I sometimes wonder why....?

It's usually around five or so on an evening, when I've still got a couple of hours before the girls go to bed and after an already long day, that I wonder WHY? Why am I trying so hard to build a business when I've got a good Degree and a Post Grad (nothing relevant, French, Politics and Law) and before I had Laura I had a really well paid job... I could go back to doing something like that and then about five I would be looking forward to an evening of chillin.. probably a bit of cleaning and ironing but no stress, no back ache oh and a nice salary every month... On paper I'm probably certifiably mad!

The thing is I hated my well paid job, it was boring beyond belief and I had absolutely no intention of returning after my maternity leave, I had always wanted to do something creative and work for myself and I figured that at some point once my babies were big enough I'd get round to it.

However, the reality at the moment is so far removed from the dream that when I'm not physically there in the kitchen working on a cake, I do think I am crazy. But about 7.30 when both girls are tucked up in bed and I am cleaning down the kitchen ready for a nights work, ipod switched as loud as I can without waking them, I'm in my happy place... I feel centred and that anything is possible. I start to remember the dream and want to make it work and I really believe I can.

I was working on 100 of tiny flowers tonight, and covering the bottom tier of the wedding cake, which is fruit and therefore can be worked on in advance and it just felt so right.... Nothing really exciting or ground breaking but it reassured me that despite all the madness I'm on the right track.

SuperNatural Food Colour... the results

Well no ill effects!!! The girls devoured the pink bows on the cake and remained their usual selves (and the effect is dramatic when they do have aritificial colours), so despite the light pigment and huge expense, the colour paste is definitely a sucess :-)

Laura's birthday bash went off really well, we caused absolute chaos in Pizza Hut but had a very understanding waitress who was studying to become a teacher so if we haven't put her off it can't have been that bad. After Pizza we went to see Nanny McPhee - the Big Bang... which meant taking my youngest who is two to the cinema for the first time.... despite seeing more of the loos (7 trips) than the film, we all really enjoyed it!

It's not actually Laura's Birthday until Thursday, so I have to churn out another 30 odd cupcakes to take into school for her Birthday and make enough tiny ivory flowers to cover a 5 tier wedding cake for Saturday... it's a good job I love it... but am thinking I need to get premises soon and work during the day rather than into the night every night or I'll burn out before I reach 35!

Laura's Finished Cake

Just a little micro blog to show you Laura's Cake, will post again tomorrow to let you know if any issues occur from the coloured icing (see post on SuperNatural Food Colouring)...

Laura's Ballerina Cake in progress

After a very late start to the evening's work, I'm amazed by the progress I've made on Laura's cake, it's very nearly finished. I have taken some step by step photos to give you an insight how it has been put together. I'll number the comments to correspond with the photos as I still can't work out how to comment next to the pictures.

1. The chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream is covered in white fondant.
2. The gumpaste strips to make swags, rolled using the pasta machine and cut with the ribbon cutter pictured.
3. Pleating the swags using dowels.
4. The swags with added bow detail.
5. The name detail, made using extruded gumpaste shaped into the letters.
6. The nearly finished cake :-)

It just needs a ribbon trim now and it's ready for the birthday girl. All I need now is for her little sister to be able to walk (she dropped a heavy tub of cream on her big toe tonight, hence the late start) and we're off for Pizza and to the Cinema on Saturday.

Ruby Red Cosmetics

I am a huge fan of Ruby Red Cosmetics, they make gorgeous lotions and potions which are organic and girly and smell divine... and I think I might just have a place on the panel of testers for new products! Finger crossed it all comes off, I can't wait! I'm also very happy with Martine's comment on the email that they are 'Lovin' your cakes', I am doing my happy dance as I type... I'm such a compliment junkie!http://www.rubyredcosmetics.co.uk

Finished Ballerina

As promised here is the finished Ballerina, the cake will be ready for Saturday so more pictures to follow then.

Laura's Ballerina... a work in progress

As I was setting up to make this ballerina and take step by step photos, my home economics teacher's words echoed in my head.... "she needs to work more methodically and keep her workspace tidy!" My teacher would be disappointed to hear that although I'm thoroughly hygienic I tend to get lost in a fog of corn flour and icing sugar and my work is anything but methodical and tidy, but hopefully the results compensate?

People often see my models and comment HOW??? So this is a kind of behind the scenes peek to see how they evolve...

I can't seem to post wording next to the photos so I'll list the points here in the order of the photos above:

Photo 1

This is the basic body shape and legs, crossed to resemble a sitting ballerina. At this stage the only detail are the edges of the ballet pumps. There is a cocktail stick through the body to help with the structure and support the head. The head is also very basic at this stage, with a nose and ears but only white cut outs for the eyes and a marked out mouth.

Photo 2

Here I am cutting the highlights for the eyes with a tiny number two icing tip, these will be left to harden and will be stuck onto the black pupils tomorrow.

Photo 3

The eyes have been given their first coat of food colouring and the eye lashes and eye brows have been painted on using a food colouring pen.

Photo 4

The ballerina now has a tutu and sparkly ballet pumps with criss cross elastic.

Both the body and head will be completed tomorrow and I will post finished pictures. I hope this gives a little insight into how these models are created and how much work goes into them.