Bluebirds CCFC Cake - January 2017

Of the 365 days that there are in the year, you know that one of them is going to be the birthday of your Chief Cake Tester (CCT)!

The problem with being the CCT is, sooner or later, you just don't want cake any more! My CCT, Martin, always has a cake made by me for his birthday. This year is no exception. But a tiny cake!

One of my CCT's favourite footie teams is Cardiff City aka The Bluebirds, this post is about the CCFC logo rather than the cake, which was a standard chocolate Victoria sponge mix.

Images are the finished cake still on the turntable

Colouring the fondant:

This was slightly troublesome as I had no idea the true colour of the blue, so I mixed the white fondant with blue colouring and a blob of black to get a darker shade.

Step 1:

The only cutter I had was the bird! Using the bird as a size guide, I drew a shield shape and circle with the size of both the cake and this cutter in mind. 

I cut out the shapes I needed in thin card.

Step 2:

I made sure they fitted together

Step 3:

I cut out all the pieces, checking all the time that everything is fitting:

Step 4:

As is always a fault of mine, I seem to make things difficult for myself. I didn't want a three layer topper, I wanted it flush and as flat as possible. The whole topper would have to be placed on a sheet of parchment / grease proof paper from the start. This is because any movement would make I go out of shape.

Which means, I had to cut out the circle from the shield. I waited for the shield to dry and harden a little first. I kept the cut out for the bird so it would be the same thickness as the shield 

Step 5:

Once dried a little, I fitted it into the shield

Step 6:

The hard part!

Cut the bluebird shape out from the blue, cut it out also from the white and fit the bluebird into the white circle, allow to dry and then add the minute detail of wing highlights and eyes.

It was hard, but I did it!

Other decorations on this tiny, little cake:

I am also able to confirm that, handpainting these little football decorations I made from fondant, was also a bit challenging. Not matter how good your glasses are 

Fondant Sheep cake topper

With St David's Day due in March, I'm trying to create as many Welsh cupcake / cake toppers as possible. Today, it's a fondant Welsh sheep - and nope, this one has not made an appearance in Shaun the Sheep lol.

Stuff you need:
All you need for this creation is white and black fondant and something to make circular imprints with.  This will simulate the woolly fleece.

Step 1: Head

Roll a ball of black fondant, then flatten it a little to a short, fat sausage shape. Press the one side and roll it a little so you end up with this shape (above) profile.

Step 2: Mouth detail

Using your scallop tool, add a little indent then a straight line from the middle and down

Step 3: Body

Roll a ball of white fondant in proportion to the black. Once rolled into a ball, flatten the sides so it becomes an almost egg shape.

Step 4: Wool fleece 

I couldn't find anything in my tool collection to make a circle shape imprint all over the body, so I tool the head off one of my tools, which left me with a tube and a perfect circular shape to make imprints.

Do this all over the body.

Step 5: Fix head to body

Insert a cocktail stick down into the body and trim excess. Use a little water or edible glue, stick the head to the body.

Step 6: Eyes

Roll two small white balls for the eyes and stick on

Step 7:

Roll two smaller balls of black, fix to the centre of the whites to finish off the eyes.

Step 8: Ears

Whilst maintaining the proportions, roll two balls of black fondant, squash or roll flat then shape into long, rounded pieces.  These will be the ears.

Glue both to the sides of your sheep's head

Step 9: Back legs

Again, maintaining your proportions, roll two sausage shapes. Flatten one end to fit under the body, dab a little edible glue or water on the flattened part ...

... then place them under the body. Tap the bottom of the feet / soles with something flat to flatten them out

Step 10: Tail

Roll a small ball of whit fondant, imprint with the circles the same as the body then, flatten one side, dab some edible glue or water on the flattened portion and stick under the bottom of your sheep at the back

Step 11: "Arms" / Front legs

Roll two thinner sausages, squash the top flat, the same as you did for the legs. Before fixing to your sheep, flatten the bottom of the 'arms' / front legs to imitate the feet

Using your edible glue / water, fix the 'arms' by the flattened portion to your sheep.

Allow to dry

Now, if like me you like a bit of a laugh, and because these sheep are for St David's Day cake topper, I've added a Welsh hat.

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Fondant Mascot aka "Zingy"

Here in the UK a certain energy company uses an absolutely adorable little orange blob, also known as a "poo" in their advertisements. I for one am so in love with him. Check him out on YouTube if you've never seen him before.

I had some orange fondant left after my Snowman Christmas Cake and the fondant teddy bear but not a lot. So, as this little dude is a sort of "crush" of mine, I made one.

• He was as simple as two, equally sized, rolled balls of fondant. 
• The head ball has a little curved over "spike"
• Place the head on the body - use a cocktail stick, cut to size, to secure them together
• Two small balls of white fondant, flattened for eyes
• Two tiny black balls of fondant, also for his eyes and ...
• One small blob of black fondant for his nose.

Simplez ;-)

Fondant Teddy Bear - Attempt #2

Following my first attempt at sculpting a fondant bear, it was time to try again.

The process was the same as before and, as I promised myself, I made my changes (they are listed under the same numbers as the previous bears list of changes):

1. I used a darker colour, which, in all honesty, didn't make much difference
2. I purchased the quilting wheel to make the fake stitching, which did made a massive difference.
3. Embossing the ear with the cake stitching before assembly, isn't quite the way to go as they are handled a lot. Although, I have come to realise that embossing the body first is a good thing.
4. I scrapped the eyebrows lol
5. Now it doesn't look like he / she / it has a mono-brow
6. I'm still working on the eyes, I haven't mastered that just yet.
7. I moved the thumbs but I'm still not sure, so this is a work in progress
8. I changed the ears. Instead of pinching the bottom to curve them in a little, I left them with a straight edge. This seems the way to go, but needs perfecting .

I also added a little flower on the head and a small square of patterned fondant for a "blankie".

Check out my first effort here

Fondant Teddy Bear - Attempt #1

I wanted to try to make a fondant teddy bear. I had no instructions or how-to and had never made one before, so this was going to be a challenge. There are a few changes I'd make on my next trial, these I will list at the end.

Before I started, I coloured my fondant in an ivory colour, I kept some white back for the eyes, sources a tiny piece of red and a little black.

Step #1: The body

• I rolled a large ball of my main colour, ensuring that any creases were rolled out. 
• Then I shaped a cone
• Next, I made an indent about half way up, in the front, to simulate a 'pot belly' of a snugly teddy bear.
• Place this one a piece of grease proof paper

Step #2: The legs

• Still using your main colour, roll a fat sausage and cut in half. This will now make both legs.
• I am unable to give a definitive size and the proportions of your own bear is all personal preference.
• Leaving the 'feet' as a larger ball on the end, hand roll your sausage until the leg itself becomes thinner and the size you'd like for your own bear
• Once I rolled the legs in proportion to the feet, I stood them upright and tapped them on the surface a little, to make flat bottoms on the feet.
• I then cut angles in he leg portion, so each piece would it into the side of the bears body and not bulge out the sides.

Step #4: Affix legs to body

• I fixed teddy's legs to the side, using a dab of water as my glue.
• Once secured, I turned his little feet inward a little.

Step #5: The arms

• Still in main colour, I rolled a skinnier sausage shape to the length I needed then cut it in half to make two arms
• I made indents on the uncut end to make a sort of 'thumb'
• I then cut angles in the other end so it will not bulge on the body.
• Using water as my glue, I stuck them on 

Step #6: His head and face

• Using my main colour, I rolled a smaller ball 
• Using some white fondant I rolled out an oval shape and flattened it with a rolling pin.
• Fix to the head with a little water
• Using a veining tool, I pressed a line down the centre of his 'muzzle' 
• With a scallop tool, I pressed him in a little smile.
• Using a ball tool, I made an indent where I wanted his not to be
• I rolled a tiny piece of black fondant into a ball, shaped it into a small oval and fixed it into the indent I have made with the ball tool
• Again, using a small ball tool, I made indents where I wanted his eyes to go.
• I rolled two smaller balls of black fondant and fixed these into the indents for the eyes
• Insert a cocktail stick into his body
• Place the head on this stick with a dab of water for glue.

Step #7: Ears, face detail and highlights

For the ears:

• I rolled, using main colour, an oval and flattened with a rolling pin
• I did the same again with a white piece of fondant, only smaller
• Fix the white onto the main colour piece.
• Cut in half
• Crease the cut end and fold the bottom only, in half
• Using a ball tool, I made indents in his head where I wanted his ears to be
• Fix on ears

Before I continued, I went around my bear and, using my flattened veining tool, smoothed over each joint to mould the piece to the next so there's no definite seam in the fondant.

I also 'poked' him a little belly button using a small ball tool.

For the eye highlights:

• I rolled two minute balls of white and stuck them onto the black eyes
• I pressed on gently with a flat tool then poked a tiny little hole through to the black,

For the eyebrows:

• These were an absolute nightmare because they're so small.
• I rolled such a skinny sausage shape the fondant almost broke.
• Cut in half and affix above his eyes.

Soles of his feet and toes:

• Roll out two balls of white fondant and flatten
• Fix to the soles of his feet
• Using a toothpick, make three indents on the top of his feet to simulate toes

Step #8: 

• Using my comb tool I went around him pressing in some 'stitching' detail in the following places:
• Up the middle of the front of his body
• Same around he back
• Up the middle of the back of his head
• Down the outsides of both arms
• Down both sides of his legs
• I also added a tiny love heart using red fondant

Changes I plan for my next try:

1. I'm thinking a darker main colour
2. Purchase a quilting tool for the fake stitching
3. Do the fake stitching before I put body parts on
4. Find a better way to do the eyebrows
5. Try not to make him look like he almost has a 'mono-brow'
6. Place whites of eyes on the black before I fix them on
7. Sort out them thumbs
8. Change the way I make his years and fix them on

Check out my "How to" guides for future attempts and efforts

If you can suggest anything else for improvements, please leave me a message below

Usually I'd place this on my Instructables too, but I want to perfect the process before I do

Glamorous Grandma - 81st Birthday - January 2017

My first cake of 2017!

I wasn't sure what to do with this cake as the lady's favourite colour is green!  

The only thing I could think of was leaves. Then, of course, you have to have flowers. I wanted to try my own flowers instead of buying ready made ones. And I don't think these look too bad. I really proud of the fact that, with the exception of the board and the ribbon - I made the whole thing!

I used 3X basic sponge mix with one coloured in green, in the middle. I made a small cascade down the one side to add something special.

I'm not overly happy about the ribbon, but it was difficult to source my usual items due to the Festive period and my cakey-bakey shop being closed. I won't be using this ribbon again!

I hope she likes it 

The middle layer is a wonderful colour green!

Image source: David

Thank you for your support in 2016

Peas & Choi

aka

Peace & Joy

Thank you all for your support, and challenges in 2016

I wish you all the best for 2017

And look forward to helping you make memories once again

With best wishes

Niki

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