The kickoff BBQ for the 2010 Baycon staff was held over the weekend. Naturally, I decorated a cake for it. In honor of our 2009 theme (which featured fantastical creatures), this is what I made:


Yes, it's once again a Frozen Buttercream Transfer.

And what kind of cake goes best with a fire-breathing dragon?

( Dragonfruit? no ... )

And now, the wrap-up of my first Baycon as a staff member! I worked in the Convention Hospitality Suite (Consuite), while Tom (who had never even attended the con, let alone staffed it) worked for Convention Operations (ConOps).

( THURSDAY )

( FRIDAY )

( SATURDAY )

( SUNDAY )

( MONDAY )

I found a video of the gear cakes!



Many thanks to 'Czarcats' on Flickr!

For the second year in a row, I had the pleasure of making cakes for the staff party/feed/collapse at the end of Baycon. I'll do a full write-up of the weekend (my first as a staff member) in a bit, but first ... cake photos!

This year's convention was titled "The Lost Sky City of Pyrocumulon", a steampunk-set city of wonder and mystery (and dragons). The very talented Kimmi Albee had drawn a picture of the city that was used as the convention's masthead. I decided to try and put it on the cake. But not as an edible photo or anything ... oh no, I was going to recreate it in buttercream! (Because I am crazy.) In addition, to go with the steampunk theme, I made four cakes shaped like gears.

Here is what Kimmi's drawing looked like:


( And here is what I did with it )

Well, I think I've sorted out the undergarments issue.

Now I just need to figure out how to sit down in a full-torso bodice ...

I've spent more on eBay in the past 24 hours than I have in the past 2 years ... but I have a costume for baycon!

ETA: I promise I'll post pics after the convention!

Avast, me hearties, I have successfully plundered my first Baycon! I could only attend half of it, as I had a wedding on Sunday and was finishing up the cakes on Monday, but my Friday and Saturday (and Monday night) were filled with adventure!

Join me as I recount my tale of swashbuckling, dancing, being a mechanic for a day, and enslaving the world's most popular pirate ...

( FRIDAY )

( SATURDAY )

( MONDAY )

Thank you tsgeisel for the photos!

I spent most of my weekend doing two things: attending Baycon, and making the cake that lokiz_mom requested for their 'Dead Dog' staff party last night. A full recap of my weekend will be forthcoming, but first things first: cake pics!

This cake represented several firsts for me: It was my first time really shaping a cake, using styrofoam for support, using gumpaste, coloring fondant, using fondant at all by myself, and my first time relying on tiny little dowels to support the upper cake layers.

The theme was Space Pirates, so they wanted a pirate ship-themed cake to feed 150 people, plus a separate Vegan-friendly cake that could feed about 20. Here's what I came up with:


Arrrr, matey!

( close-ups, a compass, and cupcakes )

This was my most complex cake to date, but I am extremely proud of how it came out. I've already volunteered to do another cake for next year!