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VOTING HAS NOW CLOSED. KEEP CHECKING THE CREATE BLOG TO FIND OUT HOW LUCY DID! Create community member Lucy's Cakes have reached the semi-finals in the Venus Awards' 'Business Mother of the Year' category. Now she needs your help to reach the finals! You can watch her entry video and vote for Lucy Stacey on the Venus Awards page here. 

Lucy is a self taught cake artist who provides luxurious homemade cakes for all occasions, plus offering decorating courses and cake classes across Southampton, Winchester and Hampshire.

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A picture may speak a thousands words, but with May's Create Site of the Month the reverse is true! LucyLovesThis, set up by book cover designer Lucy Stephens and based in Brixton, London, designs and sells typographic prints inspired by things we all love; food, travel, music and more.

The brand is best known for its gastronomy maps of Europe and North America and also for the London Letters series which brings together intricate illustrations of iconic landmarks from across the capital.

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Well it's been a whirlwind three weeks of celebrations, freebies, offers, updates and customer profiles. What better way to round things off than hearing the story of Jo Jenner from 3 Blonde Bears, a successful online shop specialising in customised products and gifts. (Our last freebie is actually a competition open to everyone! See the end of this post for more details.)

Hi Jo, tell us about 3 Blonde Bears.

Working from our studios in Haywards Heath we design, personalise and print a range of cotton textiles, ceramics and clothing for both adults and children. As the business has grown we have brought in a range of complementary brands to sell alongside our own products, creating the perfect place for all your gifting requirements.

The 'three blonde bears' are my lovely children Finley, Dexter (pictured with me) and Amelié. When thinking of the branding and company name the affectionate nickname that me and my family call them struck me as the only option!

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Create works wonders for people from all walks of life and in all industries. To highlight this here's Steve Elliott, whose company Blackberry Productions organises events and conferences for its client base. (By the way, if you're taking payments online you'll want to check out the competition at the bottom of this post!)

Hi Steve, tell us a bit about your work at Blackberry Productions.

You know when you go to a big conference at a big venue with lots and lots of other people and everything is really well organised, the presentations are really inspiring and you have a really great experience? Well, that’s what we help our clients achieve.

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Proving that less is more, Ebury Home & Garden's website is minimal but eye-catching, thanks in part to the amazing photographs taken by business owner Hannah Gooch.

Today, Hannah tells us about running her business with the help of her Create website, which houses an online shop and portfolio of her styling and photography work. (Pssst... want to refresh your site's wallpaper without getting your hands gloopy? Check out today's freebie at the end of this post!)

Hi Hannah, tell us about your work as Ebury Home & Garden.

I've been a freelance photographic producer and stylist, coordinating and managing photoshoots for people in the wedding and interiors industries for 3 years, having previously planned fashion shoots for John Lewis's own brand collection.

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We at Create pride ourselves on running an ecologically sound company (operating in an office powered by its own wind turbine, among other things), which is why we're so happy to provide our services to people like Matt Hardiman at Optimise Energy, who make saving energy their business. After Matt's great Create Story, check out the amazing offer we have for you at the end of this post!

Hi Matt, tell us what you do at Optimise Energy.

Optimise Energy provides installation, service and maintenance to electrical, air conditioning and refrigeration systems. We are passionate about saving energy with an 'every watt counts' attitude.

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We're halfway through our week of Create Stories to celebrate hosting 10,000 websites built with Create, and we're finishing off Week One with the gorgeous designs and illustrations of Gabriella Buckingham, a Jacqueline Gold award-winner who runs both her self-titled business and Moobaacluck with Create. (Psst! Balancing the books of your online business? Today's offer will help make it a doddle - see the end of this post for more info!)
 

Hi Gabriella, tell us a bit about yourself and your websites.

I'm a freelance illustrator and also the owner of 'Moobaacluck - Handmade Happiness', a business I set up to make personalised children's gifts nearly 5 years ago.

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Today we're happy to invite Lara-Kate Jones from LK Pilates to talk about her work and her website. It's the fourth in a series of customer stories that showcase the range of businesses that choose to build and host their websites with Create. (Remember to check the end of this post to see what freebies we have in store for you today!)

Hi Lara-Kate, tell us a bit about your work.

I am a Pilates teacher and run my own business, LK Pilates. Before I had my son, I was a trained dancer and dance teacher, teaching in Secondary schools in and around London. I presumed after I had my son that I would regain my pre-pregnancy fitness level fairly easily and quickly, but this was not the case! It was Pilates that really helped me get back into shape quickly and safely.

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Say hello to Mark Jennings (pictured here with his daughter Ella), who runs Source Automotive Limited with Scott Nicolson. Source Automotive is the third in our series of Create Stories showcasing great Create customers with brilliant businesses. (By the way, if you fancy more social media advice than you can shake a tweet at, be sure to check out today's freebie details at the bottom of this post!)

Hi Mark, tell us about Source Automotive Limited.

Source Automotive Limited was created to offer a bespoke service when it comes to purchasing or leasing a new car, whether it's new or used.

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We're always proud when businesses using our service are recognised for their achievements. A case in point is the award-winning Sincerity Gifts. Today we chat to Monica Cove about the business she runs with Maria Howard. Be sure to check out today's freebie at the bottom of this post, too! 

Hi Monica, tell us a bit about Sincerity Gifts.

Sincerity Gifts showcases an array of beautiful and unique handpicked gifts and home accessories. We source standout items that are often handmade, with distinct designs not available on the high street. You'll find quirky and unusual items amongst our organic and ethical pieces, catering for all budgets and occasions.

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In the first of our 'Create Stories', we talk to Heather Brickley, who runs Midnight Society Apparel with her sister Holly Hardy. (Pssst... remember to log in to Create today to grab a goodie - more details at the end of this post...)

Hi, Heather, why don't you tell us a bit about what you do?

We're a women's fashion label creating quirky designs and teaming them with easy to wear tshirts. All of our prints are unique and our tshirts are made especially for us to meet our exact specifications. We are based in the UK and are completely committed to sourcing our materials and manufacturing our products right here in Britain.

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In late 2011 Create launched the Facebook Shop feature, which allows Create users to export their online shop straight into their business's Facebook page in a ridiculously low number of clicks (hint: it's less than three).

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April's Create Site of the Month, DesignerFrames2u is a great example of how effectively ecommerce can allow consumers to sidestep the high street and the astronomic prices charged for designer goods there.

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If there's ever a Create website that proves that less is more, it's Lily & Albert, seller of gorgeous knitwear with a maritime feel.

This simple, clean website really shows off how important a quality logo design, font choice and good photography are to developing a professional online shop.

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Welcome to Feature Focus - a new, regular article series where we take a look at recently-released Create features and find out how they've helped our customers' businesses.

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You may have noticed that we've been talking a lot about Instagram here at the Create Blog over the last few weeks. Not only is this because we genuinely feel it's an exciting way to develop your business' profile (especially in an age when Facebook's EdgeRank algorithm effectively limits the number of fans who can see your posts), but because we recently launched our fantastic Instagram Feed widget.

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With Valentine's Day just around the corner, this month we're showcasing a gorgeous Create website that will appeal to all the lovers out there. February's Site of the Month is The GuestBook Boutique.

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With a month to go until Valentine's Day, we thought we'd get you in the mood for love by collecting together some of the best gift ideas for him and her on our dedicated Pinterest board.

Everything here is available from Create members' online shops, so by getting something for that special someone you'll also be showing some love to independent businesses. Just click the image below to head over to Pinterest and check out the goods on offer.

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Every month we pick a great Create website to be our Site of the Month. They are carefully-designed websites backed by fantastic stories of people putting their hearts and souls into their businesses.

The first Site of the Month of 2013 is no different - Little Joy Designs uses sparse but colourful design elements to give a wonderful sense of space that really allows the quirky and cute products on sale to shine.

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Founded in 1970 to preserve and celebrate the history of textile manufacturers in the East Midlands, Nottingham’s Framework Knitters Museum is a fascinating look into the 400-year industry that birthed the Luddite riots of the 19th century. This crucial period of industrial history is preserved in displays such as a frame worker in action, an interactive circular knitting machine and cottages that exemplify the harsh living conditions that led to the historic anti-machinery revolts.

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Introducing Create's Site of the Month!

Each month we'll be showcasing a Create member who has built an amazing website with Create, and allowing them to share their business story.

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Do you find it tough to buy for the men in your life at Christmas? Do they always end up with new Socks, Hankerchiefs and Polo Shirts?

After much searching we've bought together a collection of products which are sure to spark some ideas and may be just the thing he would like!  For more ideas, remember to check out the Create Marketplace too.

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Have you started your Christmas preparations yet? We've scoured our Marketplace to bring you a gorgeous selection of special christmas decorations and accessories, that will get you in a festive mood and bring a unique touch to your celebrations.

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The Little Lilypad Company is a website built by parents for parents. Donna has two daughters, one 6 years old and the other only a month old! At the heart of the Lilypad is family, and this is the foundations that the business has been built upon.

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My Funny Bunny offers a one-stop shop for yummy mummies and rockin' cool kids... a shop where the word boring doesn't exist, and fun, trendy and colorful is the only way! It is a family run business founded by Monica Strydom and aims to provide distinct products for babies and children.

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The Organic Toy Company is a family run business, founded by Natalie Southgate, to provide parents with a wide choice of Organic, natural toys and gifts for babies and children.  

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Networking Mummies is a dynamic, local business community created to support and encourage entrepreneurs and self-employed people. It is run by Joanne and Laura. Joanne, Dorset Business Mum of the Year 2010, has two children aged 3 and 1 years and Laura has a 4 year old daughter. 

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It's Mothers' Day on Sunday, if you haven't already bought your mum a gift, take a look at the beautiful Create items listed below!