Michaels Decorating Basics Class for Thursday 3/31 held over until 4/7!

Christina R's Course 1 Cake

Valencia's Course 1 Cake

Hi Everyone,

Spring break is taking a toll on class attendance. If any of  you were planning on joining us for Decorating Basics on Thursday 3/31 from 1-3 Pm - the class is being pushed back one week. It will now start on Thursday 4/7/2011 from 1-3 Pm.

For those of you that have taken basics before - please remember that I do have a "Referral Program" if you refer a friend and they mention that you sent them to class - you get a $5.00 Michaels gift certificate or a tool out of my goody bag of new tools from Wilton!  

Tuesdays 10 Am Flowers and Cake Class held over until 4/5/2011

Tuesdays 10:00 am Flowers and Cake class has been moved forward to Tuesday April 5 at 10:00. So you still have time to register if you had planned to do so. Remember tuition is still 50% off but, it will go up in May, so now is a good time to take this class. If you need a Bounce Back coupon as well please contact me.

Cake Class & Cheap Thrill for all!!!- Domino's Confectioners Sugar .54 cents a box....

Hey Everyone,

Today's State  paper had a great deal on Domino's Confectioner's Sugar in the one pound boxes. Look in the Walgreen's ad for a coupon that you can use ( on page 3) that will make each pound of sugar you buy $.79 cents each at Walgreen's. You can buy up to three per shopping trip, since Walgreen's is around the corner from my house I will be stopping in once a day! If you want your sugar for only .54 cents a box look in the Red Plum Coupon Circular from this weeks paper for a coupon  that will take an additional .50 cents off two boxes of sugar- to get the savings at the register at Walgreen's you have to give them both coupons ( their in ad coupon and the Red Plum Coupon)! Stacking coupons like this will get you sugar for .54 cents a box. 


Since we are all such coupon Divas - remember to ask for a "rain check" if Walgreens is out of sugar!!! They must give you one if the product is out of stock - you can then pick it up next week using the rain check to get the sale price! 

If this whole coupon thing puzzles you consider taking my coupon class! I teach to individuals as well as groups.

Cake Class - Kids and Cakes- Plus, My Youngest Graduate Ever: Callie!!

Callie's first cake in class...

Hello Everyone-

This is my second attempt at posting this! Please forgive me if you tried to take a look and hit a blank page.

I get lots of folks asking if it is OK to enroll children in cake classes. I actually think it is a great activity for kids. I do ask that if the child is under 14, a parent does need to take the class with them. This will help the child complete their home work and keep track of tools etc.

Recently, I had the youngest child I have ever taught graduate all 3 classes. Callie is 11, she came to her class with her father, Wayne. She amazed us all with her skills! Her dad should also win " Father of the Year" he also graduated all the classes and did a fantastic job with his cakes as well. Read on for photos of their work....

Callie's final Course 1 cake

Cheap Thrill- Save on Eggs and Printer Paper this week- ends Saturday

Hey Everyone -

There are a few of you who always complain when I get baking supplies on sale and don't pass the good news along to you. So here it is: Eggs are on sale for $1.29 a dozen at Walgreen's this week, until Saturday at closing- that is more than a dollar less than anywhere else in town. If you go in to buy them and Walgreen's is out of them or if they are all cracked,  ask for a "Rain Check" from the Manager.A rain check is a hand written coupon that will allow you to get your eggs in the next month or so for the same price ($1.29). Please remember if you do a rain check,   have them write the maximum number on your rain check that the store will allow you to buy.That way you can go back more than once and get eggs until your rain check runs out (they just change the number on your rain check each time you come in until you have used it up)! 

Computer Paper is also on sale this week for $2.99. It is a little short of a ream at 400 sheets in the pack but, a ream sells for $6-$7 at Staples and you are getting almost a ream at Walgreen's for $2.99. You do have to use the Walgreen's " in Ad " coupon to get this deal!

Remember if you do the Coupon Mom web site and get some Walgreen's Register Rewards you can probably get your eggs and paper for nothing!!!! Happy shopping.


 

Bead Night at Michaels on Harbison is this Friday 3/25 from 5-8 Pm

Hello Everyone-

I know at this point many of you are cake decorators and not beaders or jewelry makers! However, I am here to ask you to join us Friday night at Michaels for Bead Night from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. This is a drop in style night that is very social- we just trade tips and tricks and bring any bead related or jewelry related project along to work on. If you have never worked with beads before - this is your night! You can come with your tired or broken jewelry and we can show you how to revive and fix it right in the classroom or if you want to try a beaded necklace or bracelet we can help you design one on the spot and make it up. The best part is you will meet other crafters and make some friends.If you like I can even teach you how to make the necklace you see in this photo. It is my first Bead Night as lead bead instructor at Michaels, and I could use your support!

You will have the help of not only myself as a bead instructor but Lisa Woodward, who is a phenomenal beader and also a beading instructor, will be there to help us out. Lisa knows more about stringing and working with glass seed beads than most folks will ever learn in a lifetime.

The cost for bead night is only $5.00 and it would help if you could preregister at Michaels or let me know you want to join us by emailing me at sparklythings@sc.rr.com . 

Cake Class- Crusting Cream Cheese Icing

This is the cream cheese icing recipe from Wilton that will crust if you let it dry for a few minutes. This means yes you can decorate with it as long as you keep it refrigerated when you are not working with it. This icing is actually a bit softer than I like to work with - so I will ice the cake with it and then do my borders and decorations with a little bit of the class Butter Cream Icing that has been made up with Vanilla flavoring.

Cheap Thrill- Save a Ton on Printer Ink Cartridges

Hi Everyone-

Thank you to those of you who supported me and attended the coupon class today. I really hope it helped you pick up some tips for saving money! As I said in class,  there are ways to save on everything you use on a regular basis. In honor of that,  here is my system for saving tons on printer cartridges.

Cheap Thrill- Coupon Class Saturday at RCPL

Hey Everyone,
 I speak at the Richland County Public Library tomorrow- a free class on couponing made easy (sorry you must have registered at least a week ago to attend). If you did not sign up in time to come see me at RCPL, I do give coupon lessons individually or to small groups, contact me for details. My class is based on the www.couponmom.com website,  in the hope that those of you who learn to cut your grocery bill drastically will pass the savings along in the form of donations to our local food banks, homeless shelter, or animal shelters. Using the coupon Mom program I am able to donate to each type of charity several times a year.  Check it out if you haven't done so before. The site even has a new "learn to coupon" tab that is really helpful.

Wilton Project Class - Cupcakes & More - Make a Bunny Cupcake or Cake Topper

Sculpted Fondant & Gum Paste Bunny Cake Topper by Tara

Hi Everyone-

Just thought I would use today to show off the results of our first ever Cupcakes & More - Fondant Sculpting Class. This class was open to anyone who had completed Gum Paste & Fondant Class and wanted to come in and learn to sculpt a bunny cake or cupcake topper by hand in class. We only sculpted them in class, we did not get to paint them.We are having  a painting class in April or early May to learn how to finish them up. As you can see from the photo I brought mine home and painted him using several different painting techniques so he is ready for the painting class.

Cake Class- Project Class - Lemon Curd Cupcake Recipe

Hi Everyone,

Lemon Curd Cupcakes, SMore's Cupcakes, and "Ice Creamy Cupcakes"

On my work days I am trying to keep posting recipes and other goodies to my blog. This is a recipe that just begs to be made in the spring: "Lemon Filled Cupcakes". I teach these in my Wilton Project "cupcake" class, which will happen again this May. This is a simple Lemon Curd recipe that is prepared mostly in your food processor so that you do not have to worry about scrambling your eggs when you mix  the curd up.

For those of you that are new to the Wilton Program at Michaels, we  have a range of classes you can take along with Course 1-3. In particular, I teach specialty cupcakes, Candy making, Gum paste & Fondant Cake Toppers,  Gingerbread Houses, and Kids Cakes. The sky is really the limit on Wilton Project classes so if there is something in particular you would like to learn please let me know.

Cake Class - Butter Cream icing with Real Butter

This is the recipe I use at home. It is my recipe and it will work just fine for decorating. You will need to adjust the consistency to decorate: to stiffen it add Pure Can Confectioners sugar, to thin it add a little milk. This one must be refrigerated and will only last a few days in the Refrigerator. Do not use this one in class it will melt!

Cheap Thrill - Recipe for Home Made Rolled Fondant

This is a recipe for home made rolled fondant. It is nice because you can add your choice of flavors right while you are making the fondant. It is also only about $2.50 per batch. Please practice with it a couple of times first before using it on a cake project, just like any other recipe you need to be very comfortable with it before you can start decorating with it.This recipe comes from Kim A. the evening instructor at Michaels.

Cheap Thrill - Home Made Cake Candies or Cake Balls

This is my simple recipe that uses all those leftover pieces of cake that we carve off in class. It also uses a can of icing from the store or you can just use your extra Butter Cream Icing from class. These can be made in a small Bon- Bon size or the batter can be molded into your 1" or 2" round cutters and then covered in candy melts so that the finished product looks like a Ding - Dong  or Ring Ding ( depending on where you grew up)!! You can even mold them into balls and add a lollipop stick to make cake pops.  The whole project should not cost you more than a couple of dollars and everyone will be fighting over the results - they are so tasty!

Read on for the recipe.....

Cheap Thrill- Easy Rolled Chocolate Fondant

Anita's Chocolate Fondant Cake

I had forgotten how good this Wilton recipe tasted until Melony brought it to class a couple of weeks ago. And it is so simple and inexpensive ( if you use your Michaels coupon on the Fondant).

Decorating Basics- First Orangeburg Technical College Class Graduates.

Henrietta and her Rose Cake!

Jacquelyn with her beautiful Roses!

Sorry I am so late in posting this! My first Decorating Basics class graduated on February 22, 2011. They did such beautiful work I thought I would post their work here and congratulate them!!! If you would like to take a class at the St. Matthews branch of OC Tech contact me. ( I owe an apology to Cynthia, my photo of your final cake was eaten by my camera).

Read on to see more student photos. 

Wilton Project Classes!

Valerie and Cat in the Hat!

For those of you who are interested in a unique project or just a fun class to take with family or friends,  Wilton has a bunch of Project Classes available. I teach at least 1 Project Class a month at Michaels. I am also available to teach them on request if you have a skill you want to learn or something you want to brush up on. In the past, we have done Halloween cupcakes, Football cupcakes, Tall Cakes, Gum Paste & Fondant Easter Bunnies, and Candy Making. Each project class is a one time, one session class that costs between $15.00 and $25.00. The photos on the next page are all items that were made in project classes in the past.

Cheap Thrill- Trash to Treasure 2, Another Table Saved

Quarter Sawn Oak Table Before- Who put paint on it??

Just returned from Wilton Training in Greensboro, NC yesterday. I am very tired- but full of new things to share with all of you in cake class.

So I thought for todays blog I would post another trash to treasure project. When you look at this post you may think I have a thing for tables, which is not really true. What I have a thing for is items that can be brought back to their original beauty and used in my home. Almost every piece of furniture in my home is a piece that I have had a hand in updating or changing somehow. There really are only a few pieces in our home that we purchased new. I love mixing styles, a little oak from the turn of the century, a little waterfall from the 20's and 30's, and even some Mission pieces.

Read on to see photos of the project in progress and the finished table......

Jewelry Design- Basic Hemp Knotting

Hemp & Jute  Bracelets

Hemp and Bead Necklace

Basic Hemp Knotting is the first of the Hemp Knotting series at Michaels. We learn a basic overhand knot, square knot, and how to add beads to a design. Then we turn our new skills into a cute bracelet. Once you know how to do the basic knots in hemp you can switch materials: for a chunkier look you can use jute cord with large beads, for a more refined look you can use silk cord and semi precious beads. Either way, hemp knotting is relaxing and easy to do. If you are interested in a class check out the Jewelry class page on this blog or contact me for class dates and times.

Course 3- Gum Paste and Fondant

Christy's Cake - It won second place at the Fair!!!!

Beth's cake

The final 4 week class in the Wilton Cake Decorating Series is Course 3- Gum Paste & Fondant. Gum paste and Fondant are actually very different from the icings that we use in the first two classes. I call Fondant play dough for adults because,  it can be treated similar to play dough. You can roll it out and use it to cover a cake, make it into fabulous flowers, or even sculpt and paint it to make all sorts of edible decorations. This is the stuff you see on all the Cake Shows like " Cake Boss" and Ace of Cakes. Click the keep reading link to see  more fabulous cakes!!!

Jewelry Design- Basic Crimping

Crimped Necklace Made in the Basics Class

 The Basic Crimping Class is Friday March 11 at Michaels on Harbison. Class runs from 1-3 Pm and tuition is only $25.00. The silver tone and jasper opera length necklace pictured above is a necklace that I made in the Basics of Crimping Class.

Good Job Cake Class Graduates!!!

Wayne R. - Topsy Turvy Flower Cake

Melony R- Gum Paste Class

Justina W- Fondant

Several students graduated all the Wilton Cake Courses this month! I just wanted to tell you all what a pleasure it has been teaching all of you! I will miss you all in regular classes. You can of course come back for project classes or free refreshers of your first three classes anytime. I am posting a few of your cake photos here and I will keep posting them on this blog until each of you has a photo up here- so that you can show your friends what great decorators you all are.

I would also like to congratulate Laura S. on landing a job at " Cupcake" downtown and Justina S. and Melony R. for landing thier first paid cake commisions--- Great Job!!!