y love of baking and cake decorating started when I was old enough to remember helping my mother bake, age 3. My parents bought an “Easy Bake Oven” for me when I was 4; this was my favorite toy as a child. I enrolled in my first Wilton Cake Decorating Classes Winter of 1980, at the age of 15. I sold my first wedding cake at the age of 16. I have been studying and mastering the intricate art of cake decorating and design ever since my very first class; I was hooked!
From the very beginning I loved “Sugar Art” and was invited to my first Wilton Cake Decorating Teaching Seminar, in the fall of 1980, at the age of 16; I was the youngest Wilton Teacher at the time. I received several Wilton Incentive and Territorial Awards, and was inducted into the Wilton Method Teacher’s Hall of Fame, 1987; The President Club, 1996; and Wilton's highest career achievement award, Imperial Club, 2000; in recognition of my 21 years of teaching between six to eight thousand students during my career with Wilton. (Imperial Club members are considered "Lifetime Wilton Method Instructors")
During my career I have taught and given demonstrations for Wilton Instructor meetings, Art Institute of California in Sacramento, Oklahoma Sugar Art Academy, Adult Schools, ICES Convention, NC, ICES Day of Sharing in different states, business owners, bakery personnel, master cake design artist, several San Diego women's clubs, Girl Scouts, cake clubs and shows across the United States.
Early in my career, I won First place in People's Choice and Third Place in 1984; "Best of Show" in 1985, all Lambeth Designs; Foreign Techniques Division; I was very honored, my cakes were judged by Betty Newman-May, John McNamara and a few other well known Hall of Fame cake decorators and judges, at the time. I was not able to continue competing, due to my family and business.
I have also been featured in the SD Union-Tribune newspaper, SD Channel 10 News, SD Channel 8 News, KUSI Good Morning SD, American Cake Decorating Magazine; Sept. 2010 & June 2011 Issue, ICES (Int'l Cake Exploration Societe) Newsletter; May 2011 and interviewed on San Diego Radio Station with Jack White. I was honored to be a guest and participant on a few “Get Crafty,” SD Channel 8 info-commercial segments, for a local craft and floral supply store.
I have attended numerous confectionary classes, demonstrations, trade conventions and shows since 1980. I was very fortunate to be one of the very few to have studied extensively with world renowned Hall-of-Fame Decorator Betty Newman-May; completing a 150-hour course known as the “Lambeth Method” Master Course of cake decorating; the most unique International Method of cake decorating…one of my favorite of all the methods.
I have also studied South African and Australian cake decorating methods, cake sculpturing, air brushing, candy making, figure piping, gum paste flowers, cocoa painting, gingerbread construction, pastries, catering, floral design, calligraphy and tole painting (Folk Art).
All classes I attended were taught by world renowned Hall-of-Fame decorators, including Betty Newman-May (CA), John McNamara (CA), Eleanor Rielander (South Africa), Ann Baber (England), Dianne Gruenburg (MI), Frances Kuyper (CA), Nicolas Lodge, Roland & Marsha Winbeckler, Kerry Vincent and several other famous designers, pastry chefs and sugar artists.
Throughout the years, I have developed my own recipes and techniques; owned and operated my own bakery, cake & candy supply store. I have taught cake decorating and confectionary classes since 1980. Teaching for Grossmont Adult School District 1986-1987 and 2000 through the present. I started Confectionary Chalet in May 2006; actively since, 2008; teaching being my main priority and focusing on English overpiping skills and Lambeth techniques.
Today I continue to share my love for confectionary arts; traveling as a guest instructor and demonstrator for upcoming cake shows, clubs and culinary art schools, throughout the country. I am an acting member of the following clubs; ICES (International Cake Exploration Socite) and ICES Approved Teacher, 3 C's (California Cake Club), San Diego Cake Club, Washington State Sugar Artist and Eastside Sweet Creators, WA.
My enthusiasm for confectionary arts is contagious! I hope to be a true inspiration for my students so they, too, can share the same love and creativity for future generations to come; continuing the true art (piping work) of cake decorating; keeping all methods of sugar art alive!
"Being a good instructor/teacher; is loving, caring and sharing; treating people/students the way I want to be treated; and teach the way I want to be taught."
