Opening up the first Friday Night Cake Club for 2013! Hope everyone had a VERY Happy New Years Eve and got to celebrate it up well! Who's up? Whatcha' workin' on?

Cat

Hi there everyone! We had a very nice New Years Eve. I wrote about it on my party blog: http://thecherryontopevents.blogspot.com/ so you guys can see what I was working on last week. The next two weeks I am on a break so, basically, that means nothing more than cupcakes for my family. What are all of you working on?

Cat

Cookies.  I need to make about 8 dozen cookies plus a red velvet sheet cake for a party tomorrow.
 

Mmmmm cookies..what type?

We're in the post christmas lull, and it's killing me slightly, on the upside, I'm going home earlier and I can actually decorate cakes again, instead of dealing with a million other things at work.

awww...you hit my favorite theme this year...Penguins! I simply adore that cake!

Greetings and Salutations from the other side of the world.  We are on the other side of the world to pretty well everyone but I must say that in my opinion we do have the best side of the world.   I haven't started anything yet but the wheels are churning in my head.  I ordered an art projector from Kopykake 2 days ago so cookies are spinning around the old brain and I have been watching lots of 'Craftsy' courses so lots of ideas are spinning around from that too.  I do think that being a hobby baker with no responsibilities I sometimes get so overwhelmed with all the ideas that I have that I end up getting nowhere and go and read a book instead.
 

I'm the same as cazza1, so many ideas are spawned from reading the forums that I have no idea where to start.

I have started to practice flower building using some of the tutorials posted here, hopefully I can get the hang of it.

Modelling figures will be my next challenge I think - no cakes on the near horizon fortunately so it's practice time.

Hi Bodark.  I find that if I just practice I get bored and don't finish what I started.  I generally set myself a task and practice that way.  For example if i wanted to practice making roses it is better for me to design a cake with roses, make the roses, plus extras, and then the cake.  I generally give most of what I make away as with just hubby and I at home we would end up the size of houses if we ate everything I like to make.
 

This is why dummy forms are my favorite. I can design a cake, make all the pieces and then don't have to worry about wasting the food or having lots of cake all over the house. Come the 15th I have to start working on my new ones for a Bridal Faire this summer. I will have two weeks and need to get some new stuff done and right now I have exactly one design sketched out. After those two weeks I will have mini breaks here or there and won't really have the time to make any for show. 

Cat

A[SIZE=3][COLOR=blue]For the cookies I decided on Pizzelles, Chocolate Caramel Saltines, Toasted Oatmeal, and Chocolate Chip Pretzel.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

Someday replace the saltines with graham crackers...it's YUMMY!

Going to spend 2013 researching/testing/experimenting and making a few "special" cakes here and there (next up: Hello Kitty cake)

Last cake made: 1st birthday for a best friend's daughter.  She wanted red and light blue with a wintery feel - no penguins or snowmen allowed!  Cupcakes were made with leftover batter. Wish I took a few pictures at home, but I was rushing out the door.

(For those who have food safety concerns, no disco dust was used on this cake, letters on the front were glued to the cakeboard at the very end of the cake decorating process)