Rachel Edwards Couture Cake Design

Love my dress feature!

2011-07-09T02:12:00.000-07:00

Great news! Love my Dress have featured some of the fantastic images from our photo shoot at Leopold Hotel.

Mood board received to help with the brief

Check out this 60’s themed wedding photo shoot with bonus behind the scenes video!

Loving the shot of me having a moment with my beads! Hahahaha

Photograph by Anthony Naylor

These are my own Images of my work bellow, check out the more professional images by clicking here!

Thanks to all involved

Styling – Adore by Chloe
Photography – Anthony Naylor
Videography – PARKINarts
Stationery – Sweet Words Stationery
Hair - Ayesha
Make up - Sarah Vaites
Accessories – Tattered Rose
Wedding dress – Grace Couture
Bridesmaid dress - Monsoon
Venue – Leopold Hotel
Flowers – Boutique Paeony

You And Your Wedding feature!

2011-06-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

Back in February I was approached by Christian and Erica Ward with regards to a Gypsy wedding photo shoot. They had seen some cupcakes on my website that they thought would work well within their theme. Hold it…… I know what your thinking, no we are not talking Big Fat Gypsy Wedding sylie but a more vintage and folk style traditional Gypsy wedding approach. I tweaked the cups slightly and added a few other designs to fit, inspired by the napkin holders and embroidered tablecloths being used in the shoot

The Photographs were fab, so fab they were picked up by “You and Your Wedding” and used in a ten page spread!!

Here's a taste of the feature

Want to see more? Buy it now!!!! “You and Your Wedding” July/August edition, pages 51-61

Happy reading!!!

Thanks to all involved below

Styling and photography: Christian Ward Photography
Romany caravan: contact adzlee@btinternet.com
Original vintage dresses: Heavenly Vintage Brides
Original vintage suits: Vintage Whistles
Bridal shrugs: Stockist: Evangeline Rose Bridal, made by Makepiece
Jewellery: Flo & Percy
Bouttonierres: DC Bouquets
Bride’s bouquet and table flowers: The Blossom Tree
Vintage tableware: Felicity’s Vintage Tea Party
Wedding favours: Vintage Twee
Table settings: Tim Ward Design
Make-up: Gemma Lees
Hair styling: Emma Buck
Styling and wardrobe assistant: Jackie Ward
Bride model: Cirila Zorenc
Groom model: Charles Durnian

Crazy about Cakecraft!

2011-06-24T02:31:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you know "Card and Cake Craft" have had a change of
name to "Crazy about Cakecraft".

Already the largest supplier in the north, "Crazy about Cakecraft" has decide to
expand their range of cake decorating equipment further and faze out card
related products, thus prompting the name change.

Find "Crazy about Cakecraft" @ 7-8 North Gallery, Exchange St, Sheffield 0114 272 8606

I'm Alive!

2011-06-24T02:18:00.000-07:00

Forgive me father for I have sinned, it has been 35 days since my last blog!!!!!!

Where do the days go? I've had several blogs bubbling away in my grey matter for some time now but I just can't seem to find the time to put pen to paper.... and wedding season has only just begun!

I thought I'd start off by commenting on a few subjects touched on in previous blogs.

First and foremost the Royal Wedding cake

The morning after the big day I was straight on Google to see the first images of Will and Kate's cake. It was not far off what I'd imagined.

The top 5 tiers were elegant and simple and I loved the horseshoe topper, was it sugar or real?

I can't tell by the photos, any takers? I wonder how many of those we will see over the next few years?!

Although I'm not a lover of the use of emblems on cakes, I understand the importance of why Kate wanted to incorporate these within the design. Hats off to Fiona Cairns who managed to do this in a subtle and tasteful way.

The layout of the bottom collection of cakes, in my opinion, were a bit old fashioned and clumsy.

Personally, I didn't like the way lots of smaller cakes were butted up together to achieve the mass of cake required, very 80s-90s stylie. I realise there's limitations as to how high you can stack and how large you can bake but sometimes I feel "less is more" but like I said before, who am I to judge?!

Right, where should I stand for the public stoning?

Second on my list, the BBC wedding cake programme.

This is rather a sore talking point for me. After getting overly giddy and childishly excited about the programme being aired, posting a blog and sending out several texts to cake spotters, I missed it !!!!!!!!

Throughout the evening I was bombarded with text from my friends asking if I was watching it, to which I smugly replied " I'm watching it later in bed with a sherbert" . After a hard days work in the cake dungeon I retired to the boudoir, only to find the Sky box had been unplugged by one of my delinquents. The air was ever so slightly blue!!

The words dummy and pram come to mind! Grrrrrrrrrrrr

I need a better social life!

2011-04-20T03:51:00.000-07:00

Just a quick blog to let you know there is a one off programme on BBC2 @ 8pm tonight about the history of the wedding cake.

Peggy Porschen is said to make an appearance so its one not to be missed by all
you cake spotters, anoraks at the ready!!

Regal Treats

2011-04-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

We are all aware of the pending Royal Wedding, how can we not be?? Everywhere you look there are constant reminders that soon we will have an extra special excuse to eat loads of bad things, drink copious amounts of alcohol and watch telly all day and night, rejoice!

So to get you in the mood I've decided to create a little something in order to inspire and ignite the royalist within... Or indeed just give you a valid reason to make ample amounts of sweet treats to rinse down with your Lambrini, cough cough, I mean Pimms darling!

All the design ideas shown are easy to reproduce, using pre made decorations and simple techniques. All products can be sourced at Card and Cake Craft (7-8 North Gallery, Exchange St, Sheffield 0114 272 8606)

FPC moulds, Crown £6.80, Princess crown £6.80

Flowers paste was pushed into FPC moulds £6.80 each, then painted in gold. Red, gold and blue balls were attached using royal icing with the aid of a no. 2 nozzle (£2.75), allowing more control. Union jack sugar discs were applied accordingly, £1 for 10.

Gold Balls large or small £1.20 per bag. Blue and Red Sugar Pearls £2.99 per tub.

Gold Buttons £1.20 per bag. Plastic Flags £1 for 8. Fondant Icing £ 3.99, Bun Cases 54 for £2

Cup cake display including box, oasis, cup cake holders £9.00, Ribbon and blue favour
ties from an assorted collection, prices vary.

A Wilton 1M nozzle was used to create this piped swirl £3.20

Table bubbles £ 4.99 for 6. Table confetti consists of blue, red and clear crystal effect gems, plus silver crowns £3.00 per box

I haven't actually used any glitter on any of the above designs but I know how excited we all get regarding this product, so I thought I'd just remind you it's available in red, white and blue too!

Edible Glitter £2.25 per pot

Looking for an alternative way to display? Why not try this disposable cake stand only £4

Bargain disposable cake stand £4

Enjoy!!

The Royal Wedding cake

2011-04-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

Fiona Cairns

Fiona Cairns has been chosen to create the Royal Wedding cake. Fiona is well known within the industry for designing commercial cakes for the likes of John Lewis, Waitrose Harrods and Selfridges & co.

I'm surprised and slightly disappointed if I'm honest, that the mammoth task to feed six hundred, wasn't offered to a new an up-and-coming cake designer with fresh, new, innovative ideas, or perhaps someone high profile like Peggy Porchen or Zoe Clarke with extensive contemporary cake design and decoration skills. Ultimately, its Wills and Kates wedding day and indeed their choice, who the hell am I to comment?!

The royal cake will consist of a multi-tiered fruit cake decorated with fresh fruit and flowers. The cake is said to feature the couple's intertwined initials and includes the symbols of the four British nations - an English rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh daffodil and Irish shamrock. There will be no colour, just ivory and white.

This all sounds very traditional to me but I could be completely wrong. I hope I'm pleasantly surprised by Fiona's culinary design skills, maybe this is the long awaited return of royal icing?

Only time will tell, 17 days to go!

Stancliffe Hall Wedding Open Day

2011-04-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

This Saturday 9th April I will be unveiling 4 new designs at Yorkshire's newest addition for period wedding venues, Stancliffe Hall. There will be many reputable suppliers exhibiting including some of my personal favourites, Shoot Lifestyle Photography, Leona Seymour and Go Glorious.

The fayre is operating by Invitation only, so make sure you register for your chance to be one of the first to see this delightful establishment.

http://www.stancliffehall.eventbrite.com/

Rock My Wedding Feature

2011-04-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

Great news! Rock My Wedding have featured some of the fantastic images from our photo shoot at Whirlowbrook Hall, Sheffield.

The event styled by Go Glorious, was an old county rose theme. Petalis were responsible for the beautiful flowers and Freya supplied all the stunning dresses. Jam hairdressers created all the period hair styles and make up was by Julia Jeckell . Shoot lifestyle were responsible for all of the fantastic images. My contribution included a five tier cake, cookies and cup cakes to emulate the rose design on the crockery.

Keep your eyes open for my blog on how and why the photo shoot came about but for now check out our feature.

Thanks to all at Rock My Wedding for appreciating all our hard work and design ideas.

Bargain cup cake stand!!

2011-03-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you know about my recent bargain buy from T J Hughes! Check out my new stand which holds 23 cup cakes.

There's hardly any difference design wise to the Wilton stand however a tremendous difference in price.

My New Stand

My Wilton Stand

The Wilton stand costs around £20.00 but this little beauty was reduced to £4.99!

Imagine my delight when upon paying I was told there was a further 20% off! I did the obvious thing and bought two!

waaahoooo I love a bargain!

Vermicelli in strife!

2011-03-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Silver balls and chocolate vermicelli alike are today quaking in their containers as Divine Deli cup cake sprinkles hit the Steel City! There are over 40 different product designs to sit pretty upon your butter cream swirls, which give the retro cake sprinkles a serious run for their money. Bronze pearls, chocolate toffee crunch, strawberry buttons and purple glimmer sugar are a few examples of the extensive range. All are beautifully packaged in these adorable bottles, they're sooooo cute and unfortunately for my purse strings, very collectable!

Jackie at Card and cake craft (7-8 North Gallery, Exchange St, Sheffield 0114 272 8606)
currently stocks over 20 products ranging from £2.20 - £2.99 per bottle. She hopes to increase her stock range over the next week and will almost have the whole range! I'm told the best seller so far is the cappuccino chocolate drops which apparently taste fantastic!

My personal favourite so far are the caramel cubes.

Ahhhhh They're so diddy!

I'm off now with my reinforced bag to stock up, happy sprinkling!

New number two piping nozzle!!

2011-03-10T13:14:00.000-08:00

Well it had to be done. Rachel has officially joined cyber world!

I've been meaning to sort out a blog for quite some time but never quite made the leap as the fear of technology still makes me feel ill! How I've refrained over the years from launching my lap top through the window, or wrapping a rolling pin around it, I have no idea!?

Another reason for not getting my act into gear is that I am dyslexic. The embarrassment that I feel because of this is tremendous. However I have some fantastic friends and clients who over time have convinced me to give it a go and assured me they will help check my posts regularly. There will however be times that I will have to rely solely on my trusty spell check. So bear with me folks, cause what I have to say is hopefully worth overlooking a few spelling errors.

So without further ado, I take my hat off and salute dyslexic cake decorators all across the world. I raise my glass and say " Here's to finding a way to work and earn good money, avoiding those nasty words."

Grand Job!!

Super indeed!!

Just to point out, this is not one of mine and is in fact courtesy of cake wrecks. Check out the carrot jockies!!

Enough.... On with the show!