The Cake for Makins Craft Convention

A great deal has been going on in my cake decorating world especially since my teaching at the NY Cake Convention. I got back home and finished the cake for Annie and Tom, the owners of Makins. They are such super nice people. The cake was packed as best as my husband and I could and sent on its way. The cake was to arrive this past Thursday which I am sure it did. The convention starts on Monday.

What I like about my techniques is that they is no frosting to make nor to pipe, and I can just keep on going with the creating using the fondant without stopping to make frosting. And, I do not have frosting, bags and tips to wash! I just wrap the fondant or gum paste and pop right into a container. That is it!

I also just love the Sugarpaste's Crystal Colors and Crystalized Colors especially the Fairy Pin, Gold and Silver. Due to the fact that the colors are FDA approved and are in reality food colors, I can tint the fondant safely and have the colors in the same "family" and those that I paint with.

My "Puffed Embroidery" that I developed in 1984, is a pretty technique that is becoming quite popular. I just taught a class, today; and the students want more! Like once a month. Also, we are thinking of starting a cake club in this area as the students are all under an hour from me. And, they are the nicest and most thoughtful that you would ever want to meet.

Soooooooooo, Annie and Tom I hope you have a wonderful and successful convention. I will be looking forward to hearing all about it. I know you said you were going to take lots of pictures. Looking forward to working more and more with you both.

Fondant Decorated Cookie Tree Ornaments

Four more days until Christmas! Hip-Hip-Horray! We are going to have a nice one this year. Our daughter, Jill, is a great cook and will be making the turkey dinner at her apartment. Yes, Mom and Dad are buying the food and have lots of goodies for her and her roommate who just moved in. They have been friends since they were about 5 years old.

And, about the tree ornaments:
They are all done for the season. This was my first time making them, and I enjoyed it so much. What great fun! Gave most of them out, and I had my very first order of 10: Three Santa faces, three snowmen, two snow ladies and two fancy ornaments. I shipped the order out to a classmate who I reunited with here on Face Book. She lives in Vermont and is very much interested in helping me organize our 50th class reunion for 2010.

And, how much do I charge, I am sure is the question and wonderment of all who read this. It's $4.00 each or 10 for $30.00. Hope to do more next year.

I have been so busy, I wanted to start my Easter panoramic sugar eggs in September. Of course, that did not happen. I plan on getting that started after I come back from the NY Cake Convention.

Enjoy the pictures; and, yes, you may copy my ideas.

It's Now Almost Christmas!

It's almost Christmas! It is amazing that the last post on my blog was in October prior to Halloween. Now, it's snowing outside! I got the Christmas presents for my hsuband, oldest daughter and her roommate wrapped, today. The excitment of the holidays are upon me. The feeling came when I woke up from a nap, went into the living room and saw my husband standing on a stool hanging the outdoor lights.

I have been so busy since October. Having been feeling better and better and have lost 30 lbs. since mid July! Hip-hip-horrah! That would make anyone feel good.

My trip to Nebraska to take a class and to do a hands on demo went well. Thanksgiving dinner was fabulous here at the house. Our oldest daughter, Jill, flew to Atlanta to visit with her sister, April, and family and spend Thanksgiving there.

One of the students in my Christmas Cake of fondant cookie cutter cutouts and the fondant tree ornaments, was so happy with the class that she requested that I teach another class in continuation of my teaching decorating in fondant using tools, cutters, impression mats and my innovated "Puffed Embroidery". She wanted a Valentine theme. The class will be Saturday, January 23, 2010 from 11 am to 3 pm with a light lunch included in the class fee of $80.00. I will be teaching a decorated cake using my non-piping techniques and wrap-around, ruffled side border and a large, scalloped-heart cookie with a scalloped heart fondant cookie cut out using a laced-pattern impression mat, heart plungers, tools, my dig-in ruffle technique, attached ruffle for the center insert heart and puffed embroidery technique. Dina Gandey, Coordinator for the NYC Cake Decorators Meetup Group, is the contact person. For information on the class and to register, please visit the website: http://www.meetup.com/new-york-city-cake-decorators/calendar/12096044/

Students will learn the techniques and combination of techniques for designs; and, then, will be able to do their own creations. A cookie I have made is pictured, above. When I have completed a display cake of designs to be taught, a picture will be taken and posted.

Christmastime Fondant Fun Class

I will be teaching a class on decorating with tools, cutters, mats and my puffed embroidery technique on Monday, November 30, 2009 and Sunday, December 6, 2009 at my home studio in Fishkill, New York. The theme is Christmastime. The classes are being sponsored by the NYC Cake Decorating Meetup Group which is coordinated by Dina Gandy. For information, please visit the meetup group's website http://www.meetup.com/new-york-city-cake-decorators/

Let's Promote and Support The International Cake Exploration Societe' (ICES)

The International Cake Exploration Societe' (ICES) was founded in 1975 by Betty Jo Steinman of Michigan. Her dream was to have a "caring and sharing" organization for cake decorators; namely, the housewife who decorates at home for fun and pleasure, to be able to obtain the cake decorating information and knowledge that was not readily obtained.

I became a member of the organization in 1982 and gave myself whole heartily to support and promote and be a part of the ICES' growth. I became a NYS Alternate Rep in 1982 at the Rochester, MN ICES Show and Convention and the NYS Rep the following year. I have served a total of 5 years as NYS ICES Rep and 2, 3-year terms as a Board of Director. Due to the extent of my involvement, support, promotion, dedication, commitment and involvement of the ICES organization, I was awarded the "Wilbur Brand Memorial Service Award" for excellent in service. That was a great honor to me and represented all the people who gave me support and got me to that point in serving the ICES organization.

ICES is a not-for-profit organization that gives scholarships to worthy recipients each year. The Hall of Fame has one or two inductees each year who have sufficiently contributed to the sugar art; namely cake decorating.

There is a newsletter that for the members that is published and sent out 11 times a year; one for each month. The newsletter is a valuable tool for the member due to its contents of information and resources.

An annual convention is held each year in a deciding place by the ICES Board of Directors which is taken from the bids that are submitted by the State or Country wanting the convention and show in their state/country. In 2009, the Convention was held in St. Charles, IL; in 2010, the Convention will be held in San Diego, California and in 2011, the Convention will be held in South Carolina. For more information about this wonderful organization for the sugar artist and for those interested in the sugar art, please visit the web site: www.ices.org

Not a member, yet? Now, is the time to join.
Not been to a convention, yet? Now, is the time to plan.
Attending the convention in 2010? Now, is the time to think about the display to bring to share at the ICES convention in San Diego.
Need cake decorating supplies?
Oh, ICES vendors have lots of great and new products!
Want to learn something new or what you have a desire to learn? There are plenty of demonstrations and hands on classes.
Want to support and promote the organization? Just go to the website and see who to contact for posters and brochures.

Hope you join or renew your membership and plan on going to the ICES Show and Convention in San Diego, California in 2010! I am looking forward to seeing you there!

Diane's Attached Ruffles Technique

Way back when, when the cake decorating was in its early stages of being known in regard to rolled fondant and gum paste flowers, the technique of ruffling was done with a wooden tool and onto the side of the palm of the hand or anywhere on the hand that would work. The foam pad was not in existence, either. Well, I thought I was the only person in the world that just could NOT get a ruffle effect as I saw seeing in books and by teachers and decorators. Good grief was I NOT good at that at all!

Finally, as I have already mentioned, the foot tool was my baby! Now, I could make ruffles. I did not even have to mess around with attaching them to whatever I wanted them to be attached to. I was in my glory. At the 2007 ICES Show and Convention in Orlando, Florida, a lady came up to my vendor booth and wanted that tool that her friend said makes great ruffles. It was the foot tool. She was really wanting to see the tool and see how the ruffles were made. She was thrilled! Now, I know for sure that I "wasn't the only decorator in the world that could not do proper ruffling". After that, another lady came to my booth wanting, what else? The foot tool for ruffling!

The ruffles on the baby blanket are great because the piece of fondant or gum paste can get the impressions of a knitted or crocheted look and then have the foot tool go right over the indentations and smooth them out with the foot tool when the ruffles are created. If you would like the rope impression roller and any of the mats that I have available, please go to my web site and email me. You will be thrilled at what you, now, can accomplish.

Little circle can be cut out of fondant and have the attached ruffle created around it. Bow loops and tails can have impressions on them and have a ruffle created around the edges. Baby bibs, hearts, dresses, the bride's dresses, fondant strip borders and so many other cake emblishments can, now, have attached ruffles made so much more easily to enhance the fondant out. It's all done with this fabulous and amazing technique using the foot tool!

For more pictures using this technique for ruffles, please visit my web site: www.shavkin.com. Right on the index page are a variety of my bows with those attached ruffled edges.



Judy Smith of Nebraska totally flipped out, when I was there a couple of weeks, ago, and was intrigued when she saw that done on one of my wedding cake fondant cookie cutter cutouts. She was amazed that the ruffles were not added and liked the neat look.

Fondant Cookie Cutter Cutouts - Dresses, Shoes, Hats, Purses

I find it so much fun to make designs in fondant using the cutouts made from cookie cutters. Not only are cookie cutters great for making cookies, but can be used effectively for decorating cakes. This is my new endeavor for the sugar art world that I am presently working on. It is surprising what can be done in fondant using tools, cutters, impression mats and my "Puffed Embroidery" technique that I developed in 1984. The pictured items shown also use my techniques of "the attached ruffle" using the foot tool and the "dig-in ruffle" using the foot tool and the dig-in tool. The foot tool is also used for creating the puffed embroidery effects. Flowers, leaves, bows, bow tails and many other designs may be free-hand created using this technique. To obtain these tools, please visit my web site and email me. I plan on getting the page of tool products posted soon on my web site. A variety of some of the cookie cutters I use and sell are now posted there along with pictures of my work indicating what can be designed using these products.

My website: www.shavkin.com.