Swamp Class Cake

IT'S A SWAMP THANG!

Dena and I got together this weekend to put together the cake will be teaching in our Swamp Thing class next month. We had a lot of fun together. I can tell you that lady is wicked talented! She excels at 3D cakes and airbrushing.

Our 2 day class will cover making the above cake and all its details. There will be lots of cake scraps flying for sure!

The class is full at this time, but if you have signed up already, you will be getting an email this week with all of the final details and the supply lists.

Mr. Turtles sits on his stump, safely away from the jaws of the gator.

We are very much looking forward to this class; it is going to be a ball!

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I am frantically preparing for the ICES convention next week, and probably will not be able to blog again until we come back. But then I will post pictures and video of all the goings-on! Hope to see some of you there!

Happy caking,

Sharon

www.sugaredproductions.com

Ultimate Cake Off Show Dates

Here are the air dates for TLC's Ultimate Cake Off. I do not know which date our episode will be yet, but I will let you know as soon as I know:

Aug. 31st

Sept. 7th

Sept. 14th

Sept. 21st

Sept. 28th

Oct. 5th

Oct. 12th

Oct. 19th

Here are a few more silly pics of our antics:

Willard and I being goofy behind our glasses at this wonderful European cafe we had dinner at one night. Please don't count my chins. Lawdy, why do I always look like the cat just drug me in?

The ever gorgeous Deli and Rebecca. Deli is quite the foodie and a great cook to boot. She was in hog heaven at this restaurant. And I mean hog in the literal sense. I have never seen a human eat as much food as this girl can put down. Her new nickname is Hollow Leg. Of course she has a gorgeous figure to boot. If I didn't lover her I would hate her.

Here is the dessert case at said restaurant. We tried three. Yummy! We wobbled back to our car after that meal.

Me sleeping on Willard's shoulders on the shuttle back to the airport. Willard has the best shoulders for sleeping! I have not had a decent sleep since I got home.

We killed some time at the airport by playing Pick Up Sticks with straws. Rebecca had never played that game as a kid. Can you believe it? So we had to school her on it. She showed us all up with her iron steady hands.

After our episode is shown, I will share with you more candid pics and a little bit of video clips of behind the scenes junk. At that time I can also talk more about the experience and answer some questions too!

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This weekend Dena is coming over so we can make the prototype cake for our Swamp Thing Class. Supply lists and photos will be emailed next week. I will also post a few teaser pics here next week if my life permits.

Then it is off to ICES! I am so excited I could just die! But I won't. Cuz then I will never make it to ICES to see you guys!

Happy weekend!
Sharon
www.sugaredproductions.com

I Have a Secret.....

HELLO SUGAR FRIENDS!

Did you miss me while I was gone? I sure did miss you!

I have a secret to share, but promise you won't tell anybody? You promise? Pinky swear?

OK! So here it is....... ( I'm so excited!!)


My dear friend Rebecca Sutterby invited me to be one of her 3 assistants in the new TLC series, Ultimate Cake Off! We spent 3 days in Los Angeles, at the Discovery Studios, shooting one of eight episodes to air in the fall.






Rebecca is hands down one of the most talented sugar artists in the nation. She has won too many awards to count, including first place in a previous Food Network cake challenge, as well as the grand prize in the National Wedding Cake Competition at the Oklahoma Sugar Art Show in 2008. She has had her work published in several national magazines, including Bride's, The Knot, and American Cake Decorating. Her skills for design and use of color are trend setting, and her work is incredibly precise and exact. She has been a huge influence and mentor on my own cake decorating path. And I am lucky enough to also call her my friend. Please visit her site to see her incredible work at Sugar Creations.






Rebecca asked three of us to assist her for this challenge. Left to right is Becky (aka Willard), me, Adele (aka Deli), and Rebecca. This shot was taken right after we arrived in LA. We all flew in and went straight to the studios to set up our kitchen.

The next day we arrived ready to film. Rebecca gave us all cute cake themed shirts to wear under our chef coats for good luck.

We can't say anything about the show, the theme, the competitors or the outcome until after it airs. But here is a pic of us next to the finished cake.

After a brutal 48 hours, Willard and I were quite hungry, and got to taste one of the other competitor's cakes. It was yummy too!

Our last evening there, we had a few hours to kill and took a ride to Hollywood Blvd. We walked for a couple of hours, saw lots of um, interesting sites.... and shopped for souvenirs. I was ecstatic when we stumbled across the star of my all time idol, Lucy.

It was an incredible experience all around. We worked our butts off, but had the most fabulous time together. It will be one of the most treasured memories of my life time. I was honored and privileged to be a part of Rebecca's team. After the show is aired I will be able to fill you in on more juicy details!

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I am now in total ICES convention mode. I have 2 weeks to get everything together to make the trip. I will have a vendor booth for the first time this year, and I am super excited! Wendy, my two sisters Janice and Barb, and my older son will all be with me working the booth. Please stop by and say hello if can!

Wish me luck!

Happy caking!

Sharon

http://www.sugaredproductions.com/

It Runs in the Family

Hi everyone!

I sure hope you had a nice 4th of July. Ours was spent with extended family for a BBQ and swimming and it was HOT!

I wanted to share with you the cake my little baker, J, made for the gathering. I can see the decorator's mind budding in him. He came to me with a large pack of fire crackers, citing the cover art on the package, and said he wanted to make his cake look like that. I think he definitely has the bug. He is starting to see everyday things in cake. Finding his inspiration for designs in every day things. My baby is growing up. Sniff sniff.

We were watching the Cake Boss TV marathon last night and he loved it. He was awed by Buddy's cakes, and said it me: " I am going to work to make my cakes even better, Mom."

Yep. He's a goner.

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An abscessed tooth has set me back this week, so I will get that other post about my crazy day last week posted next week. Tomorrow I am off for a quick trip to the West Coast for some fun! I will tell you more about that later on down the road.

Right now I am going to find my pain meds, ice pack and antibiotics and go pack. Got an early flight tomorrow. UGH.

You guys be good, make some ubertastic cakes this weekend, and I will check in with you next week!

Happy caking,

Sharon

www.sugaredproductions.com