Celebration Cake: India Association Family Fun Day : May 2008

India Association celebrated 10th May as Family Fun Day at the Club and I made this cake to raise some funds for the association. Before the American Auction could start, we discovered that it was the birthday of one of our esteeemed member's wife and it was decided not to auction the cake but celebrate her birthday on the ground with this cake.

This cake was made in less than two days, as i am occupied with studies for the MBA mid-session examinations, which starts from this week. I have given YUMMY BLOG AWARD by two of my lovely blogger friends Homecooked & Cham and will display it in my next blog.

I thank all my blogger friends for visiting and encouraguing me so often ! I will be off the the blog until my examinations are over.

Heart of Roses Wedding Anniversary Cake:For A Blogger Friend: April 2008

In one post, Gloria http://www.canelakitchen.blogspot.com/ mentioned 25 April 2008 as her wedding anniversary date. So, here's to you, Gloria ...a beautiful mind.., wishes for a very happy wedding anniversary ! May you both always keep shining in glory ! The butter cake was made by my friend, who bakes wonderful cakes and decorated by me.

Wishes to you at Santiago, Chile from me from Botswana, Africa !

I dedicate this simple, plain yet a beautiful heart cake to you !

Four-tier Wedding Cake: Fruit Cake: April 2008

This four-tier wedding cake was made for a Botswana couple, who wanted the drape woven cakes with roses on the top. I had started the process in March by first making the four cakes with marinated fruits and nuts in liqor and then letting them mature and ripen with time by brushing them at regular interval with brandy over a period of four weeks.

I must admit that in my pursuit for perfection, with some practice by now, i have been able to understand a little bit about measurements and the drapes with the cake size/height ratio came out satisfactorily, also courtesy due to creative critique from my hubby.To add few more words, my first critics and admirers are my hubby and my son.

The wedding bells were embossed on the cakes and the drapes were pinned with daisy sugar flowers.

I was tagged by Gloria of http://www.canelakitchen.blogspot.com/ for a meme to describe six words about myself. Quite difficult proposition, eh but this is what i am:

@friendly @honest @compassionate @energetic @fun-loving @dedicated

I would like to add my new friend Tartasacher of http://milpostres.blogspot.com/, who visited my blog for the first time and gave me an honour which i have to maintain. Thank you, dear !

Teddy Bear Birthday Cake:For a Blogger Friend: March 2008

When i posted the cakes for my marriage anniversary and my husband's birthday,one of my blogger friend Archana Pritish(http://archysrecipes.blogspot.com/)had commented:

Archy said...
Belated Aniversary Wishes to you both..As usuall Lovely cakes Anamika !!Both us B'day is dis month end.. It was lovely u wud make a cake for us both :) !! I'm so curious to watch and eat the cake u make :P!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008 10:19:00 PM

Archana, i love reading all the comments, it's like going through the rite of passage, where i try to understand and appreciate each word written and your valuable time spent on my blog.

Here's something i came up for you .... a teddy bear hug for your birthday ! I was working on a wedding cake, have several knocking deadlines for submission of assignments for MBA and the long office hours but i could not forget your words. I must and always try to find space for smaller happiness (choti choti baatein..as said in hindi), but do forgive the imperfections ! Teddy Bear has buttercream icing work, fondant work and chocolate cakes. Happy days ahead to you !

Welcome Cake: March 2008

One of our dear friends, who is in Indian Army has been blessed with a baby girl on 13 March 2008. On that day, the congratulatory calls with the new mom and dad evoked pure joy and the impromptu telly conversations, as usual, evoked memories of their time spent in Botswana. The beautiful angel is Gayatri and I welcome the adorable darling's arrival in this world with this cake !

Message for mom & dad: Vibha and Atal, this cake is for Gayatri . During celebrations at home, do open the blog and show her - her first gift from me !

Message for Gayatri: Little angel, hugs and kisses to you from your aunty in Botswana !

I also wish to share this happy occasion with all my blogger friends and convey my wishes for incoming Easter and Holi celebrations !

Birthday and Wedding Anniversary Cakes: March 2008

March is the celebration time for our family. My husband's birthday on 7 March followed by our wedding anniversary on 8 March. I often tease my hubby for being so courageous to have married on International Woman's Day. Amidst flurry of activities and partying from 7 - 9 March, followed by the hectic monday mania at office, i did not get time to post the cakes which i had made for the occassions. Sometime i wish, i had more time for my hobby of making cakes but it's life and i try to indulge in creativity, when ever i can, away from daily rigmaroles of home and office.

My son wanted to present a basket full of chocolate truffles to his dad and who would he look at for turning his imagination into reality - off course, his mum. And there i was, working late night for two days to fulfill his wish ! And then, i wished to make a heart full of roses for my anniversary. So another day was spent in making it. All is sugarcraft work with madeira cakes !

Well, during these two days, what i cherished most were the phone calls and smses from the friends and relatives from India and other parts of the world. It makes one feel so complete to achieve the human bond and collect lifelong treasure of friends. Even though, it means the cellphone smudged with icing sugar or the cordless phone smeared with marzipan and fondant, when interrupted but it's a great feeling !

And now I have evergrowing circle of wonderful blogger friends and I celebrate this with you all, the first time after i entered the blogosphere in 2007.

Wedding Anniversary Cake: February 2008

This cake was made for one of our friend's from Indian Army, currently posted in Francistown, who celebrated their 13th marriage anniversary on 22 February 2008. Despite very busy schedule at office, i had promised myself that, like last year, i will make the cake for them, this year too ! A promise is a promise, it has trust and faith and moment of truth, whether to others or oneself. Well, i had a night and so spent late hours to complete the cake. My heart leaped with joy, when out of affection they said that this cake was perfect for the occassion and to cherish the memories, the moment was captured in the camera - our friends, the cake and me ! I could feel the pure joy, like the reverbrations of pure innocent creativity.

The cake was vanilla sponge cake with three layers of strawberry and cream fillings. I used natural flowers this time to decorate the cake with royal icing decorations and frilled border.

Two-Tier Birthday Cake: Chocolate Ganache Marble Cake with Cigarellos - February 2008

This two-tier chocolate ganache marble cake was made for a very good doctor friend from Indian Air Force, who is in Francistown. This birthday, we all wished for a fairy in his life, as he is still a bachelor and we could not think of a better theme of combining his birth with a wish for a lovely girl in his life. He was happy with our warm gesture and we captured the moment in a camera of him blowing the candle and making a wish. The party was organised in a Indian Restaurant with the perfect ambience among severals friends.

The rich moist chocolate cake had the flavour of coffee mocha and cinnamon. It was just chocolate and chocolate and nothing else!
With love in the air and Valentine's Day around the corner, I made this cake with lots of hearts, chocolate flower embellishment and roses for our sweet friend to be struck by a Cupid's arrow !
And I found it worth for carrying a wish , to go as a submission for Pooja's theme for Valentine Day http://creativepooja.blogspot.com/2008/02/theme-of-week-valentines-day2008-round.html

Three-tier Wedding Cake - Pink & Gold Theme: January 2008

Hi friends, I was working on this wedding cake for almost ten days. This was made for a lovely young Sri Lankan couple, who recently got married and are on their way to Australia. The theme of the cake was pink with gold trimmings. I made the scrolls and hand painted them with gold. The arum lilies, roses and blossom flowers were made with hue of pink and gold to match the ambience. The wine glass was painted gold to hold the top tier of the cake. I made the date cakes for the second and top layer and the bottom layer is a madeira cake. It really makes one feel so happy to see smiles on the faces and take one step further as a sugarpaste artist in search of excellence ! In the world of infinity, as a learner, one keeps building the foundation slowly, and your words and comments (i value them) helps me in this journey to move on.

Birthday Cake: Animal Farm - January 2008

While working on the wedding cake project on 25 January 2008, a request came to make a cake for a five-year old kid's birthday on 26 January 2007. As i cannot refuse anything for kids, i said 'yes' and off i went on a spree to spent two hours in the evening to make the cake. The kid's mom just wanted the letter '5' but i had just casually asked, 'what does the kid love ?' and he loves animals. Well, it gave me an idea and this is what i could do - a buttercream icing cake with the theme of the animal farm. Except for the animals (which i purchased in a rush-rush moment from the supermarket), everything else was made using buttercream icing. After i had made the cake, then i realised..hey, i should used a little more of orange colour to qualify for pooja's theme of the Republic Day http://creativepooja.blogspot.com/ Anyway, there is always the next time, isn't it ! Will soon post the pics for the wedding cake.

Sugarcraft inspiration from an African Creeper

As I get more involved in sugarcraft, a transformation has occurred. I have become closer to Nature and its perfect sytem. I had waited patiently for this African creeper above, to bloom despite skeptism, but I knew that one day it will ! It did, and my faith and trust in Nature's system is re-inforced. Currently, its raining heavily in Francistown and I can see a dramatic change in climate of Botswana. And I wonder, if to change, like other things, is inevitable. Here are some flowers that are dancing in the rain in my garden.

The pictures are of high resolution & can become screen savers

I am working on a cake and will soon post the pics.....

Birthday Cake: Powerpuff Girls - January 2008

What a wonderful way to start the year. One of my close friend's daughter is fascinated by powerpuff girls cartoon and wanted blossom, bubble and buttercup - the three kindergarten girls,who have the mission to save the world, for her birthday.

I looked for inspirations to conjure a theme for the cake. I thought of the powerpuff girls, who will wake up at midnight, place a cake on a table on their bed, stand on a pillow and sing the birthday song for her. And this is what i could make, using marzipan and fondant on a madeira cake. An attempt to bring joy on the face of the little girl and match her imagination with my brave ability.

Our office opened after the Chiristmas holidays, before the birthday (6 January 2007) and I was caught up with new year plans, meetings etc. Considering me as a learner, please overlook the imperfections and the finesse. I was short of time, had just one and half day and it has been raining in Francistown.

As for my little darling, her gleeful smile said it all !

I would also like to offer COMPLIMENTS FOR NEW YEAR to everyone and a big 'THANK YOU' to all who visited my blog and accepted me as 'The Sugarcrafter'. Your comments and words means a lot and I know the worth of my everincreasing 'circle of inspirations'. In retrospective, 2007 has been a happy year...I passed my first year of MBA, tried to make wedding cakes, anniversary cakes, engagement cakes, birthday cakes, experimented with different techniques of cake decoration and look forward to the new year with you all around to critique me.

Among several e-mails that i received for the new year, here's few i liked:

'Everybody sees how you seem, however, only some know who you are'

'Perhaps God would want you to become acquainted with many different people in the course of your life, so that when you meet the right ones,

you can appreciate and be grateful for them'

Birthday Cake - The Mermaid's World : December 2007

5.The waving mermaid

4. The closer view again

3. The closer view

2. The front view

1. The mermaid cake

This birthday cake was made for a little girl in Botswana, who wanted a mermaid for her 4th birthday. It was a challenge to meet the little angel's imaginations & expectations ! Well, I tried to be a little girl and think from her point of view and i could see the star-fish, colured sea-shells, rocks, reefs of different hue, marine plants, octopus and a lovely mermaid, sitting on a rock and resting her hand on it. A brave attempt to fulfil a girl's fantasy of the little mermaid in her world, using fondant and marzipan.

Four-tier Wedding Cake - Rose Bouquet : December 2007

5. The display at marriage hall

4. The final cake arrangement

3. The top layer view

2. The top layer cake

1.The preparation at home

This four layer wedding cake was made for a Bostwana couple, who adore rose bouquet on a white cake. The rose bouquet has blossom flowers and a ivy creeper. The sides of the cakes are covered with scrolls and patchwork of small rose flowers.

Three-tier Wedding Cake - An African Theme : November 2007

This cake was made using the sugarcraft, modelling, painting and icing techniques. It was my first experiment to make a wedding cake using an African Theme, as this is what was expected of me to do. The wedding couple from Botswana love the traditional wedding cake and I tried to use my imagination, after having lived here for 10 years. The masks, the quills, the woven pottery, the giraffe and zebra skins are an important theme and I tried to make them using fondant and marzipan, from what ever i know till now. Everything was edible.

Three-tier Wedding Cake : November 2007

The wedding cake made in 9 hours on special request from a person, who i could not refuse. It was made for a lovely Bostwana Couple.

Five-Tier Wedding Cake - Indian Bridal Theme 2: November 2007

I was happy with my experiment of fusion of art.The wedding was at Gaborone International Conference Centre, Grand Palm Hotel.

Five-Tier Wedding Cake - Indian Bridal Theme 1: November 2007

It involved making 65 roses, over 250 little blossom flowers & 35 leaves

The preparation started at Francistown and the six cakes were taken in a car for 460 kms for the marriage in Gaborone. The classical multi-layered cake was blended with the indian theme of marriage to give it an ethnical indian appeal. I spent three long nights to make the preparation for the cake and the last night was spent in giving finishing touches to the cake. The drapes and the cake itself, luckily, remained intact during the journey.

Sugarcraft inspirations from a bonsai bloom

The flowers bloomed after 15 years on a bonsai plant (species still unknown to me) here in Botswana in November 2007. I manged to capture few shots digitally but what awes me is it's pure sheer pristine beauty ! My camera could not capture it's perfection enough ! The edges kept on blurring even with very high resolution..such is Nature's perfection.

It has become again my source of inspiration for sugarcraft !

Birthday Cake : November 2007

The birthday cake was made of chocolate and decorated with sugarcraft flowers of myriad types e.g. orchids, roses etc.

My experiment with flora:Tiger Lily

With examinations over and festive mood in the air, it's creativity time again. Made this tiger lily with roses and ivy creeper and little blossom flowers. Soon will post the 'how series' on how I made the different flowers and foliage by drawing inspiration and understanding from different books and online information available.

Two-tier wedding reception cake: October 2007

At this time of the year , Botswana blooms with lilies of different hues and you can draw inspiration from them. Made this reception cake with lilies for recently married young vibrant couple of NIIT, Botswana.

Between life's duty and creativity !

The month of October was busy with my MBA examinations.

Bridal Affair: Soni's Cake 5 -Two tier cake with orchids

I made this yellow cake with orchids to add colour to jesty and upwardly mobile young generation. Well ! lot of youngsters came to the stall and wanted me to make similar cakes with bright and bold colours ! I was happy with the experiment !