I was going to put this in the link dump, but it was too spectacular to be lost in the links. This is another piece of art that I’d love to own.
It was made by pu-sama and the original image is here.
Via Bleeding Cool.
Baking, chocolate, and everyday dorkiness in a geek girl's life
I was going to put this in the link dump, but it was too spectacular to be lost in the links. This is another piece of art that I’d love to own.
It was made by pu-sama and the original image is here.
Via Bleeding Cool.
I apologize for the delay, things kept getting in the way but I really didn’t want to add anymore new posts until I finished my tribute to Kimberly’s award-winning cake. So here it is in all its glory.
As I stated previously, there’s so much to Kimberly’s cake that I’m going to have to break it down by layers and visit all the geeky little details. We’re starting at the bottom and working our way us, we we’ll start with the table decorations… also known as the parking lot.
See the brickwork behind the shrink-ray valet? Kimberly made over 1500 of the little buggers for the bottom layer.
Here are some of the shrunken ships in the parking lot. (And here is where I display my crappy photography skills. I don’t know what I did wrong, but this year’s photos aren’t as good as last year’s, even though I have a better camera. I’ll have to get my sister-in-law to give me a few quick lessons.)
My first photo of this was taken at a different angle and when I reviewed it later that day, it looked like the little green guy was pissing on the wall. I don’t think that was quite the effect she was going for, so I made sure to get a shot where you could see the spray paint can.
Now to the Lobby Tier:
First is Leeloo with her multipass.
The little green toothy dudes from GalaxyQuest
The Doctor’s TARDIS
Mars Attacks! and Planet of the Apes, along with some more movie posters
The Predator is giving the Alien (with the pink bow that you can’t see) flowers…. is this an homage to Alien and Predator, or to Robot Chicken?
Check out the slime. It’s those little details that I love.
Now it’s time to visit the Concession Stand Tier:
Another poor quality photo. Someone else did it better here.
This entrance to Miliways had me squeeing with joy. That shows you how much of a geek I am.
The chick from the mini-series V (I’m trying to forget the full television series).
I love the single shoe next to Audrey 2’s pot.
The concession stand with Popcorn, Reese’s Pieces, Spice, and a Slurm vending machine.
I’d love one for my cube at work.
The third tier is the movie auditorium, showing Plan 9 from Outer Space, and once again, it’s a crappy photo.
At this point, I’m going to stop trying to add a comment for every photo and just post.
The alien egg was hidden at the back of the cake – I didn’t even notice it the first day of the show.
This was probably my second favorite part of the cake: Futurama AND Buckaroo Banzai jokes in one shot. (The “Han shot first” graffito was my favorite.)
The entire fourth tier, and hopefully final crap quality photo.
One last shot of the entire cake.
It only took a month and a half to put Kimberly’s cake up on my site… but it was worth it.
Special Showcake Competition
This was the second year that the Austin cake show offered a division for Showcakes. Last year there were a decent number of entries for this division, but this year there were even more. While the entries in the other categories don’t have to reflect the theme of the show – about a 7th of the decorator’s score in the Showcake Competition is based on how closely they follow that theme. This years’s theme was “2010 – A Cake Odyssey” (they announced early last year that this would cover both Science Fiction and Fantasy).
In addition to the general rules, the following rules apply specifically to entries in the Showcake Competition:
Application of the theme (15 pts)
Precision of techniques (15 pts)
Originality and creativity (15 pts)
Appropriate design – size, shape, colors, table decorations, etc. (15 pts)
Difficulty of techniques (15 pts)
Number of techniques used (15 pts)
Overall eye appeal – judge’s discretion (10 pts)
Judging will be conducted by a team of qualified judges (this year it included a judge from Sony Pictures).
I tried to post photos of all the cakes, but I may have missed a few. Other than for the 5th to First Place winners, I didn’t get all of the names of the cake decorators because these cakes were roped off and many of the entry forms were out of reach.
“Dream Scape”
(There were two cakes by this title, so I just referred to this one as “the claw”)
(Gandalf? Merlin? Cranky old man with a sword?)
“Baby Na’vi”
(what you can’t tell from the photo is that both the eyes and the tip of the hair/biological USB connector glowed)
“Dalaran: City of Mages Cake”
(I have better quality photos of this cake, but they were all taken after it began to split apart. My WoW obsessed co-worker loved this one)
“In To the Future”
(this was the only moving cake at the show. The top half of the cake revolves)
The Nightmare Before Christmas
(poor Jack Skellington collapsed and had to be removed the next day)
(Exotic plants? The center support was lit.)
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
(I liked this one a lot – but think it would have fared better in the novelty tiered cake division)
Fifth Place
Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by Claudia Estela Rosales
Fourth Place
The Decorator of the Future by Sylvia Wilson
(I think that was the title)
Third Place
Avatar by Lisette Vergara
Business Name: Austin Sweet Treats
(she was last year’s first place winner for this category)
Second Place
Golum by Brian Stevens
Business Name: Crazy Cakes Inc.
First Place
Space by Spacewest
2010 Pan-Galactic Alien Film Festival
by Kimberly Chapman
(No business name because she’s not a professional. She’s simply a highly talented decorator who enjoys designing cakes for her family)
This cake was designed to be viewed from all sides, so giving you one good photo is almost impossible. Up next will be a post with pictures of all the details of Kimberly’s cake.
Masters Division: Expert in sugar art. Is known to have mastered specific mediums and techniques. May be an author, instructor, or work in the sugar art business. Has more than 120 hours of instruction. Open to all styles
(There weren’t very many entries in the Master’s Division.)
First Place for Special Occasion or Novelty One Tier
Flower Shoe by Ruth Rickey
Business Name: Ruth’s Sweete Justice Bakery, OKC, OK
First Place for Sculpted Cakes
Little Yellow Jacket by Janette Pfertner
Business Name: Miss Janette’s Cakes
Second Place for Special Occasion or Novelty Tiered Cakes
Heavy Metal by Janet Rosebeary
Business Name: Rosebeary’s Designs in Baking
First Place for Special Occasion or Novelty Tiered Cakes
Private Island by Michele Foster
Business Name: The Sugar Fix
Third Place for Wedding Tiered Cakes
Pink Lady by Michele Foster
Business Name: The Sugar Fix
Second Place for Wedding Tiered Cakes
Mosaic by Ruth Rickey
Business Name: Ruth’s Sweete Justice Bakery, OKC, OK
First Place for Wedding Tiered Cakes
Wedding Outside by Janet Rosebeary
Business Name: Rosebeary’s Designs in Baking
And a sneak peek at one of the cakes in the Showpiece Division. A very small sneak peek.
Professional Division: High level of skill. More than 6 years decorating experience. More than 90 hours of hours of cake decorating or sugar art instruction. May be decorating for profit or working as a decorator. Open to all styles.
(There were too many entries to show to show all of them for these two categories, so the photos below are the ones I either liked, found interesting for some reason or another, or they placed in their category.)
Second Place for Special Occasion or Novelty One Tier
Welcome Little Rebel by Christina Craig
(pink cake, skulls, and a onsie? Squeeeee!)
First Place for Special Occasion or Novelty One Tier
Special Delivery by Dawn Parrott
Business Name: Iced Affairs
(more unbelievable stringwork and bridge extension work – this was even thinner than the chocolate wedding cake)
(the artist said that she almost gave her husband a heart attack by going back and painting the hearts on the bridge extensions)
Bull Dozer by Kim Fauchent
Business Name: Cake Goddess
(based on the the comments I heard around this little dog – he was a crowd pleaser)
Tribute to Texas Firefighters by Sylvia Wilson
“To honor the fallen and to be grateful to our brothers and sisters still fighting”
(I was very sad that this cake didn’t place, it’s another one of my favorites)
Third Place for Sculpted Cakes
(didn’t get the title, but it was a viper) by Tracy Gamble
Second Place for Sculpted Cakes
Flying J Ranch by Julana Phenix
Business Name: Something Special Bakery
Love Forever by Grace Goodwin
Business Name: Grace G. Cakes
(I like this one)
Third Place for Special Occasion or Novelty Tiered Cakes
A Koi Cake by Megan Gibson
Second Place for Special Occasion or Novelty Tiered Cakes
Cajan Cooking by Tracy Gamble
(I was going to make fun of the spelling until I discovered that both Cajan and Cajun are correct)
(I love the edible recipe cards)
First Place for Special Occasion or Novelty Tiered Cakes
A Light on a Hill by Karen Downey
(See, this is a perfect example of why I wouldn’t make a very good judge. This entry was not my first pick for this category–or even my second choice–until today when I took closer look while editing the photos. The technical skill on this cake is excellent, and it also shows a wider range of skill than the other entries in the novelty tiered cakes category. I’d love to see what she’d do with a theme that I’m interested in. In fact, I can’t wait to see Karen’s entry for next year)
Didn’t have data on this cake.
Third Place for Wedding Tiered Cakes
Mad about Pearls by Yvette Humbert
Business Name: Amazing Kakes
Second Place for Wedding Tiered Cakes
Butterflies by Tracy Gamble
First Place for Wedding Tiered Cakes
Steel Magnolia by Mandy Popejoy
Business Name: Mandy’s Cake Creations
Second Place for Buttercream Only Cakes
Shades of Chocolate by Sallia Brandy
Business Name: Just Desserts
First Place for Buttercream Only Cakes
Christening by Heather Domingue
Business Name: Cake Goddess
Third Place for Special Techniques Not-On-A-Cake
(didn’t get the title) by Sylvia Wilson
Second Place for Special Techniques Not-On-A-Cake
Fruit Dragons by Ashlee Trotter
Notes from entry form: “I named them Elvis, Pinky and Fred.”
First Place for Special Techniques Not-On-A-Cake
Dancing Snake by Krishani Panagoda
Business Name: Cake Stylez