sugar magic: lesson 40

It's actually taken me awhile to finish putting together the showcard that we were making in our last term of Sugar Magic Classes. I'd gotten all the flowers done and the showcard itself was also done, it was just a matter of putting the two together. After almost a month since class finished for the year, I managed to find some time this week to do the last bits.

The finished product.

Most of what you see is actually edible (although I don't think I'll be eating this one). The only things you can't eat are the wires which hold them together and the foliage that's been made out of stem tape.

I'm quite happy with how it all turned out. Still need to put a bit more work into getting the colouring of the flowers right.

Side view - the assembling of the showcard was a bit of a nightmare; notice how the back card has meant slightly? There's actually also a crack running through it. The fault is partly mine as I was meant to make pastillage for the showcard but as I was lazy, i just used normal modelling fondant. As big pieces of modelling fondant takes ages to dry plus we had some humid weather, when I went to assemble the showcard, it started to curve over and it was too late for me to fix by the time I realised.

J's been asking me how long it would take for me to make this one again. Well, it was 8 weeks worth of classes which may seem like a long time. Anyway, this time round, I've learnt not to fiddle with things when they are drying. The front of the showcard which you see was actually my second attempt - the first one just cracked into pieces as I moved it when it hadn't dried completely. Notice how there's also a texture going through the front of the showcard. Hadn't actually planned for this (it was the gelatine that didn't dissolve) but fortunately, ended up looking quite good on the finished product.

sugar magic: lesson 24

I finished another term of 'Sugar Magic' (making it my third term) and as of today, being the very last minute person that I am, enrolled in the last term for this year which starts this week. Phew! The class hadn't fill up! This time last year (when I'd first started thinking about doing this course), I'd been a little bit too late and unfortunately, trying to enrol a couple of days before the term started hadn't been such a good idea. Well a year later, I can't say a whole lot about me has changed; maybe just a little lucky but well, let's say that Sugar Magic has kept me going back.

My third term was spent making Calla Lilies, Jonquils, Devil's Claw, Correa (unassembled) & one rather disastrous Hibiscus. The Hibiscus (top right) belongs to a fellow classmate who kindly offered it to me cause mine kept falling apart.

The Calla Lilies & the Devil's Claw were my favourite. The devil's claw consists of at least 20 individual flowers which took me a solid couple of hours to make individually, colour and then assemble. I still think it's the prettiest flower of them all despite all the hard work that went into making it.

This term actually went rather quickly - almost so that there actually wasn't enough time to finish all the bits and pieces in class. Hmm...my toolbox seems to have grown a little and yes, I bought another box of pastels. The box of 24 just didn't seem to have enough colours! Anyway, back again for another term and woah, it's been an entire year - can't believe how quickly time has flown!

sugar magic: lesson 18

Whilst at the bus stop after class, waiting to get picked up, I thought I'd take a snap of the flowers I'm making this term (in the pic above, there's jonquil centres, hibiscus centres, correa buds, correa flowers, corea centres and calla lily centres). It's not all that exciting at the moment but hopefully after another 6 weeks, I'll be making a bouquet out of those flowers and fingers crossed - it'll look as nice or even better than my cake last term!

One of the girls I met last semester was saying how great it is to come to class and not have to think about anything else. I agree completely and it's great that for 2 hours a week, my mind is taken off thinking about everything else and just concentrating on that one thing - that piece of modelling fondant in my hands which I need to move reasonably quickly with and make that flower before the cold air and the fact that it's in my hands, dries it out. Oh...occasionally there will be the cursing and and the 'damns!" when not all goes to plan (in which case you start again) but otherwise, it's a lot of fun and I hope, developing me into a cake decorating pro!

sugar magic: lesson 16

It's been a little bit of a struggle this second semester to get to class (with cold nights, rain and not being able to get out of work on time being the main contributing factors). Nonetheless, after 8 weeks, I managed to attend all classes and build, ice and decorate a cake from scratch. And allow me to boast, I reckon I did a rather good job!

The finished product. What you see is a fruit cake with layers of almond icing and fondant topped with a spray of carnations, sweet peas and magnolia buds.

The teacher complimented me on my cake and at the same time, called me daring. In all her years of cake decorating, she never considered or recommended anyone to use black ribbon. And well, my cake did stand out from the others - most of my classmates had used organza ribbon in hues of whites and pinks.If you look closely, you'll see the imperfections but at a distance, this cake looks rather darn hot! Over the 8 weeks, Margaret kept reminding us that no one really looks up close at a cake (people generally look at the whole thing so we shouldn't worry too much about the little things that people generally wouldn't notice.)

And well, now the cake's sitting at home looking way to pretty too be cut up and eaten (apparently fruit cake can last for a long time! Personally, I'm a bit skeptical of this and might I add, the amount of sugar that went into this does gross me out a little). I've been trying to convince mum to empty her glass case where she puts her crystals and vases so I can put my cake in there to display - she keeps saying no. Dad then keeps turning on the heater where I put my cake; what am I going to do with my lovely cake?

sugar magic: lesson 8

8 weeks of class went by like a breeze and well, finally something to show and tell : ) I can't say that I'm the most coordinated person when it comes to sugar work but with a bit of persistence, a lot of patience, lots and lots of icing sugar later, here is what I managed to put together...

My completed rose and jasmine bud spray!

The class' work put together.

Thumbs up to Margaret, our ever patient and talented teacher - we all managed to get through the course and achieve what seemed like the impossible. Anyway, can't wait till class starts again next week!

And to answer everyone's question...yes, you can eat these things but personally, I wouldn't recommend it - they're too pretty!

sugar magic: lesson 1

I'd hoped to do some sort of part-time cake decorating course after I started full-time work last year (after my short period of time at LCB, I had cakes, cakes and cakes pumping through my system and I was itching to keep up the baking and caking :P). For some reason or other, it took me almost 9 months to get my act together and it was only last week that I enrolled for 'Sugar Magic' at Macquarie College. I'm hoping to keep this one up this year; fingers crossed!

Went for my first lesson today; the class of 10 is being run at Eastwood Public School by a very lovely lady called Margaret. She is ever so patient, talented and encouraging, methinks the following 7 weeks are going to be just fine. Sigh...she does make everything so easy, I wonder how long it's taken her to perfect the art!

We were shown how to make modelling fondant from scratch and with previously prepared fondant, we had a go at making rose buds and rose petals. These will need about 24 hours to dry completely and then you can use them to assemble a rose (to be shown in our next class).Cake materials purchased from the teacher and my notes for the lesson.

I'm actually really glad that I signed up for the course (haha...playing with sugar is a lot of fun!) Hopefully I'll get better with using modelling fondant. At the moment, my fondant is starting to crack and do all sorts of funky things. And yeah, hopefully at the end of 8 weeks, I'll be able to make the roses, jasmine and other bits and pieces which Margaret seems to think we can do.