We have all been there.
When its just one thing after another going wrong. When it seems like that situation is impossible and you can’t see a way out. And you ask yourself when is this going to end? Is this ever going to get better?
You feel like you are just hanging on for dear life. And it takes all your strength to get up and keep going. Its hard to get up and give it another shot when all you want to do is just throw your hands up and say “whats the point? and go hide under the covers.
Yep. That pretty much describes how I was feeling when I woke up that morning a few weeks ago. I felt like I was losing the fight in so many ways.
Anyhoo… I opened my eyes and the first thing that popped into my head was this picture of the crane and the frog.
I thought to myself, if this is the very first thought that comes into my head, I should pay attention. Perhaps it is a message or a sign…
I believe we hear whispers from heaven in different ways and for sure this was something I needed to hear at that exact moment. And not just hear “don’t give up” but see it as well!
The crane and the frog is a vivid picture showing me that “it’s not over until its over”. I saw that even when the odds are stacked against me I can still have the upper hand.
“So I ask you… who is in trouble here? The crane or the frog? Ha! You messed with the wroooong frog Mr. Crane!”
A couple of days later, I was given the chance to try out CakeFrame and of course it made perfect sense to make this crane and frog cake.
I had so much fun (insert evil laughter) making this.
“CakeFrame is a complete system for building internal structure and stability in wedding and novelty cakes. It is really easy to use. It opens up the world of standing cakes and gravity defying cakes to beginners and advanced cakers alike.”
Here is how I made the head and frog – where the story is…
Step 1: Make Rice krispie treats
– Find a container that is roughly the shape of the head. I found a drinking glass at home that was perfect. Tall and wider at the top.
– Brush the inside of the glass with Trex or Crisco.
– Melt the marshmallows in the microwave in 30 second bursts. (about 2 minutes altogether)
– Stir in the rice crisps till it forms into a sticky lump. No measurements. Just add your rice krispies to your marshmallows until its all stuck together and gets to the consistency you want
– Let it cool down a bit till its not too hot to handle. Careful! sugar gets hot. Stuff this into the glass while its still warm.
– Bring it out of the glass and continue shaping it by hand till it forms your crane’s head and beak.
I stuck a couple of bamboo skewers down the middle of the head to add strength to the structure. I also put a chopstick where the neck would go. I pressed indenatons on the side of the head for where the eyes would go and opened up the tip of the beak a little with a knife.
Put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to cool and harden.
Step 2:
Make holes in the beak for arms and frogs legs (tee-hee) yeah I know… frogs legs…
2mm Craft wire for frogs legs 🙂 Easy to cut and easy to bend
Make and colour the modelling chocolate
Mould the frog with modelling chocolate.
I used a colour shaper to create the hands, shape out the crane eyes, beak and make the neck look scraggly.
I brushed the frog with some gel colour to add depth. and painted the eyes and beak.
“Et Voila! I give you “The frog and the Crane.”: A CakeFrame Project and mini tutorial and inspirational message all rolled in one. (Because i am clever like that)”
And the message is…
I LOVE CakeFrame. The possibilities are endless.
I got my students to try it out in class and these are some of the cakes they came up with.
A Standing dress cake
A pouring milk in a cereal bowl cake…
And more…
Pro Tip:
When using CakeFrame, pay attention to the centre of gravity. No point making a massive asymmetrical object balancing on a one long skinny tiny leg especially if you plan to travel with it.
If you do travel then you must secure it properly before you go.
Buy CakeFrame at The Cake Decorating Company and please share your finished projects on our Facebook page.
