Happy 21st Birthday Ryan!

Happy Wednesday everyone!!  Today I am thrilled to share with you a tyre cake I made for a 21st birthday last month.  It was my very first time to make a tyre cake, so I was all giddy about it!  {I get crazy excited when I get to attempt new things}.  I must say, there were lots of learn-as-you-go moments, but still beyond happy with the end result.  Hope you like it, too.  :-)

I personalised it even more by making a RYAN21 cakeboard border and flag.

Fondant checkered tiles and plate number.

Progress

I hope you enjoyed today's cake feature!  Can't wait to share many more cakes and DIY with you this week!  Have a wonderful Wednesday!!  Be kind to yourself :-)

xo,
Jackie

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...

You make me happy

When the skies are grey...

Hey guys!  Sooo happy to be bloggin' again after such a long time away!  Been super busy with life, but lovin' every day of it.  Of course, I've missed you all so much that I couldn't wait to share another cake with you!  Today is very special because I'm sharing a cake I made for my sister Jamie's birthday {on Monday}.

I'm actually surprised at the way this cake turned out to be honest.  I had very little time to put it together because the plan was that we would celebrate my sister's birthday on the same day as their house warming {which is still a couple of weeks away}.  So, when I found out that we were going to put a last-minute party together, I had to whip something up quickly!  Talk about stress!  I swear it felt like I was on NZ's hottest home baker or something {which my very talented friend Gemma is on by the way}.

I drew inspiration from one of my favourite cake decorators Jessica Harris.  Her sunshine cake is truly awesome, and I hope I did it enough justice.  The only thing I did differently is that I made the rays out of coloured paper as opposed to fondant {because of the time frame I was under}.  It was such a rush!!  I know I'd like to make this cake again and do a few things differently for sure.  :-P

Anyway, with that said, I'm sooo happy it turned out better than expected!  It truly represents my dear sister because she is always full of smiles and can brighten up anyone's day...just like a sunshine!!

And here are some fun pics of my sis and her wonderful family xo

 Oh, and I forgot to bring a birthday candle...so she had to blow out one of her own :-P

I hope you enjoyed today's cake feature!!  Keep warm and stay safe this long weekend!

Stay blessed and see you back here soon!

xo,
Jackie

Manuia lou aso fanau Cynthia!

Talofa!  To those of you who have no clue what that title is all about, it says 'Happy birthday Cynthia!' {in Samoan}.  Let me tell you, I was beyond excited when I received this cake request a month ago.  My friend Lupe emailed me requesting a cake like the Pasifika one I made for the lovely Asa's 70th birthday last year.  That cake was truly one of my proudest and most defining moments as a self-taught cake artist.  It's something that I haven't seen before and I'm just so proud to call it my own.  

This cake is very similar, but with more of a Samoan twist.  What makes my Pasifika cake so special is 

the woven basket and hibiscus flowers {all handmade and edible}, which I definitely had to include in this cake.  Having to work with two tiers, I needed another design element to bring this cake to full life.  So, I decided to include some Samoan patterns in the mix, and my inspiration came from the 'taulima' {which is the Samoan tattoo} and 'tapa cloth'.  I also included a Samoan necklace that I draped on the side of the bottom tier.  I own this particular one {being married to a Samoan I was bound to have one in my jewellery collection hehe}, so it was really great to have on hand to work off.  

Cynthia actually went to my high school, so I know her, which makes this cake that much more special.  So much heart went into the creative process of this cake, so I really hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed bringing it to life! xo

I also made a dozen chocolate cupcakes and decorated them with edible images.  Now, I don't print on edible sheets {I don't have the equipment for that}, so I had to order these in {and Lupe provided me with the photos}.  What I did have to do was cut the pictures out individually then adhere them onto a piece of white fondant so that they don't just melt into my chocolate buttercream.  Please excuse the blurry photo below :-/

Here is a collage of the cake's progress for those of you who like to see these sort of details...

Well, I hope you enjoyed today's second post!  I'm so happy to have finally shared these two cakes with you before the weekend!  I've been so busy with my own family that trying to get these two posts out today were a real mish.  But, never mind that!  The important thing is we got there in the end and I hope it was worth the wait!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  Stay warm and dry and keep smilin'!  God bless you all!

xo,

Jackie

Happy 11th birthday to my Jubs!!

Is it March already?  I can't believe it!!  I've decided I won't be doing a February monthly glimpse, because my posts are running behind schedule, so I'll be combining Feb with March instead :-)  Hope you don't mind :-P

Today, I get to share with you my oldest boy's birthday highlights!  Javaughn {aka Jubs} turned 11 on the 23rd of Feb, and this year his birthday landed on a Saturday which was great!!  We kicked the day off at Megazone {Mt. Wellington}, where we played laser tag, dodgem cars, laser web missions, and arcade games.  It was awesome!!  

BEFORE laser tag...nice and dry :-)

Laser web mission - The yellow arrow is pointing to my cousin Criselda...you can see her legs and that's about it lol

Dodgem cars

AFTER laser tag...nice and sweaty :-)

The very happy 11 year old xo

Soon after we went to my sister's place for a feed and of course, some cake!  Now, this cake/cupcakes/brownies were only baked that very same day, as in, while we were at my sister's place with everyone around.  I was feeling run down days leading up to his birthday so I really couldn't work on it in advance.  Let's just say I prefer baking alone, lol.  I forgot to add a couple of things, like baking powder and baking soda, but did my best to rectify the situation {I mixed it in the batter after it had already been baking for 15 minutes...eek!}  These are the things you SHOULD NOT DO by the way.  Just as well, it turned out ok...that's the best word I can come up with.  Nobody seemed to notice...either that or they were too polite to say anything, haha!

This cake was super simple to make!  All you need are three {square} layers of your favourite chocolate cake, fill with chocolate buttercream {or ganache}, then frost with {green} vanilla buttercream {use a 'grass' tip}.  And that's it!!  I made Jubs' favourite vanilla cupcakes to surround the cake, and that was also frosted with 'grass' {I even ran out of green icing so I ended up using the remaining chocolate buttercream I used to fill the cake with for a couple of the cupcakes}.  So simple, yet effective!!  And best of all, the birthday boy LOVED it!!  That's all the matters in the end :-)

Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure, enjoy xo

{posterised version}

Minecraft cupcakes

The very happy birthday boy :-)

Jubs blowing out his candles with some of his cousins

Minecraft cake all cut up and ready to serve...

Minecraft dirt brownies...thanks to my helper Trisha :-)

 Click on 'read more' to see more pics...

Pika Pika Pikachu!!

{continuation from my last post on 19/12/2012...sorry about the delay!!}

Third sleepless night...

Worked on a fun cake for a very sweet boy who celebrated his 6th birthday on the weekend - Joaquin.  Now, I've had the pleasure of making Joaquin's birthday cake since he was 4.  The very first one I made for him was Bumblebee and this has got to be one of my favourite cakes of all time!!  Then I made a Ben 10 themed one for that same year {for his daycare).  His 5th birthday I made an iPad - I actually had very little time to work on this cake, but still pleased with the way it turned out!  And this year, Joaquin decided he wanted a Pokemon Pikachu cake.  This boy just loves giving me cake challenges I swear!!  But I love him to bits!!  And ultimately all that matters really is the glee that resides in a child's face when they see their birthday cake :-)  It's the best and most precious moment for me!!

Now, I didn't get to take proper photos of the final product...I simply ran outta time!!  While I had the cake {and cupcakes} to make, I was also busy putting together a candy buffet, sorting out games, loot bags and prizes!  I was almost like a headless chicken running around hehe!!  Anyway, I hope ya like the cake!!  Enjoy!!

{Pikachu progress}

{Pokemon ball progress}

{On our way to the party}

{Finally, at the party!!}

{Joaquin blowing out his birthday candles x}

I hope you all enjoyed this {very late} cake feature!!!  I have one more cake to share with you before the year ends, so fingers crossed I get it done soon!!  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends and have a BLESSED & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

xo,
Jackie

Golden graduation!!

So, last week I made a gold graduation cap for a young lady named Kathryn.  Her lovely Mum Arieta contacted me regarding this special cake that she wanted to surprise her daughter with a few weeks back.  I was excited to make this cake because the last graduation cap I made was over a year ago, and that one was not covered in fondant like this one.  And this cap was ALL GOLD!!  So I had fun painting and creating a beautiful vintage look to it to give it some character {to represent the hard work and time Kathryn invested in her studies in order to make it to the end!}.

Now, this cake was a huge challenge for me.  It's been extremely hot lately, and while I'm not complaining about the beautiful weather we've been getting, it just makes cake decorating that much more challenging.  For the first time I had something horrible happen to my cake.  It was pretty devastating actually...and I remember crying so much last week when it happened.  Crying more because I felt helpless because it was beyond my control...and I felt bad for Arieta who drove a very long way to collect the cake.  Oh, and plus the fact that it took sooo looong to put together :-(  To cut a long story short, the chocolate ganache melted underneath the fondant and caused it to shift.  Gravity then took over and the fondant cracked in two places then drooped down.  It was pretty ugly.  Thankfully Arieta was very understanding and allowed me to work on it that night {second sleepless night in a row}.  My family and I dropped the cake off the following morning, after I stripped everything off and started over, adding necessary reinforcements to ensure it didn't happen again.

This experience was a blessing in disguise.  It taught me a few things about myself, cakes, and people, and most importantly reminded me to lean on the Lord's strength instead of my own.  Sometimes we just have to go through unpleasant circumstances in order to come out on top.

Congratulations on your accomplishment Kathryn!!  And all the best for your future!!

I hope you enjoyed today's cake feature!!  Come back tomorrow for a fun kids cake that I made on the weekend {making it my third sleepless night in a row - yikes!!}  Can't wait to share it with you!!

Have a blessed day!!

xo,
Jackie

Princeton turns ONE!!

Last weekend I had such a fun time making a cake fit for a Prince!  Pauline contacted me a few weeks back wanting a cake for her godson.  She wanted his name with a gold crown.  She was pretty specific about what she wanted: such as what font to use, what colour the font should be, not to use black, and how she wanted the crown to be placed on the cake.  However, I love the fact that she left me with some design control, too: such as what colour the rest of the cake should be and what design to do around the cake.

When I think of a Prince {or any royal member} I think of quilting for some reason.  I really wanted to try this technique for the first time, and this was the perfect cake to do it on.  I couldn't wait to get started!!

So, here it is!!  PRiNCETON's first birthday cake!!  Enjoy!!

I hope you enjoyed today's cake feature!!  Can't wait to share with you the cake I'll be making for this weekend!!  Here's a hint: she's a super hero!!

Have an awesome day!!

xo,
Jackie


Here's part of a message I got from Pauline after the party:
"...thank you so much, the cake was beautiful. It looked beautiful and tasted beautiful!"

I'm glad you liked it!!  Thank you for choosing me {again} to be part of such a special occasion!!  xo

Happy 70th Birthday Asa!!

Hey guys!!  I know I've been away from blogdom lately, but I have been busy caking it here and there.  I am so excited to share with you a cake I made for one of the most beautiful ladies in the world - Asa {from Niue}.   I met her for the first time on Saturday, and she was so sweet and warm and uber friendly.  She was celebrating her 70th birthday {awesome, right?!} with her beautiful family and friends, and even invited my hubby and I to stay for the party.  Of course, we kindly declined the offer, but it sure was tempting!!  Instead, she gave me two gifts - a flower to put on my right ear (because I'm married) and a colourful lava lava.  I didn't even expect anything and felt so shy at receiving such items, but I couldn't decline either because she looked so happy giving those things to me.  She is one very special lady I will never forget :-)  I just feel honoured to have met such a wonderful person!!

This is me with the lovely birthday celebrant, Asa :-)

Now, this cake couldn't have happened if the lovely Moka hadn't come across my blog on the internet while searching for birthday cakes.  Then I find out that she works with one of my friends, Angela, whom I met in Rarotonga last year at my best friend's wedding.  What a small world, huh?  Moka first fell in love with my M.J. tip-toe cake and then contacted me after that.  She was lovely from the first email!  She described her Mum {whom this cake was for} and immediately I knew she was an amazing lady!  Main things she liked were gardening and anything Pasifika!  I was excited when Moka wanted to incorporate hibiscus flowers, flax and her children's necklaces on the cake.  All of which I had never done before.  You know me and challenges...I welcome them with open arms!!

After bouncing a few ideas with Moka {who also got feedback from her sisters}, we decided to go with the flax basket of hibiscus flowers!  Super excited to make this cake because there were many 'firsts' here.  Nothing better than something new to get the creative juices going!

Here are some pics for you all to enjoy!!

And here's a photo I took at the venue with my phone.  The set up of the venue was so pretty!!  And I got to meet, not only the lovely Asa, but her two {of six} daughters, Moka {who ordered the cake} and Goss.  Thanks for the warm reception ladies!!  :-)

That's Asa in the background getting a flower for me...so sweet!!  xo

If you'd like to see some progress shots, click 'READ MORE' to continue...otherwise have a happy Monday!!  See you back here soon!!

xo,
Jackie

Happy 30th birthday Kat!!

This past weekend I faced one of my biggest cake challenge yet!!  When I say big I mean KING KONG BIG in both scale and difficulty!  I had to create a single pink Timberland boot for my friend Kaati's 30th birthday {because she loves her tims - and thanks to Mark for the great idea!! hehe}.  This baby was huge!!  The cake board itself was 16 inches, and look at the size of the shoe on top!  By the time I was done, I couldn't lift the dang thing off the table (that's when dear hubby stepped in - thanks babe).  What made it even more difficult was my right leg was restricted in a moon-boot {I know, I know, another sporting injury}.  But, this fractured ankle wasn't going to phase me even the slightest bit!  I was determined to make this 'mission impossible' possible.  After a very long and sleepless night, I ended up with a decent looking tim.  You wouldn't imagine the relief and joy I was feeling that Saturday morning!  I was glad I finished in time to watch my boy Jubs play a great game of rugby league :-)

Here are some pics for you all to have a look at.  Enjoy!!

To help you understand just how big this boot was, here's a pic of it in the fridge before it was decorated.

Hope you enjoyed today's cake feature!!  See you back here soon!!  I'll be sharing with you the cake that got featured in the latest Cake Central Magazine (you may have noticed the badge on the top right corner of my blog).  More on that later!!  Exciting!!

xo,
Jackie