Tantalising Tourmaline, Birthstone for OCTOBER ...........

We've come to the end of October and I can't leave without bringing to you the most beautiful of the birthstones,  Tourmaline, the gemstone of many colours. The final companion of the late Empress of China.
The name Tourmaline comes from the Sri Lankan word tura mali - the stone of mixed colors. 
Bi-colored and multicoloured tourmalines may be green at one end and pink at the other, watermelon tourmalines are green on the outside and pink on the inside....my favourite!!

Ancient legend says that tourmaline is found in all colors because it travelled along a rainbow and gathered all the the rainbow's colors.

Tourmaline is believed to strengthen the body and spirit, especially the nervous system, blood, and lymphs. It is also thought to inspire creativity and was used extensively as a talisman by artists and writers.

My new baby granddaughter "Olive", just one week old is lucky enough to have this gorgeous gemstone as her birthstone.....we might be lucky enough to find a specimen containing pink and just a little hint of Olive...fingers crossed!

PINK OCTOBER.......Breast Cancer Month!

Hi everyone! It's been a while so I thought you'd like to see some items we have donated this month for some "Girls night in" events. All available from us in our shops.........

as usual, Ebay and Made-it  for Aussie buyers and Made-it for international buyers.

and this wonderful cake was cut into slices and sold for $2.50 per slice.....great idea!
You have to admire everyone who hosts a party to raise money for Breast Cancer Research....fantastic work!

HERE COMES THE BRIDE.........

Here is a preview of the new Bridal jewellery available in our shops......mostly pearls and crystals for now.
The Angels are a new idea we've introduced.....hang her on a bracelet, pin her to a garter, horseshoe, purse or petticoat or nestle her in amongst the flowers of the bouquet........



Aussie buyers will find them at Made-it and Ebay and International buyers from Zibbet and Bonanzle

Wedding favours to match the cake.....of course!

Hi everyone.........
We have added a new line to our cake business....wedding favours (or bonboniere) to match the cake. Traditionally, the cake is the centrepiece of the wedding reception decor so why not match the favours with the cake for a fully co-ordinated look.

Did you know that initially wedding favours were an extravagance at celebrations hosted by European upper classes, who had the wealth to provide elaborate gifts to guests. The early wedding favors began as small fancy boxes, known by their French name of bonboniere. They were crystal, porcelain or gold and often encrusted with precious stones. The delicate boxes were meant to hold bonbons or other confectionery delicacies, at a time when sugar was quite expensive. Sugar was also highly valued by all and the tradition of providing gifts to guests was eventually adopted by people of modest means by choosing simple treats as gifts. The bride and groom are associated with good luck, a common thought was that everything they touched would be charmed.  Many brides chose to distribute this good luck by preparing a small gift of 5 almonds, beautifully wrapped in an elegant fabric, to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness.

We showed our range at the latest Bridal Expo in Sydney today. The response was great, especially to the test tube favours. This is the card we handed out with just a small sample for you to see.

Pat , Liz and Leni

Real Wedding # 4 - Pretty in Pink.......

Huge wine casks, terracotta floors and stark leafless grapevines in winter create the perfect foil for a bride in a whimsical beaded, dusty pink silk gown, her bridesmaid in pale latte silk and groom and his best man in traditional Scottish kilts.
This is the wedding of our very own Liz and her Scotsman. Greek meets Scot made for a wonderful ceremony full of tradition from both cultures. Friends and family gathered together in the beautiful Hunter Valley Wine district for a whole weekend of fun, laughter and wine tasting!!

 
A mid winter wedding lends itself to gorgeous gloves and faux fur wraps....all in pink, of course! 
Elegant coffee and cream damask table runners and wall hangings and romantic flowers in softest shades of pink and cream, echoed on the top of the 3 tier cake made by the bride herself and on candelabras standing stately along the two long tables in the Great Cask Hall of the winery....a breathtaking scene straight from the pages of "Harry Potter"

 

All in all....soft, romantic, elegant and unforgettable. 

SYDNEY BRIDAL EXPO - Cakes, Cakes, Cakes and Cakes

Who doesn't love a Bridal Expo!!
April 10 and 11 saw the Sydney Bridal Expo at Darling Harbour as our "home away from home".
Amongst the fabulous flowers, gorgeous gowns, stunning stationary and amazing accessories, Cake Lady Cakes  shone as "the busiest stand in the show" with several new designs on display this year.
We had some fun with the different settings on the camera...monochrome, pastel and pencil sketch....here's a small sample of our cakes a la special effects............

Real Wedding # 3: Vintage Whimsy

Another amazing  wedding achieved by the most creative bride and groom - she is the florist with the beautiful shabby, vintage sensibility and he is the musician with amazing style! The wedding was a mix of all this in shades of pink, chocolate brown and softest white. The brides blush pink gown made by her best friend, a mix of satin, chiffon and antique lace. Huge feathers, David Austen roses, white chandeliers, flower garlands, white wrought iron furniture and sumptuous white chaise lounges set the scene.

It goes without saying that the bride put her hand to all the flowers, her own bouquet, masses of individual rose petals brought together to form a single huge dusty pink bloom fringed with exotic feathers - gorgeous!!

Three bridesmaids in dusty pink chiffon and ankle boots and one bridesman and three groomsmen in braces with one groomswoman in brown chiffon and a fur stole complete this most charming and whimsical wedding

Real Wedding #2: Elegant, traditional, WET, WET, WET!!!

The second of our very best friends weddings - another day to remember!! The wettest day in 12 years in Sydney didn't stop anyone from having a magical day. On the contrary, it was a day to remember. The bride wore a  full lace dress with matching veil - think Spanish Mantilla - her attendants wore black satin and pewter satin.  The reception, seafood and dancing at famous Bondi Beach.................

Once again, we had a hand in making corsages, wedding invitations, bombonieres, jewellery and of course, the fabulous cake....maybe the beginnings of a new business opportunity!!??

This time a more traditional cake with piping that matched the lace but, and its a big but, the 2 treasured pet dogs were included...Charlie in white and Biggie in black.

All in all..........an unforgettable day of love, laughter, fun and WET shoes!!

NEW Movie Inspired Charms in my shops!!

I've designed a whole new line of Movie inspired charms for the young and young at heart. HARRY POTTER has made its appearance first, as you can see from the pics below. I've sold quite a few Golden Snitch charms and the Winged Key is picking up speed as well. Personally, I love Hedwig Owl........he is soooo cute. I'm thinking of hand forging Harry's scar so keep tuned.

All available in my Bonanzle shop for International buyers and my Ebay shop for Aussie buyers....happy shopping!!

Real Wedding # 1: 50's Gothic

Two of our very best friends daughters were recently married one week after the other....here are some pics.

The cake, made by our very own Liz at cake lady cakes, says it all.

A madhatter style topped with The Corpse Bride and  Jack Skellington with their skeleton dog, Sugar.

We had a lovely gathering of friends at the brides home the day before the wedding. Surrounded by the blackest red roses for the bride and the brightest red roses for the bridesmaids, we turned our hands  to flower arranging.......the result, pretty great for beginners!!     

White bride trimmed with black, black polka dot bridesmaids trimmed with red and black and white groom and groomsmen set the 50's theme with a touch of Gothic!!

All in all......classy, elegant, fun and just a little bit dark......perfect!!