Cupcake Competition for Bakers and Decorators

There will be a cupcake competition geared for the home baker, the professional baker and the sugar artist in all levels of cake decorating beginning with the age of 4 and up to the masters. The event will be held on Saturday, September 17, 2011 in the gym of the St. Joachim's school, 60 Liberty Street, Beacon NY from 9am to 5pm. Classes will begin on Friday, September 16, 2011 in McKinley Hall of the First Presbyterian Church of Beacon NY at 4:30pm.

On Saturday, the day of the event, there will be vendors of cake decorating supplies and home made candy and demonstrations (free with the "Attendee Registration" and $10.00 per demonstration with the "General Admission" ticket. Also, included in the day's event is a bake sale, a souvenior table, lunch for purchase, classes and entry displays.

This is an event one does not want to miss. Great raffle prizes, entry placement and winners prizes (cash and gifts) and door prizes.

Top-notch teachers and demonstrators have been chosen to make this a wonderful learning experience.

All profits go to the First Presbyterian Church for those in need. There is a raffle of 20 prizes where the funds will go to a fellow cake decorator's daughter who has a rare cancer that can affect her brain at anytime. This Zoe Foundation is for 6-year-old Zoe's medical expenses.

Already we have a great prize for the special raffle. The Knock Shoppe has generously donated a cake stand retailed valued at over $500.00!

Registration for classes, attendee registration, etc. begins July 15, 2011.

Please visit the official website at: www.shavkin.com

Looking forward to seeing lots of sugar artists and locals as well interested in the wonderful world of cupcakes!

National Capital Cake Show & Wedding Cake Competition 2011

The National Capital Cake Show & Wedding Cake Competition will take place in Virginia on Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27, 2011. Please visit their website for detailed information: http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?attrid=64238

Steve and I will have a vendor booth at the show. I have ordered more Makins extruders along several new products.

A great variety of tin set of cutters has been ordered from my supplier. Their are many themes to choose from.

Many new, as well as the ole standbys, of fondant and gum paste tools have been ordered. I cannot wait to work with the ones that are also new to me and experiment to see what I can come up with in regard to the style of decorating with tools that I do.

I have already become designing and creating new ideas for my onesies class that I will be teaching. There is a certain tin of cutters that I truly like and have been working with these to come up with different ways of using them and designing my fondant cutout creations.

Hope to see you all in Virginia at the show, and I am looking forward to seeing you visit my booth to view all the new and exciting items.

The CT Cake Show 2011

The Connecticut Cake Show was held in Hartford on Saturday, February 26 and Sunday, February 27, 2011.

I had a blast! It's so nice to get to be with and enjoy time with friends and have the opportunity to meet and make new friends.

Our booth did very well. The Makins extruder was one of our biggest sellers. We sold out of them! I have already placed an order for more extruders as well as some new products to be available for sale at my, "The Magic Touch", booth in Virginia at the National Capital Cake Show and Wedding Cake Competition on Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27, 2011.

The displays were absolutely wonderful. Fabulous workmanship and lovely presentations. The Best of Show, a sculpted elf next to a sculpted tree stump with a sculpted frog was tied for First Place with another entry which was a sculpted Southern Lady holding an umbrella. That is incredible!

Thanks, Kathy Farner and Beth Lee Spinner, Co-Chairs for making this a fab and great time for all!

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/