August Winds up........

.........to a Fabulous Start!

I really love it when I get to do things that are a little different from the norm- and I certainly got that with the first cake,

A 60's TV show themed birthday- called for an Old School 60's TV cake! Complete with rabbit ears- it was the cutest ever! 

I made the board icing Psychedelic to blend in with the theme too.

The Next cake is an invert of my Chocolate Madness design.

White chocolate Chards with chocolate Marbling through them.

A cartoon couple sit on the edge of the middle tier- with their lovable Labrador looking over their shoulders.

I had this classic Three tier Draped icing design too- complete with Ivory and Burgundy Sugar roses- it was everything wedding indeed. 

 

With these hand made sugar flowers I can match in the colouring to your event.

The next cake looked Berry delicious LOL!

Piled high with fresh seasonal berries- this cake was certainly the type that had me hoping no one was going to casually poke their finger into the luscious icing or take a sneaky berry before the Bride and Groom got to cut it.

 

Yummo! On the Monday following the wedding I received a Lovely thank you form the Bride's Mother saying how much everyone enjoyed the cake- that was so lovely of her to let me know so quickly too!

and last but not least for this post is  this Cherry Blossom design.

Three tiers with the branch winding up the front of the cake.

 

The Bride and groom also had a topper that went on top at the venue- it was a Bride giving the Groom a Cheeky pinch on the bottom ;-O

Once again a varied group of designs- lovingly made for some fabulous clients!

Thanks for reading
SJ

Sneak Peek.....................................

................ At My Sister in Law's wedding and Wedding cakes........................

I will post a full blog in the coming weeks- but here are a few sneaky shots to keep you interested......

When you have a Cake Making- Wedding Mad- Sister in Law- Who is over Excited- then of course you will get the works.

Post Ceremony Cupcakes ( or "Throw Downs" as my husband renamed them)

And of Course- a "Dream" Wedding cake!

Just a tempter.... more to come later

Looking forward to posting all about it- and all about the other fabulous vendors involved soon

SJ

Family month.....

Both of my sisters and both of my Niece's birthdays fall in August- and all within the first 2 weeks.

My Niece Scarlett Turned four this year- wow how time flies! She had a Mermaid and Pirate party- and low and behold just when it was time to take a piccie of the cake- the camera battery runs out!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will have to get a copy from my SIL to share with you all.

The very next day was my baby sister Alex's Birthday. My other sister Kate had beaten her to a design element- which I will get to later- so Alex opted for  giant cupcake instead. I used some of the big silver smarties I got when I was in Melbourne to decorate... which has caused  Kate to shout "favouritism" when getting spenny decorations LOL!!! gotta love sibling rivalry.

 

Alex's giant cupcake also had mini matching cupcakes to go with it.

Inside the cake was Red velvet- so it looked really cool too!

Next up was Imogen- my newest niece! She turned 1 and had a Rubber Duck themed party- too cute indeed!

The invites had red polka dots on them so I gave the duck a party hat to match in with the colour theme.

We also added some white Marshmallows for "bubbles". Immy is such a cool little kid- so happy all the time!

Hello duck bill- I might just pull you off of there hehehehehe

My sister Kate is just under 2 years younger than me. When I was away in Thailand- she sent me an email asking for the Macaroon tower from Masterchef for her birthday- she got first dibs- as when I got home the first thing Alex asked for was the same cake. Sure they both could have had the same- but then I wouldn't have held the cake design power hahahhaha!

So Kate had the Macaroons on her list of requirements- then once I got home she "thought" I may want to make her the "V8" Masterchef cake- um no- a quick text message whilst the show was on assured her that there was no way she was getting that one LOL!

So Kate Being Kate- she decided to hold a 80's style 5th Birthday party this year (32 3+2) complete with all the old school treats and decorations... even games!

I had thought to whip out the old Womens Weekly Birthday cake book to choose something apt for the event- but I knew that the Macaroons were still a request. Having met the Beautiful Linda from Bubble and Sweet Blog during a Debbie Brown Workshop- I had just the fail proof Macaroon Recipe to use.

Dolly Varden cake was something I thought could certainly fit a 5th Birthday theme- but seeing as we are all over eating my cake- I mentioned to Kate that perhaps I could make her a cake with a difference???? She was totally up for it!

Kate had no idea that this was going to be the design- but she knew what was inside- so come party day it was all to be revealed!

Kate with her "mini me" sugar topper! Don't you just love the 80's ruffle top!

so what was inside..................

ROCKY ROAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YUM- Serious Yum! So much better than the chocolate cake we all eat week in week out!

So with Raspberry Macaroons stuck to the outside- and a Ganache coating this cake was a calorie monster indeed!

Our Dad LOVES Chocolate and when Kate was cutting the slices I mentioned that perhaps to cut them smaller- because it was so sweet- and my Dad pipes up and says "yeah cut it smaller- don't give it away- I want to take some home"  ahhh you would swear my family never got any sweet treats LOL!

 Kate with her "wedge" of Rocky Road! Diabetes anyone?

So that was August Family Birthday cakes covered....butthe biggest cake for Family is yet to come because this coming Saturday is my Sister in Law's WEDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So excited- I can't wait... so stay tuned for that blog!

Thanks for reading

SJ

2010 Semester 2 begins.....

After a short mid year break- I returned to work at a nice easy pace.

Working my way into wedding season in August.

I had some great July cakes to make.

Possibly my favourite cake from July was this Drum Kit cake made for a past wedding clients Birthday.

Two Drums- with the top drum turned on its side and the Birthday message- including the recipients name in the "pearl" drum font.

The cake was a surprise for Drew- who looked mighty happy when I delivered it!

Happy Birthday Drew- I hope you had a fabulous night!

I had a Ruby Wedding Anniversary cake too.

Organised by the couples Children- the daughter had arranged a ruby version of the "Blue Bling Butterfly" cake form my website.

Drapes and Crystals- very pretty indeed.

Being a "J" month means that I get to do allot more celebration cakes- rather than all weddings.

I had this variation of my "Mummy" cake for an engagement party.

I often feel really sad to not be able to help with engagement cakes- as often I am already booked out- so when I get the opportunity to make one- it is really special to me.

The newly engaged beautiful bride to be and her lovely mum came to meet with me before I went on Holidays ( and gave me some great BKK tips- thank you)

Pretty much undecided on what cake design they would like- I made a quote with a fair few ideas and let them go home and have a good think about it.

They decided on a two tier( extended tier) version of the Mummy cake. 

A pearl finish and red rose petals to complete the design.

Pearl finish on the cake made it sparkle.

I love it when I get to make cakes that fit in with invitations.

I would  like to think that the guests really notice that the cake matches in with the theme.

The invites for this next cake had lots of clusters of different sized and shades purple dots.

Fun and Funky!

The striped board gave added fun to this cake too.

It wasn't all celebration cakes in July.

I had a few weddings too!

I was freaked out to see that one week after the other I had the very same design- but with slightly different decorations. 

It goes to show how a little bit of colour can make the Ribbons and Roses design look very different indeed.

This variation to the Pearl lines design was also on order for a July wedding.

My first time back to the Stamford in a month or so too.

The last- but not least-  wedding cake for July is this Black and White version of the Skeleton leaves design

I painted/dyed the leaves black- and used the couples invitation and bomboniere ribbon to wrap around the cake.

This was delivered to the QLD Club- my first time there - and it is beautiful. From the lovely Thank you I received form the Bride and Groom- I can see that they too enjoyed the design as much as I did!

Congratulations to all of my couples and Happy Birthday to the Birthday Cake recipients!

Allot of Fab August cakes to come!

Thanks for reading

SJ

Attention Honeymooners and Holiday makers...........

I LOVE Thailand! No really I do.

I have been there three times in the past 4 years- and each time it gets better and better.

This time- having never been to Bangkok or Koh Samui- we decided to holiday there instead.

This time though- we had EXCEPTIONAL Hotels- and seeing as though many of my clients choose Koh Samui as their honeymoon destination- I thought that I would share about the hotels we stayed in.

First up Bangkok- The Dream hotel- exactly what the name says.

Funky and Five star right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.

Located in Sukhumvit it is very easy to get around.

The Breakfast was just WOW! Beautiful.

After a short stay in BKK we headed to Koh Samui

1000 times more beautiful than Phuket.

We stayed in a hotel that was only 6 months old- the Kirikayan Boutique Hotel in Chaweng Beach South.

Down the quieter end of Chaweng- but right in the Crystal clear waters.

This hotel has less than 40 rooms- and they are just gorgeous.

An infinity pool complete with swim up bar- what more could you ask for?

  

Happy Hour- buy one Free one!

Sunrise over Chaweng beach

Private Sala's for massages- On the Beach Dining at night- Lots of Lounges to spend happy hour in looking out over the sea.

The rooms themselves were beautifully decorated and the Bathrooms just divine!

The hotel is actually a sister property to   Kirikayan Spa Resort- which is in Mae Nam ( you can get a free shuttle there) and the Bath products and Amenities simply beautiful.

 

Huge bedrooms

  

Every detail - including the Chandelier on the porch- was just so lovely

Hotel Garden at night

We also took a trip to Koh Tao

This also was picture perfect!

So if you are looking for a holiday or honeymoon- Check out these places!

Romance- Luxury and allot of relaxation!

What has this got to do with cakes... nothing really- just thought I would share because I had such an awesome holiday this year!

Cake Stands

Just a Quick blog to let you all know that Cake That! now has Cake Stands available for hire.

These beautiful silver cake stands will make your cake look even more grand and elegant- not to mention adding height.

Cake stands are available for hire- subject to availabilty- when you order your Cake.

If you have an upcoming wedding with me and are interested in hiring one of these stands please feel free to call or email me for booking details.

Debbie Brown 2010 Brisbane Workshops- The Story

I hope that you have taken a seat... as the blog of these fantastic 4 days of workshops may take a little while.

To begin at the very beginning... around 12 or so months ago- I received an email from Debbie asking whether I thought that Brisbane Decorators/enthusiasts would be interested in doing some of her workshops- I was so excited- Of course we would be interested! Debbie's work is an inspiration to many cake decorators and it would be a delight to have her come to sunny Brisbane!

So after many emails back and forth- it was decided that Debbie would be here in the last weekend of June for 4 days of workshops! YAY!

After looking at all the brilliant cakes and modelling classes that Debbie could demonstrate- it was decided that she would hold the following workshops:

 FRI- Beetle Bride and Groom car- From Debbie Brown Wedding Cakes Book

SAT- Three Witches- From Debbie Brown Enchanted and Magical Cakes book

SUN- Funky Flower Fairy- From her recently released Gorgeous and Gruesome Book

and finally

MON- Ganesh Cake topper- From her Wedding cakes book

Being the wonderful and patient teacher that she is- and having the ability to easily impart her knowledge quickly to others- the classes were open to professionals and novices alike.

Debbie's trip to Brisbane was at the end of her Australia and New Zealand trip- She stayed here for close to a week- and not only did she manage to host 4 workshops in Brisbane - she also- with the help of Mary Reid from Merivale Cakes and Crafts- hosted a Visual demonstration in Toowoomba- where Debbie Demonstrated her Pixie Teapot cake ( also from the Enchanted and Magical Cakes book)

So after her quick trip up the Mountain to Toowoomba- Debbie arrived here in Brisbane- where I was lucky enough to be able to host her for the days she was here.

Debbie did not travel alone- her Aunt Elaine was with her to give her a helping hand and to keep her company. Elaine is just a beautiful person too. It was a delight to have them both stay- and I hope to be able to see them both again soon.

I was super excited as Debbie was so down to earth - not a hint of a Diva in sight. After collaborating with my sister Kate ( hostess with the mostess) I had prepared a welcome basket of all things Aussie- and especially focusing on Queensland Produce- so that Debbie and Elaine could take it home and share with their families.

The house was clean and shiny- Guest bedrooms decked out like a mini hotel- all of my cakes for the weekend finished boxed and ready to be delivered (thanks Steve)- workshop supplies boxed and ready to go- more organised than I have ever been before LOL!!

Being winter meant that there was limited daylight hours- and when the workshops were over for each day- meant that it was the evening already. So the first day Debbie and Elaine arrived in the Afternoon- we shot up to Mt Cootha to have a look at the Brisbane Lookout. It was a fairly clear day so "hopefully" the view was pretty for them to see.

After the lookout we did what any visitor to Brisbane should do- go shopping LOL! We headed to Chermside and checked out the shops- then called it a night before the workshops began.

Now the Debbie Brown Workshops would not have been the success that they were without a couple of Key parts.

Firstly a Massive Thank you to Australian Bakels ( and in particular Trevor) for supplying Debbie and the Workshop Participants with the RTR Icing. Bakels icing is the icing of choice for the majority of local decorators. Its super smooth consistency and flexibilty makes it a dream to work with.

Bakels icing is available retail through Cake decorating supply stores and most recently 750g packs through many IGA Grocery stores.

Secondly- the venue- Mantra on Queen. The Queen Anne Conferencing did more than a spectacular job at feeding and looking after everyone.

The Room was spacious and suited this style of teaching beautifully.

There was a constant stream of irresistibly delicious food and goodies available to keep up our strength. Each day the food was different- freshly bakes cakes and scones- slices- gorgeous curries and salads- I was almost beginning to wonder if we had signed up for an epicurean adventure instead.

Thank you Natalie for looking after us all and making sure that we were well and truly fed over the workshop days.

Last but not least a Massive thanks to the Attendees! Without you all Debbie would not have been able to demonstrate her superb talents to us.

I really cherish meeting all of you and I wish you all the very best in your cake endeavours- and hope to see you all again soon.

Day 1- Beetle Bride and Groom Car:

This day was packed with eager students ready to meet and learn from Debbie.

There was a few local decorators who I knew- but so many enthusiasts- it was just brilliant! 

I sat with my very great friend Karen form KVW cakes-  I am actually surprised that we didn't run totally over time- as when Karen and I get together- we could talk all day LOL!

 

I was amazed that considering we all had exactly the same amounts of icing etc... every one's car was a little bit different- we each had our own way of interpreting the instructions- an of course the way we each model is different to each other. 

Here is my effort- not too bad for a first time go ;)

The headless couple before I completed them.

 

My completed car and couple. Although they were meant to be kissing- the air kiss looks quite fashionable hehehhe!  I also went for the hair long and down option too.

After the workshop- we took Debbie and Elaine for a City cat Trip over to Southbank- where we had a nice dinner at the new Ben O'Donohue Restaurant- Southbank Surf Club. If you get a chance to go I can certainly recommend it.

Day 2- Three Witches Cauldron

The Second day was a Sculptured cake design.

The Three witches cake from the Enchanting and Magical cakes book was a popular one indeed. BMag had run a short piece on the workshops and had featured the particular cake in the editorial- so many people ringing up wanting to make "that cake"!

The Students all worked on Styrofoam with this design- that way they could keep their creation.

For those of you who read my blog regularly would know what a fab help my family is to me and my business- so in return for their help I booked my Sister Alex and My Mum in for a day each.

Alex joined me and was my table partner on Saturday.

Artistic license is an imperative part of cake design. Using colours that suit your needs/wants and adapting designs is all part and parcel of the creative process.

Debbie was all for encouraging the students to create the designs to reflect themselves.  

Alex had a fabulous time creating her own cake- her witches were certainly wicked!

Or was that whacked out? LOL! Nice work Al!

I too had fun creating little personalities for each of my witches too

  

  

  It seems like that Day 3 crept up so fast. With allot of the students signing up for more classes once they got the taste for Debbie's fabulous workshops- each day was becoming full to the brim with budding novelty cake makers.

Day 3 : Funky Flower Fairy

Without doubt this cake design would be any little princesses dream

A beautiful floating fairy on a castle- just gorgeous.

My Nieces eyes lit up when she saw the finished product at my home- AHHHHHHHHH pretty!

This design taught us all tips and tricks- including how to use simple tools to create beautiful patterns.

The original Design- which comes from the recently release Gorgeous and Gruesome book- is Pink- there were many who stuck to the pink- Debbie however chose Lilac and I chose a teal green. 

 Artistic License was in order once again.

My headless fairy is making progress!  

Despite her collagen injected lips ( LOL!) she is looking cute as. 

All Finished! Floating flower fairy!

I sat next to the Vivacious Simone from Cakes by Simone!  

   

Simone's Funky flower fairy turned out just wonderful!

The super friendly Linda from Bubble and Sweet sat in front of us and her pink fairy was just divine.

See her creation here 

 

 Then Debbie showed us all how it is done!  

Smashing!- her finesse is just amazing!

After a long day of teaching- there was no rest for Debbie and Elaine.... oh no- I had planned an Aussie BBQ for them - where my friends and family - along with some of my local Cake decorating colleagues- and we had a night of food/drinks and just and all round social time!

My husband and Sister Kate had been home all day with strict instructions of what to prepare- and they had outdone themselves. Barramundi and Tiger Prawn Spring rolls- Kangaroo Meatballs with bush tomato sauce- Yummo!

My Nana almost freaked out when she realised that "all these cake decorators are eating my cake" well Nana- you do make terrific cakes- and everyone loved them- so no need to stress! 

It really went so fast- day 4 was just about here.

Day 4: Ganesh Model cake topper

This workshop was possibly the most advanced of the four days.

I had booked my mum in for this day. She is quite arty- and I knew that she would love to do this one.

This was intense- even getting the legs to fold correctly was really hard. 

Marking in the creases and getting the model "portly" enough. Personally my model needed a bit of a feed. if the history of the Ganesh means that the big belly represents the wealth... my topper must have been middle income then! 

Mums topper was a tad "larger" in the belly area though.   

There was ALLOT  of detail in this piece. But well worth every minute once it was completed.

  

At one stage you just have to step away from the sugar piece and stop fiddling hehehe! 

So just before I did the gold Painting.......

  

Then my finished product! 

And a look at  Debbie's brilliant finished piece!

 

So A MILLION THANK YOU's to Debbie for coming and hosting workshops in Brisbane. It was a blast!

I was really delighted to have you and Elaine come to Brisbane and not only teach us but to also get to know you personally a bit better. Next time you are in town I hope we get allot more leisure time too!

The day after the workshops finished I jetted off on Holidays and left Debbie and Elaine in the capable hands of my family- we got a day of sightseeing- native animals and all- but would have loved to be able to show both Elaine and Debbie around SEQ allot more.

So after close to 3 hours working on this blog.. here it is!
I hope you all enjoyed reading it- and that it encourages you all to come to the Workshops next time Debbie is on town... finger scrossed that it is not too far away.. 2011???????? we will see!