Sweet Times in the Rockies, 2011...the Results!

FINALLY, after weeks and weeks of work and anticipation...the weekend of the Sweet Times in the Rockies show arrived! Seems like no matter how much time I give myself to work on cakes, I'm down to the wire getting them done! I had arranged to take the Friday off from the job that supports my cake habit and finished my 2nd cake at about 1:00 p.m. All entries needed to be dropped off at the Denver Convention Center between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. I packed up my cakes, my emergency repair kit and a bottle of water and left about 3:30. Typically, the drive takes about an hour and fifteen minutes. On Friday the traffic was terrible and it took over 2 1/2 hours!

One of my favorite parts of the show is checking in and dropping off the cakes. It's so fun to see the cakes arriving and watch people get them set up. There's lots of chatting and comparing notes and helpfulness. The hard part is leaving behind these cakes that I've been living and breathing for close to 2 months! But, I manage to tear myself away. I'll be back the next day, as I've volunteered to work. I'll be able to check on them then.

It was my first time working the show and I loved it! I was stationed behind the cake display tables, between the kids' and beginners' divisions and got to talk to people and answer questions about cake for hours! The judges, who had started at 9:00 in the morning, were still at it at 4:00 p.m. Talk about dedication!

The awards ceremony was held on Sunday so we headed to Denver, my 3rd trip of the weekend. We got there in time to spend some time walking around the Garden and Home Show. That was fun.

There were ten divisions of cakes, all getting awards, and there were so many stunning cakes that I honestly don't remember a lot of the winners. I'll post a link to the website when it's updated with the pictures and placements. I do, however, remember MY categories!

I entered the Intermediate Adult Division.

Here's my entry into the Celebration Cakes category:

Lucy the Ladybug

It won 1st place in that category! I was so thrilled because I really, really, really love this cake. I've been teasing my husband that I'm going to redecorate my dining room to match so I can use it as a centerpiece forever!

And here's my entry into the Tiered Cakes category:

In Love With Lavender

It won 1st place, too! Not only did it win 1st place, it also won Best in Division! But, the BEST part? The judges, who are all master cake decorators, all of whom have been featured on either Food Network Challenge or TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off, gave my cake a “Special Award” for BEST flower (the hydrangea at the base). I was so shocked and excited!

Here's the hydrangea...

Much gratitude to Petalsweet for the wonderful tutorial.

Thanks so much for reading and allowing me to share my excitement! Next up, some background on the cakes, some lessons learned and judges' feedback.