It’s been ages my friends, and I apologise…my life has been very crazy with the move from Thurso to little old Kingussie….you’re gonna have to google it. It’s quaint and just gorgeous…. so so beautiful. It’s been quite a big transformation for my babies as well. They’re settling in with new friends, new surroundings and they’re doing alright….a few hiccups here and there, but that’s to be expected and I’m just so proud of them. While myself and husband are settling in I’m feeling a little lost. Don’t get me wrong, my extended family is amazing! I’m enjoying the frivolous coffee mornings and not having to be any place at a given time….as long as I’m there to collect the kids from school but also, I’m not one to remain idle for too long. I’m a born dreamer, I’m curious and I’m always learning. So this break, as chaotic as it started, is giving me the chance to hone my skills as a Cake decorator.
I have a list of Cake busts that I’ve been meaning to make and I’ve just never had the time. The time is now. (I did that in a Morgan Freeman voice…in my head). I created this Gambit bust with the help of Avalon Yarnes of Avalon Cakes. Her knowledge and tutorials have been invaluable. You can even sign up to her Cake school if you feel so inclined. She’s amazing and just so down to earth. I highly recommend her. I’m sure I’ve mentioned her in a blog post before 🤔 I made Gambit out of modelling chocolate which I made from candy melts and corn syrup. Technically this is called Candy Clay… I usually use a mix of modelling chocolate (candy clay) and fondant but I thought I would use just the one medium and I much prefer it. It just seems easier to work with and smooth out in places. The recipe I use is that of Shawna McGreevy. You can find it on her Cakeheads website. She’s another fantastic cake artist with her own online Cake school and I have such a soft spot for her.
I PROMISE I’ll be a little more available in future. I meant to film the making of Gambit..but I left my camera in Thurso. Which gets me on to the topic of Lighting.
It’s so important to use natural lighting when taking your photo’s, and of course a good camera is key. For this cake the natural lighting unfortunately wasn’t great, and I only had my iphone to take pictures with. I use Adobe Lightroom for tweaking all my photo’s. Sometimes just a teeny tweak here and there to make sure the exposure is right and to to bring out the bold colours that the camera doesn’t always capture. It’s very different from photoshop in that the cake itself stays as it should, its JUST the light that’s being played around with and every imperfection is left on the cake. I tend to take my photo’s on a white back drop whenever possible. This helps to illuminate your cake in a way that shows off all the tiny details that could ultimately get lost in front of a busy background. I think I actually prefer this cake before I used Lightroom as it shows every detail of my cake more true to life. Again, natural light plays a huge factor in this. It’s a completely personal choice, but I’ve been using Lightroom for a few years now and it’s worth every penny in my humble opinion…and no I promise you I’m not getting paid to tell you that 😉 x
Also…
I’ve got a wedding fair in Inverness coming up which I’m so excited about and I’m going to showcase the cakes that I love making the most…different, fun and gorgeous!!! So Stay tuned 😍💕