Design Challenge - Inspiration from a cake!

My sister in law is one of the most creative people I know (and is married to one of the others!)

For her son's recent birthday she made not only this amazing birthday cake but also these absolutely fab cupcakes for everyone to take home at the end of the day.

I know Kim for her attention to detail but there can't honestly be many people who would go to the effort of making unique toppers for each one.  Just love them.

Anyway, it gave me another thought about where you might get some inspiration for your own design in our challenge.  Mine came from her cakes.

I took the basic idea and sketched out my own picture.  I've tried to keep the different parts of the image completely separate by drawing them in different and distinct colours.  This will help when it comes to transferring the image onto the software for embroidering.

You can either draw the different components on separate sheets of paper or do it as one image.

To find out how this turns out pop back later when I'll update the blog with the finished result.  And in the meantime, I hope this has given you food for thought and inspired you to have a go at our design challenge.  To see how to enter click here ....

www.cobwebknits.co.uk

Truly Scrumptious - Rachel Findlay of The Cake Stand, SW England

We all love the traditional three tier wedding cakes and have become familiar with the trendy cupcake, but when I saw these colourful fondant fancies I fell in love with them.

Having baked beautiful cakes for friends and family for the past 20 years, Rachel Findlay established the Cake Stand in 2010, specialising in elegant and unique cakes that reflect a couple's personal style and wedding theme.

Rachel skilfully crafts delicate flowers, butterflies, hearts, swirls and pearls from sugar and bespoke cupcakes are lovingly decorated with delicious buttercream, sprinkles and sugar-paste flowers, offering an alternative to the traditional tiered wedding cake.

But as I said, it's Rachel's scrumptious fondant fancies that caught my eye and if you prefer them in soft pastel shades or vibrant colourful hues they are easily whipped up to your taste.  

All images (c) The Cake Stand

Based in Somerset, Rachel takes orders in the SW of England and London and you can find out more from her website. 

Truly Scrumptious - Betty's Tea Rooms, Harrogate

Betty’s tearoom in Harrogate (with 5 others around Yorkshire) is well worth queuing for, if you have too. This graceful, but never pompous, tearoom is not even British in origin but was set up in 1919 by a young Swiss orphan.

Betty’s cooks everything in its own kitchens and stays loyal to the county of Yorkshire, refusing to allow its products over the border to towns elsewhere.

In the tea-room, smart-suited men show people to tables and traditionally-attired waitresses scurry here and there bearing vanilla slices, fruit cakes, caramel chocolate hearts and “plump and fruity Fat Rascals, with bright cherry eyes and cheeky almond grins” on silver-plated three tier cake stands.

And of course as a Swiss chocolatier, chocolates had  to feature heavily too.  So you stretch the experience by taking away a few little treats for later.

All images (c) Betty's of Harrogate

Surf's Up - take an online class. What about cake decorating?

If you were inspired by our last blog, perhaps you should have a go yourself.  And you can do it all  from the comfort of your own home by taking online classes.

If you want to get a handle on designing handbag cakes, complete with divots and pleats or genuine looking zippers, rivets and buckles from sugar paste you could try Elisa Strauss.

Or perhaps sugar flowers are your thing.  No, these are not real flowers!

Then Nicholas Lodge is your man.  He'll soon have you crafting tulips, anemones and peonies.

But then again, you may prefer characters showcasing someone's career or hobby.  

Then Anne Heap runs an online class just for you.   You'll learn how to colour and work with gum paste, model human figures and position them, as well as accessorising their hair and clothes.

So what are you waiting for?  And of course, if the worst comes to the worst, you can at least console yourself with some cake!

Do let us know how you get on if you decide to have a go and of course post your photos of the finished article.  We'd love to see them.

Meet the Maker - Kingfisher Cakes, Hertfordshire

So, did you guess?  It's a cake!!!  I couldn't believe it either.

And if that wasn't impressive enough.  All of these are cakes too!

The woman behind Kingfisher Cakes and these incredible creations is Sandra Mitchell who is based in Welwyn Garden City.

It seems that no request is beyond her talents and although I've focused on the girlie commissions,

if you have a particular interest or occupation, these are catered for too.

Yep, even a mobile phone is possible too.

And here is Sandra at work.

PS  For those who came across this blog and didn't see the original question.

I simply asked 'What is this?'  Hint: it's not a handbag!!

All images © Kingfisher Cakes

Meet the Maker - Rosie Cake-Diva

Inspired by a post shared on the Cobwebknits' news feed, and with my younger daughter's first birthday coming up, I thought I'd attempt one of these amazing cakes by Rosie Dummer, of Rosie Cake-Diva.   Here's the link to the tutorial with step by step instructions on how to make this fabulous spotty cake.

Bespoke cakes with a splash of 'Ooh La La'! certainly sums up Rosie's cakes perfectly.  She describes herself as a manic mum of 4, based in the beautiful Ribble Valley. Shebakes and decorates cakes to make any event special and personal. And as you can see from just a small selection of her cakes, her imagination has no limits!

As well as the more traditional, she caters for every taste and each cake tells a story.

I love this cake with the words 'If you go down in the woods today ....'

'.... You're sure of a big surprise.'

And cakes aren't just for kids.  If Rosie needs any further endorsement of her products, the fact that the author wanted to see this design pretty much seals it.

Oh, yes, and here's the one I made for my daughter's first birthday.  Not bad, even though I say so myself.  (And we agree; editor)

Truly Scrumptious - Bakelicious, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

If you’re lucky enough to live near Tunbridge Wells and need cakes or cupcakes for a special occasion or just because you fancy one then check out Bakelicious.

Sally Burton is a mother of 2 primary-school children who has been baking ever since she was their age. She love designing and baking cakes and seeing how happy they make people.

She uses the best ingredients - such as Madagascan vanilla pods, organic Belgian chocolate, and zingy homemade lemon-curd - and bakes in her kitchen at home where she creates unique designs with a wide variety of flavours and fillings. Vanilla seems a popular choice and red velvet cupcakes feature too. 

And these lemon cupcakes with homemade lemon curd centres sound truly scrumptious!  The handmade edible decorations are based on a favourite book, Tumtum & Nutmeg...mice who love picnics!

You can find out more about Sally and Bakelicious on Facebook.