Since this is the first year we could throw Johann a birthday party, we wanted to make it special. Up until now we didn’t know enough people and we don’t know where we’ll be this time next year, so this is our chance! Because of space limitations, I started looking for places around town where we could have the party.
Making of an Ocean Birthday creature gluing the gill rosette on a white spotted sea goddess rendered in marzipan.
Originally uploaded by eclectic echoes.
Johann decided on Project Oceanology and an ocean theme. Since Project O is all about hands-on ocean education, it’s perfect for us! I thought cupcakes would be easier to serve than worrying about a cake and inevitably forgetting to bring a knife to cut it. While surfing the web looking for ideas, we found a business that uses fondant to decorate cakes and cupcakes. The owner did some cupcakes for a party with sea creatures on it that looked wonderful. I didn’t feel I knew enough about fondant to make decorations for this party using it, but I could do something similar in marzipan.
When I was 10, my family was stationed in Germany and I was taking art lessons from Heidi Herzfeld. She was a kind, gentle person. She only taught children how to draw and paint in watercolors, I think because she knew children wouldn’t get hung up on her handicap or have a problem with her being in a wheel chair. A childhood case of polio had left her paralyzed. She was one of the very few people in my life who saw my talent and nurtured it. In fact, I loved her so much that when the time came for us to move, I asked to stay in Germany with Heidi so that I could continue to study with her.
Tammy hard at work on a marzipan rendition of the Giant Pacific Octopus
Originally uploaded by eclectic echoes.
One day, when I was the only child that had come for lessons, she took me into her back room and showed me the new project she had been working on. She smiled and her eyes shone when she saw my amazed reaction. She had a 4–foot–long table covered in marzipan creations, all various fruits and vegetables. They were so perfect, I had to keep reminding myself that these didn’t come from miniature trees and plants, but they were marzipan that she had molded and painted with food coloring. She explained to me how she did it and then demonstrated how she made a green apple, even how she painted on the blush highlights so it looked like it had been kissed by the sun.
Although my tutorial had been excellent, I had never done it before, so I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. Now was my time to try. If it didn’t work, I would just serve plain cupcakes. We went out to buy new paint brushes yesterday, since I couldn’t find any in the house that hadn’t already touched paint. When we got home, I got to work. Eric and Johann helped me choose creatures and provided pictures and toy animals as models. It took me all day, but it was worth it! I had so much fun making the critters and they will add a special touch to Johann’s party.
8 Comments
Oh my! I think you’ve found another business sideline!!! Those creatures are adorable!!! You really learned (and more to the point, remembered, your lesson well. Fantastic post–thanks for really making Johann’s birthday cake “stupendously seascaped special”
OMG!!! are those cool or what?! Just out of curiosity – how long did it take to make these? JIMBOBTX may not be aware of the intensive labor involved
What a very special thing to do for J’s b’day. It’s wonderful that there is a place where you can hold an event like this for all his friends. Here’s a nightmare thought – 14 kids plus parents in your apartment!?! LOL We expect lots of great pix from the event.
Those are amazing Tammy! The kids will love them. You always were talented. I can’t wait to show these pictures to my son.
Fantastic work! Those are amazing! My, ahem, birthday is April 2nd… just so you know
Thank you all! It took about 6 hours to make all of the animals. It’s just like working with modeling clay, except you can eat your mistakes! Mmmmm… Eric showed the pictures to some friends at the university and they thought I could easily go into business too, even gave me some suggestions of local delis that might use my marzipan decorations. As you said, TEXMOM, for obvious serious space issues this had to be a destination party! There’s NO WAY we could have the party at home!
Wow! and Yum! Any rejects or mutants left for us to eat? My favorite is Daisy Brittle Star.
Very creative and I really your stuffs. Every kids will see that stuffs will be amaze and make their eye bigger and says “Wow”. I cant wait to see some of pictures taken in that party.
Connor’s favorite is the octopus. We just saw a program on the giant octopus on tv and he was all about how cool that looks. Ciara’s favorite is the cuttlefish. She thought it looked cute.
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