Owning your own business is a fantastic thing- and something that I will never regret doing- but this week, my conduct as a business owner was put to the test. For Better and for Worse!
To start things on a somber note- This week has certainly been a very hectic one at that.
Not only Did I have my share of Wedding and Special event cakes- but also one of my Grandmothers passed away. It certainly gave me a new appreciation for the willingness and flexibility of my clients- when need be. Thank you to all of those who kindly shuffled their appointments and waited patiently for their email and phone replies. Of which I am still catching up on ;)
Not all was sad - I was also contacted by the winner of the Beyond the Bride $400 Cake That! voucher competition! A lovely Girl called Rebbecca- who is due to be Married in July. I get to meet with her- to help her design the Wedding cake of her dreams next week!
I rely on a particular company for my "plastic" icing (rolled fondant)- and this week when I rang to place my usual order- and was informed that the icing was out of production for another 2-3 weeks- due to machinery failure- I almost cried! Thoughts of having to use an inferior brand bought back terrible memories, of struggling with a poor quality product and the sheer frustration caused by it! I did what any desperate soul would do- I rang every know distributor of the product in South East Queensland- Buying up whatever they had on hand- however this wasn't enough! How was I going to get through until January on Rations- without resorting to the another brand???? Knowing that everyone was in the same predicament- I hastily bought some boxes of the inferior icing in preparation, but to my delight, and without warning- my usual brand icing was delivered on Friday morning!! :)) Although I had put myself through panic and anxiety all week- I need not have worried. Now what to do with the other icing???
So after my crazy week- I still managed to create some fantastic designs for my clients!
This week I have had not one, but two stand out cakes.
It is hard for me to pick which one I love more!
Although both completely different- the first is a semi- replica of a magazine design- tailored to the clients theme. This hand painted ( with edible lustre) antique gold cake, with chocolate piped filigree detail, and Antique gold roses- is sure to turn heads. The room it is in is mostly white, with touches of Chocolate and Antique Gold Organza. Towering four tiers in height- this couple took full advantage of all four cakes, by choosing a different flavour for each tier.
The next is a truly fresh looking design- coupled with a beautiful selection of fresh flowers (supplied by Glenda Pradella)- this cake is the epitome of soft romance.
Also four tiers in height, with a butter cream finish, the couples green theme really enhanced this design. Fresh White Peonies, Green Roses, Green and White Singapore Orchids, and Freesia's, along with some silver foliage (please excuse my floral ignorance for not knowing its common name) clustered across the tiers, looked spectacular.
My husband- and loyal delivery companion- was duly impressed by the flowers, and the detail put into individually wiring and taping each bloom. Having the flowers professionally prepared this way, not only makes arranging the design a breeze, but also prevents any flower sap from contaminating the cake. It also allows flexibility to create as you go- ending up with a wonderful finished product. I love to give credit where credit is due, and for every time I have had the privilege of creating a cake with Glenda- the flowers have always been fabulous!
With just over a week until my Birthday, and many cakes between now and then- I look forward to someone else creating a spectacular cake for me ( hint hint!!) ;)
To start things on a somber note- This week has certainly been a very hectic one at that.
Not only Did I have my share of Wedding and Special event cakes- but also one of my Grandmothers passed away. It certainly gave me a new appreciation for the willingness and flexibility of my clients- when need be. Thank you to all of those who kindly shuffled their appointments and waited patiently for their email and phone replies. Of which I am still catching up on ;)
Not all was sad - I was also contacted by the winner of the Beyond the Bride $400 Cake That! voucher competition! A lovely Girl called Rebbecca- who is due to be Married in July. I get to meet with her- to help her design the Wedding cake of her dreams next week!
I rely on a particular company for my "plastic" icing (rolled fondant)- and this week when I rang to place my usual order- and was informed that the icing was out of production for another 2-3 weeks- due to machinery failure- I almost cried! Thoughts of having to use an inferior brand bought back terrible memories, of struggling with a poor quality product and the sheer frustration caused by it! I did what any desperate soul would do- I rang every know distributor of the product in South East Queensland- Buying up whatever they had on hand- however this wasn't enough! How was I going to get through until January on Rations- without resorting to the another brand???? Knowing that everyone was in the same predicament- I hastily bought some boxes of the inferior icing in preparation, but to my delight, and without warning- my usual brand icing was delivered on Friday morning!! :)) Although I had put myself through panic and anxiety all week- I need not have worried. Now what to do with the other icing???
So after my crazy week- I still managed to create some fantastic designs for my clients!
This week I have had not one, but two stand out cakes.
It is hard for me to pick which one I love more!
Although both completely different- the first is a semi- replica of a magazine design- tailored to the clients theme. This hand painted ( with edible lustre) antique gold cake, with chocolate piped filigree detail, and Antique gold roses- is sure to turn heads. The room it is in is mostly white, with touches of Chocolate and Antique Gold Organza. Towering four tiers in height- this couple took full advantage of all four cakes, by choosing a different flavour for each tier.
The next is a truly fresh looking design- coupled with a beautiful selection of fresh flowers (supplied by Glenda Pradella)- this cake is the epitome of soft romance.
Also four tiers in height, with a butter cream finish, the couples green theme really enhanced this design. Fresh White Peonies, Green Roses, Green and White Singapore Orchids, and Freesia's, along with some silver foliage (please excuse my floral ignorance for not knowing its common name) clustered across the tiers, looked spectacular.
My husband- and loyal delivery companion- was duly impressed by the flowers, and the detail put into individually wiring and taping each bloom. Having the flowers professionally prepared this way, not only makes arranging the design a breeze, but also prevents any flower sap from contaminating the cake. It also allows flexibility to create as you go- ending up with a wonderful finished product. I love to give credit where credit is due, and for every time I have had the privilege of creating a cake with Glenda- the flowers have always been fabulous!With just over a week until my Birthday, and many cakes between now and then- I look forward to someone else creating a spectacular cake for me ( hint hint!!) ;)
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1 comment:
Your cake decorating is just superb! I'm addicted to cupcakes (both making & eating) at the moment and looking for inspiration. I love the 'quilted' effect you do on some cakes.. I'll keep checking for updates!! -Verity Bird.
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