, little cookies, that's all the gossip from here at the Dream Factory for now.

Hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy some sweet moments and whatever you're doing, remember to do it well!

Love, hugs and warm fresh-baked dreams,

Mrs D xx

Bred to spread!!!

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 07:40:27 +0000

Morning Doughnuts !

GOSH!!! what an another amazing dumpling delightful weekend we have just spent at my little dream store in covent garden, every single lucky little dumpling doll found friends to take them off to new adventures,. Thank you! to everyone who invited a little dumpling into theirs or someone they love and care about lives!

Its now going to be extra busy in the dream factory this week, we are going to make a record number of new bakes to try and keep up with the knead! but it really seems the more we roll out the more you buy , not that we are complaining, it's so exciting for us and the Dumpling dolls that so many of you have the perfect homes available for them and know of people of all ages who could perhaps do with a dumpling friend!

Each Dumpling friend, is our biggest and best advert for Mrs Dumpling and her special little creations, so please if you have liked and enjoyed your own Dumpling "experiance" as much as we hope? please then kindly whisper about it to your friends, as a little whisper in the right ear ( or left ear! ) can easily turn into a shout in the ears of many and our Dumplings are as you know just raised and bred to be spread!!!

Well my little cake mates thats all from a very happy little dream factory, until we talk again please stay as sweet as you are!

As always wishing you happy days and dream filled nights

Your Friend

Mrs D xx

A little toast !

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:31:00 +0000

Hi to all my special fondant friends!

Well another weekend pops up from the toaster of life and all my fresh raised dumplings are dressed and ready to start their dumpling adventures..................lifes sweet !

George and Gerry have now taken up golf!!! well I know they will be good at this, as they always love to play around !

There was nearly a very nasty accident in the bakery yesterday, Spoon tripped over a container full of hot steamed jam sponge ! he was ok, but says hes going to take the sponge to court said something about going to suet!!!

Well light-bites I had better be off now to try and find more new homes for my little fresh bakes!

Have a great weekend.

Warm thoughts, smile plenty 'cause it really suits you!

Love and Hugs

Mrs D xxx

Just what is cooking here???

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:50:43 +0000

Hello Shortcakes !

Oh gosh!!! its a very funny strange sort of day here in the bakery................................ Firstly the Bakewells baked badly then the cream puffs ran out of puff and then the upsidedown cakes all turned up the rightway? and now the stollen had been stolen........... and finally..... (well maybe? ) ...... the fondant fancies do not fancy anything!! crumbs Just what is going on here!

Spoon keeps mixing up his words! so he dent to the woctors............ OH ! sorry he went to the doctors ( this could be infectious !! ) told him just to sit still and not to stir and that he would be ok and to take his word for it that he was just suffering from spoonerisims! well at least thats what we think he said because Spoony was as always just a little mixed up when telling us!!!

Well munchies thats all from here in the bakery at this melting moment, so do please call back soon!

Until then Happy fun filled days and sweet dream filled nights to you all,

Your Friend in Doughland

Mrs D xx

Nice to see you............!!

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:58:45 +0000

Hello lightbites!

And so another week begins in Flourtown, Thankfully it's not going to be as hot as last week ( do not really want to complain but it was very hot in the bakery!!! ) the iced buns melted and even the water biscuits dehydrated !

During the weekend lots of fresh baked lucky little Dumpling dolls left us for their new homes and found friends they never knew thay had!!! We had a super weekend at the little dream store in covent garden and we must thank everyone who visited us and shared sometime with us, Thank you all, we really enjoyed your company at our little company !

Now a big MOAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just where are all the photos you keep promising us ............we need them for our photo gallery so come on please get (brandy) snapping now !!!!

Well thats all thats cooking here at the moment in the dream factory, please call back again soon,

Until then Sweet dreams and happy thoughts to you all

Your friend in Doughland

Mrs D xxx

Baking Britain ?

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:17:08 +0000

Greetings Doughmates !

Well another weekends arrived and we are all looking forward to hopefully another busy time at the dream store, It has been a good week in the factory and we have been busy raising lots of little dumpling dolls and they are now eagerly awaiting their new homes and friends..................................... The news has been warning all week that its going to be baking in England this weekend but our little bakery is resting??? so its got nothing to do with us,

I asked the gingerbread boys to get their hair trimmed but they said its going to be to sunny and that they are busy and not wanting to go because of the barber queue at spoons ( but spoon certainly does not do haircuts, ) crumbs I'm confused sometimes?????

Anyway whatever you are doing this weekend have a great time and if you are out in the sun remember PLEASE not to burn !

Sweet dreams and happy thoughts,

Warm wishes as always

Mrs D xxx

A very tasty time!

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 11:23:46 +0000

Hello happy Doughnuts !

And so begins yet another week in Flourtown, We had a dumpling feast at the weekend, a record breaking dumpling delightful time, With lots and lots of lucky little dumpling dolls finding welcoming new homes all around the world! Thank you to all of you who offered a fresh start to a dumpling we do hope your new little friends will always now be welcome guests in your lives!

As I said before, we love getting and hearing your ideas to try and make it a better, happier dumpling world and a lady ( sorry! but we didnt get your name ) suggested Mrs Dumpling should have her own face book page so all the dumplings spread around the world could stay intouch! and we love the idea, so please watch out shortly for the link etc..............................

Anyway thats enough chit chat from me, there is lots to make and bake

So until the next time (which is soon I hope! ) stay sweet!

Love hugs and fresh baked dreams to all my dumpling friends

Mrs D xxxx

Crumbs! another weekend pops up!!!

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:26:48 +0000

Morning Lightbites !

Well the weekends here again and we are thankfully all ready for lots more dumpling introductions.

Not much to report today really , Spoons up to his neck in dough, so he's very happy, the gingerbread boys are being their usual lazy seleves and hiding from any work , they are actualy both laying fast asleep in the garden sunbathing, hope they're not toasting themseleves! Me? I'm now going to be giving the new bred dumpling dolls a little pep talk and last minute instructions and check over before they all then hopefully leave on their new missions and adventures.

Have a great weekend,speak soon,

Love and wishes

Mrs D xxx

Food for thought!

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:38:35 +0000

Greetings Doughfolk!

Well we are having a good week in the bakery,with lots of nice things happening in Yeastville.

Nothings nicer than when our special Dumpling friends very kindly pass us on their ideas and suggestions and Emma from Tadley came up with the idea for seasonal dumplings ( Christmas, Hallowen, etc ) and we really like this idea, so please keep watching for some seasonal offerings later in the year, and again thanks Emma for your clever and much appreciated dumpling thoughts!

The Gingerbread boys have booked a summer holiday back to the Spice islands !!! hoping again to meet some nice spice girls, last time they were there they both had a holiday romance and both fell for a wacky silly girl called Meg, she was a very mixed up spice girl, the boys ended up knowing her as NUTMEG!

Well cakemates thats all thats been cooking here in flourtown, please call back soon for more news, gossip and sprinkles of sillyness from all your friends in the bakery.

Until then as always,

Sweet Dreams

Mrs D xxx

Sticky times !!

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:02:45 +0000

Hello little Tastebuds !

Its Raining here !! not cats and dogs, more kittens and puppies !! (so it's just little Spits and spots! )

Lots of new bakes underway, so as ever its busy in the bakery, but we are not complaining ( we might not be, but spoon is as always!!! )

Spoon says he badly needs a holiday thinking about going to Sauda Arabia , claims his family came from there, says he was once told his grand father was a desert spoon!!

The toffee sauce fell in love with a strawberry tart, could have been a very sticky situation,happily ended very sweetly though, now the are stuck together and starting a little flanly of their own!

Well munchkins thats all the fresh news from here in Doughland for now, so until we talk again

Remember please, be good, be great, be happy,

Mrs D xx

Dough ball was in!

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:03:04 +0000

Hello Mini Macaroonys

it's Monday and another fresh week kicks off in Flourtown!

Oh dear not a good result yesterday, England seemed half baked, flat and very flakey and they came up rather short and certainly crumbled, no more world cup for us guess it was just pie in the sky !!

They never really quite managed to find their form in the world cup, will not dwell on it, but theres not a single happy bun to be found in the bakery today!!!

Had quite a nice weekend at the dream store, but not as busy as it has been, but we all know why !

I really need your Dumpling photos for my photo gallery, so please send your dumpling shots in soon !

Lots to make and bake here at the bakery , so kneads must !

So until we chat again,

Love hugs and happy thoughts to you all

Mrs D xx

Mix'n'Match

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 06:48:13 +0000

Welcome Little Dumpling friends !

Well we are hopefully ready for another busy weekend at the dream store, Its going to be hot again and on Sunday we have the big match !! Gosh its going to be exciting ! George and Gerry are both wearing their scarves and have bobble hats on already , ( in this heat ? ) Spoon has decided he no longer likes football since his injury the other day, so hes now watching the tennis, and since enjoying the marathon match the other day, now wants to play ( keeps going on about he was born to be a serving spoon!!! what a mixed up kid!!! )

Have a great weekend , what ever you're doing, Enjoy it and do it well !

Love and fresh baked thoughts ( and come on England !!! )

Mrs D xxx

Spoons Bowled Over!

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:36:13 +0000

Morning Munchies !

Gosh its warm here again in Doughland! we are busy making iced buns, just to try and keep cool!!!

Spoons not in work today !!! He ended up in hospital yesterday, he got so excited watching the football when England scored , he ran round and round shouting and celebrating, got himself dizzy he fell out of his bowl and hit his head! so we whisked him off to A & E , they said he was ok but just a little stir crazy !!! ( we know this well! )

Well thats all the gossip from the factory today,

Chat again soon, until then

Love and happy thoughts

Mrs D xx

In the Mix !

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:10:37 +0000

Morning Muffins !

Wow!!! Another really sunny day in Flourtown and Its very hot in the bakery ! I was going to be making a giant fruit cake, but the giant didnt show up!!! ( bet he's watching the footaball on a giant screen TV ) so its scones instead today.

All the dumplings and the dream team are finishing early today to watch the football as well ! so there is lots to do in a very short (pastry) time, so better get back to baking, Lets all hope England win today !

Roll on and rise up England !!!

Happy Days little Cupcakes,

Mrs D xxx

Summer days!

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:24:43 +0000

Hello little Cookies!

its another great day here in Yeastville , summer is certainly here, we have warm sunshine, strawberries and wimbledon.

The gingerbread boys just love watching tennis, trouble is they make so much noise! the shout, scream and cheer at every shot, you would think they invented the tennis racket !!! (George and Gerry are a little highly strung, ) They have never quite yet figured out why the players never take a break to drink, when the man in the highchair orders Juice!!!

Another fresh batch of my Dumpling dolls are underway,so better get ready to greet them, So munchkins thats all for now , please call back again soon,

Until then

Love and sweet filled thoughts

Mrs D xx

Rise and Shine !

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:34:38 +0000

Hello My Fondant Friends!

Another new week in flourtown! Well again we a had a dumpling delicious weekend at the dream store lots of nice people, thankfully met a dumpling they wanted to invite home ( one even went home to a home with a home !! )

Thank you to everyone who called by to buy and to those that didnt buy, Bye for now, please be by again soon to buy ! (late night last night guess this silly sentance proves I perhaps really should get more byebyes !!! )

Its going to be a hot and sunny week according to the gingerbread twins so they will be in the garden baking themseleves ( they suit a golden colour and anyway most of the time thay act half baked so it will do them good!!! )

Have a great week, please stay sweet !

Love and happy hugs

Bye ( oh dear !! here I go again!! )

Mrs D xxx

Dolling out the dumplings

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:42:25 +0000

Good morning bunmates!

Well another day at my dream store and the dumplings are all set for their new adventures !

Crumbs the weeks just fly by, we are now almost halfway to Christmas, We will have to get the puddings made soon!

Have a great weekend , remember to wear a smile !

Love and thoughts

Mrs D xx

Friday!

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:21:36 +0000

Morning Sweet-things

Friday and a new weekend at my dream store is nearly here, all the dumpling dolls are ready for their new adventures.

George and Gerry the gingerbread twins are not in my good books at the moment , they decided to have a flour fight yesterday in the bakery, the mess was everywhere!! my advice to you all is Dough not try this at home!!!

Have a great weekend , the weathers good but not baking!!!

Speak again soon

Your friend

Mrs D xx

Half Baked News!

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 09:16:38 +0000

Hello my special Doughmates!

Just where do the weeks go ? Thursday already and still lots more to do to be ready for the weekend ahead!

Pleased to say another batch of my fresh baked little dumpling dolls are now nearly ready and are getting excited and looking forward to meeting their new friends very soon.

Caught spoon running round the kitchen with a tape measure chasing after a dozen free range eggs? asked him what on earth was he was doing ? He told me he had read you can't beat Eggsersizing for keeping fit !!!............ what a mixed up kid he is!!!

Until we talk again,

Sweet filled thoughts as always

Mrs D xx

Hello to " collect it " readers!!!

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:14:24 +0000

Good Morning my little fresh baked friends!

Well its wednesday already , time certainly has wings here in Yeastville !

We have been featured in July's edition of collect it magazine and so lots more people are getting to know and read about the dream factory and our little project! Its so exciting for us!!!

This weeks Dumpling dolls production is rolling along nicely and we are trying hard to keep up with the demand for my little comforting confections but we just wish the gingerbread twins would try to be a little bit more helpful, they seem to have taken up a new form of break dancing!!! every ten minutes they stop, take a break and skip work!!!

Off back to bakery, until we talk next time fondant friends,

Be good, be kind, but most of all, be you!

Love and Dreams

Mrs D XX

Another day in Doughland !

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 07:55:06 +0000

Hello to you, my little cake crumb friends ,

The Sun was up bright and early this morning , the birds were chirping , the gingerbread boys were eager to start work making dreams and wishes and Spoon was fast asleep!! Try as we might we just couldnt wake him up !!! he just remained fast asleep in his bowl snorring as loud as he can ( and thats loud!!! ) So tell me what goods a spoon you can't stir ?

Thank you to everyone who is buying our little dumplings through my online shop,

Anyway as usual theres lots to make and bake here in the dream factory, so I better get on! So until we chat again ,

Be sweet! be kind and remember to tell the ones you love , just how much that is!

With love and hugs as ever

Mrs D xx

roll on another batch!!

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 09:46:13 +0000

Happy Monday cake-mates!

Not a good start to the new week in the dream factory .............spoons been complaining of not feeling well? says his feeling plain flakey and a little short? Well its not really surprising as today he's up to his neck in flour, its obvious he just feeling just a little pastry!

lots to make and bake so off now ........... but please lets speak again soon

As always, deep filled thoughts with love and jam packed fresh warm wishes

Mrs D xx

Happy sunny days !

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 22:37:52 +0000

WOW! Thank you. we have had a really super weekend at our little dream store and every single one of my freshly baked dumpling dolls managed to find a new place to call home, Thank you to all the kind and thoughtful people who offered loving homes to my little comforting confections, We hope that these new little arrivals into your lives will help brighten your days and hopefully help to make your own wishes and dreams come true.

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN.

Warm thoughts and sweet-filled dreams

Mrs D and her little dream team XX

A busy week ahead in the dream factory lots of new dolls to be raised..................

Roll on the weekend!

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 06:47:10 +0000

Hi to all you mini macaroons out there in doughland!

Off to my little dream store to find dumpling homes for dumpling dolls !

It's sunny and warm so we hope this will help the latest fresh baked batch find some happy homes this weekend!

Hope all your dreams come true, we are doing our little dumpling best to help!

Love and warm fresh baked wishes

Mrs D XX

don't kick me but!!!

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:26:00 +0000

Well if you thought the dream factory was going to be a world cup free zone!................Sorry!!!

Whilst the dumpling dolls are not usually footie fans, even they have caught football fever and are proudly wearing thier football scarves all around the factory, ( my dumplings are 100% raised in Britain ! so they always proudly support all our home nations! )

Hope its a great time and so........ come on England!!!!............ dough your best and bake us proud please!!!

crumbs of comfort

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:58:10 +0000

Afternoon Tea cakes !!! lots cooking here in doughland!

Spoon just beat orange at squash !!!

you should see Mr orange squeeze into his shorts!!! so funny it made the apples crumble !!!

a really tall man came in earlier looking for a shortcake or was it a really short man for a tall cake?

Anyway must dash,............. keep sweet....... pie for now xx

Raining!!!

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:24:39 +0000

Hello mini macaroons, very busy here raising lots more dumpling dolls!

Having some strange weather in the bakery its been lemon drizzling here all morning.

strange goings on ??? had two large rasins running around the kitchen going round and round chasing each other, told me they were not racing rasins but speed dates !!!

A taste of factory life!!!

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:11:33 +0000

Good morning little cake-mates, well we had a warm night in the factory, we had to have the flan on all night!!!

two fruit buns had an argument !!!! theres nothing worse than hot cross buns!!!!

Spoons off on holiday today, hes going to the spice islands with the Gingerbread twins! they do not have much luggage only a pastry case between them!!!!

a baking weekend!!

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:32:59 +0000

Hello happy munchkins!, well we had a hot weekend at our dream store in covent garden and we got to make and meet lots of new dumpling friends! thank you to all those who kindly invited one of my little confections into your homes, we do hope they will now be welcome visitors into your lives!

When you do have a little spare time please write in and send us your photos of your new little companions in thier new homes, as we love seeing them settled in and will be showing a selection in the photo gallery soon! Take lots of dumpling care ..........love and hugs Mrs D XX

Food fight!

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:39:52 +0000

Had an argument today in the factory between two doughnuts................. one accused the other of taking the rise out of him......... told them to make up and say no more....... the yeast said soonest mended!

Morning munchkins

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:38:13 +0000

Morning munchkins another busy day,here in flourtown!!! Just spilt a pound of strawberries and a bag of sugar in a bit of a jam here!!!