Hello???

Anybody here?

Crikey! I can't believe how long it is since I've made an posting to this blog. And I'll bet the posting before this says pretty much the same thing.

I'll try and post more. But, fortunately, I've been really busy.

This week, I have a handbag cake and a fairy castle cake (although only a single tier... ) I'm on track, having baked both cakes, covered both boards and made the sugar towers for the castle.

Tomorrow I think I'll fill and cover both cakes (or at least get one completely covered and the other one at least marzipanned) although I think I'll concentrate more on the handbag. That's the plan, anyway.

Rest of this month is booked up (each weekend, that is). And I have one order and a few enquiries for April.

Nothing To Do With Cakes!

My husband just found out today that not only did he pass his master's degree (in criminology, at Cambridge University), but he got a distinction! He got over 70% for his dissertation and so it will be published in the Cambridge University library!!!!!!!

I'm so proud of him!

Mr C, MSt (Cantab)

hello....

I know it's been such a long time since my last cake diary entry. Almost a month in fact. But, oh my gosh, I've been so busy! I'm not complaining... just explaining. :o)

So, where do I start? In my last entry, I mentioned the possibility of doing a party and needing 7 x 3 tier cake dummies. It was for a 'Generation Game' type challenge. Well, that did go ahead, but the dummies weren't iced. I made a shed load of buttercream (only used cheapo margarine, though, seeing as it was only for decorating with and wasn't to be eaten) and the girls covered the dummes with the buttercream and then had to decorate it in a contrasting colour buttercream which was in piping bags with nozzles!!!! Ha!!!! What fun! And what a mess!! It was a long old day; and I was absolutely petrified beforehand. But I did enjoy it in the end and would definitely do it again.

It's been suggested to me that one reason why I get more 'party' cakes than wedding cakes is my business name; perhaps Pat-a-Cake Parties is a bit 'kiddy' sounding and that I could consider something more classy and elegant. Unfortunately, people do judge books by their covers. So, I starte the search for a new name - but just for the wedding cake side of things. Lots of ideas I liked were already taken. But finally, I found one (thanks to one of my on-line friends). I've bought the domain name www.thetoptier.co.uk and as soon as my darling husband has the time, he'll do me a website which I can then upload my wedding cake photos to.

And talking of wedding cakes, you may recall I had some pictures published in the magazine Wedding Cakes - A Design Source ? Well they must have kept my pictures on file because another one was published in the latest edition, too! AND I sent in a CD with some more pictures and I got an email to say they'd like to use my work in the next edition, too! Coooo!!!!!!

I've had a couple of wedding cake enquiries, one of whom said she'd like to go ahead with the order. So that's great news. It's for the last weekend in August.

The rest of this month is fully booked and, again, I've even had to turn work away.

Right, I need to photograph my son's birthday cake before we lose all the decent daylight! Ten! He's ten!! When did that happen?? (well, it happens tomorrow, actually. But I can't believe where the years have gone! My baby!!!!!)

January

Wow...  I can't believe how many enquiries I've had over the last few days.  I've even had to turn work away...  and believe me, that hurts, LOL!

Tomorrow, I'm working at the after school club, just for a couple of hours.  Then I have a BSG meeting in Romford at 7.30pm.  I'm really looking forward to this...  the demonstration is on how to make 'wonky' (or as they're also known, 'whimsical' or 'topsy-turvy') cakes.  I love these, yet despite having seen a couple of 'how to' articles on-line, I haven't been brave enough to try one...  perhaps by actually seeing someone do it, it will give me the confidence to have a go?

I've got a cake for Thursday.  It's for my friend; she wants a cake to remember what would have been her baby's 1st birthday.  I can't believe it's almost a year since she lost Isabella {{hugs}}.

23rd I have an order for a football shirt.

I have an order for 24th.  25 cookies and 23 cupcakes with fairies.  

I MIGHT also have a really big booking for the 24th; I'm just waiting to hear.  If it comes off, it's 7 x 3 tier cake dummies, iced.  One of them is to be decorated.  I'll also need to make 120 cupcakes; get 30 boxes; lots of piping nozzles; lots of piping bags; enough icing for 30 girls to decorate the aforementioned 3 tier cakes; enough icing and decorations for 30 girls to each decorate the aforementioned cupcakes and also spend the day in London.  I'll have to drive to the venue (I've never, ever driven into London)  It'll be a lot of work.  A heck of a lot.  But we'll see if it's to go ahead, before I start panicking!

I then have two cakes for the 31st (I didn't originally take two bookings for the same day...  one was supposed to be for the 28th - but then the customer phoned me up to say that although her husband's birthday is the 28th, she actually wants the cake for the weekend....  the 31st)  AND a cake for the following day, 1st Feb.  Actually, I lie.  It's not two cakes for the 31st...  it's three, because I said I'd do a small one for my sister's husband's birthday.  She'll let me know nearer the time how to decorate it, but it's to be a carrot cake.  I said only on the condition I can bake it this week and freeze it.  Otherwise, I don't have the time.  She said OK!!!

Little Mermaid Cake - finished!

I couldn't have done it without my dear friend Kelly's help. As mentioned in yesterday's post, not only did she send me her mold to make the head, body and arms of the mermaid, but she was on the end of numerous emails, texts and even on the end of the phone! Every now and again, it just happens that you get a mental block/panic about doing a certain aspect of a cake... and this happened to me. I couldn't have done it without Kelly! Thanks! {{hugs}}

Happy New Year

Coooo.... 2009 already! Even my 9 year old son said he can't believe how quickly 2008 came and went!

Well, I'm currently working a cake for delivery tomorrow morning. I'm copying it from a friend of mine http://www.craftyconfections.net/ - it's a cake with a model of Ariel on. Kelly very kindly sent me the mold that she made, so that I could use it to make Ariel... but even with that, it's still not easy.

I want to be Kelly when I grow up! ;o) I'm a huge fan of her work!!!

Right. Back to work.

Cookies!

Has it really been over a month since I last posted? Ooops!

What have I been up to?

Cookies!!!!

I've had an order for 1020 cookies.

Fortunately, they weren't decorated and they weren't all at the same time, either. It's for a party organiser who is doing some corporate Christmas parties (for children). One of the activities is cookie decorating. So I provide the cookies and everything else that's needed to decorate them.

I'm just preparing my last batch. The thing that takes the longest is rolling the dough and cutting out the shapes. So I've been doing that and then open freezing them. Once they're frozen, I put them into freezer bags. They cook beautifully from frozen. So that saves a lot of time.

My last lot is being baked on Sunday, ready for collection on Monday morning. I've got 345 to do.

I've also got a cake for 29th December. Had it not been for the ruby wedding anniversary of a family friend, I wouldn't have done it.

Then a cake for 3rd January. I've had an enquiry for another cake for 3rd January - just waiting to hear back on that. Then 60 cupcakes for 11th January (same customer that's order for the 3rd Jan.)

So already a few things on order for the beginning of the year. I had an enquiry for 30th December, but I turned it down. I need some "me time". We're not doing anything New Year's Eve, so I guess I'll have a couple of days to myself then.

If I don't update before-hand, I'd like to wish you a Happy Chanukah / Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.

"See" you in 2009

Suzanne x x