My brush with greatness!

Well, it was a surreal experience to see Ron Ben-Israel in person. It's funny how we idolize people and then when we see them in real life, they really are just people! But Ron has a quality that is intangible and it's what makes him stand out in a crowd. He's genuinely happy!

I was caught off guard by his generosity in providing information and answering questions but also his enthusiasm with teaching. Obviously, he's taught this class many times before but he took the time to instruct us carefully and methodically. Now I just have to practice, practice, practice!

We attended the new classroom at Flour Confections in Pickering, Ontario. It was a well-planned room and high tech too, with a remote camera that projected from above the demo area. Ron himself seemed to be impressed! I would love to attend this venue again and again but I wish it didn't involve a 3.5 hour flight from Alberta!

We learned how to make sweet peas, peonies, a rose in different stages of bloom, calla lilies and an orchid. Some of the flowers were harder than others to achieve. The easiest for me was the sweet pea mainly due to Ron's innovatively designed petal cutter which I purchased (of course!). The hardest was the orchid due to a technique that involved twisting and pulling at the sugar paste to create a life-like ruffled effect...that one will take much time to perfect.

On the last day of class, we prepared to dust the flowers and they really came to life. I wish I had photos of my finished flowers but the plane ride was not kind! Most of them broke and now I wish I had packed them much better and held them on my lap the whole way. Ah well....

I leave you with photos of Ron and I, the classroom and some of the flowers I made, undusted! As I create my own at home, I'll post them here.

Where did you get that??

Hey lovers of cake,
I'm often asked where I get my supplies. Here in Alberta the pickins is slim! Michael's craft stores seem to be the first on people's minds for cake supplies but they only sell Wilton stuff and it's ok but there are many other products out there and some are of higher quality.

I thought I would fill you on where I shop. Guess what? It's online! I found some excellent shops online and they're in Canada so the shipping is reasonable. Here's a list of my faves:

1. Cake Mischief - based in Beaumont, AB. This cake decorator's supply business is so close to where I live that I often pick up my order and don't pay for shipping at all. http://www.cakemischief.ca/

2. Flour Confections - this supply shop is located in Pickering, ON but they ship anywhere. I love their in-house-made fondant! It's called Confectioners Choice and it's really quite good to work with, tastes great and is cheaper than big name fondants. They also have sales and special incentives including free shipping from time to time!
You have to check out the cakes designed by Lisa, owner of Flour Confections. She is so very talented! I have a soft spot for this shop because I have attended for a class with Bronwen Weber (so cute) and am on my way there in a few days to attend another class, this time with the awesome Ron Ben-Israel. Perhaps you've heard me mention this in passing?? :) I'm pumped!
http://www.flourconfections.ca/

3. Golda's Kitchen - a Canadian online retailer for cake supplies but so much more. They also have tons of housewares and gadgets. I love their selection, the site is easy to navigate but the best part - great customer service and very fast and accurate shipping. http://www.goldaskitchen.com/

Well, enjoy surfing the web for these little gems. I'll post more options as I find them. I do use a couple of good U.S. retailers online but with shipping, well, if you can buy Canadian then do it and save yourself time and money.

It's a new day!

Wow, I had two coffees this a.m. and now I'm perky. Thanks K-cups! I wish I had something profound to say on my first ever blog post but...eh..I'll save that for later.

Welcome to Cake Star! I'm so happy to have this forum to discuss my cakes, my biz and my passions. It won't be just about cake but cake is definitely the conversation starter here. So here's the BIG NEWS.......................................................................I'm going to meet my all-time fave and respected cake artist. Yes, Ron Ben-Israel will be in Toronto and I unexpectedly got the opportunity and all doors opened up for me to attend his class at Flour Confections. I am so blessed and very grateful to my family especially my husband and my parents-in-law and my parents for stepping in to fill my shoes while I'm gone for a few days. **It takes 5 people to do what I do??? Yup, it does :)

When I get back I'll post pics of The Maestro and the sugar flowers I am going to learn to make in his class. My favorites are the rose and the peony so watch out for those photos! Hopefully I can get a pic with Mr. Ben-Israel himself!

I have to say I'm a cake celebrity groupie. I love to meet the people in the cake industry who have been recognized for their extraordinary talent and I hope to learn some skills and hone the skills I have. So as I learn from them I will post it for you and I'll share some tidbits too.

I love the design of my blog and my website at http://www.cake-star.com/. I want to thank Jessica at Sweetest Cupcake Graphic & Web Design for both sites. Check out her link - you'll love her work! I've had tons of compliments on my logo and I smile every time I see it. www.sweetestcupcake.com