caketops

a little birdie told me...

2012-02-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

tweet tweet!!! Ha!! I'm on twitter these days... well i'm a lazy tweeter actually as i have it set to automatically tweet my facebook posts. I thought i should make more effort to plug into this social networking lark (what more birds?!) that everyone is into these days... In fact i have to say facebook is great, i've been enjoying checking the caketops fan page and trying not to become hooked on how many new 'likes' i may or may not have lol!! So far, i am successfully not counting... however saying that there will be a MASSIVE PARTY if we ever ever make it to 1000!! hee heee!

Facebook is great tho i have to say. Until i started paying more attention to it a few months ago, i never knew that there were so many cake lovers out there, globally meeting up with a simple click on facebook. In fact so many creative souls of all kinds (whether it be work, hobby or obsession!), posting photographs, information, tutorials and all sorts of interesting bits and bobs. Gosh, to think it wasn't so long ago that we used smoke signals to comunicate, lol.

On facebook, you can loose hours easily, beware!! Ha!! Just yesterday the webmaster introduced me to 'Smörgåstårta' via facebook, i think actually i may be one of the few folks who hadn't heard of it before. It's pretty cool, however from what i can tell, even tho its a form of sandwich a popular ingriedient seems to be everything fishy. I am not a seafood lover, so if we have a Smörgåstårta at our facebook party for 1000 likes, we may need to come up with a slightly different version....

Anyway, i digress. The real reason i entitled this post was 'a little birdie told me' was because i have made a cute cake top for a pidgeon fancier groom and his lovely bride. Of course i was trying to be clever with a birdy title, then i said 'tweet' and then off i flapped on a tangent... still, here is the caketop, and i'll pop it on facebook too, and then it will automatically tweet itself, (our pidgeon would love to nibble on some Smörgåstårta while he's over there.... ) and then you see, it all works out in the end!

Congratulations to our happy caketop couple!!

website back online!

2012-01-28T06:30:00.000-08:00

Hooray!! After some difficulty, the website is now back up and running... whew! All it took was a fella at the end of the phone to put me on hold for two minutes and then he came back on and said it was fixed. And it was! Yay! So all good. http://www.caketops.co.uk/ is all systems go!
I am still to catch up properly with all emails after being away on holidays, i should be back on track soon.... oh its all go, even with the website being in a huff, and i have a cold...!!!

On the last day of my holiday, i knew that caketops were bekoning, as i saw these in an antiques market, and i started to think again of all of you!!

RETURNED!

2012-01-25T02:48:00.001-08:00

Hello world! Back now after a lovely wee holiday, all recharged and ready to make lots of caketops! First thing on my list today however was to sort out the website- now who forgot to renew the web pack thingy??!! So if you have been looking for the website it has be unavailable the last couple of days, but should be back in buisness by this evening. You may have/had trouble emailing me via my 'info' address so instead you can use caketops@btinternet.com i will be catching up with all emails over the next few days. Anyway nice to be back and busy.... no more beach or stork watching for a while...i shall make do with hairy coos and sheep instead!

HOLIDAYS!!

2012-01-09T08:32:00.000-08:00

HOLIDAYS!!! Yes i'm off to the sun for a few days so please forgive any delay in replying to emails or comments you may post over on facebook. I will try to keep an eye on my email inbox whilst away, but will be back around the 25th of January when i will catch up properly with everyone caketopwise! If you haven't had a reply by 1st of February then please do chase me up, full contact details are on my website ....

If you have a caketop request for mid to late February time and haven't been in contact already, i may still be able to fit you in. Ring me on my return, and if emailing please type 'URGENT' in the subject line so i spot it in amongst all the spam!!

Looking forward to lots of caketop making fun in 2012, till then bon voyage!!

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday time and so far so good for 2012! Wishing all the very best to all of you! For me, January is a time to answer emails, but this January is also a time to be on holiday! Yes, away i go from this chilly, windy, wet, and generally driech northern land, and its a wee trip to a slightly warmer land- where no doubt unseasonal weather will set upon us!! Ha!! No! Indeed i am packing my bucket and spade so lets hope for the chance to use it.... So while i will try to stay on top of emails this month, please forgive any late replies. I shall catch up properly by the 1st of February, and if you haven't heard back from me by then, please do chase me up!

So, this December time was great fun for me. I was able to make some cakes and have a go at making Gingerbread Houses for the first time. I found alot of inspiration on the web... Wow! Don't people make wonderful things- and you even get to eat them afterwards! I made a big lump of gingerbread dough, which i rolled thin and thinner still in the quest to find out the secret to how thin or even thinner it actually needs to be. It does need to be pretty thin if you are making something small i discovered... Also, important to note the thickness of walls when sizing a roof! AND, trim it when its warm! AND, royal icing doesn't like to stick to crumbs, AND it doesn't take as long as you might think in the oven at all, (note that gingery burning smell....), AND more practice needed to make see thro sugar windows.....

Here was my first attempts at making something out of gingerbread... you can see my progress from left to right, and how tight my roofs were- they needed more overhang! In the end i successfully made a mini birdhouse, mini house and a bigger house. I had LOTS of spare bits and test bits, but they proved good for munching on while pondering that roof issue...

The mini birdhouse went onto a mini cake, for my bird loving Uncle. I was going to put robins all over it, but thinking about it i decided a jolly festive flamingo would add a dash of bright colour and maybe raise a smile or two. Plus it would look cute in a scarf and hat.

The big gingerbread house was for my Uncle and Auntie and family, and it I made up as i went along. I think next time i may try and make one which is more cartoon like, or with either just pastel or primary colours. I would have liked it to have been more dramatic! It turned out a bit Hansel and Gretel i think and perhaps needed a chimney....!!

The last cake i made was finished on Christmas Eve for my folks, and this one i had been thinking of for ages and as it happened was the one i had least time left to spend on. I wanted it to be a bit nordic looking, with red and white and reindeer! I had looked on etsy for colours and pattern inspirations and had a lovely ribbon picked out!

Also i had aquired a fine collection of cutters which i was determined to use. Have you spotted that TK Maxx always have a random selection of cake decorating equiptment and bits and bobs these days? PME and Wilton among the brands you can find there.

After discovering this I had set my Mum on the hunt for PME holly leaf plunger cutters. Dedicated Mum that she is, three TK Maxxes later she found them! (not all in the one day of course, this took her weeks, with various other cutters bought along the way!! lol!, plus she lives in 'civilization', so the TK Maxxes were closer together....) So of course my folk's cake had to make good use of all the cutters, although not the holly leaf ones- they got used on everything but!!

So, it's been a full cake Christmas for me this year. It's really the only time of year i experiment a bit with some cake making and sugarcraft decoration. In years past i used to work as a cake decorator where i made about 3 or 4 cakes in a working day, whew, i was always sticky!! Ha!! So these days i reserve the kitchen chaos and sticky floors to December only. Well, more or less...

I hope you have had a wonderful cake filled Christmas and New Year, and here's wishing you and yours all the best and more of the same in 2012!! xxx

weather permitting...

2011-12-09T16:13:00.001-08:00

Was i wishing for snow in my last post?!! Ha!! Well we have some, and also a whole lot of wind! Here in the Great Glen i think the wind decided it was a handy corridor for ripping right on through! The Postie told me today how he saw water from the loch whooshing high up into the air, and after a few branches and then a fallen tree threatened his route he turned back down the road for home! A wise man indeed. Today has been the complete opposite to the windy one, a beautiful day, very still, just one for tidying up and, errrr replacing some roof tiles and returning to my neighbour, the various pieces of her former greenhouse.....

So, Power has been off in Caketopland for 32 hours, but now we are reconnected! Yay! Well done engineers! If you are awaiting a reply to any email or word about your current order, i shall hopefully catch up with you over the weekend. Any queries at all, just get in touch!

Now, before the storm arrived and interupted my 'schedule', i was preparing my mini Christmas cake for my decorating evening with the local Women's Rural Institute. It's not finished yet, i am still to add a decoration for the top. This will be the forth year that i show the ladies of Glengarry how to make some fun cake decorations for Christmas. We always have a good laugh and the ladies do enjoy friendly competition as to who can do what best! The mini cake when it is finished will be my 'and here's one i made earlier' sort of thing, and a raffle prize for the night. So, no more power cuts please, SWRI night is next Tuesday.... weather permitting!!

UPDATE!!! The night went well, here's a pic of the finished cake, and also on facebook i've just added a step by step how to make a mini cake and robin!!

Snow is falling!

2011-12-07T05:07:00.001-08:00

Yes indeed, only a few days ago i was wondering when the snow would come, but finally it is here! Time to feel festive and throw snowballs!! If you are planning a winter wedding perhaps you are looking forward to some lovely snowy scences to set off your day. If so you may well be dressing in something glamourous but cosy... mmmmm not a wooly hat on this occasion perhaps, but a nice cosy stole!!

This winter wedding couple i made for The Little Venice Cake Company, the bride is very chic in her stole and some lovely red flowers add a nice festive touch! The figures are made completely from polymer clay, so have a look as if made from sugar, but will be able to be kept long after this winter as a nice memento!

Don't forget My Holday Dates, 20th December 2011 - 24th January 2012. Get in touch if you have a query or would like to make an order for February time.

where's the snow?

2011-12-01T07:40:00.001-08:00

Happy December everyone!! The countdown to Christmas has begun!! No snow here yet... well there is a sprinkling on the tops of the mountains, but down here at house level it's just a bit wet and chilly! Not at all like where this caketop couple are!!

Yes, it's pretty snowy where they are, and they need their wellies on!! Plus, best to watch out for flying snowballs when this couple are about!!

I hope you are all enjoying the run up to Christmas and Hogmany- i do hope you have some nice plans afoot. Now if some of your plans involve a wedding there is still time to order your cake top. However please note that here in caketopland everything is shutting down for a month!! Holiday dates this year will be 20th December until 24th January 2012. Hooray!! Lots of time for being snowed in and eating all the christmas chocolate.... So if you would like to make an order for January time or early February please get in touch asap so i can make and have it posted off to you before Christmas.

The New Year also proves a busy time for emails, and i will try to stay on top of them during holiday time, but if there is any delay in getting a reply don't worry, but do give me a ring after 24th January if you have an urgent query that hasn't been answered.

Don't forget to keep in touch via my facebook page too, and visit my etsy shoppe if you so fancy- still some brooches to be had in time for Crimbo!!

Now it's novem-brrrrr!

2011-11-14T05:41:00.001-08:00

Oooh!! A frosty start to the morning today. In the great glen the cold air finds itself quite at home!! Does make for some very frosty winter days tho, and i am looking forward to the icicles! Oooh and another thing that is good about this time of year here in the glen, are the sunsets...the days may get shorter but the sunsets get better!! Long winter evenings are good for pottering about too, i must try and take up my knitting again.

Last year lovely Jenny fom Invergarry Lodge gave me needles and wool and an excellent book, i made a scarf. (Well technically you could say my Mum- an excellent knitter- made half of my scarf) so this year i am going for leg warmers!! Ha! I figure those are just two short scarves stiched togeher...

Winter weddings are happening of course and i have started to make a few snowy caketops! If you are thinking of ordering a cake top for before or just after New Year, get in touch now as there will be holidays for me over the festive time, so we best get organised now!!

And of course i have been busy making a few wee brooches and pendants for my wintertime etsy shop. Its been good fun and they have taken over my facebook page! I've had a few requests for personalised pins. No problem, since caketop making is all about personalisation, so why should a brooch be any different?! The girls faces are proving popular for grown up girls and little girls too, and what about the coos? Everyone loves a highland coo... So for you lovely blog readers, here's a code so you can get free postage on anything in my etsy shoppe if you live in the UK, NOVBG11SP just type it in when prompted...

Here's a few snaps of what you may find there....

too many toms

2011-10-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

I do enjoy getting in the garden when i can, altough i am pretty hit and miss when it comes to harvest time... i'm pretty good at cultivating slugs!!!

However, my two Uncles are very keen gardeners, and this year my Dad joined the club by getting himself a lovely new greenhouse. Tomatoes, that's the thing you see.... i did hear on a gardening radio programme during the summer, a question about tomatoes, to which the comment 'you either have tomatoes or you have a life' made me laugh! Well, my Uncles and my Dad do take very devoted care of thier tomato plants it has to be said, so much so in fact that they all end up with millions of tomatoes each! Tomatoes for breakfast lunch and dinner, and then some!

You can freeze tomatoes of course but they are a bit mushy.... i prefer chutney making. So the other week when my Dad visitied, he proudly brought me a bag full of his own home grown tomatoes! (Hey hey! The Uncles better watch out!)

This batch was from the end of the season, so quite a few green ones. Perfect for chutney tho, and my horticultural contribution was some fine apples from my garden ( the apple tree is slug proof and does it's thing with zero imput from me). So Green Tomato and Chilli Chutney was cooked up and we have to wait a few weeks for it to mature, but then i think- i hope- it will be good, and presants (not phesants) all round for Dad and Uncles!

There are lots of chutney recipes on the internet, so if you fancy having a go yourself you will have no trouble finding some tips. It is so easy tho, you can't go wrong. I put lots of apples in mine, onions and some spices and mustard seeds, along with vinegar and sugar. Next batch of chutney will be apple cider chutney i think... unless i use up the rest of the apples on crumble and pie...

I made little polymer clay chillis and tomatoes to decorate my jars with, so they are fun to make from start to finish. And with a fabric cover made from some material scraps and a ribbon bow and a bit of string for a rustic twist- it's definitely autumn!!

Love through a lens!

2011-10-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

It's always lovely to hear back from a Bride and Groom after the Big Day, and hear how it all went. It's great to hear how the cake top played it's part on all manner of wonderful cakes.

Cutting the cake is of course one of those wedding moments that everyone likes to have a picture of! Sonja and Shane, along with their photographer Gemma Williams, were kind enough to share lots of wonderful wedding photos with me... and with you!! Gemma really has captured the magic of the day, and all those lovely little touches that the bride and groom put into thier 'apple -country' wedding. (Handmade signs and moustaches being my favourites!!) It really is beautiful, and i am so pleased that i was able to contribute a tiny wee part of it, by making thier caketop.

The happy couple are booksellers, antique books that is, so there is a pile of leatherbound books sitting on the cake top... and their wee boy is cheerily waving thier country flags on there too! It was a great fun caketop to make, and a real treat to have an 'invite' to the day, by being able to view all the photos on Gemma's blog, it really does tell the story of the day!

CONGRATULATIONS Sonja and Shane!!!

http://www.gemmawilliamsphotography.co.uk/ http://www.tarringtonbooks.co.uk/

Hallow-weenies!

2011-10-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

October time!! Pumpkin!! Hats!!! Monstas!!! yes.... still caketopping as well, never you fear, spookiness has only arrived for one day....

Yes, so a wee etsy shop has opened for the season. First in the shop are a handfull of halloween goodies. Little pin brooches made with polymer clay, and providing a bit of an autumnal smile i hope. As wintertime can be a bit quieter in the way of weddings, i am planning on fitting in a few festive brooches and random things as time allows, during the next few weeks, which i'll put on etsy. Also i will list one or two BARGAIN caketops for you. Oh yes! I have a couple of 'ex display' caketops i've used for a bit of experimental photo taking, and if i manage to i will make up one or two more for you too... so look out you may be able to grab yourself a cake top bargain on etsy. Will keep you posted. Regular personalised caketop orders still very welcome as usual of course!! Just get in touch direct for those. Orders are being taken for 2012, and my diary is now open!

In the meantime, back to spooky!!!!

Party crashers!

2011-10-10T05:36:00.000-07:00

Weddings can be a tricky buisness... you just can't leave someone out! What would your pets say if you forgot them on the big day? They may have to stay at home, since no doubt they may be easily worn out by so much dancing and may be a bit tempted to munch on the wedding cake when you're not looking.... but who's to say they can't star on the cake instead of eating it?!!

Oh! But there is always one isn't there!! Just has to crash in on the wedding party, burst out of the 'cake' no less..... well at least he made the effort and wore a top hat for the occasion!

Congratulations to of all these wedding people, and their various furry and feathered and top hatted friends!!

Ladies in red

2011-10-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

Isn't red such a wonderful colour for a wedding... it definitely suits a bride, especially if it has some sparkley beads and shining embroidery on there too!!! Beautiful brides with bling!!

Congratulations to all our bride and grooms, who wear it so well!!

Globally yours!

2011-09-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

There's been a whole lot of flag waving going on lately... i think that coo started it. And why not, if you have a flag lets wave it!!! yay!!

Of course it's not just country flags..... you've got to keep and eye out for the eighteenth hole too... even on a wedding day!!! fore....!!!

Sounds of the summer

2011-09-05T05:29:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a busy Summer for weddings of 'People I Know'. People I Know have been getting hitched all over the place.... Andy and Zoe made a day of it way down in Englandshire, so far from here it was nearly in France. Still caketops travel well and the cake top i made for them got there no trouble at all. However, to be on the safe side there was a wee sandwich on the cake top and a flask of tea should the caketop people get peckish en route... and they had football tickets should they have time to take in a game.... maybe a strum on the guitar.... Fuzzy the cat came too, to make sure they didn't get lost....

The guests had a great feast of course with a fantastic cake made for the day by friend of the family and expert cake decorator Margaret, who obviously has a very steady hand and great attention to detail as she got the tricky design from the couples wedding rings beautifully iced onto the cake. Making for a very dramatic and individual cake, which was a big hit. Nearly as big a hit in fact, as Andy playing the drums....but not so agressive on the ears....much better for the tastebuds...

Congratulations to the new Mr & Mrs, may your married life be happy and never short of loud music and yummy cake!! xx

highland wedding!

2011-08-22T05:51:00.000-07:00

Of course it was not just coos that attended my cousin's wedding!!! No they had a 'proper' cake too!! It was a dinky cake, but i made it a tall one so in fact it didn't look so dinky at all in the end! We enjoyed a lovely wedding at the Old Pines Hotel, at Spean Bridge, which was just perfect with yummy food and just the ideal setting for a cosy wedding. The Highland coo cake got munched on the day, while the 'proper' wedding cake was eaten later as the newly marrieds celebrated all over again at the weekend!

Congratulations to the happy couple! It was a great day! The cake top i made for them gets all the fun tho, i tell you.... it gets to travel home to Norway with them for another party, and then again to Paraguay for even more wedding cake and celebrating!! Send us a postcard!!

here come the coos!!

2011-08-16T03:49:00.001-07:00

Mooooo!!!! Yes up here in the Highlands of Scotland coos (cows) are horny and hairy.....aye much like the locals.... They tend to go by names such as Hamish, Hector and, er, Fred. It's true. They are also generally total suckers for romance, (Fred especially) and love to wildly wave flags on wedding days while perched on a grassy highland hilltop. It is truely a sight to behold....

What? You don't believe me? Look!! its true!!

plenty of pets!

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular requests i have for a cake top, is to include those special, often furry, members of the family that are for some reason not going to the actual wedding!! Dogs and cats.... bunny rabbits.... ferrets... budgies, and cockatoos.... lizards.......yes i did say furry, but quite often scaled or feathered or clawed too!! All wonderful tho and all great to add to a cake top so they can be involved in the big day!

I am occasionally asked for horses as well but of course as they are so much bigger than many pets, they would take up a fair bit of space on a cake which isn't always practical. Cakes these days are all shapes and sizes of course, but typically a traditional top tier would be 6 inches diameter. Also a model horse is a bit of a project in itself, as they are alot more tricky to build than a bride and groom, so my time and therefore cost has to be considered.

However just lately i had a request from Little Venice Cake Company in London, for whom i make clay figures from time to time for, you guessed it....a horse. Coincidentally around that time i had a request from a cake top customer who was very keen that her horse and pets cats would star on her cake......horses it seems are alot like buses....

LVCC's horse, above on the left, was first with a rider also sculpted in clay. This was for a cake that had been comissioned to celebrate a special birthday. The figure and horse and the grassy base they stand on are all seperate pieces, so the horse and rider would be placed on the cake as desired and then the grassy base can be used afterwards to display them. I did something similar for the bases for the cake top above right. My customer wanted to experiment a bit with how she would place the figures on her cake as she had a few options, wheter it be all on one tier, seperate tiers or even if the pets would sit on the table next to the cake. So while bride and groom are fixed to thier grassy base, the cats and the horse are not fixedto theirs, allowing them to be fixed to the cake independantly. Or if the bases are used they are actually shaped to curve around each other so they can be placed as close as possible and make a nice neat group!

Whew! So i guess it is true that for cake tops just like in the home, space and time can be an issue to what pet you may choose!!

pretty in pink

2011-07-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite things about caketop making is having a wee sneak preview of what the bride and grrom will look like on the day, when all those carefully chosen outfits, flowers and pretty colours come together. Grooms' tie or cravate often mirror the bridesmaids' dress colour, which may often match theshades in the Brides' bouquet, which often tone in with the buttonhole flower, which occasionally echoes hair colour....

emails emails ....emails... DONE!

2011-07-21T17:50:00.001-07:00

YAAAAY!!!!! Emails are all up to date as of now! 18.39 28th July 2011 Oh yes!! If you are awaiting a reply still then the ether has intercepted it somehow or the spooky inbox mail muncher monster may have got it when i wasn't looking..... give me a ring should you be a victim of this dreadful fate.... xx

Here is one of the reasons i was very slow at emails this month.... Big congratulations to Jim and Margret who make a lovely couple and don't actually look anything like a pair of teddy bears.... although now you mention it....!!

Tour de Caketops!

2011-07-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

Well it's July folks and that must mean le Tour de France is on le telly, (or in my case the pooter) while i remain chained to my workdesk making lots of summer wedding caketops!! Whew, Alpe d'Huez tomorrow too so no rest for the wicked..... Still, when i see those cyclists climbing big mountains and battling it out in rain, wind and shine, well i just think to myself, Hey where's your kilt??!! No doubt the Bride awaits the best dressed at the finish....!!

It'll be all over on Sunday of course when all roll into Paris. If you happen to be there look out for this charming couple, you may spot the splendid hat!! This cake top is one i made recently and was great fun to make and challenged me to attempt some gravity defiying, big mountain climbing, sewing skills... I posted it off to France and happily it made its way to the capital even quicker than the Tour, and has already had it's big day in Paris. Bonne Chance!! (unfortunatly i never studied French so i can't add anything clever or witty here, quel dommage...)

the kids are alright

2011-06-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before how nice it is when customers get back in touch after their wedding with a photo or just a friendly email letting me know how the caketop did on the big day. Sometimes tho i do hear from customers much later on... in fact very occasionally when they have a another sort of cake needing a special cake top!

Christening, or a special first birthday cake are often an occasion for a cake top that can be kept. I don't do too many i have to say as wedding cake tops keep me very busy especially at this time of year! But if it is a past customer who says nice things about how the cake top did at the wedding day... it's hard to say no!

Put your back into it!!

2011-06-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

Yes! I should be making much more effort! I have to appologise for a lack of blog posts -where has the time gone?! Well it's busy caketop season here again and time has been flying by. However it does mean i have a backlog of new and varied caketop stories that i can share with you when i do get my typing finger out....

So my back has been needing some stretching and excercising lately i am sure, as i have been gulity of very poor posture as i'm working away on caketops..... Now, if only there was a Physiotherapist in the vicinity....

Aaaah Ha!!! Just like magic i have found one!!! This lady is most certainly the person to turn to in a case such as mine. Look, she has her model spine to prove it....what's that...she has a pair of running shoes.... oh and she likes shopping too i can tell. Her groom meanwhile, seems to be a cricket fan, he likes cars by the look of that magazine under his arm, must be good at maths with a calculator in hand too, maybe he's an accountant?.... and is that a West Ham scarf i spy around his neck? Gosh it's amazing what one can tell about people by their caketops!!!

Congratulations to our happy couple who are indeed enjoying their hobbies and professions as well as looking very splendid in their wedding outfits! All the very best for the big day!!

Now... do you think chocolate cake would be good for my back?

Get me to the church on time Barney!

2011-03-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

Neigh bother!!! lol!

Many thanks to Lynn for sending me this today!! Lynn has had her wedding day featured in No.1 Magazine, and doesn't she and her Groom David look dashing in thier wedding day finery? Not to mention Barney, Lynn's horse who made sure she got to the church on time -what an entrance!

I made a caketop for the happy couple, complete with saddle as a wee nod to Barney!!

The photographer for the day was Linda Sneddon who seems to have captured some great shots of the day.

Congratulations to Lynn and David, as well as Barney- as Lynn says; the other man in her life!!

a little bit retro

2011-03-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

Well after a snowfall this week we can be sure its most certainly still winter... However spring daffodils are peeping thro the snow in caketopland , so i am sure there is some sun just around the corner!

I have been catching up on emails today and after following some lovely links to beautiful dresses, i am feeling very summery indeed!! I do enjoy looking at your links, which describe for me kilts and suits, bouquets and colours, dresses and hairdos! A customer today sent me a link to a website where the company make some amazing veils and hairpieces. Their website has some super photos which had me clicking away to see more!! It has a retro feel which appeals to me and made me think of tea and cake and summery picnic days in the garden......I thought i'd share a couple of my favourite vintage inspired websites with you....

Sara Gabriel, based in Denver Colorado, with no UK outlets as far as i can tell, but still if you are keen you can buy from a US store which they list on the website, or maybe just enjoy their photos and be inspired by their beads, tulle and feathers! Etsy is also a great source of wedding ideas and many UK makers put thier wares on there too.

Closer to home, why not dish up your sandwiches and slices of yummy wedding cake on pretty vintage china? There are alot of china hire companies out there now, covering the whole of the UK, just ask google. Here's one i found in Bonnie Scotland! Tatty Mac!

And don't forget, the most essential and unique addition to your wedding day is of course a cake top!! A handmade caketop is personalised just for you and reflects your style, whatever that may be!! And i do enjoy looking at all those lovely dresses, so weblinks always welcome!

Good to hear from you!

2011-02-23T07:47:00.001-08:00

It's always great to hear from past customers who very often get in touch to share a photo from thier wedding and let me know how the caketop - and the cake ! - was enjoyed!! It's super to see what the cake top actually looked like on the cake and it definitely makes me smile!! What a wonderful variety of cakes too, and it really does show how different, personal and special each celebration is. It means my cake top making job never gets boring, as each cake top i make is unique!!

I usually get a wee email with a photo or two attached and a little note, but sometimes i get a card delivered to the door- the old fashioned way!! This card came a long way, like Susan and Gary say; all the way across the Atlantic Ocean!!

'Dear Helen,

Thank you very much for the absolutely wonderful 25th Anniversary cake top you made for us. It was definitely the 'hit' of the party. After its long trip across the Atlantic Ocean, the US and a starring appearance at our party, the cake top has taken up permanent residence in our living roon curio cabinet. It brings a smile to our faces each time we pass it.'

I have to say, that is one lucky cake top, off to live in sunny California!! (as i look out the window onto a very dreich scottish day...!!)

Now here's another lucky cake top who sits proudly atop a beautifully iced cake by Jenni James, complete with paisley patterned sugar swirls! A steady hand needed there i think!

'Thought you might like to see your cake top in action on our wedding day- they looked great! ;0)'

Many thanks to Shanthi and Andrew for sharing their lovely photos with me and now you!! Such happy smiles as they pose with the cake top. Great photos of thier day by Harj Gill.

So lets wish big congratulations and the very best of wishes to all cake top bride and grooms near and far... and i look forward to many more caketop couples i haven't made and 'met' yet!!

Also, hello hello to our new blog 'follower'. Well there hasn't been any new followers for ages and i was beginning to think i was typing to myself, so thanks for joining Natalie, hope you enjoy the ramblings!!

there's a moose loose!

2011-02-11T04:52:00.000-08:00

February is here already! Spring is just around the corner, in fact snowdrops blooming in the garden just now, they don't seem to mind that its still cold! Myself, well i am still wrapped up in thermals that's for sure....

If you are considering an order for a cake top for your wedding this Spring or Summer, now is a good time to get in touch. I can give you a quote based on your requests, and you can secure a spot in the diary before it gets too busy. Just send me an email and i'll respond as soon as i can!

When i'm not emailing or making cake tops, sometimes i'm chasing mice...

This little brooch i made for a wee girl who's birthday it was, happy 6th birthday Mouse!!

wonderful winter weddings!

2011-01-25T10:17:00.001-08:00

Well the snow may have gone for a wee while, but there's still a bit of a nip in the air! Lets hope the nip in the air is you raising a glass to toast the happy couple!! Oh yes, the start of the year is just as good as any to get hitched, and we are not so far from Valentine's day after all!!

Here are some happy couples who are enjoying a romantic wintertime, lets send them warm wishes and warm woolies!!

Now in this wintery chilly weather you would think gloves would be an essential bit of kit. However i know a lady who would not thank you for a pair of mittens.... 'Why ever not?' i hear you ask? 'Not even pretty pink ones with reindeer on?' 'Oh no' says i.... because you see, said lady could not perform such amazing feats of brain freezing knotwork if her digits were all wrapped up in cosy lambswool.... She is a knotter of great talent and addiction, and is just not happy unless busy creating some knotty magic, which in all other hands would certainly be a tangle....

She knows much about knots; she has funny names for them and everything! Best of all she makes them beautiful and you can wear them! Yes!! People will ask you wherever did you get that pendant or bracelet? ...and if you choose you could say 'I'm knot going to tell you'... or you could say 'knot on the high street', or if you were especially generous you could let them into the secret, but i suggest only do this in exchange for chocolate... so if you follow this link don't forget, my favourite is Galaxy.....!!! www.shelladams.co.uk

happy new year!

2011-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

I do hope 2011 brings you lots of wonderful things, hey maybe wedding bells if you have found yourself here on the cake top blog!! Orders now being taken for 2011 so get in touch!!

Yes, so that's me back to work after a wee break over Christmas and New Year. I made more real cake at festive time than at any other time of the year... there were a few choccie cakes of various levels of success, a pavlova, of sorts.... (which without the aid of an electric whisk i just didn't have enough mustle for!) and some fruit cakes with penguins on for Christmas. In fact this year i had the ladies of the Invergarry Women's Institude making penguins and reindeer!!

.....but no Santa i thought, and i started to wonder what Santa does at new year.... relax of course, get his boots off, maybe already he's writing his 'to do' list for 2011????

hat tricky!

2010-11-22T05:23:00.000-08:00

Oooooh now that there is a definite winter chill in the air it is all so much more important - Do not forget that hat!!! Preferably one that keeps the ears warm... of course hats come in many different shapes and sizes and apart from practicality, they can tell us alot about a person.

Now here's a game for you, which cake top hat is just the thing for a firey New Yorker?

Which fellow deserves a feather in his cap?

Who is the perfect lady for a joiner with his all too sharp tools?

And which pair enjoy the cold it seems and sporty pom poms?

Answers on a postcard please..... and wrap up warm!!

food-and drink!- of love!!

2010-11-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, love makes you hungry and thirsty too i think... all those romantic dinners and a few glasses here and there to toast the future... or maybe a can of your favourite brew or mango juice! The drinks selection is extensive!! Now if you are looking forward to a marriage of love and good food, why not marry a chef, a cookery queen or a pizza shop owner... and fingers crossed someone doesn't mind doing the dishes!!!

ethel brings it!

2010-11-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hello from caketopland, which if you are looking you would find it just down the road from Nessie and Loch Ness, and just up and round the corner from that fine set of arches that Harry Potter's School train travels over on it's magical way to Hogwarts..... Now i'm afraid i couldn't tell you where Hogwarts School actually is, but if it is to be found in the vicinity of here i am sure Ethel the postie would know!!! Yes, for all caketops are taken on their merry way to you via Ethel and her Royal Mail Van. Ethel is a lovely charming lady who no matter the weather, depth of snow drift, iminent risk of landslide, random mechanical difficulties or rogue sheep, the post always gets through! I suspect in a former life, Ethel would have been a pony express rider, somewhat akin to Calamity Jane, but maybe no guns, and the injuns would have liked her.....

However, all good things do come to an end and Ethel the postie has hung up her spurs. A well deserved and no doubt just as busy retirement awaits!!!

Ethel had a fine dinner and celebration with all her work collegues, and i sent along a surprise Ethel cake top and wee cake for the occasion. Very best wishes to Ethel and we will miss her daily visits to caketopland... oh! but don't worry too much about the post and your caketop deliveries as Ethel's replacement postie will do just as fine a job... and maybe Ethel will have passed on the secret Hogwarts address too.....

bags o beads!

2010-10-08T04:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes i have to get my sewing thread out and a tiny wee needle and get beading!! Lots of beautiful wedding dresses with beading on bodices and skirts... but none more so than sari's!! Gold and silver threads and a fair bit of sparkle! The sewing machine comes in handy but lots of hand sewing and beading for the finishing touches.... now where did i put my thimble??

dream dress!

2010-09-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

Every bride's dress is super special and lovely and, if you follow tradition it's also a big surprise on the day! I am very lucky that often my customers let me into their secret and send photos or weblinks of thier wonderful dresses. It's one of the perks of the job!! However, often i may be looking at that very photo and wondering just how am i going to try and make a mini version of that frock for the cake top bride lol!! I may not be able to get it exactly right as its a very small scale to work on, but generally i think i can make a pretty good attempt!! Lace, beading, full skirts, short skirts, net skirts, long sleeves, short sleeves, no sleeves..... I think i've attempted it all!!

One such dress i admired was for a lovely bride who told me i was indeed one of the very few people who had seen it so far. She had sent me a photo of herself in the dress taken at a fitting, and i admired it and even wished it was mine lol! A top secret dress indeed!! Just lately she kindly got in touch again and this time i realised the secret was at last out about the dress!! It was her Uncle who had designed her beautiful wedding gown, and his name? Mr John Galliano. Now, after an initial panic at the thought of any legal action coming my way as i had, inadvertantly, copied a top designer's wedding dress design.... i was relieved and delighted to learn that in fact the cake top had gone down well on the big day, and no complaints lodged from Mr Galliano as yet.... Whew...

The happy couple had a beautiful wedding in Gibraltar, the photos look fantastic, and as you can see the Groom had a very dashing outfit of his own!! hey hey!

Congratulations to the happy and very well dressed couple!!!

You can read a bit more about the wedding and the bride's dress here...

Confetti magazine pages 54 & 55

Gibralta Cronicle

wheels and squeals!

2010-09-09T05:52:00.000-07:00

Well its September here in caketopland and we'll soon be waving cheerio to the 'summer' that we nearly had... A bit of a damp one here this year, but still there was a few good days of sun, at least i think there was... i'm almost sure of it..... Oh yes indeed!! One such glorious day was the wedding of two lovely seaside living folk and for a change i made the cake top AND attended the wedding! Oh yes! I am so used to posting off caketops to far and wide, that it was quite a new experience to be there in the same room as one! It was a lovely day, not just with it being a rare sunny one, not a cloud in the sky, but a happy day and a happy vibe all round. The bride and groom had sent out invitations where they were pictured cruising along on a moped... uh oh i thought when i got mine.... how on earth can i make a moped.....oh, i tell ya, i almost left the country, but no!! Instead i attempted the challenge and thankfully the two wheels stuck to the road and i'm glad to say no one fell off.....

Congratulations to Milly and Ally, and thanks for a lovely day at your wedding......oh and while we're at it, let's wish a wheelly good time to the 'webmaster'.... She is currently touring Scotland in some sort of wee sporty kit car... i am afraid i have been told but it went in one ear and straight back out the other, i can't tell you what sort of car it is.... It's em... blue.. it's got four wheels but no roof....oooh but its really cool!! Wheelly wheelly cool.....lets hope for a late sunny summer for the webmaster and Mr W, as so far their waterproofs have been well worn!!

Hey have you noticed there is a theme to this blog entry?? Could it be something round and not square?? Yes i knew you'd get it eventually!! Wheels!! I have been thinking 'wheels' for weeks now and have been on the search for the perfect wheel for a wheelchair!! It is tricky.... Making wheels from scratch is harder that you may think... there are lots of model wheels on the web sold for everything from model railways to robot warring..... but so far i haven't found the elusive sport wheelchair wheel, triple spoked and sleek, and just the right size for a caketop..... Still, i do have some very nice wheels in my collection that do the job pretty good i hope...

give me a sign

2010-08-17T06:13:00.001-07:00

Hey! Where are you going? Ever get lost? Sometimes i do, even with map on lap and googled directions printed off.... well you can't help it if you haven't read the last crucial page of directions as it's dark in the car and.....well.... we would never have met that nice french man with his iphone or seen the castle all lit up........ so alls well that ends well..... Now if there had just been a nice big SIGN then hey we'd never have got lost in the first place!!

school's out!

2010-08-02T06:33:00.000-07:00

Do you remember those last days of school before the holidays? Hey hey!! I do, a lovely feeling, and no work on the last day.... yes quite a while ago now, but i do just about remember!! What was it like for teachers tho? I guess they had the same holiday feeling, but i never did wonder what teachers did in thier school holidays... well no need to wonder, now i know!! They get married of course!!

Yes an apple for teacher, and some books..... now speaking of apples and in my very best teacher voice i do say 'eat your greens'!!! Oh yes, you just can't ever get enough veg.....

i predict a riot!

2010-06-28T04:49:00.000-07:00

This groom is well prepared for married life i think!! Full body armour will certainly do the trick!!

Now i have done a few caketops for members of the police force, but this is the first time i've made a fellow in full on riot gear! He's a happy chap, and looks like a proper action man with his body armour and i have to say i was particularly pleased with his riot shield! I'm sure the guests had a few giggles when they saw this atop the cake. I suspect it was the most well behaved wedding reception ever.....!!!!

A good catch

2010-06-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just never know what you may hook when out fishing!! This groom got lucky i think, found himself a bride!!! Just as well she didn't have her boxing gloves on tho, or there may have been trouble getting her ashore.....

another day for clay

2010-05-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

Jenny from Invergarry Lodge is a creative soul and quite fancied having a go at pottery. Genius idea i thought!! Matt searched out Penny at Loch-an-Eilein Pottery in Aviemore and last week Jenny, Shell and i spent a messy but very enjoyable afternoon learning a few basics on the wheel, and we got extra technical by adding spouts and handles onto our wee jugs! It remains to be seen just how well they pour, and in my case, if the handle will stay on.....!!

Much more practice is needed for sure, but already we could tell just how satisfying pottery can be. Penny was a charming teacher and host and her work on display in her gallery was much admired- all the more so after we had given it a go ourselves!!

I think we are all keen for more, and i'm sure ebay has had a recent peak on searches for bargain potter's wheels.......

AND HERE ARE THE FINISHED GLAZED POTS!!! TA DAAAAA!!!

completely clay....

2010-04-21T03:53:00.000-07:00

Hello hello! Long time no type, i have no excuses... over at Invergarry Lodge they have been blogging like mad, about time i caught up.... unfortunatley i have no tall tales of kayaks, mountain bike movies or devilish eggs, and i'm not even considered 95 % brilliant.......

However what i do have is some nice photos of a snowboarding ewok. Oh yes!! Thanks to Kay who is a photographer for the RAF, she spotted the wee ewok i made as a Christmas pressie for a lovely fella (who bears more than a slight resemblance to one, some would say....) and took him along to her studio for his photo oppertunity....the ewok not the fella....

How lovely to have some professional shiny glossy snaps hey hey!! Makes a change from my attempts with point and shoot, wobbly lamp and tea towel background... but hey, i shouldn't let out my trade secrets eh??

Wee ewok fella was made completely from clay, and that's not something i do all too often. Takes alot of time.... i do a few commissions a year for LVCC in clay and every now and again i might be persuaded to do something in clay for a customer if clay happens to be the best way to achieve thier request. On this note i've just finished a cake top for a couple who wanted to be depicted wearing thier desert army camoflage gear. This sounded like a good challenge to me and i thought it would work well, so i was happy to give it a go.... Groom is in the Royal Signals so he has an ariel sticking out of his backpack, while the bride is a doctor and has her red cross armband on.

Still time to make your orders for a cake top should you be thinking of one... i am off on a wee break from 24th May to around the 10th June, but if you get in touch now i can still cover those dates!!

May the force be with you...

2010-03-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

Hey there!! It's spring!! Or so they say, still a bit on the wintery side I think. There is so much snow here in the Highlands, well, you just wouldn't believe it!! Check out Matt & Jenny's flickr page for snowy shots of Highland mountains and ice and such like. Hey that's all just in the back garden you know!

Oh but caketop making is good for keeping the fingers warm and nimble!! The feet do get a bit cold right enough, but then that's what slippers are for... This time last year I do believe I was knee deep in pheasants and labradors, a wee run of country pursuit themed caketops there was. Well this is 2010 they tell me and I've seen plenty pheasant (easy to spot against the snow) but none in the house this year. Instead I have been surrounded and under house arrest by men and women of the law. Honest as the day is long I am, so no worries... still best to stay on their good side I say...

Let it snow

2010-02-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

It must still be winter?! It feels like winter has been a year long at least... still that's not so bad, not when you are a big fan of the white stuff.

This winter I have been doing some important and essential caketop making research and have thrown snowballs (been hit at close range by snowballs too thanks to some scallywags I encountered in the big smoke) and I have had a go at snowboarding. Oh yes, I can prove it! The size of my bruises was unexpected, oh and ice, oh and keep me well away from that poma tow gadget... but still all good...

Maybe my next essential caketop research should be for one where folks get married on a desert island, cocktail glass in hand, birds singing, palm trees swaying... oh comission me someone!!!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-07T04:08:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010!! Hope you all had a good one! Here it has been a very good break, much fun, friends and laughing. A fair bit of snow too would you believe? It was a deeply white christmas and so far 2110 is proving ever deeper...

Holidays are fun of course, but it is nice to ease back into cake tops again. Like clockwork email enquiries are popping into the inbox - I shall do my best to keep on top of emails! If you are looking to order a cake top for 2110 do get in touch for a quote or to go through ideas, get that diary slot booked early!

Ooops!!! Yes, well, just seeing if you were paying attention... in fact still a bit early for those 2110 orders, now taking orders for 2010!! That's twenty ten!!

Caketops Christmas shop!

2009-11-06T16:53:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling festive, and have been pottering away this week feeling very merry indeed. The webmaster and I , when recently taking our vintage inspired photographs, came up with the name 'Felicity & Belle' which has stuck fast, and has inspired a new wee foray into Etsyland. Etsy, if you haven't visited, is quite a cool place with lots of wonderful handmade and vintage things on there. The webmaster is already a loyal punter. She always has nice necklaces in particular which when I admire and enquire as to where she got them, she sheepishly admits she's been perusing the gems on etsy again... So I warn you, it's a fabulous and glittery place and you have to be very careful not to get too addicted.
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Well, I've given you fair warning and now happily direct you Etsy-ward. Have a look at Felicity & Belle first, let us know what you think, and then why not have a wander where you will?!
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If you happen to fancy any of Felicity & Belle's handmade holiday wares that I have on there, you can purchase via Etsy, it's all in US dollars tho which confused me slightly I admit.... . However, probably preferable if you are reading this blog right now; email me direct, mention this word - TIMOROUS - within your email, and I shall make you a special individual price offer for whatever you may be interested in purchasing. The more inventive your email, the better for you my offer shall be! hey hey! If you make me laugh out loud I shall tell you so in numerical fashion!
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Happy Hallowe'en!

2009-10-31T06:04:00.001-07:00

Hey-how for Hallowe'en!

A' the witches tae be seen,

Some are black,

an' some are green,

Hey-how for Hallowe'en.

- Scottish Traditional

This poem seems very apt, however my cake top customers on this occasion were Frankenstien and his charming bride..... so not witches as such, but one half certainly green....

Lawfully wedded

2009-10-08T03:30:00.000-07:00

I do think it's a good idea to stay on the right side of the law, don't you?!

Woolly winter warmers

2009-10-02T03:47:00.001-07:00

Oh there's a definite nip in the air... and I don't mean the whisky kind. It seems that it is definitely Autumn, the leaves are turning golden and red on the trees, the nights are drawing in, and I'm beginning to debate the choice of thermal undergarments that the worldwide web has to offer....

Now, if your cake top bride or groom fancies a scarf to keep themselves nice and warm, well no problem!! My Mum is actually the knitter in the family, and she makes tiny wee knitted scarves for me, knitting them with embroidery and crochet threads so that they're perfectly tiny. She's very good at it, and does a fine line in stripey ones. Recently I found some crochet thread that was different colours on one thread. We didn't know if the colour change would be quick enough- if you know what I mean- to show up on the small scale scarf, but in fact it worked quite well. So now some nice stripey pastel ones to add to the range...but we (she!) can do any colour. A nice addition for those snowboarding, snowballing, or chilly winter wedding caketops pehaps, where a cosy scarf may be essential wedding attire!

The scarf making was originally inspired by football fans of course. A mini woolly scarf works well: adding a nice touch along with footballs, team logos or even hats on!! (My Mum is now an expert in team colours for both Scottish and English Premier leagues - a handy pub quiz team member I think!)

While it may be getting chilly and becoming warm scarf weather now, I do enjoy the autumn and wintertime, so I'm not complaining really. I'm looking forward to some serious frost like we had last year here in the glen, very pretty it was. But didn't I tell you this is a time when some folks enjoy thier wedding day somewhere hot? Somewhere where the folks there think frost exotic?

If that's your bag and a scarf just won't cut it, perhaps what you really need is a sarong and a beach!

Down on the farm

2009-09-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

A few fun cake tops to keep me busy busy this month. This one is for a farmer and his bride. You can tell he's a farmer as he has his copy of 'Farmer's Weekly' in his hand! Plus he's wearing wellies and him and his bride are standing in mud.... at least there's none on the dress!! Congratulations to the happy couple who are getting hitched this weekend!

It's been a busy september with caketops, although soon it will begin to quieten down a wee bit as winter gets closer and we leave the summer well behind. I can hear the rain on the roof as I type so summer has already left here. So now's the time to get in touch if you are looking for a cake top for a winter wedding. In the past I've made brides with wooly hats, furry and very fluffy capes and stoles on, and it has even been known for a snowman to appear... not to mention snowballs! Of course, some folk decide this is the time of year for a wedding in warmer climes, so I do get the oppertunity to go from snow field to tropical beach without even leaving the house. If you're thinking of a cake top for Spring next year too, you can beat my email rush and get in touch over wintertime. The FAQ page on my website should give you all a good idea of what's possible, but feel free to email me or call if you have a question or two, and watch out for the new website which could well appear over the winter. I think we shall have a party to celebrate...

Not that those who venture to caketopland need an excuse to dress up.... you may have noticed there's a new flickr flickering photo thingy over there somewhere to the left. Click on it!! Start at the beginning, now are you sitting comfortably?.... We at caketops.co.uk would like to tell you a story... I appologise in advance about that hairy, bearded bridegroom, but that's what the Highlanders up here are like I warn you!!

Drumroll please...

2009-09-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the pleasure of spending a day with tartan, bits of felt, scissors, and oooh black crushed velvet. Yes, a typical day for me, however the result not so typical; my very first little cake top Drum Major. He was required to help celebrate a real life, full sized Drum Major's birthday. In case you are confused, the real one is the gentleman on the right....you can see he's holding his mini me!

This is Peter, Drum Major of The Isle of Skye Pipe Band, who along with the rest of the band, enjoyed a birthday celebration of smoked salmon, champagne and of course CAKE, on arrival in Braemar for the annual Gathering. Janet made a super cake for all, and don't you just wish you were there?!

Well there's always next year! The band enjoyed a great time at the Gathering, and I believe are now enjoying a bit of a break before another season of piping, drumming, shinty matches, town squares, Gatherings, bus trips, marching and CAKE! That's a lot of cake folks... now if only I could hold a tune...

Here is the band with the Cullins of Skye in the background, an early morning start to the day as they headed off to Braemar for a royal weekend and alot of fun. (not to mention that cake...)

A special thank you to Janet for her cake top request, it was one I enjoyed very much, and thanks too for sending me photos from the day and letting me know how it all went!

Wishing all you splendid folks in the band much luck and success in the new season!

A grand day out

2009-09-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

The webmaster paid a visit to caketopland recently, and we decided wouldn't it be simply splendid to have afternoon tea at Glengarry Castle Hotel with those charming, interesting and snap happy folks at Invergarry Lodge?!

'Oh yes!' cried Miss Lisa, 'I say, that would be a jolly ballyhoo of a day out!'..... or something like that....

Glengarry Castle Hotel is a fantastic place, not least of all due to its afternoon teas, which as you can see are excellent...

It's a country house hotel with lots of charm, history and class about it, but at the same time it has a very comfortable atmosphere that makes you feel quite at home almost as soon as you walk through the door! Jenny & Matt had thier wedding here, and I believe it's popular too with honeymooners, so perhaps worth a look if you are venturing up to the Great Glen...

But we were coming for afternoon tea! And didn't I say it was a comfortable atmosphere?! So much so that Miss Lisa and I posed quite happily and with minimum embarrassment, for our GREAT IDEA...... a vintage style cake top photo shoot! Oh yes I know! It's pure genius....... maybe........ please tell us if we look silly.....

So Master photographer Matt took these! He's very good with the old flashbang, and he even aged us a bit with his computer wizardry.... well the photos were aged, we'd rather stay relatively youthful thanks very much....

And when they weren't looking Miss Lisa took this one of them taking a photo of those....

So we all had a great laugh and delicious cakes and scones, and the sun even shone a bit, which is proving rare this summer. Thanks again to Matt & Jenny for their company and paparazzi skills!

We'll put more of our vintage flavour photos on the new caketops website, which is in the pipeline and proving a perfect excuse for many shenanigans!!

Suits you

2009-08-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

Isn't it all meant to be about the frock?!! Some grooms here getting very dressed up for the big day!

Wedding party

2009-08-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

Hello! Long time no type! Actually I've had a whole day typing and I'm nearly typed out. I have been doing a massive email catch up... what happened to all your good email 'staying on top of 'em' intentions I hear you say?! I have to apologise, it's just as well that an essential skill of all brides-to-be is organisation and planning. It's a fact- bride's are 9 times out of 10 excellent at thinking ahead. (and if you're not you soon will be) The brides I meet certainly seem to be on the ball - pretty good at emailing early (first enquiry for 2011 received today) and giving me a ring if I take too long to reply. So don't be shy and give me a bell. (Oh and don't worry if you're a last minute bride, I love you folks best of all and always try to squeeze you in if I possibly can!)

Anyway, part of the reason I have been so slack on the emails lately is due to this busy time of year of course, plus it just so happens that a few of July's cake tops had lots of pets and children joining in on the wedding cake top action!

So here's a couple of July's cake tops where I had to make the base bigger just to fit everybody on....

Do you know my most common request must be for the couple's pets to be included on the cake top? I think it's lovely as often they can't actually be at the wedding themselves, due to doggie breath or being a chicken, so it's more than fair to put them right there at the top of the cake. They're very good at raising a few smiles among the guests I hear. I do hope the bride and groom will take them a bit of wedding cake home...

I have some fun cake tops to make this month as well. I'm looking forward to a Sixties style bride and groom, pool players, lots of pets and some very sparkly dresses. I shall keep you posted!

P.S. I must say Bon Voyage and Good Luck to my lovely friends Nic and Paul, who are off to live in New Zealand forever and ever. They visited me to say 'cheerio', drove me over a mountain for dinner by the sea, and as a parting gift gave me a real and authentic New Zealand recipe for PAVLOVA!!! (Oh how they laughed after reading here I though she played tennis...) The recipe came complete with pictorial inspiration... such an amazing feat of strawberry engineering I had to share it with you!

This is Paul's pavlova and I am challenged to make my own, however I fear my strawberries won't be nearly as neat. Incidentally Nic is responsible for the tagline at the very bottom of the blog, which I and the webmaster thought should be the cake top website motto!!

Here's a pic of Nic and Paul, say hello if you see them in New Zealand and tell them to come straight back, I need a strawberry slicer...

There's nothing like seeing yourself in minature to make your day! - Nic

Now we are seven!

2009-07-20T03:49:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to Jay our new genuine follower! I had no chocolate cake to celebrate your arrival I'm afraid.... this time it was PAVLOVA!!!

Pavlova always makes me think of Russian tennis players, don't you? (actually I just looked on Google and I should be thinking of the ballerina, but too late I thought of imaginary tennis players first). So here we are, a sporty cake top! There's even some tennis balls on. This is for a lovely couple who are PE teachers (and are not Russian as far as I know). Oh to be more sporty.... I could eat so much more pavlova if I was super sporty.....or if I was a ballerina....

I must say a big thank you to the webmaster for doing clever mysterious 'stuff', to make this blog look like my Granny's are haunting the internet, giving it a funky vintage overhaul and some nice lace edging! I think they would be so proud! We have had much debate and discussion as to what the caketops website revamp should look like. With a little help from beyond the grave I think we (or rather the webmaster!) have cracked it..... now if only the Granny's were here to give us some fashion tips the makeover would be complete.....

Fashion? Did somebody mention fashion? Time for another tenuous link to a cake top...

This cake top is for a happy couple who both contacted me separately with secret 'props' to be added to their partner's cake top figure. So the bride informed me that her groom should hold his hairdryer in his hand and have some football boots on the base. The groom confided that his bride-to-be should have ruby red lips, hold a MAC lipstick and at her feet she should have some gold shoes as she likes shoes! This was fun, as I quite enjoyed being privy to all the secrets... (I've let the cat out the bag now of course) Oh! and I imagine they are a very fashionable couple!

These are just a few of the cake tops that I've been busy making lately. Oh it's a hectic time of year for me. Give me a ring if I haven't answered your email, I'm afraid I'm behind again. There have been lots of caketops that I've enjoyed making and have made me smile. Hopefully they have made the couples and their guests smile too.

Let's say Congratulations to all the brides and grooms!

P.S. Keeping with the vintage theme, I have for you a photo of Anna Pavlova after which the pudding was named. I think there may be Pavolvas in Caketopland for years to come....

Isn't her dress a lovely meringue?!

A new (old) look!

2009-06-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I'm guest blogging for you this week while Helen is away on holiday to Caithness - don't panic though, she will be back making caketops for all your summer weddings soon!

To kick things off, I thought I’d give you a taster of the look of the main caketops website redesign that should hopefully be unveiled in the not too distant future. Helen will get a surprise when she gets home from her holiday and checks her blog – will she recognise it?! The inspiration for the redesign has come from a bit of old fabric that once belonged to Helen’s Granny (~~that's her in the photo!~~). I've teamed it up with a lace edging to give a ‘vintage tablecloth and runner’ look.

I’m planning to improve the navigation of the website and expand the photo gallery so that you can see different views the caketops – Helen puts lots of detail into the caketops and I want to add close-up shots and back views so that you can appreciate all the little details from all angles!

Also I’d really like to make the ordering process as easy for both you and Helen as easy as possible. This is something that Helen and I have discussed numerous times and we’re still pondering the best way to accomplish this... If you have any suggestions or ideas about the website or the blog please do let us know – we’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,
Lisa

N.B. Well, I only had a 50/50 chance of being right so, naturally, I got it wrong and posted a photo of Helen's other Granny. To make amends here is a photo of Granny L looking very stylish in a fantastic frock.

Granny L - original possessor of the fabric!

Love to dance!

2009-06-16T05:54:00.001-07:00

Hello, welcome and GOOD LUCK to our latest genuine follower Jenny! I say 'good luck' not because she needs it in becoming a follower, but because she is in fact getting married on Saturday!! How do I know this? Well, I could have read it in her blog, but no! In fact I have insider knowledge as I was lucky enough to make Jenny and her soon to be hubby a cake top! Hooray! They love to dance, and so there they are, dancing the night away and with a big shiny trophy too! They even made the front page of 'Dance News'!

Jenny had the great suggestion of having the groom with a rose clenched between his teeth, which I thought a genius idea! Now I would like every single groom I make, for evermore, to have a rose in his mouth.... however I shall resist, be professional, and only do it when asked....

Let's wish Jenny and James the very best of luck and hope that Saturday is super douper!!

Jenny is just one of the brides I've been making cake tops for since the last blog. I've had some interesting requests keeping me on my toes! There were lots of dogs, but even more cats, a couple of chickens, two police officers, a couple of rugby balls, one football... whew...

Also this week I have been slack again with the emails, appologies. However this time it was all down to a computer meltdown which meant I couldn't get on the web. I didn't realise how much I used it until I couldn't get on it! Arrrgghhh!!! However, thanks to my technical support team in the shape of my Uncle RTL, normal service has been resumed. I'm still catching up on the emails tho, so if you are waiting for a reply don't worry I will get there. If it's urgent please do give me a call.

Good catch!

2009-06-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

Oh it's been a busy old week here in caketopland! It must be June. So far, sunny weather for all to enjoy. Oh I remember the days when it was snow all over the country and no one could get to work and, oh! watch out for that snowball... ooops too late.... and now it's sun everywhere. Don't forget the sunscreen, and that nice straw cowboy hat I saw you wearing... and picnics.... and if you happen to have a secret swimming spot, (some folks do, you know) keep it secret, keep it safe!!!
.
I wonder if there are fish in it? If there are I know a young fellow from caketopland who'd want to know the secret. Mind you, he's got a fish on the line already, well done that man!

I must appologise as I have been very bad at keeping on top of the emails just lately. There's just not enough hours in even the longest of June days. I promise to do better. Just in case you have an urgent query you can always give me a bell. Leave a message if I don't get to the phone in time- sometimes I'm gluing, doing the post, having lunch or, well, answering emails.....

There is a FAQ page on the website which the webmaster edited using her great talents of attention to detail, excellent vocab and translation from the 'Helen', to make the complexities of personalised cake top ordering infinitely easier to understand. That may help. Sometimes it's hard to know where to start eh? It also explains the basics like, how big are they? What are they made of? How do I pay?

The webmaster is working on the new caketops site, so let us know if you have any feedback on the FAQ page or any other part of the site that we could improve on.

I do hope you're having a lovely sunny June day today!

P.S.

Would you believe I can almost call myself a 'runner' ? Thanks to Coach Jenny over at Invergarry Lodge I have earned myself a place in history and a lovely shiny medal for my trouble, running 10K in the glorious time of 66 minutes. If it hadn't been so hot that day it probably would have taken us half the time.... not. Anyway, my first race and in the beautiful surroundings of sunny Skye. Hooray!

Kirstie's Homemade Home

2009-05-27T04:31:00.000-07:00

Have you been watching Kirstie's Homemade Home on Channel 4? Lots of wonderful ideas and crafts and I love a junk shop bargain too!

Even though it was the last episode the other day it was my favourite, as there was Mich Turner from Little Venice Cake Company showing Kirstie how to do a bit of cake decorating. Nicest thing for me was the shot of one of my caketop figures atop one of LVCC's fantastic cake creations! TV stardom at last... well sort of....

Mich and her team at LVCC make the most amazing cakes, they really are superb. Mich first commissioned figures from me way back in 2002 and since then I make a handful of special figure orders for her every year. They're different from my regular caketops as they are completely made from clay, quite a bit bigger, and believe me they can take a very long time to do! The episode featuring Mich was really good as she showed Kirstie how to make some lovely mini cakes with roses on top, and some trademark candystriped ones - steady hands needed maybe, but lots of fun. I think I may have to have a go myself....

If you missed it, you can still watch it on the channel 4 website, and there is lots of info about all the things Kirstie got up to here.

But if its fantastic wedding and celebration cakes you want more of then check out the Little Venice Cake Company and prepare to be amazed!! Mich has written books too which are packed full of fantastic ideas and designs, and great instructions so you can make amazing cakes of your own! Oh and if you are interested in a cake top, don't forget me!!

Lucky horseshoes...

2009-05-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

May already! I'm a busy bee with lots of caketops to do. Spring and Summer are definitely the busiest times for weddings, so get in touch quick if you still haven't ordered your cake top.

Oh, but don't you worry, it's not like it's a race or anything...

Sporty cake tops happen to have been popular just lately, but this one was my first on a horse racing theme. Unfortunately, I didn't pick up any racing tips for you, although I'd suggest this fellow would be well advised to not be holding a copy of the 'Racing Post' when walking down the aisle...

Actually the look of the cake top is to be a surprise for him, he doesn't know anything about it. With a bride that thinks of everything, I bet it's a dead cert that their wedding day will be a sure fire winner!

Webmasterly...

2009-04-30T05:13:00.000-07:00

Oh all this technological stuff can just be too much... that's why knowing the 'webmaster' is fortunate indeed. Along with her extensive knowledge of 'code' and general geek genius, her elfin charm is indisputable. Oh and we like the same sort of tunes... mostly... but I am rambling.... THANKS to the webmaster there is now a wee flickr gadget wotsit sitting to the left of this here page. Hooray! Webmaster to the rescue when I got stuck (at an early stage) and before you could blink there it is flickring away laughing at me cos I couldn't do it....

I thought I should add some more 'stuff' to the blog you see, since I have recruited a posse of lovely genuine followers - hello you! So, on the flickr thingymajig you can click through to view some alternative snaps of caketops as well as some random photos I've taken when wandering about the Highlands. The webmaster has passed it for Quality Control, of course she could just be being nice...

I must also thank (is this the Oscars?!) Matt and Jenny at Invergarry Lodge for introducing me to flickr. I have often coveted thier flickr slideshow when visiting their blog, and Matt has some of the best photos on flickr I am sure. Check out his and Jenny's GLOWING TENT!! It's a winner!
.

The Italian Job

2009-04-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

Look what Maury the Italian photographer did to this cake top!!

Don't worry; no bride or groom was harmed in the making of this photo, Signor Maury photoshopped it.... Congratulations to our happy Bride and Groom who were wed in a beautiful and romantic Italian Castle, and grazie to them and to Maury for letting us see this super photo! There's another picture of the beautiful cake with it's cake top (unphotoshopped!) in the gallery, along with photos of other cakes with thier cake tops 'in action' so to speak. Its always a treat for me to see the cake top i've made on its cake, and its wonderful how different, imaginative and personal each cake is, and how happy the bride and groom's all look!

STOP PRESS!! We have TWO, not one but TWO, new genuine followers to welcome!! Hooray!! Hello Tony, Hello Jen!! Thanks for adding yourselves and wee pictures to the 'caketop club'. How cool... but oh no the pressure to write something interesting on the blog has now gone up significantly with two new real people to 'entertain'....... however i shall give it a go, and it does mean i do HAVE to eat some more chocolate cake to celebrate..... oh its a hard life..... Cheers! xx

Show me the welly...

2009-04-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

I'll tell you a secret; the bride's I make don't actually have any legs under their dresses! Well, unless they want to show off their wellies that is, in which case they need a couple of feet to wear them on, plus a bit of structural engineering to make them stand up and a skirt that stays hitched in just the right place...

When not wearing wellies, perhaps you like to wear a sturdy pair of hiking boots? Just the thing for stomping over a muddy field or hill or whatnot, dogs in tow...

Sure, that's not everyone's cup of tea. Footwear can be the kind you just like to shop for eh?!!

Here's to shoes and Jimmy Choos!

A classy couple!

2009-04-03T03:32:00.001-07:00

This cake top was made for a couple who enjoy their classic motorbikes. In fact the groom is a contributor to the Classic Bike Guide- he's holding a copy do you see?! Our biker bride has such lovely red curly hair it would be a shame to hide it under a helmet so she's holding hers instead, but the Groom is wearing his with pride! The open face helmets work well on the cake top as you can still see the happy expression! This is my first proper go at bikers jackets and after a fair bit of cutting to find the right shape, and experimenting with 'zips' I'm rather pleased with myself, even if I am still knee deep in leather look pvc.... I think with a bit more practice I could manage some fringing... So lets wish our bikers good luck, sun and open roads as they are cruising down the aisle tomorrow...

Now say hello to an old married couple who have just got back from honeymoon. Yes, Matt and Jenny had glorious sun for the wedding day, torrential rain and wind for the Scottish bit of the honeymoon, and Arctic snow and northern lights for the Norwegian bit. They seem to have brought the sun back with them though, so hooray for that! Just in time for Easter at Invergarry Lodge.

Now if you are on the hunt for wedding invites then have a wee look at my friend Julie Clark's new website for her card business All That Glitters She makes fantastic tiaras and favours too. Everything she does is beautifully made so I can definitely recommend her most highly folks!

I saw you...

2009-03-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

I've never had a request for a chainsaw before... I had to be careful to position it so that it didn't look like the bride was in serious danger of a chainsaw massacre... The groom is a professional tree surgeon folks, please don't try this at home.....

Not much left of March now- don't the months fly by?! April next. My diary is getting busy, but still some space left as I make cake tops full time so days, weeks, months - actually years- are devoted to the 'art'!! The busiest times I find are June to August, so if you'd like a caketop then, or for any other month, don't forget you can reserve a spot in my diary even if you haven't yet confirmed some of your details. You don't know what hairstyle or flowers?!! Has the groom still got to pick a tie?? What?! The dress!? Don't panic, you'd be surprised how often the bride tells me a month before the big day- 'hey you! I've got a new dress'!!

Anyway get in touch for a quote and perhaps book a slot in the diary, its good to be organised, even if its just about the cake top... and I would never, ever call you a 'bridezilla', I promise...!

Animal crackers...

2009-03-19T04:35:00.000-07:00

Rain dear? No its actually a lovely day today, but you're right, there is a small reindeer. And a rabbit... and there will be a couple of German shepherds later, but they're not quite existing just yet.

Lots of animals this week- definitely crackers! It's not too long till Easter either so I made an Easter chick out of marzipan at the weekend. I was asked to do a wee demo at the local community centre as they were having a fun day of activity for the local 'over 50's'. There was also flower arranging, card making, wood turning, bowling, a Great Glen Ranger who knew a fair bit about mushrooms, and some excellent soup. Oh and I nearly forgot! We all had to start the day with some salsa, yes Lochaber over 50's know how to have a good time!

Now, I don't make anything on my website out of marzipan you understand, sometimes people do think the caketops are edible, but I wouldn't advise eating one! They are all made from wood, fabric and polymer clay. That way they can travel in the post safely and they can last for years to come as a nice keepsake. However, many years ago when I found myself working as a cake decorator, it was of course marzipan and icing I used. Its nice to revisit that every now and again.... but your hands get so sticky and I seem to get icing sugar just about everywhere....!!!

So the last animal of the day is one I sometimes see out of my window first thing in the morning, as I sit down at my desk and ponder whether to tackle the emails or the caketops first..... he - or she - is terribly distracting...

Love Vegas

2009-03-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada' the famous sign says!

I know that sign quite well as I have built my own... I just haven't figured out how to get the flashing lights on it yet...

These 2 happy couples are getting hitched stateside and I do hope they will drive round town in a pink cadillac and meet Elvis! Hey hey! I may be a country girl but I have to say I'd love to go to Vegas, and I'd gladly dress up like Priscilla and gamble my life savings on blackjack..... yes you're right, probably best if I never go...

So here's wishing our happy couples much luck, fortune and the very best Honeymoon that Vegas has to offer!

P.S.

That's not really Elvis you know, apparently it's an impostor who calls himself Jesse Garon, but he does really drive you around town in that car! Rock on! However I have never had the pleasure myself... if anyone has or wishes to recomend thier own Elvis and/or pink cadillac from real world experience, do add your comment! I shall look them up if I ever get there....

Anyone for cricket?!

2009-03-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

It's quite a sporty month I think! Looking at my 'to do' list, I have rugby and football fans, golfers and a lovely bride holding her O'Neills Irish football... Oh and a couple of classic motorbike fans, but I'm not quite sure if that is a 'sport', so I'll save mention of that for another post... Apart from all the sporty brides and grooms there are those who love their pets! And lets not forget those happy couples who just want a bride and groom, nice and simple! whew...... I must get caketopping...

March of the.... caketops!

2009-03-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

1st of March already!! I am now back from a wee holiday, and have a pile of emails and caketops to catch up on. I had a lovely break, thanks for asking, and caught up with all my Edinburgh friends, and even a visiting Brighton one! We acted like proper tourists in Edinburgh and wandered spooky closes underground.... above ground the webmaster and I had a grand day out too, and I have recorded the event for posterity....

Now I have returned to caketopland I see I must proudly welcome my first Genuine Follower!! Hooray!!! Nice to see you Jennie! No offence to my other two loyal supporters, but I have never met Jennie, and yet she has seen fit to proclaim to the world that this blog is 'interesting' enough that she will (in theory) read it more than once.... Hooray!!! There are fireworks going off in Laggan Jennie, to mark this momentous occasion, and I think I may even have to eat an ENTIRE chocolate cake to celebrate...

music- Angus & Julia Stone

Come fry with me

2009-02-15T04:35:00.000-08:00

This cake top has a little camping stove complete with fry up! I made all the bits and pieces except for the frying pan itself. It's a real metal pan with a wooden handle and very dinky, it's from a dollshouse shop. I then added the eggs and sausages to make it look more authentic, and it sits just nicely on the camping stove I made for it. There are also doc martin boots with flowers in, (the groom is wearing his green wellies!) a travel guide and a map, all on a nice grassy base to set the scene... Dollshouse suppliers are useful for those little items that are difficult to make- like metal pans and spades, or wine glasses made from real glass, and they are great for musical instruments! Red electric guitars I find difficult to track down tho, so do give me a shout if you spot any!

Caketop... chop chop!!!

2009-02-08T07:19:00.001-08:00

Isn't February chilly? But it's St Valentine's day soon folks, so I'm sure that will warm things up a bit! In the spirit of lurve, the Webmaster has added little pink heart favicons to the website. Actually, it was really for a webmasterly type reason to do with the website migrating from one place in the ether to another, which was to happen in such a seemless manner that the hearts were needed to know it had worked! They're great tho I think, so we'll keep 'em!

Now if your groom just so happens to be a black belt in karate, then he is welcome to do a high kick and a karate chop on a cake top if you so desire... whatever he wants he can have I say! He has bare feet too on this cake top, so lets hope his tootsies are not
feeling the cold,
...perhaps he'll get some
nice woolly socks on St Valentines day...

Meanwhile here's a lovely cake top which shows how some apparently random elements can add that extra personal and sometimes cryptic touch! The reasons behind a sheep, potatoes, newspaper (with crossword!), laptop and some daffodils shall remain a romantic mystery...

Have suitcase, will travel!

2009-01-30T04:11:00.000-08:00

Rucksacks and suitcases and bags and boxes!! These can appear on a caketop for lots of reasons... Perhaps the happy couple are being married abroad, or maybe they just generally love to travel. Maybe their romance bloomed after they bumped into each other while exploring the starry steppe of outer Mongolia! (The webmaster and I are still intrigued by the Google analytic stat of a 'hit' on the website from Ulan Bator).

Whatever the reason, luggage has appeared on caketops all year round and in lots of colours. I quite enjoy making rucksacks and those wheelly suitcases with handles, and I like putting labels on but so far no one seems to want to have their air-ticket in their hand. Is that because we all use e-tickets these days?!

My near neighbours Matt and Jenny are no strangers to luggage, they run Invergarry Lodge, a lovely hostel popular with tourists and those folks who like to climb mountains. Matt and Jenny climb mountains themselves and have some super photographs on thier website and blog of many the local peaks, and some further afield. Matt is a bit of a creative type too, so check out his website Invergarry Gallery which has just gone LIVE! And wish them good luck, as they're getting hitched in March and shall be packing for an adventurous (and slightly chilly) honeymoon!

Surf and snow!

2009-01-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

It's been pretty chilly here, a bit of sleet and snow, so a couple of snowboarding and skiing caketops to do this week just fitted the bill nicely!

But then a surfing cake top request happens along and I am left imagining endless sandy beaches, sunshine and the perfect wave!! My kayack surfer friends explained the science of surfing to me during a visit last autumn, and while I am still not entirely sure if 'gnarly' is good or bad, I do appreciate the wonder of pipe... Not that I would be spotted surfing myself you understand, I'm not the best swimmer, maybe I'd just watch from the beach and award points... anyway, back to caketops. Its all been great fun and very sporty this week...

Croc's away!!!

2009-01-15T07:39:00.001-08:00

Today I sent off a cake top to a lovely bride who is getting married very soon and emigrating to Australia. Her h2b is a dentist, so naturally the cake top had to have a crocodile with the toothache on there! He's a friendly croc tho, so here's hoping he brings them good luck in the Land of Oz!

Also yet another enquiry about a caketop with a country living sporting gentlemen on! As yet there are no photos in my website gallery with cake tops like this. The Webmaster hasn't updated the current website gallery for a wee while as she will be putting all her efforts into into the brand new gallery for the revamped caketops website. Do you know there's 700 odd photos in the current gallery?! So it will be a big job for us to edit those down, and then add the new cake top photos that I have been collecting in recent months!! Well, I say 'us', but really the Webmaster is in charge of ' Quality Control' and will pick my best taken photos and balance them all out so we have a bit of everything in the new gallery. She's very clever that way, y'know!!

Anyway, in the meantime, here are a couple of pics of 'country living' type cake tops for all you country livers!! Oh!! Spot the pheasant!!

I'll be with you phesantly...

2009-01-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

I have been experiencing a strange spate of requests for caketops with pheasants on them! I wonder why?! It's one of those things, you don't see one for ages then a few come along at once!! So this afternoon I have been making pheasants. They take a bit of time to

do - like tabby cats-due to the
painting, but worth it I think...

Also, Lisa the Webmaster and I are making progress on the new caketops website. The inspiration for the redesign is coming from a bit of old fabric that once belonged to my Granny! I have scanned it in, now the webmaster just has to work out what to do with it next....

Happy New Year

2009-01-05T16:35:00.000-08:00

2009 has reached us! Hooray!

After a lovely festive break caketops is all ready to go again in 2009! I look forward to lots of lovely requests... already I am getting the January email deluge. Everyone is so organised in January- it must be a New Year resolution for all of us! So far I have had requests for a cake top with a dalmation and a pheasant and possibly one with a crocodile! Maybe 2009 is a year for animal challenges...

Here in Laggan it has been permanant permafrost for what seems like weeks - but is in actual fact only 10 days or so. Lisa the Webmaster and I had to battle the elements in order for her to get back down the hill to home.....

music- The Raconteurs