Brides in Brisbane Website

Attention all Brisbane Brides and Brisbane wedding vendors!
A new Brisbane focused wedding website has just been launched!
Brides in Brisbane has been developed by a local Brisbane Girl who saw the need for an area specific site to be developed to help with the planning of a Brisbane wedding.
The site contains galleries, vendor directories as well as articles and a Forum.

I was approached and asked if it was OK to use my images in the Cake gallery- which I am honored, and soon you will see some other fabulous local cake decorators creations on display too!
If you are a vendor and are interested in being apart of this new site please contact Melanie for details on how your business can be apart of this great new website.

Brisbane Wedding Expos

This Saturday- 26th September 2009- I will be at the Royal on the Park Wedding Expo. Preregister to attend and possibly win some fabulous prizes.
Cake That! has donated a prize voucher that can be used towards any cake!
The Expo runs from 10am through to 3pm on Saturday. I plan to have a range of cakes on display- as well as sample cakes to try.
Vendors from every aspect of a wedding will be there to talk to you about their services.
This is your opportunity to visit one of Australia’s award-winning ‘Best Wedding Hotel Reception Venues’ for 2007 and 2008 as we showcase our Grand Ballroom, silk-lined marquee and reception rooms.

I hope to meet you there!



I am also proud to announce that I have recently come on board with the team at " I Dream of My Wedding" and thier win your wedding Expo and Promotion.

On Sunday the 11th October a Lucky Couple will be married at The Park Regis Hotel.
The winners of the Competition have already been announced- however you are still able to register to attend this free Expo.
Below is a blurb from the I dream of My Wedding Website:

Have you ever emerged from a wedding expo unsure if you have found the right suppliers?

Whilst wedding expos are a great way to gather information from a wide range of wedding suppliers you still don’t know if they will deliver the experience that you are paying for.

At the I Dream of My Wedding expo you can experience the services of a range of local wedding service providers first hand.

You can join us to see how the I Dream of My Wedding suppliers help couples celebrate this important step in their lives.

Whatever style of celebration you are planning, the I Dream of My Wedding expo will be an experience not to be missed.

The Expo Runs from 9am to 5pm on Sunday 11th October 2009 at the Park Regis Hotel North Quay

Lindy Smith Workshop

Well I cannot believe how time flies! Two weeks ago today I spent 2 days with Lindy Smith at a workshop here in Brisbane.The workshop was organised by Mary Reid- of Merivale cakes and Crafts- for a group of local Brisbane professional decorators.

There were two days of two different workshops- the first was one on Lindy's Op Art cake design. This cake is Black and White in Lindy's "Cakes to Inspire and Desire" book. I wanted to replicate the cake as per the course instructions- keeping the cake black and white, but I was torn, as I would have liked to do a latte and cream version, and also our main supplier in Brisbane was out of black colour paste for ore than 4 weeks and I was down to my last pot( but that is another story in itself- funny how I can order more from the UK and have it arrive in 4 days- but our Brisbane supplier cannot stock it for more than 4 weeks?????) So after lying awake all night weighing up colour palettes in my head versus using my last bit of black- I decided to go with the black, so I could recreate the original.
Armed with a huge tower of foam dummies, I set off to Kitchenware plus for that days demo!
On the first day I was beside Amanda from Deliberately Delicious- and while we had been told that we may not get to finish more than one tier of a four tier cake on the first day of the course- we were adamant that being "professionals" and being able to make many cakes in one week- that we would surely be able to finish one cake in a day- wouldn't we??? Well for those of you who have met me- I like a chat- and so does Amanda, and with this coupled together- (I am sitting here giggling to myself)- were unable to complete the cake! More concentration- Less talking!
Lindy was a great demonstrator, and seemed to survive the barrage of questions, and a room filled with cake decorators who could talk the leg of an iron table ( well some of us anyway- those who couldn't get a word in -sorry ;)))

Lindy was a trooper- hopefully she had as much fun as we did!

The Opt Art cake design was inspired from some textured wall paper Lindy had seen. Each tier balancing over the edge of the one underneath. Striking and a definite "statement" cake- it was certainly great fun to make.

My two partially finished tiers- once complete should look fab!
I still have not had time to finish this cake- but will do ASAP so I can have it on Display in my cake room!

The Second day Amanda was unable to make, as she was Super busy as ever, so I was beside Mary, and was still on fire chatting away all day! Along with Jacki from Contemporary cakes, I met Nic from "Wicked Nic's" in Toowoomba, and also Sam and Jodi from the Bayside. we had a great day exchanging cake stories, whilst actually completing a cake- yes a whole one!!
The Second day was for "wonky cakes"- aka Mad Hatters! Lindy has done some truly gorgeous mad hatter designs, so today's demonstration was all about the technique, with only our imaginations limiting us to the outside design.
Lindy also demonstrated using stencils and also using them to decorate the board- I love how getting together with other decorators really opens your mind to using tools in other manners than what you currently do!

Lindy's cake was a mixture of textured stencil and cutter patterns, with a fuchsia pink black and white colour palette.
I went a bit left field with my design, instead of pretty and girly- I thought I would like to do something a little bold and a bit more masculine. So often cake designs are geared towards what girls like- I thought this would be a great opportunity to make something funky- that a boy/man could appreciate too!
I also wanted to use up some chocolate paste- I love this stuff- it tastes just like Space food sticks- YUM!! Anyway- so after carving the shape, covering and stacking the cake- I had a blank canvas to work with.


Then I had seen and done an off center circle design before, but wanted to use a bold colour combo. What looks like it won't take long- usually means that it will take allot longer than anticipated, but after a while I was able to finish the cake!

I went with a deep red bright orange and almost bright teal blue for my coloured circles! The lighting in the shot really doesn't do the brightness any justice.

Lindy Kindly posed with me for a picture!

We all got to finish our cakes, each very different from the next!


A huge Thank you to Lindy for taking time out of her Australian tour to come to Brisbane and spend two days work shopping with us! Another massive thank you for Mary Reid for making it all happen! To all of the other Fabulous decorators I met over the two days- thank you too for being so lovely and wonderful, and making a pleasant change from the usual solo days spent cake decorating at home alone- I look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Lindy travels all over the world decorating- so if you too would like to attend one of her demo's check her website for details.

Across the two days Lindy was telling us all about Twitter and what a great benefit it is to her business- I am still yet to be converted- I have enough distractions already ;))

Thanks for reading
SJ

First Weekend of Spring

I cannot believe how fast this year has flown by. It is all head down bum up for the next few months getting through wedding season- and at the other end is Xmas!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well with Spring comes some great flower cakes. this first one had Lilies Lissianthus and Hyacinth, a colourful bouquet for an equally elegant design.

With draped icing across the tiers, and differing shades of purples- this cake really was a great start to Spring!

What seems to be a design that is asked to be replicated over and over again- this classic striped overlay design with sugar roses on the top tier is just beautiful. This design is not my original design- I believe the image came from a UK website- with the roses adapted to suit this particular wedding.


I actually had a fellow decorator over here yesterday (Hello KVW;) ) and as we were going through images of my past cakes she mentioned how many she too had made- funny how we all get asked to make very similar cakes.

I had my husband deliver the next cake for me- it was sent out to Deagon- while I headed in the other direction.

Adapted from a cake I made a few years back- draped with icing and blush centered sugar roses- complete with a set of figurines ( with the bride on the grooms lap) this cake was everything "pretty" could be!

I always like to include as much detail as possible when making the figurines- and when Anneke sent me a picture of her "bling" hair clip- I just had to include it! I love my disco glitter- it is sooooo Sparkly!!!!

If you read my previous post you would know that I have allot of figurines to make this wedding season- I had four sets last weekend, and seeing all the heads that are drying in my cake room- with their respective names marked beside them is a little freaky heheh!
This cake was for a Friday wedding- I had done this design before, in choocolate and Ivory- but I think the black and white takes the cake!


The sweet Red headed bride and her bald groom looked adorable!

I still had more toppers to place onto cakes, and the next one I LOVED!!!! The brides gown- it had a massive halter neck that was layers of frill- I can only imagine how stunning she would have been in real life. Her groom was from Papua New Guinea, with a gorgeous brown complexion- and I find it strange that many couples ask if I can make different skin colours- Of Course I can!!

Each couple is made to order- right down to the outfits and height differences. The only "problem" I have with the brown skin is that I start to think I have made them like the people in the Cadbury add- and want to take a little bite out fo their chocolate face :))

The last little coupe for the week was actually for the Daughter of one of my first Chefs- when I was an apprentice. I hastened to ask when I met Julie whether her dad was my old chef ( the surname is what got me) and Yes he was! Julie and Nathan had a white and bright orange theme- held in the Victoria Park Marquee- with almost all white room and touches of the Orange- it looked gorgeous! Nathan is a Police officer ( as you can hopefully see) and my baby sister Alex accused me ;) of making him too buff- but he really is in real life!

Another smooth headed groom- so cute! The angle of this shot actually looks like the toppers are about the same height- but really Julie only stands as high as Nathan's Shoulders- and their toppers stood the same.

I sent another cake out to Mt Mee this weekend- with roses in the same colour as the Bridesmaids dresses. This cake was warm and romantic- and the colouring of the roses should have fit in to the reception like a glove!

I have sent so many cakes out to the Ocean View Estate at Mt Mee- but and yet to deliver on personally- maybe one day!

I had 2 weddings on Sunday- which was also Fathers day- and also the day I had a Lindy Smith Workshop. So My every trusty husband Steve had his day planned by me to set up and deliver the cakes.
One wasn't "exactly" a cake- it was a tower of fudge set to be shaped like a tiered cake. Erin and Scott chose the Fudge "tree" as their "cake" as they held an afternoon tea reception.

With a choice of Milk chocolate or Dark chocolate Fudge- this creamy rich and ever so indulgent little morsel is just divine! Luckily- for my waistline- I don't have to make many of these- the calorie count is unimaginable per slice!

Well that was the first weekend of Spring- Soooo many more cakes to go.
My next blog will be all about the Lindy Workshops- Stay tuned- thanks for reading
SJ

Here Comes the Brides.......................

Spring Wedding season is now well and truly underway.
the last weekend in august is traditionally Riverfire night here in Brisbane- however this year being QLD and Brisbane's 150th Birthday year- Riverfire has been pushed back to this weekend (12th September).
I have so many wonderful cake designs to make- I am very excited to be able to share with you some of the first for the season.

The first cake is one that I do allot- but each time it is just a beautiful as the first time I did it- even though I never met the first couple I ever made this design for- I am blessed to have some stunning images from their wedding day to let me see what they looked like.
This two tier version was for a Reception held at the Up River room at River canteen Southbank.
I had my fabulous husband Steve traipse through Southbank delivering the cake- whist I waited patiently in the car ;))


The couple's florist later added fresh tulips to the cake- so I am eager to see what the finished product looked like.

I had a few cakes for the Indooroopilly area that weekend- the first was at Boulevard Gardens.

This cupcake tower is another style I recreate on many occasions, and was delighted to hear from the Bride's father in the Week following the wedding how pleased he too was with the cake. He rang to thank me and my "team" for the gorgeous job I did on the cakes. I always feel quite embarrassed when clients ring to thank me, as really it is just what I do, and as grateful as I am for the feedback and heartfelt thanks I cannot help but to blush with embarrassment. I also heard from Michaela- the bride herself in an email- about how happy she was with the cake and how they matched in beautifully with her reception ;)
As you may notice in the picture- Photo frames with images of the Bride and Groom's parents cutting their cakes were placed beside the cake too- and I noticed how similar the cakes were to each other, a great gesture too.
Just a suggestion......Future Brides at Boulevard gardens in the Walter Taylor room- there is a fabulous Guilt mirror in there- with a table in front of it- a cake would look stunning set up in front- complete with candle light- this would be super romantic.



This bright blue ribbon was a real focal point of this cake. I had been reading over the order- and all I had t go on was "Blue Ribbon"- so after a quick call to the Mother of the Bride- I found out that it wasn't powder/baby blue, and not Navy- but a bright deep blue! I really liked it- it was something different and bold!

This next cake I am calling the "Fashionista" the reason being when I went to set the cake up at Indooroopilly Golf club- the Bride and Groom had labeled their tables according to the Fashion houses (e.g. Versace- Guess- Louis Vuitton....etc...) Another bold and Funky cake for and equally set room!

The Red sugar bows over this cake really "popped" out against the white background.

I have been making a mountain of cartoon toppers lately- and this cake is without exception- not only is there a Bride and Groom topper- there is also their pet Black Retriever dog sitting beside them!!



This Luggage stack was kept mainly Ivory, and had the feature of the cartoon couple and dog- as well as an embossed luggage tag at the base. This photo really doesn't do the Brides little gown to justice- it was lace embossed, just really pretty!

This final cake was for no clients at all- It is my latest display cake- with the royal icing swirl finish and a single row of roses in between their tiers. This style is popular at the moment- and so my clients could see how this design looks- albeit a smaller version of the flowers that usual- it is rather impressive!

I am trying to catch up on my blogging, I have last weekends weddings- and highlights form my two day Lindy Smith Workshop to share with you all.... until then- Thanks for Reading
SJ