sweet.

Since getting an iphone a couple months ago, I have become obsessed with playing on instagram. A photo editing and posting app that lets you easily make your pictures awesome. I'm loving it. The only problem is I can't adjust the light....

This cake was one of my favorites. I mention the lack of light because you can't really see the detailing of the second tier, just around the flowers you can.

Sweet and pretty to fit their vintage garden theme.

empty promises

Alright, back to the wordy blogging. I've veered away from chatting too much as we've been really swamped. My poor little blog has really taken a back seat and as I'm writing this, I know I've written that same line over and over. Time gets tight, the blog seems to be the first thing to go. Weeks later, I write an apology blog post and promise I'll do more, promise I'll do it weekly, promise I will stay on top of it. My game plan this time is to get help with it and have our shop girl, Jaime post pics too. I'll do the wordy thoughts-in-my-head posts, she can do the pics. Fair trade. I'll sprinkle in some cake pics too for you, as I can't imagine you're just here to read about the life of Pam....

Business has been booming like mad over here at the shop, and we are super thankful for that. It's also a nice problem to have when it comes to advertising and people wanting us to put ads out. I can simply say "no thanks", and that's not a usually easy thing for me to say. We did do a couple promo's though and I have to say there is nothing quite as satisfying as seeing your work in print. I'm making a scrapbook :)

And it's not just print. We've done a couple cakes for wedding planners, event coordinators and the like and seeing them on blogs and twitter feeds and websites is also super exciting. Just yesterday a wedding shoot was featured on a blog down in California. Fancy.

Signing off now, but we will chat soon! Thanks for following us!

variations on a theme

These guys aren't terribly exciting, but wanted to get them up as an example for a couple who would like something clean and modern, but pretty.

I love the whole theory of "less is more", and I love doing cakes that way.

My favorite one at the shop right now is similar, black and white, 1 large flower cluster.

Anyway, off to caking, we have one of our busiest weekends since the summer wedding fest.

Seems this is the weekend to have Christmas parties so have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

wordless friday anyone?....

Up to my ears in cake and fondant, but wanted to keep at the ole' blog.

Thanks for all the wonderful feedback, thanks for coming by!

wordless wednesday

wordless wednesday....almost...

In lieu of it *not* being Wednesday yet, I'll do a couple posts for ya ;)

wedding show!

This week will go by quickly, as they always do when there is LOTS to do!

Check it out here.

Come on by to see us and say hi!

the variety cake show

Here's a couple of cakes that were ordered for various parties, a wedding, a wedding shower...you get the idea. Nice sophisticated cakes suitable for any event really...

All three are very different as well. The first is finished in chocolate ganache. Ganache is some nice dark chocolate, melted and whisked with whip cream. You let it set up in the cooler then when you are ready to use it you whip it up.

So divine....

The second and third are both done in fondant, the first showing off some spectacular gum paste roses, the last showing off some lacy cutouts.

prettiness

Just a quick blog today, must get down to Toad Hall to get something for my darling daughters birthday (5!!). Wowza. Nothing like kids growing to make you feel old...

Anyway, nice party cake, swirls, flowers, I believe it was for a wedding shower. Very sophisticated :)

old friends

I have a new found problem with the new shop.
I am easy to find :)
Not so much a problem for you, you now know where I am, most of the time anyway...
Problem for me.
Some days I look at the clock and realize it's already 3pm and I've gotten close to nothing completed for the day.
What have I been up to?
Chatting.
Catching up.
Reminiscing.
Talking to YOU.
And I love it, everyday I come home to hubby and tell him about all the wonderful people that came to see me. YOU took time to come and see me. Me!
This cake above was for someone I used to work with. She was darling and when she came in after not seeing her for many years I was guilty of squealing.
Thanks everyone <3

castles in the sky...no wait, sand?...no wait...

How's this for fancy pants...the castle LIGHTS UP. One step closer to that ever fateful day where we will be setting off explosives in cakes, lighting them on fire and using fireworks.
It will happen...trust me, in due time...

Here's a close up of the pretties.
Oodles of tiny little flowers, roses and leaves...
Crystal path leading to the castle...
Very pretty I think.
This cake came together so wonderfully, each flower and leaf we added seemed to make it better and better.
And the best part? The thank-you from the happy couple...

Hi Pam... wow was that the best cake I have ever eaten!!!!!! I just want to thank you for all your hard work, and to let you know that my caked looked great and tasted even better. Thank you for the amazing cake.
Melissa and Dan

Our pleasure!

happy spring!

I find it only fitting that as I post about the arrival of spring that I can hear on the radio in the kitchen that we are expecting snow tomorrow.
Lovely.
With a wind warning.
Glad my sign isn't up yet...

But so many other things are ready to go! I hope to be able to call the health inspector on Monday to come in and check us out.

In the mean time, here are some of my latest cakes. I chose some pretty ones as spring time makes me want to make pretty things. Speed up that whole "cleaning up winter" process.
Have a great long weekend!

that's extra...

Just wanted to toot the shop horn for a sec. Promise I won't get too wordy on ya Mike :)
(mike thinks I chat too much...)
anyway!
Wanted to point out that one of my philosophies about the shop is to go a little further than the average guy.
"extras" make me crazy.
When I was shopping around and searching for wedding things for my own wedding it was infuriating to be quoted one price, then see a total with half a dozen "extras" added on.
I don't do that.
Price quoted is the price.
Period.
I don't charge extra to deliver your wedding cake. I do it. I set it up. Do you really want your soon to be hubby's old buddy from college picking up a four tiered cake and driving it across town?

Have you seen the hangover??

p.s. this cake plate is unreal. Picked it up from Urban Barn a couple of weeks ago and have used it like everyday. I think it's about 12" and I even eat my toast off it for crying out loud...

my third baby

Good morning my dears :)
Hope this blasted hump day is treating you well. Tis a long day for me as it usually begins my weekend orders. Sorting out details, grocery lists, supply lists. Looks like this weekend is a little calmer than last. Gives me the opportunity to potentially see some friends. While I love my unconventional schedule, it does get hard to interact with the real world...

I'm really excited for the consistency that the shop will bring. Regular hours, having a "work day" instead of kind of working all the time. Very exciting. Granted, days will be long, but that's expected. To be able to have work at work and be me at home is very much needed.
We're planning on being open for business everyday except Sundays. Need a day of rest :)
Hours look like they'll be 10/11am until 5/6pm. With our area, I'm sure the foot traffic will increase and decrease based on the weather, the season and the day so we're planning on being flexible. Play it by ear.

Originally the plan was to open space that would be used for myself and my staff, not so much from the customers aspect. A place to work on my custom orders and some wholesale work. Now I find myself thinking about cupcake displays, door bells and take out bags. I've been working on a business plan that keeps getting pushed to the side. At first I was crediting this to my workload; must bake now, can write later. Now I'm realizing I'm not writing it because it's not done forming in my head. It's been two long years of evolving. Growing. Changing.
For lack of a better analogy, it's like being pregnant all over again. But I need to get this out of my head and be done with this stage. Move on to cuddling and coddling my newest addition to our family.
So this weekend of a few cakes instead of a dozen has come at the perfect time. Time to hanker-down and work on this birth plan...er...business plan...it is almost spring after all...

(the above cake was from a small wedding I did last month. Lovely house reception. It's a 6" and 9", finished in rolled fondant with gum paste roses, made by moi for a change :)

butter cream...

Oh sweet, sweet butter cream.
So unpretentious.
So comforting.
So delicious.
As I've talked about before, fondant is lovely, but also something that seems to be trending out of popularity. As the trends of weddings and gatherings have returned to more natural, organic settings, so have cakes and sweets. While formal hotel weddings are still the norm here in Winnipeg, it's nice to see some of you using venues that are creative outdoor spaces. Barns, ranches, old country homes. All begging the handmade touch. Simple details, yet details that are intentional, like hand picked bouquets, vintage linens and clever shoes.

Unclear about the shoes? Seriously, check out these...

How's that for your something blue...
(photo courtesy of Sterling Images, here in Winnipeg)

I adore that both the bride and groom matched their foot ware. So cute.
(photo posted on GreenWeddingShoes, (seriously gorgeous weddings) taken by Marianne Lozano out of California)

But enough of the shoes! More butter cream!

Ahh, the Swiss meringue butter cream.
Truly lovely.
And it is so easy to make smooth, a real delight to work with.

Don't you just want to stick your finger in it? Swipe a finger full? Suddenly I'm 4 again and waiting until the coast is clear, adults are busy drinking coffee, cake waiting for me...
So don't feel confined, have your cake and eat it too :P

Madeline's Wedding Show

Not sure what is going on with my camera lately. I detest using the flash and I think that may account for the graininess in my pictures. Seems to only happen in lack of light shots, like this one inside today. Need to make a portable grey screen. Something the father of the groom taught me at the last wedding I did the cake for. He held out the side of his coat and I focused my camera on it. It's just a point and shoot, so if you press the button down half way, it will focus. This makes the camera focus on the amount of light in the grey fabric (which is even less) so when you take the picture, voila, it's lighter.

I don't get it.
But it works. And I didn't think of it today. Dammit.
I was however in the presence of a couple of Winnipeg's finest photographers, so I have my fingers crossed that someone took some photos of my stuff....
Anyone?...Mr. Hiebert perhaps? Ms. Zerr?

Anyway, the cake. We have a massive one, my show cake. Always hard to decorate as it is a monster. To match it's ginormity (I may have just made that word up) I wanted a gigantic flower. Gum paste and I are not very good friends. Nemesis's even. So being the smart cookie I am, I contracted out this work, to someone with much more skills than I. Thanks to face book, I was reunited with an old high school chum, who has started making her very own lovely cakes. Asked Nicole if she could do a flower for me and there you have it.

halloween done right

Oh the topsy-turvy cake. How I feared you.
I made practice ones. I watched youtube videos. Consulted books. Consulted architects.
All in all?
You're not so bad.
We might even be friends.
One day...

I attended the "Grand Wedding" show this weekend at the Hotel Fort Gary. Contemplated entering as a vendor and opted to go and pretend to be a bride instead.
Love playing dress-up :D
Anyway, my point was directing your attention to that peacock feather up above. I am in love with where decorating for weddings is going. Gone are the days of candles in rose bowls, behold the bold look of peacocks, dogwood branches, and my personal favorite, the "homemade" wedding. Those bringing in vintage dresses or homemade ones. Clusters of beautiful flowers with real personal meaning. Dessert buffets with a lovely collection of tasty treats.

Not haute couture, not stuffy. Not dressing up your best friends in sea foam green and expecting them to smile nicely at you. No sateen shinyness and plastic crap. Instead ones that are meaningful. Decorated with a sense of purpose and with an eye for art instead of disposable fluff. Things you get together with your girlfriends and family to craft up in anticipation of your big day.

This wedding was a good example of that. The thought of halloween often brings about oranges and pumpkins, witch's hats and candy. Instead, this lovely and creative couple went with black and purple. Raven's. Peacock feathers. And the piece de resistance? Dia de los muertos sugar skulls. Lovely :D
Congrats you two!

Here's the stationary....

Here's the cake, based on said stationary. So pretty and simple.

I heart John Cussack

The latest wedding cake.
Think she's made my top five list.
I tend to keep top fives for most topics, cakes are no exceptions.

My friend and co-caker Michelle made these for me.
Thanks Michelle :)