Lucy Cake

I recently was blessed to have another opportunity to work with Icing Smiles. If you have never been introduced to this organization you should check out their site at http://www.icingsmiles.org/. Icing Smiles is a nonprofit organization that provides custom celebration cakes to families impacted by the critical illness of a child. I absolutely love being able to use what I can do to encourage others. This is not a job for me, this is my passion!

Sweet little Lucy turned four last weekend. She and her family, including her big brother, are going through a battle but that is not getting this brave girl down. She has a team behind her, supporting her, and we pray that she only grows stronger and healthier as the years go by!

According to Lucy's family, she is the biggest 3-year-old Beatles fan around. And of course, being that her name is Lucy, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is among her favorite songs. We wanted to put together something spunky and fun for a girl turning four while incorporating a Beatles theme. We went for an interpretation of Lucy's song and ended up with this:

The Lucy doll, with her big angelic eyes, sits on clouds holding an armful of sugar diamonds. Varying sizes of diamonds are scattered around the clouds and sky. Happy 4th Birthday, Lucy!



Please take this opportunity to pray for Lucy and her family, for health and encouragement through these times. Also consider ways in which you could support Icing Smiles as they endeavor to lift up families with critical medical needs.

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Norah and the Muppets!

Oh my, it has been a long time since my last post! These holidays have been so busy with traveling and family but I have somehow managed to squeeze in a few cakes ever so often. Here is a Muppet cake I did for a girl name Norah. But this post is mostly about Norah...

When my client ordered a Muppet cake for her little girl turning two, I was happy to come up with a fun design. Always in the back of my mind when I do cake for really little ones, I wonder if the kiddos are going to enjoy it as much as the parents. After spending hours laboring over these crazy little Muppets-things I was pleased with the result. I was going for the stage and theater signage with Muppets in the balcony. I really wanted pinks and purples instead of the red theater curtains since we are having a two-year-old party!

The time came for my client to pick up the cake for little Norah and my heart just smiled! Norah took one look at the cake and began signing "piggy". She hopped around and ribbeted like Kermit and squealed and pointed at all the other Muppets! I told my client how excited and meaningful it was to know that Norah appreciated this cake.

This is what she said: It's a special "Daddy-Norah thing". Norah and her Daddy have special time when he gets home from work. They snuggle up and watch the Muppets! 

I am so glad that I could contribute something special for sweet little Norah on her second birthday. And I am glad that she liked it! Pin It

Balinese Box of Orchids

I love working on cakes! And this one just made me smile. This cake was made for my Mom as a birthday surprise. Orchids are her favorite and she spent many years in Indonesia, so I thought I would tuck gumpaste orchids and leaves in a unique Bali-style box on a bamboo base. 

The box itself has "hand-carved" floral details on all sides, and the lid bares a traditional design of a Bird of Paradise bird. The bamboo base was done on a whim, but I love the rustic feel it brings to the more elegant box and orchids. I love how the greens compliment the dark wood of the box and the base.

There was actually cake inside this box: chocolate cake filled with hazelnut buttercream. 

I love little details like the metal accents on this box. I inset little floral medallions on each side and and placed a small handle on the lid. It did not pivot when lifted like some hoped...I am not that crazy! Set into the carved top was a little metal-looking plate that read "Worth far more than Rubies-Prov. 31". This Biblical passage describes how the Godly character of a women is worth so much more than any treasure or beauty. Mom, you have a beautiful heart! Happy Birthday!

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The Birthday Artist...

I have a faithful blog follower, Carmen, who turned 11 this week! Her mom called me and said that Carmen really wanted to place an order for a brithday cake. She decided on an "artist" cake with a palate and paintbrush and wanted neon paint colors. Also, she really wanted to help decorate! Of course I always like my clients to be involved in their cake designs but I rarly have this much involvment. And as a surprise to Carmen I am posting her creation on my blog...thanks for being a faithful blog reader, Carmen!

We covered the cake with a drop cloth covered in paint. I made a little easel with a canvas that Carmen painted.

On top we placed the palate with paints and a gumpaste paintbrush. Carmen thought it was real, but, no, it is edible...



My budding artist, Carmen painting her canvas...Happy 11th Birthday, Carmen!!

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Tea Party!

This unique cake was made as a gift for a very special person who loves Polish pottery. Dessert plates, serving dishes, teapots...and bubble mugs. So round, to fit perfectly warm and snug in your hand. The hand painted designs range from very traditional stamped patterns to this type of free painted floral design.  This pattern happens to be her very favorite design.

A "lace" table cloth was pressed into the fondant base to add an elegant touch to this mini-cake. The floating tea bag has a tag that reads "Sugar & Spice", which my clients promptly picked up to see, forgetting that it was made of gumpaste!

The Tea Party cake is joined by another Polish poppy bubble mug and a traditional design teapot. I also had a silver tea spoon that sat right in front of the bubble mug but it did not make it into the pictures.

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Wedding in a Vineyard

Last weekend I delivered a cake to wedding reception at vineyard about an hour away. The grounds were beautiful, with the ceremony overlooking the lake and the reception in a nearby hall. The sides of the hall opened up so that the guests could enjoy the vineyards out one side and yards and the lake out the other. This cake fit right into the scene among the rustic grape vines and fabulous views.

The cake was a moist lemon cake filled with natural strawberry meringue buttercream and covered with ivory fondant. 

The vines started at the bottom and kind of sprouted up at a diagonal. Clusters of grapes draped off of each tier while little pearls mirrored them all around the cake. The bride and groom had their own topper which they added at the reception hall. Congratulations, Doug and Crystal!

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Little Ladybug

This sweet little cake was made for my client as a gift for a friend. It is a 6 in white cake filled with a thick layer of chocolate ganache. Yum! Simple but a favorite combination of many.

One of my absolute favorite things about making cakes is being able to share the fun with my family. I love the times when my kids sit on their little stools and work on their own "cakes". Sometimes with play-doh and sometimes with leftover fondant and gum paste. Yesterday, my oldest son sat and made a little ladybug on a leaf. He said, "I just love copying your cakes to make my own creations!"

I love it, too!

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A Beautiful Day at the Race

We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather to be out on the Peoria riverfront! Add to that lots of people and lots of cake and we ended up with a pretty sweet event. We received valuable feedback on our four favorite flavors...which was wonderful because I don't usually have to opportunity to be with my clients as they eat their cakes. Everything ran smoothly and all in all we had a great day!

Flavors: Chocolate Hazelnut, Raspberry Lemonade, Vanilla Vanilla Bean, & Coconut Macaroon

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Off To The Races...

I am always inspired by unique elements I find, whether in nature, architecture or fashion. And, I have an affinity toward feather hats. I don't know if it comes from the memories of my great grandma's hats in the dress-up closet or my love of the movie "Swing Kids". So, I have had this idea floating around in my head for some time with out a reason to pull it together. Bremer Jeweler's Race for the Ring is tomorrow and I thought that this would be a fantastic time for a new display cake. Here it is, ready for the races...

 Delicate anemones with vibrant blue dusted centers, peacock feathers wrapping around the side, and a platinum nouveau swirl gracing the top.

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Ahoy, Matey!

I loved working on this cake because my client had so many good ideas to throw into the design process. The colors and patterns were designed to match the invitations and other party elements. A little boy only turns one once! It turned out great and I am sure it was everything this precious little boy hoped for for his first birthday!

 Argh!!! The sweetest looking toddler pirate ever...

I made a smash cake to match the theme as well. This was buttercream with fondant accents. My client had a picture of a cake like this from somewhere, so this was not my design. Still super cute...a perfect way to celebrate turning one!

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Happy Birthday, Little Cupcake!

Actually, the cupcake was giant! It was a full 12 inches high, without the candle on top. The cake was designed after the birthday invitation which was a water colored cupcake. So the cake was gray-blue with various shades of blue "water colored" on the fondant.

We made a mini cupcake, about the size of an actual cupcake, for the individual smash cake.

Happy Birthday, Little Cupcake!

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Small World, Big Home!

This cake was designed with a unique concept for a very unique family! With members living all over South East Asia and in the United States travel is frequent and necessary. A party with family and friends was cause to celebrate the fact that the world is their home.

I made little red dots showing where everyone lives. Airplanes flying over the clouds symbolize the travel that is so common in uniting this family together.

What a blessing to have a loving family community where the distance doesn't keep them apart,

even half a world away!

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Bremer's Race for the Ring

If you found a diamond ring in Peoria, would you keep it?

As a friend of Flour & Fondant, we are excited to alert you to upcoming events happening in Peoria before being announced to the public.

On September 10th, Bremer Jewelry and Flour & Fondant will be hosting the 2nd Annual Bremer's Race for the Ring – a one-day, real world treasure hunt through Peoria in search of a $12,000 Tacori diamond ring!

Don’t miss out - sign-up today for free at http://www.peoriaraceforthering.com/. Use the promo code FONDANT12 to increase your chances of being selected. But hurry, spots are limited!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

P.S. There will be cake! Pin It

To El Paso Or Bust

These clients are very dear to me and it was very difficult to make this cake for their Send-Off party. I really had to try not to think about these precious children while I shaped each of them, and made clothes out of their favorite colors. I had to try not to cry and I painted the toenails of their dear Mommy. As I put the sunglasses and the beret on their Daddy all I could think about is how proud I am of the step they are taking following where they are called. I will miss you all so much! 

As part of the Ordinance Corps with the US Army, my client will be maintaining Bradley Fighting Vehicles. That is the vehicle I made here. Or tried to...there is only so much information that Google has on military vehicles. So, some of it is not entirely accurate, but I think it makes the point just fine!

Anyway, God bless you and make His face shine upon you so that you radiate joy that only comes from Him.

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Hello Kitty Mermaid

My kids spend all year long brainstorming on what they want for their birthday cake. So now it's Annie's turn to work on her ideas. Here is her list: Hello Kitty Mermaid, goggles on her head, rainbow nose, starfish, blow-up pool, a turtle, and a mouth on Hello Kitty. (She insisted that everything has a mouth so Hello Kitty should too!)

Here is the finished cake. I love the mermaid suit and I have to admit her goggles were a nice idea!

Annie loves turtles so of course, there has to be a turtle!

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Happy Graduation, Happy Birthday and Off-to-College Cake!

This cake is as custom as you can get! I loved working out the details with my clients to make this cake (or these cakes!) perfect for a graduation-birthday-off-to-college cake for their daughter. It is fun when clients have ideas of their own to bring to the table. These clients had so much input into the design that I should have paid them for the consultation! I think working out the details is almost as fun as seeing the end product.

So, there is a path that Morgan has been on that has taken her through high school. There she was on the women's golf team and was involved in the marching band as a drummer. All through high school she took Latin, which lead her to spend the entire summer in Italy studying culture and language. Now, Morgan's path takes her up the ribbon of the birthday cake where she sits ready to make the leap over to the next cake. Her rope is tied to the St. Louis arch that towers over the symbol of her Pharmacology College that she will attend this fall.

There is a LOT going on with these cakes! But it all has significance to my clients, and that is what "custom cakes" are all about. And, I think it came together pretty nicely!

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Celebrate 1977!

Today my best friend and husband, Scott, turns 34! He wanted a 2 foot 1977 Corvette Stingray, his childhood dream car, to take to work. It is tradition to bring in a snack and invite all your business colleagues in the building to share it. I guess he invited a lot of people because he also wanted a 32 in cake for the display! Here it is...

Annie says, "Mom, is that all Daddy is having on his cake??"

(Wait until you see the cake she came up with for her birthday! Coming Aug. 12...)

 

The 1/8 scale cake with the 1/25 scale model. Vanilla cake with chocolate ganache filling was the perfect combination to help this sculpture hold its shape.

Ethan worked on his own version of a Corvette!

 Happy Birthday, Scott, from Ethan, Kate, Annie, Caleb and Carrie! This is probably as close as you're going to get to owning a 1977 Corvette Stingray.



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New Phone Number

Just to let everyone know I have a new Flour & Fondant phone number. (309)857-6652  Please use that number for all calls in the future. Have a great day!

Belle mini cake with character cupcakes...they were so lovable!

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Herbie the Love Bug

One of my favorite cakes so far! Who doesn't love Herbie! I loved the challenge of the bumpers and all the unique details that make Herbie the icon that it is. So here is the Love Bug.

 We put Herbie on a polished cobblestone base giving it a rustic Euro look.

 The entire time I was wishing I was adding "Just Married" and a string of tin cans on the back bumper!

How cute would that be???

Love the "eyes"! 

We love you, Herbie!

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Welcome to the 21st Century!

So today was a big day for me! I managed to create a Facebook page for Flour and Fondant, no pictures or anything yet. But, I now have a social media presence... Then I recruited a few Fans (I have fans!) so I could complete my company page. I had to have over 25 and I just made it! Okay, now for the real technical feat of the day...I figured out how to automatically post my Blog to Facebook! I can't believe it. Well, I am just trying out right now. So I guess I shouldn't get too excited yet.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the updates!

A cake from a while ago, but I love it so I thought I'd post it. "Lollipop Lake" is a place my husband made-up for my girls' bedtime stories. All Annie wanted was a "Lollipop Lake" birthday!

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Red Stiletto Cake

It was so much fun working on this red stiletto! The client wanted something elegant for a "Red, Platinum and Blue" surprise party for her mom's 60th birthday. She sent me pictures of the shoe she wanted so I didn't come up with the style myself. Our design evolved numerous times until finally everyone agreed on this...

 This small tiered cake has delicate piping painted with a black pearl luster. The thin belts around the bottom of each tier adds another fashion element.

Inside the shoe is a label displaying the birthday. I love the gems and pearls on top. The fabric pleating on the side and the stitching on various elements made this shoe fun and challenging!

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Icing Smiles Inc.

I am so excited to be a part of Icing Smiles, a volunteer cake designing group whose goal is to brighten children's days. Who knew there was such a thing! I thoroughly enjoy it. I have been asked to share my experience and encourage others to become involved.

Here is an excerpt from the Icing Smiles site, http://www.icingsmiles.org/:

"Icing Smiles is a non profit organization that provides custom celebration cakes and other treats to families impacted by critical illness of a child.  We understand that the simple things, like a birthday cake, are luxuries to a family battling illness.  Our goal is to create a custom cake for the ill child or their sibling that will provide a temporary escape from worry and create a positive memory during a difficult time."

Last week a little boy, Brody, was having a double party with his older brother, Gavin. All Brody wanted was a Rex-from-Toy-Story cake. And Gavin wanted Brody to be happy, and maybe something with Corvettes.

I found out about this cake on Tuesday. It needed to be finished by Saturday morning so we could deliver it the a small town several hours from here. From conceptualization to delivery, that is very fast work for just one person. Especially me, when I usually draw things out several weeks in advance to get organized and mentally prepared. There were lots of late nights, well just two to be exact, and very long days. My sweet husband was my right hand man. He kept me going when I thought I wasn't going to meet the deadline. Needless to say house was not as clean as it could have been...

Here is what we ended up with...a Toy Story themed gift bag with a sheriff badge tag. Rex coming out of the top surrounded by tissue paper. A "toy-story-ish" sign on the wood floor base with Brody and Gavin's names. Two sugar Corvettes, just for fun!

My whole family packed up on Saturday morning. (We needed both my husband and myself to carry the cake and we couldn't really leave the kids at home.) What a trip! I was in the back with the cake. Kids and Scott were in the middle and front, all a bit on edge about getting this cake through construction and over potholes. But we all made it is one piece. And so did the cake!

But the time and effort payed off when I see Brody driving the edible Corvettes around the base of the cake. He smashed them into each other creating a sweet accident site just before he crammed them into his mouth...Typical boy! The Corvettes were made by Scott. He is a master silicone mold maker and whipped up a Corvette mold for me at the last minute. He formed these cars just in time for me to detail them and get them on the cake!

Rex was a hit, hopefully he will be remembered for a while. Most of all I hope that we were able to let God's love pour out of us to encourage those that we met. What an awesome way for our family to spend a Saturday!

Gavin and Brody with Caleb and me (and a party guest!)

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