Piece of cake?

I’m coming to find out that getting into the cake business is not a piece of cake.  There are a lot of artists such as myself, doing the same types of things as I am.  There certainly is a demand for cakes and cupcakes, especially amongst the crowd getting married, having babies, or those who have small children. Yet, there are more than enough bakers to accommodate those in demand and the creativity amongst my fellow decorators sometimes blows me away.

At times it can be overwhelming to research and learn all the new techniques. You no longer just frost a cake and plop some roses on. Now there are fondants, fillings, luster dust, gum paste, marzipan, sanding sugar, gel pastes, powdered colors, butter cream, royal icing, the list goes on and on. And with all of these mediums you can sculpt, dust, paint, frost, mold, emboss, etc, etc, etc.  I haven’t even learned how to do half of it and by the time I think I know how to do everything, there will be more. Still, I’m not the sort of person to look at a challenge and shy away. I enjoy pushing myself to improve my craft and I feel accomplished when I learn something new.

Last week I had an order for some cupcakes. The client wanted 4 dozen cupcakes all in a Disney theme.  I was not limited to one character (as she wanted several different ones) but that definitely presented a challenge.  How was I going to make 4 dozen cupcakes from all different Disney movies, with all different and non-related characters, while still making them look classy, unique, detailed and cohesive? It was difficult but after spending some time thinking I decided that each cupcake topper would be hand-sculpted pieces that served as a classic representation of each character rather than literal faces. And now the photos of the final outcome!

I had a blast doing these and I love when my clients give me an idea that I can run with! I will be doing some more DIY tutorials very soon so if you have anything you are interested in learning to do, please let me know!

Happy crafting!

Kindergarten

It is absolutely amazing, my Sweet Pea starting Kindergarten.  I’m blown away just thinking that she will be in school now until she is an adult.  The milestones of childhood (motherhood too) come as if no time has passed between them. And yet here I am, another year older and not feeling too much wiser. In some ways, I still feel like a kid.

As I walked my daughter into her kindergarten class this morning, memories of my own childhood flooded my mind and I felt nostalgia that I didn’t quite expect.  The smell of crayons, the nametag on her little cubby, the colorful pictures adorning every wall, and the tiny desks and chairs.  I vividly remember my first day of school and today I relived that through the eyes of my child.

I met one of my very best friends (we are still friends today) the day I started school. This morning, Sweet Pea walked into her class and immediately she and another little girl became friends. In seconds they were sitting next to each other, chatting away. They were amazed that they were both 5. I chucked and tears almost came to my eyes.  As they walked about the room together, making sure they each had a chance to do all the activities, I remembered my lasting friendship and I smiled. For the first time I thought to myself "she will be ok.  She is going to do just fine."

It’s so strange, the things that come to your mind as a parent.  I find myself thinking, “Will she know to ask to go to the potty? Will she line up when the teacher says to do so? Is she going to understand the way we behave in school?” and on, and on, and on.  We went to school; we somehow learned what to do. I need to give her more credit.  She will find her way.

The day your child is born, you are in control. Your baby is handed to you in a little bundle and you are sent on your merry way.  You venture out into the unknown and begin raising them.  No instruction manual, no technical support.  They learn, you learn. They make mistakes and so do you. You both fall and you both get back up again.  You begin teaching them how to live life, how to be the best version of themselves, and how to be independent. As that independence begins to grow, you realize that means you must start giving up control.  Today that was the hardest part.  I know this is just the beginning and that she is still my little girl.  I know there are so many more milestones and there will be many more days like today. Days where I have to let go so she can be who she is. And I know she will be fine because really, SHE is teaching me how to live, SHE is helping me to be the best version of myself, and SHE is showing me how to be independent. If she can do at that at 5 years old, she is off to do great things.

Happy first day of school my little girl! Mommy knows you are going to be great!

Cupcake Creations- Zebra Stripes

You can’t take the stripes off a zebra but you can certainly put them on.

I have received quite a few cupcake orders this month and it all started with this one.  A very sweet lady, who knew very little about me or my work, not only took a big chance on me but also gave me creative license to pretty much do whatever I wanted.  The request was Zebra, purple, turquoise, and “whatever I could come up with.” I really enjoyed doing this order. The design is quite simple but really cute at the same time. These were particularly fun because I was able to use my love of painting in a cake decorating application.

I started by cutting out round pieces of white fondant for the bases of the cupcake toppers. I then mixed black gel paste food coloring with a small amount of water, just enough to make it the consistency of paint.  After allowing the rounds to harden just a bit I painted on the zebra stripes.

Next, I cut out 2 different sizes of flowers in 2 different colors, shaped them, stacked them, and added a small piece of white fondant to create the 3d blossom. Using pearl dust mixed with little bit of lemon extract I painted the shimmer on the edges of the petals.

Left-with pearl dust, Right-without pearl dust

After letting them sit overnight, I put the toppers on my fresh buttercream cupcakes with a few sprinkles. Seeing as I had 2 dozen cupcakes to make, I did another flower topper but switched up the color order, adding the zebra stripes to the flower rather than the round piece.

I was very happy with how they turned out and now the wonderful lady who took a chance on me has become a friend.

Many more cakes and cupcakes are to come.  August is going to be a busy month but I cannot think of a sweeter way to spend it.