THIS IS MY LAST BLOG!!

I HAVE NOW MOVED TO FLICKR - SO NO MORE BLOGGING FOR ME (for the time being!)
YOU CAN NOW FIND ME AT
www.flickr.com/photos/the-icing-on-the-cake

Kath's 60th Birthday Barge!

Kath's 60th Birthday Barge!, originally uploaded by the-icing-on-the-cake..

Kath lives on a narrow boat - her boat is Navy blue but rather plain in its decor - so I went to town on the decor of this one!

Well, I spent all day boxing day decorating this cake for DH's boss!. (whilst watching and singing along to sing-a-long Mamma Mia ... 3 times! - I have to swoon at the bit where Colin Firth smiles before he sings 'I can still recall our last summer'.... yes I know I am very very sad!)

My attempt at a cake in the shape of a narrow boat - I agree it looks more like a short and fat boat than a narrow boat - something that my darling Hubby informed me of also, to which I replied (through gritted teeth!) "I agree, it is a little short and dumpy - but its an artistic representation - not a bloody scale model!".
..... with that DH was saved by the bell as a friend popped by to share a mince pie or two with us, as he entered the kitchen,Richard (our visiting friend) commented that my Narrow boat was more of a wide short boat .... needless to say, Richard got cast the same glare as the hubby had received moments earlier ...

... both soon retreated to the relative safety of the lounge very soon after that!.

Clive's cake detail!

Clive's cake detail!, originally uploaded by the-icing-on-the-cake..

1. side detail - carrots!
2. vege patch pumkins
3. no not cricket stumps! - this was some side detail meant to be a tomato vine!
4. cake topper Clive!

I took so many pictures of this cake, which was in my usual rather busy, lots to see style! - I struggled to reduce the number of pictures I put on Flickr of this cake! - (I would hate to bore you!) ... so here's some smaller images of pictures I wanted to show too!

Natalie's Naughty 18th! (censored!)

Natalie's Naughty 18th! (censored!), originally uploaded by the-icing-on-the-cake..

Natalie wanted herself surrounded by naked men! .... I have tastefully edited this pic to save the blushes and avoid embarrassing those of you of a sensitive disposition!!
(heart shaped logo added courtesy of picnik!)


Natalie is 18 so the theme of Madonna, Material girl type video was totally lost on her!

another attempt at Aine2 style faces - I cannot master them! - I think I need to lock myself in a room with her tutorial!

Hilary's retirement cake ~ retiring District Nurse

Hilary's retirement cake ~ retiring District Nurse, originally uploaded by the-icing-on-the-cake..

10 inch vanilla sponge with blackcherry preserve & vanilla buttercream.
All edible ... except the cats whiskers!

Julie's 50th - the accessory queen!

Julie's 50th - the accessory queen!, originally uploaded by the-icing-on-the-cake..

Julie loves to accessorise her outfits! - she is always sporting the handbag, earrings, necklace, bracelet & shoes in just the perfect shade!! (she really ought to take me shopping - get me all co-ordinated!!).

Here's Julie - looking good at 50!!

Yet another attempt at an Aine2 (the wonderful Lorraine) style model (I still cannot get the hang of the mouth!!)

texture on the cardigan made using 'designer PME cutting wheel' - inexpensive tool with so many uses!

Short notice wedding cake (flowers ~sweetpeas~ by Mum)

Short notice wedding cake (flowers ~sweetpeas~ by Mum), originally uploaded by the-icing-on-the-cake..

This 3 tier stacked wedding cake was ordered less than 2 weeks before the wedding!! - My Dad still makes all my fruit cakes for me & Mum does still dabble in cake decorating (though did give up all her equipment to me about 5 years ago).

This cake was for a friend of my Parents so Mum wanted to agree to the cake, but a number of issues meant that it wasn't practical for Mum & Dad to do the whole cake, so being a bossy type Daughter I decided to relieve them of the stress of icing the cake and managed to get Mum to agree to just make the sugar paste sweet-peas & since Dad had already baked the fruit cake, I'd do the rest.

So this was another family collaboration (Mum & Dad, and my neighbour came to my rescue with this cake last year when I was rather too poorly to have done it myself!).

Actually my neighbour Karen also sort of helped with this cake - she plays in a string quartet & they were practicing in her lounge (it was a hot day so all doors & windows were open) and as Mum & I placed the flowers on to the finished cake ... we had beautiful relaxing live music played for us as it wafted over the fence! (Karen hides her light under a bushel but she plays exquisitely!)

The bottom tier is traditional rich fruit cake with vanilla sponge as the middle & top tiers.

This is the first time I have stacked a cake before transporting to the venue (I have usually only ever stacked the whole cake when at the venue) ... it got there in one piece at least and was admired which is always good to hear!

**(original design given to my mother as a photo, downloaded by the bride from somewhere - if anyone know's who did it first please shout up so I can give credit where credit is due!)**

Cake topper details ... not finished yet

Cake topper details ... not finished yet, originally uploaded by the-icing-on-the-cake..

This is a cake topper I'm part way through making - its for a couple's wedding cake topper (Liz is making the rest of the cake)
Once the motorbike has dried I will place the groom stood on the far side of the bike and the bride sat side saddle on the bike - or at least that's the plan! - I thought I'd take a picture now, before it becomes all wedding-like!

This is fondant on a 6 inch topper board.
This will be classed as inedible since there are roughly a million cocktail sticks supporting this internally! (yes I perhaps did over estimate the number of cocktail sticks but you catch my drift!)