This sugarpaste Tatty Teddy was a challenge that Jan gave me for her daughter, Sue’s, birthday celebration last month. Sue’s twin boy and girl are now a year old and this Tatty Teddy had to be especially for her twins. It was Jan’s idea that the teddy would hold the blue and pink balloons which was at the same time a cute and challenging idea. I wired the sugarpaste balloons, popped the length of covered wire into the cake and then disguised the wires with the twirled ribbons of the balloons. Tatty Teddy was really fun to do and I loved adding the detailed patch and patchwork paws. I added a spray of blue and pink sugarpaste buttons around the bottom of the cake and wrapped the board in a matching ribbon to complete this really cute cake.
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Mama Mia Cake Topper
Celeste celebrated her 50th Birthday in Haga Haga in March and her theme was Mama Mia. This cake was a collaboration between Oshean of We Love Sugar in East London and myself. I made a sugar paste cake topper based on the Mama Mia theme with the suitcase, sunhat, guitar and other beach goodies and Oshean and her team baked and decorated the cake for this topper. I was so delighted to see such a gorgeous cake with its inviting Greek doorway into a weekend of fun for Celeste and her guests. Thank you Celeste for trusting Oshean and myself with your 50th Birthday Celebration! Wishing you a wonderful year ahead and may you continue to celebrate every occasion with such passion and love.
Baby Girl Cupcakes
Soft pretty pink baby feet, polka dot baby shoes, tiny pink teddies, a sugar paste baby portrait and loads of cute buttons were perfect decorations for these cupcakes ordered by Wendy to celebrate a colleague’s Baby Shower to welcome a baby girl. I was really excited to use my new frame mould and I added a tiny baby face to complete the sugar portrait. The teddies looked really pretty dressed in a pink baby dress with a mini rolled rose and pearl beads for buttons. Wishing this baby many happy adventures in her life to come and her mom many happy moments as she watches her baby girl add her tiny footsteps and naughty giggles to this world.
Backpack 21st Cake
Ross celebrated his 21st Birthday earlier this year and Tanya asked me to make a cake for him that would depict all his interests and passions. For as long as I have known Ross, he has always had a deep love for and interest in animals and he has a passion for the wild and for his photography of wild animals. The Backpack Cake was the easiest way to encorporate all these interests, the backpack of course represents every young man’s dream to travel. This backpack is inspired by one of Grace Stevens‘ cakes in her book, Celebration Cakes.
Tucked neatly into the front pocket are a sugar paste zebra and lion, really keen to be studied and photographed. The zebra nonchalantly peers out from a side pocket. Ross has a Nikon camera and I am sure that he will take many wonderful pictures as he sets out on his adventures. Wishing you all the best Ross as you embark on the next chapter of your life!
Horse & Rider Cake
Jané celebrated her 9th birthday with a Horse Riding Themed Birthday Party. Not only was there tremendous excitement of being able to ride horses at her birthday, but there was at the same time careful and detailed planning that went into her celebration cake. Jané’s mom, Janita, knew exactly what the cake and cupcakes should look like. She asked me to do a horse and rider figurine sitting in a field with flowers and a waterfall. The colour scheme was teal, turquoise and pink and I used all these colours in the rider’s checked shirt, scarf and boots. I popped the cute rider and horse onto a bright green iced ‘field’ cake and then constructed the flowing water of the waterfall with strips of thin embossed and ruffled sugar paste. Tiny pearls were perfect for the bubbles bouncing on top of the water at the base of the waterfall. I added flowers, a horseshoe and a rosette to complete the cake.
The cupcakes were fun to do with one special cupcake decorated with a mini horse & rosette and the rest with printed horse discs and horse shoes, rolled roses and pretty flowers. I certainly couldn’t have had more fun making this birthday cake and it was such a pleasure to know that both Jané and Janita were delighted with my interpretation of a Horse and Rider Cake.
Granny Betty Piek Cake & Cupcakes
Granny Betty Piek, also known as ‘Gran Gran’ & ‘little old granny’ by her great grand children, turned 95 last year in October & her granddaughter, Karen, sent me a beautiful description of this wonderful woman and the impact she has in the life of her family. Having only known my Italian granny for a short time, I have a soft spot for grannies in general and I couldn’t resist making a beautiful cake for this amazing granny.
Here is the poignant description that Karen sent me of her granny.
My Gran is known as Gran Gran and the ‘little old granny’ by her great grand children.
She and my 15 year old son say ‘oh no not you again’ to each other every time they meet. This is often at least twice a week. They both whisper ‘I love you’ in each other’s ears when they part.
She corresponds by letter via old fashioned mail with her now 18 year old great grand daughter in Pietermaritzburg just for fun.
When my 21 year old son’s hair gets long she calls him ‘Shirley’ until he gets a hair cut.
At 95 she has a wonderful sense of humour and reads local newspapers and watches news and has a good idea of what is going on in the world.
Ouma never sits and does nothing. She plays old card games e.g solitaire on her 1st generation PC. She loves reading romance novels. We often find her in her room doing word searches and crosswords and various forms of puzzles.
Ouma loves to knit and crochet and is incredible at both, unpicking sleeves in her jerseys and reknitting them to fit better or to change the style. She works out patterns in her head and crochets miniature chicks and bunnies at Easter and plum puddings and father Christmases at Christmas time. The number of knitted and crocheted coat hangar covers that Ouma has made for gifts and to sell is beyond counting.
One of Oumas favourite things to do is to play board games with family and friends.
She is very religious and attends church every Sunday and goes to a senior’s meeting every Wednesday. Until very recentlt Ouma sang in her church choir and she is very sad that she no longer has a strong singing voice.
People are often surprised and disbelieving about my gran’s age.
My gran is an amazing woman who is fun and loving and sociable and respectful and an incredible example to me.
Thank you Karen for trusting me with your order for such a special 95th Birthday Celebration. It was a privilege to be able to make this cake and pretty flower cupcakes for such an inspiring person in your life!
Thank you message from Karen,
Once again thank you for the adorable granny figurine and decorations and the beautiful cup cakes that you made for my gran’s 95th birthday on Saturday.
Ouma loved the detail and your craftsmanship.
Definitely a hit all round!



















