Cakes in the last 6 months!

Wow, it's been too long!! My apologies for being a little quiet...I just cannot believe how a year of 'not doing cakes' can still be so crazy busy!

Since my third child Micaiah was born in May, I have been busy with a few things.

The main thing has been our application with mission organisation SIM (www.sim.org.au) to work in Malawi as Christian missionaries. Finally, after much paperwork, we are finally 'official' and are working towards leaving in July 2012! For more info see www.ongsinmalawi.com

But in the midst of all that, I still found time to do a cake here or there :) Here are some things I've been working on since June but haven't had the time to update here!

JULY

Rainbow cake cones with marshmallow on top

Engagement figurines for a friend

 

Child dedication/baptism spread for a friend

Replaced our dodgey oven so resumed macaron making!

SEPTEMBER

First workshop with my baby girl!

OCTOBER

Kitchen tea cake for a friend

NOVEMBER

'Half' birthday rainbow cake for my baby girl

Spy themed figurine for a friend's daughter

Baby shower rainbow cake for a neighbour

Rainbow cake for a friend's 40th

DECEMBER

My last workshop ever before we head to Malawi next July!

Mini gingerbread house decorating with the neighbours kids

Baby Jesus cookies for my 4 year old to take to preschool

Wedding cake for a friend

Surprise peach figurines for the above wedding. Their last name is peach related!

Snowman macarons for a gathering with ex-neighbours

And last but not least... my new book!

You can purchase it from here: www.blurb.com/user/store/jong78

That's all, folks!!

Have an awesome Christmas celebrating the birth of Christ!

Love, Jo

Sydney Royal Easter Show 2011 Cake Decorating Competition

My Sydney Royal Easter Show cake decorating competition entries

Last Supper Cake in the 'Most Creative Cake (Novice Class)' category

1st prize

I've been wanting to make this cake since last year but wasn't confident that I could pull it off. So with another year of cake decorating experience behind me, I thought I'd give it a go this year!

I really wanted to do something related to the real message of Easter - that of Jesus giving up his life to save the sins of the world. I didn't want a 'religious' looking cake. I thought the Last Supper was perfect as it is a well recognised painting.

  Japanese Udon Noodle Soup in the 'Most Creative Miniature Cake (Novice Class)' category

1st prize

Princess Cupcake Tower in the 'Most Creative Cupcakes (Open Class)' category

1st prize

 The Princesses: Tiana, Belle, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Snow White

The 'accessory' cupcakes for each of the princesses

Mummy Pig with Baby Pigs in the 'Sydney Royal Easter Show Novelty Cake (Open Class)' category

3rd prize

It was exciting to also be rewarded two other special awards:


The Bernice J Vercoe Annual Prize, supported by the Cake Decorators' Association of NSW Inc., for the most successful Exhibitor in Cake Decorating and Sugar Art.


The E Neville Jones Annual Prize for the most successful Exhibitor in the Novice Section.


For more photos of these cakes, become a fan of The Cupcake Gallery Facebook page!

Last but not least... I couldn't have done it without my beautiful family!

Thanks Pete for looking after the kids so I could work on the cakes :o)

Thanks to my two beautiful kids Teaghan and Lucas for keeping their hands off my cake table :o)

Thanks baby #3 for not arriving before the deadline :o)

and thanks God for blessing me with these exciting results which I didn't expect to receive! 

Last workshop before Baby#3!

I've just had the privilege of teaching yet another wonderful bunch of ladies at my latest workshop - the Princess Cupcake Workshop, and am now officially on 'maternity leave' until September!

Well, besides the cakes I'll be making for my kids' combined birthday party in a couple of weeks plus entries into the 2011 Sydney Royal Easter Show.... before the baby comes in May. That should keep me busy!

Princess Cupcake Workshop starring Tiana, Belle, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Snow White

The view from my 'teaching table'

Me with my lovely students and their beautiful princess creations

Girls Night In 19th Nov 2010

The Cupcake Gallery hosted a Girls Night In Cupcake Night on 19th Nov to raise money for the Cancer Council.

It was a fantastic night with 86 ladies in attendance, all ready to be creative with fondant.

In total, we raised $3500 for cancer research

 Girls Night In under way

 The room was beautifully set up, thanks to the lovely ladies at Dural Baptist Church.

 My lovely mum shared her story about beating breast cancer

 My beautiful family and I all decked out in pink for the occasion

 Goodie bags for everyone with goodies donated by businesses

Everyone was taught 2 designs, then had to design 4 of their own.

There were prizes for the best 3 boxes on the night.

 Susan won first prize.

 Julie won 2nd prize

Naomi won 3rd prize

A special thanks to the following businesses for their kind and generous contributions to the Girls Night In:

Blue Illusion

The Cookie Man

Raw Skin & Beauty

Wow Giftware

Sweetness the Patisserie

The Party Studio

PSP Three Towns Project

Sweet Deliveries

Dural Baptist Church

Front page in local newspaper!

The Cupcake Gallery made front page news today (2 Nov 2010) in our local paper The Hills Shire Times. The article continues onto p.24.
Here's my beautiful girl and I with the cupcakes that I'll be teaching at the Girls Night In Cupcake Night to raise money for the Cancer Council.
Click to read the digital edition of the newspaper. It's the Nov 2nd 2010 edition.

3D Cupcakes Workshop

Finally, I've finished my sample cupcakes for the 3D Cupcakes Workshop!

I started working on these a couple of weeks ago but it's taken me a while to finish because I've been distracted by my latest obsession of making cookie cutters :o) Just made a Cupcake Gallery cookie cutter last night, hoping to try it out next week after I finish making Adrian & Vanessa's gorgeous wedding cake for their big day. I'm thinking of possibly including a Cupcake Gallery cookie in the workshop goodie bags.

My aim was to create a beautiful set of cupcakes that would be easy for beginning/intermediate learners to master. I like to have themes for each set of cupcakes for workshops, so it wasn't easy coming up with ideas that were all within the same theme AND easy to make. I spent quite some time just sitting and staring at my fondant, and then playing with ideas and colours before settling on the final designs. I generally plan 4-5 cupcake designs for each workshop. Students start off making the simplest design, and then work up to a more complex one as their confidence grow as we progress through the workshop.

These cupcakes were inspired by the current popularity of 'high tea'. At this workshop, students will be making cupcakes with the following toppers: Macarons, cupcakes, slice of cake, cupcakes in tray, and last but not least - the tea set.