Oh Lili! You poor thing! I am still waiting for any serious accidents to occur to my kids, if they have my genes, then clumsiness is a high chromosome in me!
I am procrastinating before I start my big cake today. Have been doing anything else but decorate! 
I even took the chance to spring clean the house while hubby is at work and kids are at the grandparents, so noone can complain over what is getting chucked. Same old thing, broken toys from the cubbyhouse, stuff I will never use filling up the tupperware draw!
I have had a great time! (only another obsessive virgo might understand me and my clutter hatred!! )
Oh well, better start this cake, then i might watch oprah!! yay! 
Fran, I saw your cakes! They are nothing but FANTASTIC! The woman is our AVON district manager. She actually advertised my Xmas cakes to the entire district and allowed me to bring them to our last meeting. She also placed an order for 4 of them. My idea was to tell her the real price and then give discount with condition that guests will be told the real price. Yes, the same here I want to play with this cake. I would actually love to make the pillow with lacy shoe on top, just like Cinderella. I have one in my books. It needs a mould. I havent checked where can I find one yet. If I cant make the shoe then tiara will be second best, otherwise Ill just make a full size rose to go on top of the pillow. I want it to be a memory for them and advertising for others 
. Thats the idea anyway.
3 wedding cakes in one week. WOW. I guess we wont see you next week 
Thanks Yana 
Have you looked at the tutorial here on CC? It's by Boonenati, and you can do all sorts of things with it to make different styles, change the heel shape and height, add some lace molds to give a lacy effect, it's a fantastic template, and I use it for ALL my shoes.
I think it's a brilliant idea to market your cakes the way you are. If this woman is promoting your business and you're still managing to sell her a cake here and there, then you're a very clever girl! I'm looking forward to seeing the cake completed!
Guys, one of my Lindy Smith books tells you how to grow your own edible crystal jewels! From memory it's about boiling sugar and water together and then you like put the mixture in a jar and hang threads into the mixture, they take about 6 weeks or so to grow on the string, and then you can reuse it, sounded fascinating. If you want I'll post the proper details next week, tonight I'm trying to finishing a wedding cake for tomorrow, the 16inch bottom layer was more difficult to cover than I had hoped 
so tonight is borders and drapes, seeing I didn't get to them yesterday! Here's hoping the bride gives it a big
I've left the airconditioner on at home and will be cooling the car down for the hour long trip to Palm Beach tomorrow afternoon! Wish me luck this is my first proper one! EEeeeeck!
Sometimes I get in such a personal panic when I'm worried about the cake and my heart is beating a hundred times an hour I'm thinking you really want to turn this into a side line! hehehehehehehe Us women we can be so funny sometimes! 
Hi Elena
I haven't enrolled in anything
The ones I'm really interested in are the week long courses, and I can't leave D'arcy for that long!
I might consider the advanced firgure molding. I'll keep you posted for sure my friend
Fran, maybe talk to Paris - D'arcy may be able to spend some time with her little one! Or even a day or two with her Auntie Elena!
Seriously, though, it would be lovely to "meet" you. Hope all works out!
Nicole, the first time is always the hardest
You will be just fine, I'm sure, your cakes are beautiful, so you've nothing to worry about. Just relax and remember that you're the professional and anything you do with a cake is going to be a million times better than the bride would do herself.
Elena, that's very sweet of you But the classes are also in the middle of school for D'arcy and as she's entering grade 5 in 2008, I really can't pull her out of school for a week so I can go and play cakes! I keep telling meyself it can't be done, but there's a little voice inside me telling me I should. We'll see! David is looking at a contract at the moment which will take him to Sydney 3 days a week, so if he gets that, I'll be in Sydney sometime over the next few months, we will definitely have to catch up when I come and visit him!
Hi everyone, back again - hectic week playing nurse maid.
Feefs, I saw a thread on here about making your own candy jewels. I don't know how much time you have to prepare your cake but this could be an option if not know for future.
did anyone else remember reading it??? If I find It I'll show you.
Maria.
Pam - I would LOVE a goosey goosey. I'm not set up for foul housing. That is another job that is low priority to he who makes things. I have a great cubby house that we can use - but I need fencing to go around it.
" when you build it - they will come..."
hey would any of you ladies feel up to baking me a slab? i need coffee portions for 100pax and i was just going to buy a slab from sarah lee but someone can do it for me i'd prefer to pay you! I need it for the 5th of november, day before melb cup...
Why wouldn't you bake it yourself? You need a 10 inch square to feed 100 coffee portions, easy peasy. Get off your bum girly, it'll take you longer to go out and buy it than mix it up, shove it in the oven and bake it!
I'd love to offer my services, but that weekend now has 3 cakes due!
I could bake you one and you could freeze it if you want!
Feefs,
here are a couple....
http://www.fancyflours.com/site/cake-jewels.html
http://www.thejewelsofdenial.com/catalog.php?item=115
Why wouldn't you bake it yourself? You need a 10 inch square to feed 100 coffee portions, easy peasy. Get off your bum girly, it'll take you longer to go out and buy it than mix it up, shove it in the oven and bake it!
I'd love to offer my services, but that weekend now has 3 cakes due!
I could bake you one and you could freeze it if you want!
lol cos i am also doing the food for it... i'm just worried i'm ghoing to run out of time! and i dont trust my oven, as it is i need to wedge the door open with a wooden spoon to get it even!
Feefs -
http://yaley.com/molds/Jewel_Cabachon_Molds.htm
you can buy molds - don't know if these guys ship int'l.
I don't know if you want to muck around with it - but $40.00 shipping for a few jewels is a bit rich.
Well, if you want a slab of mud cake from Sara Lee it will be frozen, so you might as well make it now and freeze it for later
If you are having difficulties with your oven, and it's electric, you can buy a 12 inch square cardboard box, the corrugated kind, and put your cake inside the box, close the lid and bake it that way, it will give it a nice even heat and cook it really well.
Sorry, I didn't know you had all that other stuff to do as well 
OK ladies, I need some advice here. I have an enquiry for a wedding cake to serve 90 people. She wants a three tier fruit cake. My questions :
- what sizes should each tier be?
- how much should I quote her?
Bride will be providing the ribbons and flowers to decorate the cake. Essentially, I just have to provide the cake covered with almond icing and fondant.
Barbara a 4,6,8 will give you 84 serves, I'd charge $550.
a 5,7,9 would give you 114 serves I'd charge $575. These prices both include delivery and a fondant covered board with a ribbon edge.
Now, my prices are not low, and I don't know if you're all set up with Council approval and the like, but this price includes GST as well. if you are doing this as a cash job, then maybe $400?
Maria, I always bake in a box, and I find it the best way to avoid burnt edges and uneven cakes. Nati taught me to do it, but it's important to be in the kitchen when baking and to NEVER do it in a gas oven because of the naked flame, also the box, must not touch the element, otherwise you'll have smoked mud cake, not very tasty!
OzCookie, I think my hair is greyer than grey now. I had a hell of a time settling my DH afterwards... he was a mess
I have a terrible feeling this is just the start of a looooong list of 'adventures' she will take us on.Lili, if it's any consolation, my DS was also an "anything can happen" toddler - I spent quite a few years permanently tense and fearful.
He is now almost 19, fit and healthy (and gorgeous! just my opinion)
The adventurous spirit eventually became strength, agility and a talent for sports and that evil little mind that was always looking for trouble became a fine intelligence! (Well, as much as any teenage boy can be intelligent!
)My only advice is to keep your little munchkin busy and (if practical) enrol her in some structured activities like kindy-gym, ballet or similar when she's a little older! Good luck - this, too, will pass!
She wil be enrolled in martial arts as soon as she hits 4!! She needs the discipline that it will give her.
i dunno... i reckon smoked mud cake would be ok! lol lol lol...
my oven is gas fran, but i might get a friend to do it, she has a new oven. i feel i have bitten off more than i can chew, i'm doing a kitchen cake, display cake plus catering for 100pax. hmm... glutton for punishment much??
and i am typing this on my macbook with gladwrap ever my keyboard as i'm playing wih royal blue gumpaste!
hey lili are you better yet?? i'm not, still coughing up monsters from another galaxy!
Hello again. I also use the cardboard box to bake my fruitcakes in. I have a gas oven. I find that pizza boxes work really well. I cut the top of one and just use the base on the bottom. Then I use another 2 bases cut in half on each side vertically. Some boxes need to be cut to fit inside each other some fit together easily. Then put another base upside down on the top. They sort of support each other. I get the boxes from my local pizza shop. As long as we buy a pizza or two, they give me a few boxes when I ask. About half an hour before the cake is ready I take the top off, remove the sides and let the top cook. Works beautifully, no more dry or dark cakes. I always line the tin with 3 layers of brown paper and one of silicon baking paper. I also sit the whole lot on a flat biscuit tray.
What a ramble. Sorry!!
wow, boxes to bake cakes in ovens, gladwrap on keyboards when have colour paste on your hands....the things that I am learning here don't come from books!!
I am on to my first lemon sorbet/slushie cos the kids are out, the hubby's here and takeaway thai will be collected soon.!
Thanks for that Fran.
Lili and gingerkitten - hope you are both on the road to recovery. The past week has been horrible for me too. Have got a bad cold and with the windy days we have had lately, my hay fever has flared up. Hate the spring weather.
Hi Ladies,
I too am a Sydney girl (OzCookie, I am moving to Coogee in two weeks, from Woollahra, so really am already local! Plus my man already lives in Coogee with his parents, I am also hoping that moving to Coogee will make him hurry up and finish renovating his house in Leichhardt and move in there, at least if I "pop in" to his parent's place enough - I have my own keys!)
I am so excited to see Sydney cake ppl online... I keep finding these annoying melbourians... pfft what a pain they are!!
hehe Hi Nati and Fran *waves*
Fran if you get your butt to Sydney, it better be to see me!!!!!
I have a wedding cake in Nov that I am freaking about...
1. because it is the first wedding cake I am making for someone that doesnt HAVE to talk to me after, no matter how bad it is
2. Because I am starting my FIRST teaching job in a week and will be working through that time!
3. Because I am moving in two weeks!
4. Because I am frantically looking for a permanent teaching job starting next year!
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