Monday 13 May 2013

Custard Evolution!

Its funny how things come about don't you think?  Who would have thought that a bit of a giggle between two Geocaching friends a few years ago would have come to myself and my husband being known as something other than our official names? Yes...that's right...we gained the name of 'The Custards' as a result of our friends Penfolio and Jan having a laugh because Jan got Mr C's Geocaching name wrong in a phone conversation!  And now, the whole 'Custard' thing has evolved even further into the name of our new venture - Custard Create!

From wrong name to company logo!
Exciting times are ahead....Mr C and I have always been creative and loved all things digital - especially photography and digital painting so I thought after a spell of being unemployed and being completely and utterly bored of having no job it was about time we did something with our talents!

So....here today I am introducing you to the start of the 'Custard Empire' which will begin with our new website that is currently under construction - www.custardcreate.co.uk.

Custard Create is essentially a place where our work can be showcased in the hope that people might come to us or pass our names on should they need anything doing of a creative nature!  We do all sorts of stuff...predominantly digital painting, digital photographic work and main stream photography (weddings, portraits and landscapes).

Here are a couple of examples as well as the digital painting above with our logo on it:

Digital Painting - pictures painted digitally by the use of an Ipad, a couple of photos supplied by the customer, some brilliant painting software and oodles of patience and talent:

Ethan - Digital Painting


Dexter - Digital Pet Painting
Digital Photographic Art - created from your favourite photos using all sorts of digital programs such as Adobe Photoshop etc. in order to create a portrait that is a little funkier than normal! (all pictures below were actually created from portrait shoots done by myself but all sorts of amazing effects can be created from you providing me with a favourite image yourself!):

Beth - Digital art
Archie - Digital art
Poppy - Digital art
Digital art

Mainstream Photography - weddings, portraits and landscapes - packages put together to suit all budgets:

Weddings:

Wedding Photography - photo compilations


Wedding Photography

Wedding photography


Wedding Photography
Wedding Photography

Portrait:
Portrait Photography

Portrait Photography

Portrait Photography

Portrait Photography

Portrait Photography

As you can see - I have plenty of examples of work to showcase on the new site - in fact I have about a million more images as well as the ones on here and we also have loads of new work in different and unique styles that are currently in the pipeline that will be uploaded when finished - so watch this space!

Should anyone want any work done though, no matter how far fetched your ideas, drop us a line on kimmi@custardcreate.co.uk and I'm sure we can create you something that will blow your socks off at a price that's right!

Anyhow...that's how we got to where we are now and I kind of like the fact that our new name has a story behind it - I think it maybe gives us some sort of unforgettable character! In actual fact though, although its been a few years in the making it really feels like just the start of something big - exciting times are ahead.....Custard Empire here we come!

Oh....and a MASSIVE thanks to Paul Penfolio and Jan Whiteley for having such an impact on our new venture's name - I think it will stick with us for the rest of our lives and hopefully this funky, comical little name will be the start of something amazing! :-)


Monday 22 April 2013

An Evening With Take That At The Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa!

Well, well, well.....if there ever was a weekend that would 'Relight my fire'....one that I'd 'Never forget' (did you see what I did there?  Ha...clever eh?) - the one just gone would have to be it! Mr C and I have just got home from Cheshire after visiting our third Nelson Hotel.....The Grosvenor Pulford - and boy do we have lots to tell you about it!
The Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa - Cheshire's finest accommodation!
After going to all three of their hotels now, Mr C and I really do feel that the Nelson group have cornered the market for luxury accommodation in Cheshire. After previously visiting The Pheasant Inn and The Bears Paw, we noticed a Take That tribute evening pop up on the Twitter feed of the chain and just knew it was now time to visit the Grosvenor Pulford for a bit of fun and laughter!

As soon as we pulled up to the hotel, we knew that we weren't going to be disappointed as the building was absolutely lovely and was surrounded with a beautifully tended garden (perfect for wedding photography) and far reaching views.

We checked in straight away and were taken up to our room - a superior suite that had just been decorated as part of the hotel's major refurbishment and oh my lord...well...I'll let the next photographs do the talking...

Grosvenor Pulford Superior Room - Wow!

Superior Suite Bathroom - With TV!!
The decor in our room really had the wow factor and absolutely blew us away - every little detail had been thought of i.e. soft closing drawers/toilet seat and the furnishings were of the highest possible quality you could imagine!  The room just oozed luxury and I have to say, the rug underneath the bed was the most beautifully squishy carpet I have ever had the pleasure to walk on...the down side to this room though was that you didn't want to leave....EVER!!!

The hotel itself is huge and features lots of different areas - Nelson's bar, a cosy gastro style pub that is filled with leather sofas, big warming fireplaces and quiet little corners, Ciro's Brasserie - a Mediterranean style restaurant that has an excellent selection of wines from around the world and makes you feel like you're in an eatery abroad (also where breakfast is held), The Grosvenor Suite - a beautifully decorated function suite filled with fairy lights (one of my favourite things) where events such as weddings and tribute evenings take place and last but not least - The Kasia Spa - a heavenly little place to unwind that features a pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, gym, treatment rooms and an eatery that looks out onto an Asian sensory garden - perfect for soothing the mind.

Kasia Spa - Asian Sensory Garden
After an amazingly chilled out afternoon in the spa and a few drinks in Nelson's bar it was soon time for the big event - an evening with Take That!  Yippee!  Having heard a lot of good reports about the guys who were doing the tribute act we were very excited - as were all of the other guests down in the Grosvenor Suite when we arrived!  After having a drink at the bar, Operations Manager Maurice quickly seated everyone as the evening was about to begin....

Whilst listening to a DJ play some top tunes in order to crank up the atmosphere, we were served our three course meal.  The event was sold out and there were a lot of people to be fed in the room before the boys came on stage but Maurice and his team did an absolutely outstanding job of making sure everyone had their food. Then, when it was time to clear the plates away - they did it in true regimented style - it was like watching a highly practised dance routine!  The food, alongside the service was absolutely top notch!

Cheesecake finished...plates cleared away....wine glass topped up...it was now time for Take That!  The crowd went wild when the boys came on stage and what a performance they gave - even Mr C enjoyed it!  The room was absolutely electric while the boys (and the crowd) sang their little hearts to some of Take That's all time greatest songs!  Then, after Take That came a disco so you could dance your little legs off until the small hours - oh what a night!

Take That Tribute Night At The Grosvenor Pulford Hotel
The tribute night was extremely enjoyable and is something that The Nelson Group have now decided to continue throughout the year due to its popularity.  They now have a full list of events that lasts right through this year's festive period - continuing next month (May) with 'a night with Robbie Williams' - I would highly recommend one of their events both in terms of superb fun and value for money!

As you can imagine, the day after the Take That tribute evening our heads were a little fragile so we decided to get out for a walk and blow the cobwebs away after breakfast!  The surrounding local area to the hotel is absolutely beautiful and you don't have to go far to find somewhere idyllic to walk - or, should you fancy a spot of retail therapy, Chester is not very far away either!

After a long walk the sun was brightly shining upon the hotel garden - this meant it was time for only one thing - a drink and some food al fresco!  Hooray!  About time we had some better weather to sit out in!  Again, the food we had was amazing - I ordered a smaller version of the fish and chips (although not that small!), Mr C had a minted lamb burger and whilst we sat in this perfect setting with our food and a glass of something nice, we had the pleasure of watching a wedding unfold that was being held at the hotel - how very lovely!

'Smaller' Version Of Fish And Chips..MMM!

All in all, this is a weekend away that we won't forget in a hurry...one that will 'Shine' (sorry....had to do it!) in our memories for a long time - just like our other adventures at the other Nelson Hotels!

Now then...where is that phone number again to get a night with Robbie booked....?!!!

Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa - Luxury Accommodation in Chester