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Thursday 24 December 2009

GOD BLESS YOU ALL !

Jesus Pictures, Images and Photos

And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us, (and we beheld his glory as the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth! John 1: 14

" I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly".
John 10:10.

Thank you everybody, for your support during the year .
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a glorious New Year . Amen.


Merry Christmas gingerbread man Pictures, Images and Photos

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

 
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POINSETTAS
 
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COLLAGE FOR WREATH
 
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CHRISTMAS CAKE
 
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CHRISTMAS CAKE
 
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Sunday 29 November 2009

Getting Ready for Christmas

This week is the start of the Christmas Baking period for many people who intend to bake and decorate home-made cakes and mince pies for Christmas.
Usually,I would bake and cover my cakes with sugar paste and leave them to dry for a week before decorating them .
By the week before Christmas (December 18th) ,I would have completed all my Cake projects.
My last wedding cake for the year should be ready before the couple's wedding day on 19th December.
The aspect of cake decoration which should be started weeks before the Christmas cakes are baked, is the making of sugar flowers and other decorations.
Annually , I make sugar Christmas wreaths as toppers for cakes .
This year, I am making three 10" Christmas cakes , topped with sugar wreaths for my family and guests and to give as Christmas gifts.
Other types of edible Christmas wreaths are bread and biscuits wreaths.

Sugar Wreaths for cakes
Each wreath is made of a sugar paste plaque-covered plaque framed by the sugar wreath.
The plaques are covered cake boards, left to dry rock-hard for at least one week before a Christmas scene is drawn and painted on them . Then they are left to dry for days before the wreath is attached with a ring of royal icing .
For one of this year's plaques , I chose a scene copied from a Christmas card.
The scene shows a robin on a holly branch with a glittering snow-covered homestead back-ground.
The plaque was covered with white sugar paste and the scene was traced on and painted with a sable brushes , royal icing and edible paste colours.
The robin , snow and holly bush is made in "Bas Relief" method before painting them.

Draw and paint Christmas greeting on plaque.
 
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Sugar wreathes are made of many hand-made sugar decorations like these:
Twigs of sugar Holly leaves with clusters of red sugar berries :
 
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Hand -made , wired sugar Pine cones :
 
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Ten wired damask-red sugar roses and rose buds; wired sugar rose hips and variegated sugar rose leaves in rich autumn colours:
 
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Dozens of green and autumn -coloured variegated Ivy leaves in all sizes;
 
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Dozens of Eucalyptus leaves in green and autumn colours:
 
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3 Large Poinsetta flowers :
 
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These flowers, leaves and cones should be left to dry very well before they are taped together with green floristry tape to form 10" round wreaths framing the painted plaques.
To give the wreaths a special look , I will attach to them, equally-spaced ribbons loops and bows; in holly green, gold and red colours and Swarovski crystal stamens .
The basics for the wreaths are almost completed ; I am almost there. They should (must!) be ready before Christmas.

Sunday 22 November 2009

Happy Birthday , Ivie .

This is a white 4-tier 40th birthday cake, with black filigree lace piping work .
It is the customer's selected design with some slight variations , by me.
This project demanded a lot of intricate piping work with black royal icing and the end result is absolutely stunning.
A winner for any wedding or birthday party!

Welcome Home , Annie !

For my friend and neighbour , Annie.

Saturday 17 October 2009

Oriental Lilies

ORIENTAL LILIES
There are pink , white , yellow, fuchsia and orange coloured Oriental lilies, but the Stargazer and Tiger varieties stand out of the lot. They truly are exotic!
I derive immense pleasure from making them for cake decorations because they add "aplomb" to any cake .
Stargazer Lily.

Oriental lilies consist of six petals and five stamens framing a pistil in the centre. The stamens tips are usually heavy with rust-coloured pollen and the pistil is light green with a dark green tip.
To make them in sugar in the right form ,you have to capture all the flowers' details. Be prepared for a labour-of-love in making this sugar flower. It is time-consuming and you need to acquire the sugar artistry skills to do it justice.
METHOD
The petals are cut, individually, with a lily cutter from thinly -rolled white flower paste and then insert 1/3 length of white 26" gauge wire into each flower petal.
Then the petals are shaped with a Lily Veiner and frilled with a Ball Tool.
Drape them to dry on a petal former for 24hours.
Thereafter , each petal is hand-painted to look as much as the real flower.
You would need to make at least 3 extra petals for each flower because the petals have the tendency to break when making them and taping them together with floristry tape.
Each section of the flower should be allowed to dry for at least 24 hours before assembling them by taping together the six petals ,with the stamens and pistil in the centre.
Oriental Lily buds and leaves should be crafted and taped to the flower stalk to complete the sugar flower.
 
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Stargazer Lilies look beautiful in Sugar Flowers sprays :

They also add a beautiful finish to a wedding or any celebration cake:
STAR GAZER LILIES CAKE

Tiger Lilies

 
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Saturday 26 September 2009

Sugar Flowers - Calla Lilies

CALLA OR ARUM LILIES
Calla lilies make beautiful bridal bouquets ; on their own or in a spray with white lilies and roses.
They come in white , burgundy and purple colours with large yellow pistils.


 
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What difference does a spray of expertly crafted sugar flowers make to a wedding cake? A world of difference!
Sugar flowers are essential to transform a decorated cake from being an ordinary cake or dessert to become and an excellent centre piece; indeed a cynosure for all eyes in any occassion.
The client would be satisfied with the wedding cake and the cake decorator derives pleasure and pride from the art.
Calla Lilies with White Pearls wedding cake.

Calla Lilies Spray on Wedding cake

At weddings, apart from the Bridal Gown , the wedding cake is the other major attraction in any wedding ceremony.
The "Quick-fix" and cheaper alternative is using fresh flowers or silk flowers to decorate cakes.
However,when using these, there are risks of food contamination from the silk, fresh flowers and their leaves which the professional Cake decorator who wishes to avoid litigation by running foul of Health and Safety Regulations would prefer to avoid.
When decorating cakes for close friends and families, amateur cake designs and quicker options are good enough.
Presenting quality, hygienically prepared foods to the paying public is the best policy for any cake decorator.