Countless Calories!

To round off October and begin November- I had the chance to create some cracker cakes!
Moving away from the mainly fondant iced cakes- I had mainly Butter and ganache iced cakes this week! Both icings are truly divine- but are also totally bad for you. The pure cream mixed with rich chocolate- or butter and pure icing sugar- can be whipped together to create wicked icings choc full of calories! But it is only one day- isn't it???

I had Two cakes for the Friday that week- the first a cupcake tower out at Boulevard Gardens. A twist on my regular design with the sugared rose petals- to include a fondant iced top tier and ceramic topper.


The room was set beautifully with soft pink and white- just gorgeous!

I also had my first ever cake at Mirra- in the Valley. This venue is stunning inside! When I first drove into the street I wasn't sure that I had the correct address- being a side street and all- but when I saw the gorgeous Entrance I was rest assured that this indeed was the stunning venue I had seen on the net.

The Function was a 10 year awards dinner hosted by UDIA- Urban development institute of Australia.


They had chosen a design from one of my novelty wedding cakes to mark the occasion- and from the glowing feedback I received- it went down a treat!

I also had the RBCH Oncology siblings day again on that day- but more on that in another post to come.

Then the Saturday was a big day of delivering. Beating the heat involves carefully timing when you get to venues- when not to get caught in traffic- and taking the shortest route possible to get there.
I had a chocolate creation for the Pavilion at Albion- Luscious fresh berries piled into this decadent chocolate cake!


With the white walls and the white table cloth this certainly looks like I know some tricky photoshop stuff- but it was purely how it came out form my point and shoot camera!

Nest we headed over to the Hotel Diana Plaza- where I saw my Bride- Kim- in the foyer- such a joy to see brides on their wedding day- bursting with excitement!!!


Kim and Ken had been around the world travelling and wanted their cake to reflect their travels. With a different flag for the more than 20 countries they had visited made in sugar to sit behind their cartoon- backpack wearing- toppers!



After drama the week before- I was more than on edge with this similar design- totally unnecessary- as everything went a treat!

Next was the Marriott- where I delivered this mini version of the "chocolate Mountain" design I first made last year for Carly and Dom!


This mini version is only three tiers of cake inside- but is still impressive fro sure.
Later the cake was decorated with fresh flowers to finish.

After Scooting about town it was over to Virginia Palms to set up this cake for Jacqui and Justin.
I had never met either Jacqui or Justin as everything was arranged via email.
Miranda Greer - a Photographer from around the corner from me- shot their wedding- and you can see her blog of the wedding here!


A cupcake tower with chocolate and vanilla cupcakes- with fresh white Singapore orchids dotted through!

On Sunday I had one last cake to set up at Vic Park.
A tower of butter iced individual cakes and a tall chocolate chard top tier- almost like a crown!




It was a mega hot day- but with the Air Con Cranking everything held up and looked adorable.

I feel a bit guilty as it is December tomorrow- and I have not yet started Blogging November!
I may need to take solace in some Air con and knuckle down and get my blogging up to date!
Thanks for Reading
SJ

Real Wedding Ideas Australia

This Week Real Wedding Ideas Australia was launched- and I was lucky to be included in two feature weddings from past couples!

Real Weddings Australia is a website that is set out to help you plan and theme your wedding by seeing what others have achieved before you!

An easy to navigate site with featured weddings categorised to include Themes Styling and Colour elements- as well as Locations.
Each couple has credited their favourite suppliers to help future Brides and Grooms seek suppliers.

Real Weddings Australia is looking for Newly wedded couples to submit their Wedding Story for consideration for inclusion in this new site!

You can see two of my past couples on these pages:
Anna and Dugald May 2009

Rebecca and Oran June 2009

So if you want to share your Special day contact Steph at Real weddings Australia through this webpage.
Submit your wedding to Real Weddings Australia!

Highs and Lows......

Well- this weeks blog is about the fourth week in October- This year October blessed up with 5 Saturdays- so it was indeed a very long month!

As the tittle of the blog states- it was certainly a week of highs and lows for me. I am very appreciative of the fact that- as a general rule- my work and business runs pretty smoothly.

I have sat and contemplated the possible repercussions of what I am about to reveal- but I am honest- that is part of who I am- and this honest post is just as much about me as it is about the fabulously kind and understanding nature of my brilliant wedding couples. I take it very seriously the role that I play in my clients wedding day- it is not just a cake I am providing- it is a symbolic element of the reception- a step towards the commitment between a new Husband and wife. So after much contemplation I have decided to just tell it how it is and reveal....


.....After all these years I had my second only cake "tragedy".
To get the bad out of the way- I had a cupcake tower that was delivered- set up- and left looking pretty awesome- only to have staff ring me after I had left to let me know that the toppers had "come off" the cake. With my heart racing a million miles and hour- as this was now around 4.30pm on the Saturday afternoon- guests arriving in an hour- I raced back to the venue and saw the tragedy!!!!!! I am totally perplexed how a set of toppers pinned into a cake could have "jumped off"- but there they were- broken and battered!!!! My heart was racing- my anxiety levels at an all time high- fighting back the tears- I did what I could to restore the toppers to the once perfect state they were in. I was doubly disappointed as the toppers were made at short notice in a funky pose- and I had looked forward to surprising the Bride and Groom with the posed toppers they had wished for.


With my heart in my mouth- and an overwhelming felling of nauseousness- I left the boat and the "repaired" toppers.

All I can say is how wonderful the Couple were- and how understanding of my predicament when I explained to them what had happened after their wedding. I demand perfection from myself and whist I attempted to rectify the damage on the day- it still wasn't good enough for me. Candice and Chris were nothing but fabulous- and I am glad that I at least have a picture of the toppers before they came to their demise.


I am delighted to say that the cupcakes themselves were a massive hit and enjoyed by their guests.

Onto happier times of the week- and boy were there many of those!
I had a lady contact me back at the beginning of the year inquiring about a cake for her Son's 21st Birthday. An avid soccer player and fan- she had me create a personalised topper and cake for his 21st Birthday up in FNQ. She flew down to Brisbane and collected the cake and returned to Townsville with the cake- a long way for a birthday cake indeed!



The cake had wired decorations the included all of her son's favouite things- Soccer balls- Coronas- Poker chips- even sheep dog faces- as the family grew up with the Old English sheep dogs!

I had allot of purple themes this month- and this week there was two- firstly an individual cake tower with purple banded cakes- two styles of decorations- and the top tier had strung crystals and monogram initials!



The next had a band of purple and black ribbon- with simple piped heart decorations around the sides.

Cakes get sent far and wide each week with me- so sending a cake to Stradbroke is an easy task indeed!
This cake was all organised via email and through a wedding planner- Genni Farmer from Blissful Weddings.



Three tiers with a vertical palette royal icing overlay and sugar Arum lilies- beautiful!

I had a stunning Fresh flower stack cake to assemble at Vic Park that weekend too! The fresh roses were supplied by the couples florist- then I stacked it all together at the venue.



A double layer of the Antique roses with the Ivory cake was simply delicious! Having the exposed boards under each layer helps "neaten" the effect of the roses when the tiers have a 3" diameter size difference.

I had a wrap design for Sirrromet that weekend too.


After I delivered the cake the florist added fresh flowers to cover the top tier and complete the design.


Now last but not least is an absolutely stunning cake that I L O V E LOVE!!!!! Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous- love it to pieces- are you getting my drift??
I seriously took so many pictures of this cake- it was just the epitome of class and elegance!

Black and white is all in fashion at the moment- it exudes style and grace- and together with and equally stylish cake design you have a ripper room setting!
This wedding was held at Hillstone in the Grand View room. Piped icing pearls diagonally over each tier with black satin bow detail!



Did I mention how much I adore this cake??



Despite the drama- I hope you have been able to enjoy the cakes I posted this week
Thanks for reading!
SJ

Beautiful Blooms

The cakes in this weeks blog were all influenced by gorgeous spring blooms.
My Week of delivering began on the Friday- with two separate clients both having cupcake towers and both having morning weddings.
Getting up early to deliver the cakes doesn't worry me- I am up with the sun everyday anyway- but the morning traffic certainly drives me nuts!

I had the first cake to deliver to Hillstone. This was my first time ever working with fresh Arum lilies- they are quite a large flower- and completely different in shape to the roses I generally work with.
I was hesitant to how this design would look- but I quickly fell in love. The room was also set with Arums- and the fresh white linen and room decor- coupled with the morning sun- it was just beautiful!

Originally a variation of the Double dip design- this tower certainly deserves its own credit for beauty.

After Hillstone I headed east to Sirromet- what a trip-over an hour in peak hour through the city and then out the other side.
I felt a bit rushed- even though I had plenty of time before the reception began- I think the traffic just made me feel anxious as the journey took longer than normal.
This tower was filled with Purple Lisianthus blooms and a topper. A great warm colour palette for the Barrel hall.By the time I set this cake and headed home it was getting close to midday- a very late start for a Friday indeed!

I had some Sugar Arums to make this week too.
Trailing down the cake in a very classic- almost English looking design- this cake was definitely traditional.With Ivy in amongst the Arums and strung pearls around the tiers- it was girly and glamorous.


I am without many of my cake images from this particular week- as a few were decorated with fresh flowers and I did not get to see them completed :(

I did do some more Sugar work though- This cake - with Dusty Pink, Ivory and Soft pink sugar roses pepper berries and green succulents on the top was really stunning!
This cake was taken out to Glengariff Estate.
Complete with pearl Ivory striped overlay- this is certainly a very popular style of design.

Despite the small selection displayed - I still managed another huge week of wedding season!

I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback- and welcome any comments you may have!
Simply click on the comment button below to leave your message.

Thanks for reading
SJ




Making this cake with coloured sugar flowers on top is a wonderful change- I really like it!

Bride of the Year

One of my 2008 Brides- Carly- has been nominated as a finalist in the Bride to be Bride of the year competition
You can vote for Carly here!

Carly was the fabulous bride who chose the Exquisite Chocolate Mountain cake design!

You can vote once a day- and I would love it if all of my blog readers got behind the gorgeous Carly and voted for her to become the 2009 Bride of the year!

It's a Hard Pick.....

..... to choose a favourite this week.

Each cake I did on this weekend (ending 10th October) was different from the next.
My week of weddings started early with a Thursday wedding.
The cake had a cut blossom and leaf overlay- with tiny touches of the wedding colours baby blue and chocolate mixed in.

The overlaid design was inspired by the invitation pattern- which had layers of all different sized flowers in "waves" across the paper.

Friday was also a big Wedding day- with Two Weddings.
The first cake delivered I never got a picture of- as the room was not ready to set up the cake and the florist had not arrived yet- hopefully I will get to see what the final product looked like- as the couple had chosen a three tier Square butter iced cake- that they were having a single large spray of flowers across the front- quite a contemporary style for sure.
The next cake I delivered was up to Clear Mountain for a Commitment ceremony.
This was my first commitment ceremony cake and I was excited! Paula and Michelle were nothing but lovely- and chose a bright coloured design to match in with their room set up.

It had been a while since I was last up at Clear Mountain personally- and I was blown away by their beautiful renovations. The was they have opened up the hotel takes full advantage of the Lake and gorgeous views- stunning. Definitely worth a look if you are looking for a venue that is close to Brisbane but feels like you are miles away in beautiful Mountains and Valleys.

I sent two cakes that weekend to Mt Tambourine too!
The first was what could be labeled as my most popular design. While each time it is a little different- the base design elements remain the same.


Three tiers with piped icing pearls around the base rising up the sides like bubbles. This one was having fresh roses like my "Fresh Bride" design- which were added at the venue.
The next cake I sent to Mt Tambourine was wholly organised via phone and email.
A Version of my "Simply Pretty" cake - pink in every aspect.


The sugar frangipanis and pink butterflies- with pale pink icing and piping detail- what more could a pink lover want??


I had a chance to use my new patchwork butterfly cutters again- which make the cutest tiny imprinted butterflies- I love it!

By the time Saturday came around I only had a few deliveries to go.

Starting at the Marriott with this hand painted " Invitation Print" Design. The first time I did this design I was shaking like crazy painting black onto the cake- there was no room for error- but this time i had a bit more confidence- and I think that the cake turned out just beautiful!
The original design (created back in 2008) was inspired by a butterfly reed invitation by Amity invites.
The sleek contemporary look of this design appeals to allot of my clients- and this time the design was altered to match this couples grass invitations.
The reception was in the Long room at Customs house- and for those of you who know this beautiful venue- it is a big room to fill- the high ceilings with the beautiful domes can often over power even the grandest of designs.
So delivering a cake that had no fuss but was elegantly decorated with a hand painted reed design had me a little nervous that it would be swallowed up by the grandeur of the room.

But as I entered the room and saw that the table numbers- the menus and the Seating plan all featured the same reed design- the cake fit like a glove! I received a beautiful message form the Bride the next day telling me how much she loved the cake and her guests loved how it fitted so wonderfully with the rest of the wedding decor.

I was then off to the Stamford to deliver this next - and possibly- my favourite cake for the week.
Taken in inspiration from a cake in the Wedding Star catalogue- this cake was iced in a lime/apple green with a white cut overlay- and while the overlay took a really long time to do- I enjoyed it so much- and the finished product was so worth it!

This cake had extended tiers- and the entire cake was covered in the cut vine/flower/leaf detail. Without sounding cheesy- this pattern sort of reminded me of a pair of board shorts- I think because of the bright under colour and the white overlay- but it looked great- if I do say so myself.
I also had a cake out at Woodlands of Marburg. A bright cupcake tower- but in my haste to leave the house I forgot my camera- and only got a mobile phone image- which is not even worthy of uploading seeing as though the lens on my phone camera is sugar crusted- I am sure (CarlZiess) when he designed the lens never imagined a nice crusty build up of all things sugar over it LOL!!!

Well that was another week gone. I cannot believe that we are now in November- how time flies- another year almost over.
I am too flat out to be able to celebrate Melbourne cup this week- but for those of you who are lunching have a blast! I am promising myself that next year for sure I will make time to take the whole day off!
Go horse number 17- whoever you are- this is the number I always like to choose!

Thanks for reading!
SJ