If only things went according to plan................

.....it would be a refreshing change!  The plan for one of the cakes for the upcoming cake show I'm attending, was to have daffodils on it.  Now, I've never really made daffodils before - though I have taken a class with the awesome Kim Morrison.  The one we made in class went great!  However, the life-size one(s) I tried to make did not go so well.

I got my hands on some real daffodils, and promptly pulled one apart to trace and measure the petals and throat (or trumpet).  I then cut out the throat shape and attempted to frill the edges and actually form the throat.  All was going ok until I tried to close up the bottom of the throat....for the *&(*&%( life of me I can't figure out how to do it without the paste ripping!  Sticking the (already) dried centers through it did not prove to help the situation at all.  After about 4 or 5 attempts I went in search of alternate directions via the interwebs.  I came across a technique where you take a ball of paste, and hollow it out into a trumpet shape.  This worked better, but I was still not happy with the results. 

Time to re-group and think of options!  After much discussion with a friend, I settled on doing sunflowers.  Have I made sunflowers before?  Nope.  Hey - it's how I roll!  I do have Nic Lodge's instructions from his Potpourri of Flowers book.  Since I had no appropriately sized styrofoam balls (for the center) and no chocolate fondant (again, for the center), I set about figuring out the petals of the sunflower.  Nic's instructions call for 30 petals...PER FLOWER.   I am making three flowers.  That's NINETY individually wired petals.  I found an appropriately sized petal cutter and set about making a ton of petals.  I believe I have 95 or so petals.  Got those done, and they are drying.  Also made some sunflower leaves and those are drying as well.

Also got some hydrangea blossoms made this weekend.  They are GORGEOUS!!!!!  They are light green and blue. 

The plan tonight is to get the sunflower centers made.....let's hope all goes according to plan!  Assuming those get done, lol, the petals and leaves will get dusted also.  HOPEFULLY all can be assembled tomorrow, but if not, there's some stuff I can switch around in my plan.

~Chelle

Eeeeek!

I am planning entries for a cake show in May.  I finally sat down to work out a schedule to get everything done on time.....and guess what??  The show is in three, yes THREE, weeks!  Yikes!  How did that happen???  Last time I looked it was 6 weeks away.  Oh, and did I mention I doing FOUR entries?!?!  Well, four is what's planned, but I've learned over the years it's quality over quantity!  So, four are planned, and I will make a valiant effort to put forth my best work for them all, but if some don't get done, they don't get done.

I am doing a wedding cake (3-tier), an any occasion cake (2-tier), another any occasion cake (1-tier) that will be buttercream, and an International/Special technique cake (1-tier) that will be lambeth.

Thankfully I have no plans for any weekends (and need to keep it that way!), so between working after work and having weekends free, I should have enough time to get it all done.  Just need to stick to the schedule I made!

I'll give a brief description of what's going on the cakes:
Wedding Cake: oriental stringwork, gumpaste daffodils, stephanotis, and hydrangea
Tiered Any Occasion: quilting, piping, gumpaste bow
Non-Tiered Any Occasion: buttercream piping
Int/Spec Technique: lambeth

Wish me luck!  I'll try to post every few days or so and let you know how the plans are coming.  I may or may not include pics - I haven't decided....it also depends on if I remember to take the pics, lol.

~Chelle