Eastern Idaho State Fair Sugar Art Show

Yesterday was our cake show. I'm not sure if I should do these!! I can't get my life organized! I didn't even want to put my cake in because I knew it wasn't what it was supposed to be. Because of lack of time management, procrastination ("Oh this shouldn't take too long!!!"") and tons of other every day this you have to do (like having to take time to cook and eat) my cake didn't get everything on it! But that's my fault! Oh and I had a wedding cake on top of that! Phew!!! Now I'm tired, sore and feeling a little sick. The wedding cake will be in my albums.

Anyway, here's my cake and sugar flower display. I didn't place anywhere with my cake and I received second place on my rose display. I'll also add a few pics on how I did some of it.

I'll show the cake first. The cake was to be patterned after a plate design. I used a plate that my hubby Joe brought home from England.

I started trying to figure out how I can incorporate the scallop on the edge of the plate, so I ended up with this idea. I cut a round piece of fondant, put my styrofoam seperater on it and then put sucker sticks in to make it look wavy.

Naked cake!!

Then I steamed the whole cake and cake board with a clothes steamer, thinking it would give it the shiny look lthat a plate has.

When I got to this point, I was doing too many other things and was able to only get a few flowers done. I was going to hand paint some greenery and small flowers in the back behind where I was going to put my sugar flowers and the topper was supposed to be a teacup, but I kept screwing up and ended up putting leaves and petals on it for a vase like look and crappy flowers. Oh well!! Here's what went to the show.

Now for my rose display. I was pretty proud of this one! But the judges sure know how to squash those feelings!! Plus my roses did have cracks in them andI forgot to bring my write ups telling about my flower and showing the steps to do it. So I'll do it here!! My rose inspiration was of a Diamond Jubalee Rose picture that I found on the internet.

I forgot to take a picture of the cone base that I start my roses on!! The first picture I already have two petals on the cone base

I wrap 4 to 5 of the smaller petals around the base. Then I go to the medium petal cutter and do about 4 of those and let it dry for a couple of hours.

The next row or two is made up from the large petal cutter. I wire them and lay them on a spoon board that I made and leave them to dry. I dust the bottom half with a slightly darker shade of yellow.

Then I add them carefully to the main rose and dust them. With these being on wires, they can be moved and rearranged however you like.

I made a full rose, half rose and a bud. I carved a floral cone into a vase and covered it with fondant and put a ribbon around the bottom to hid some little imperfections! hehe The bottom board was covered in fondant and impressed with a diamond impression mat and dusted black and painted the lines with gold luster dust.

Anyway..it's still fun to go to the cake show and very good experience. I just have to take what the judges said and use their 'suggestions' to make it better next time!!