Petalsweet Sugar Flower Classes - January Update

Greetings and Happy New Year from Petalsweet!

I hope this message finds you well and having enjoyed a wonderful, joyous and restful Holiday Season! I wanted to share a quick post to give you an update on some of my sugar flower classes for the first quarter of the year! Local classes in San Diego are listed first, and then classes in Savannah, GA are listed second. I also added the classes I am teaching at Cake Love 2011 in Vancouver, BC in September since those have been officially posted on their website.

I will be listing additional classes in the next few weeks, and will blog another message as soon as I have all of the information finalized!

Please visit the respective sites for more information and class registration.


**SAN DIEGO CLASSES**
All of these classes are being held at Ro Z's Sweet Art Studio in San Marcos, CA (760) 744-0447

Ranunculus and Gardenia
Sunday, January 30, 2011
9am – 5pm
Class fee: $195.00 includes the use of all supplies needed
We will take a short lunch break (not provided)

Hydrangea and Filler Flowers
Mon/Tues January 31 – February 1, 2011
9am – 1pm both days
Class fee: $175.00 includes the use of all supplies needed

Open Peony with Stamens
Sat/Sun February 26 – 27, 2011
1pm – 5pm both days
Class fee: $195.00 includes the use of all supplies needed (see photo below)



Springtime Collection: Freesia and Anemone
Sat/Sun March 19 – 20, 2011
1pm – 5pm both days
Class fee: $195.00 includes the use of all supplies needed


**SAVANNAH CLASSES**
All of these classes are being held at Minette Rushing's Custom Cakes in Savannah, GA (912) 356-0072

The Ranunculus Flower
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
1pm – 5pm
Class fee: $85.00 includes the use of all supplies needed

Intro to Sugar Flowers (Gardenia, Quick Rose, Blossom, Sweet Pea)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
9am – 5pm
Class fee: $249.00 includes the use of all supplies needed (see photo below)**This class is FULL**



Peony and Hydrangea Cake Topper
Fri – Sun February 18 – 20, 2011
9am – 5pm
Class fee: $650.00 includes the use of all supplies needed and lunch each day


**Cake Love 2011 – Vancouver, BC**
These classes are being held at the Cake Love 2011 Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia
September 23 – 25, 2011
Please visit the Cake Love site for class dates, information and registration.

The Gorgeous Gardenia
Springtime Freesia
The Peony
Hydrangea and Filler Flowers
How to Arrange Sugar Flowers (demo only)


**Private Instruction**…please contact me for more details and information about private lessons. If you are traveling from out of town for one of my classes, please let me know if you would like to add on a private lesson to learn additional flowers, and to make the most of your time while you are here! I would love to work with you!

I hope to see you soon in class! Thank you for stopping by!

Copyright © 2011 by Jacqueline Butler of Petalsweet Cakes. Content of this blog (including text, photographs and layout) is the property of Jacqueline Butler - please respect copyright laws. If you want to link to my blog, or post any of my photos, please contact me - it would be great to have the opportunity to connect with you. Thank you!

Petalsweet Sugar Flower Classes - January Update

Starting the New Year with...Sugar Peonies!

I think it's pretty fitting that the New Year has begun, and I'm already making sugar peonies like crazy! Ever since I attended a fabulous flower class with Ron Ben Israel several years ago, and he demonstrated the gorgeous peony, I have been absolutely smitten with them. They truly are one of my favorite flowers, I will always enjoy making them, and you can be pretty sure they will always be a staple in designs and bouquets at Petalsweet. And while a New Year may call for new flowers...I'm afraid I'm awfully happy with continuing to use peonies...but hopefully in new ways, and then taking lots of new photos of them to share with you.

Here are a few photos from the other day when I was putting some peonies together. These large flowers were made with quite a few petals, and had pretty yellow stamens in the center.

Here are the pieces that make up the pistil:



The stamens added:



Lots of peony petals ready to be taped together into flowers:



The finished product...I just love these:



And a little bouquet I put together to top a small tier...something fresh and sweet to celebrate a good friend:



Thanks so much for stopping by...Happy New Year!

Copyright © 2011 by Jacqueline Butler of Petalsweet Cakes. Content of this blog (including text, photographs and layout) is the property of Jacqueline Butler - please respect copyright laws. If you want to link to my blog, or post any of my photos, please contact me - it would be great to have the opportunity to connect with you. Thank you!

Starting the New Year with...Sugar Peonies!

A Few Petalsweet Favorites from 2010

I have been busy working on some exciting plans for 2011, and during the process, it has been a lot of fun looking back at photos and designs from this past year! I was definitely inspired by many different colors, flowers and textures in 2010...but all the while working hard to maintain the clean lines and simple style of Petalsweet.

I was also thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to work with so many creative, thoughtful, talented and wonderful students, and have loved sharing photos of their beautiful work. Many thanks to all of you for choosing to study sugar flowers with me!

Here are a few of my favorites from 2010...enjoy!

Photo slideshow generated with Smilebox

Wishing you my very best for a safe, happy and sweet New Year! Thanks so much for stopping by...and for making this such a fun and fabulous year!

Copyright © 2010 by Jacqueline Butler of Petalsweet Cakes. Content of this blog (including text, photographs and layout) is the property of Jacqueline Butler - please respect copyright laws. If you want to link to my blog, or post any of my photos, please contact me - it would be great to have the opportunity to connect with you. Thank you!

A Few Petalsweet Favorites from 2010

Happy Holidays from Petalsweet

My best wishes to you and your family for a safe, happy and very sweet Holiday Season!



Thank you for visiting here and sharing your lovely messages...I so appreciate your time and thoughtfulness!

xo Jacqueline and Petalsweet

Copyright © 2010 by Jacqueline Butler of Petalsweet Cakes. Content of this blog (including text, photographs and layout) is the property of Jacqueline Butler - please respect copyright laws. If you want to link to my blog, or post any of my photos, please contact me - it would be great to have the opportunity to connect with you. Thank you!

Happy Holidays from Petalsweet

Practicing More Sugar Peonies

OK...it's true...I just can't get enough of making sugar peonies. I am completely obsessed with photos of these gorgeous flowers, and find myself repeatedly drawn to any magazine or book featuring them. Along with the photo obsession comes this never ending infatuation with recreating any and all peonies in sugar! And it's not just me...the peony is one of the most requested sugar flowers for lessons and classes!

So...I've been busy. Practicing and practicing some more. It goes something like this:

1. Study photos of peonies
2. Swoon (a lot!)
3. Figure out how the flower is constructed
4. Cut petals (lots of them!)
5. Shape them to resemble petals in previously mentioned photos
6. Let dry (impatiently)
7. Tape all the petals together to form a (hopefully) beautiful peony
8. Dust and color to make it pretty
9. Repeat

Here is a peony with an open center I made just a few days ago. I'm using some of the tips and techniques I learned in a class taught by the always fabulous Ron Ben Israel. If you haven't had a chance to take a class with him...I'd highly recommend it. Not only for the learning factor...but for the fun factor too! He is truly an amazing artist and inspiration!

A close-up photo of the over-sized peony:



Mixed with hydrangea, filler flowers, freesia buds and leaves:



And the completed cake design...just a simple and single tier, but made fabulous with the addition of a handful of flowers:



Thanks for stopping by!

Copyright © 2010 by Jacqueline Butler of Petalsweet Cakes. Content of this blog (including text, photographs and layout) is the property of Jacqueline Butler - please respect copyright laws. If you want to link to my blog, or post any of my photos, please contact me - it would be great to have the opportunity to connect with you. Thank you!

Practicing More Sugar Peonies

Giving Thanks...

Greetings!

We are celebrating Thanksgiving in the States today...and I wanted to express how truly thankful and very grateful I am for all of your support and good wishes - they mean the world to me. I love what I do, and it's a blessing to be able to share it with you. My heartfelt thanks for the time you take to visit here and read my blog posts, and your incredible encouragement and kind words - thank you!



My best wishes to you for a wonderful holiday season!

Jacqueline xo

Copyright © 2010 by Jacqueline Butler of Petalsweet Cakes. Content of this blog (including text, photographs and layout) is the property of Jacqueline Butler - please respect copyright laws. If you want to link to my blog, or post any of my photos, please contact me - it would be great to have the opportunity to connect with you. Thank you!

Giving Thanks...

Sugar Ranunculus Flowers by Petalsweet

Just when I think I have arranged enough colorful sugar flowers against a dark chocolate background, a new idea pops into my head, and I just have to make it happen!

One of my new favorite sugar flowers is the ranunculus. I used quite a few of them in a large bouquet and topper this past summer, and have had many requests from students wanting to learn how to make them! They are not difficult to create, but just a bit time consuming with all of their many rows of petals. The ranunculus flower is so unique, though...delicate and pretty, but very modern and sophisticated at the same time.

I just love using them mixed with other flowers:



And the complete design:



Thanks so much for stopping by!

Copyright © 2010 by Jacqueline Butler of Petalsweet Cakes. Content of this blog (including text, photographs and layout) is the property of Jacqueline Butler - please respect copyright laws. If you want to link to my blog, or post any of my photos, please contact me - it would be great to have the opportunity to connect with you. Thank you!

Sugar Ranunculus Flowers by Petalsweet