Modern Sugar Flowers

I started baking as a teenager, creating fancy treats for my family during the holidays. Cookies, cakes and pies, I experimented with them all, to mostly enthusiastic sibling reviews. Working in the kitchen with careful precision made sense to me, and I loved the time watching and learning from my mom. Those early days led to baking cakes for friends' and family celebrations, and I soon ventured into sprinkles, piping bags and modeling cute animal figurines. I happened upon a book on pulled sugar _owers, and worked my way through all of the blossoms quickly. The process of shaping a simple ball of paste into a stunning, delicate _ower was truly magical to me, and I couldn't get enough of the art form! I researched artists whose work I admired, and traveled extensively to learn a solid foundation in making sugar _owers. At home, I practiced these new skills over and over again until I felt confident enough to trynew _owers on my own. Over time, I began incorporating sugar _owers into all of my cake designs and developed a personal style that became Petalsweet. The sugar _owers I create are stylized, and simply my own interpretation of the real thing. The _owers take a bit of practice, but are not overwhelming, because I try to keep extra details as simple as possible. If a _ower detail isn't pretty or functional to me, I might change it or even omit it, and that keeps the _ower-making process relaxed and fun. I also use simple cutter shapes and veiners across a variety of _owers where possible, and find this helps me work quickly and efficiently. I encourage you to not focus on perfection, but rather on learning how to make _owers that are well crafted. Practice the techniques, and soon you will be creating beautiful _owers with ease. Petalsweet cakes are clean and modern, with _ower arrangements that are full and fresh. I'm so excited to share some favorite _ower combinations in the cake project designs, as well as a variety of arranging techniques that work for me

Jacqueline Butler is a wedding cake designer and sugar artist based in San Diego, California, under the business name Petalsweet Cakes. She teaches sugar flowers internationally, including the USA, Australia, Europe and Asia. She was the first cake instructor on Craftsy.com. She's known for her sophisticated flowers in soft pastel shades, modern flower arrangements and the ability to break down the process into achievable steps, leading to beautiful results.