Sculpting and Cake Decorating with Natalie Madison

There was a time a few years ago that I traveled the country in promoting our silver cake plateaus at ICES cake trade shows and meeting professional artisans with their passion for beautiful cakes. From Sylvia Weinstock in New York to the Le Cordon Blue College of Culinary Arts in Austin, Texas, I shared my wares and was amazed at the talent behind cakes that were truly works of art. At the Cake Shows, cakes were judged and just looked too real to be cake! 

(Yes, these "leather" shoes and purse are cake!)

Marj Jenkins of Icing on the Cake, Art you can Eat

I think that is what I love about what we do now, is that I still stay amazed at the world class talent right in our own home town of Little Rock. Recently Natalie Madison of Natalie Madison Artisan Cakes, has shared her talent with my brides. Natalie not only makes works of art but also teaches sculpting and cake decorating at Pulaski Tech Culinary Institute from time to time.  After 18 years of baking and decorating for others, Natalie finally opened Natalie Madison's Artisan Cakes, a studio bakery in Little Rock, AR, January of 2013.  As a graduate from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor's Degree in Art, her medium is now cake!

For our couple who got engaged in New Orleans, the bride surprised the groom with this New Orleans inspired chocolate cake! Doesn't that corn look real?...it's not, it is cake!

Here Natalie puts the finishing touches on a wedding cake in the Big Red Barn.

From simple and elegant, "Love Birds" was the theme 
to this wedding.

A Bass Grooms Cake by Natalie

Rose Petals and Pearls

Look closely, the rose petals are edible art!

What groom would go crazy over a baseball glove of chocolate!

For the deer hunter, a sculpted dear head...all edible!

 

of course Natalie knows how to sculpt the perfect Razorback.

Not only is she extremely talented, she is a delightful charming Southern sweet lady, I am honored to call friend. To contact Natalie, 

501-240-6102

 natalievmadison@gmail.com

www.nmartisancakes.com and www.nmartisancakes.net

As Natalie says,

"It's not just cake...it's edible art!"says Natalie

 

A Trade Secret - Handmade Flower Girl Dresses

Pearls for the flower girl and matching headpiece

I’ve made some really special friends through my years of hosting weddings and one of them is Karen Ellis (no relation, although I would love to claim her!) who designs and hand makes the cutest Flower Girl dresses. A couple of years ago, her daughter Hannah was married here at Magnolia Hill. You know how you just "click" with some people, and become instant friends? I think that is what I love about what we do, is that I become friends for sharing in a lifetime event of a wedding.

Mother of the Bride, Karen Ellis looks like she could have been a bridesmaid!

 

Since the wedding, I kept up with Karen and stay amazed at her design talents. She is a kindred entrepreneur spirit and I thought I would share some of her work....Everyone was talking about the cute "Fluff Ball" dress that the Flower Girls wore. The Mother of the Bride designed and made them, including a matching headpiece.

Our banner carrier says "Oh Happy Day" in a Karen Ellis designed dress.

 And for a Rustic Barn wedding...how cute is this?

or this...

A Denim top and cowboy boots complete the outfit for a Rustic Barn Wedding.

And so I am saving my favorite for last....I am crushing on these colors !

 

It was no secret I loved the classic vintage style Hannah and her mother, Karen chose for their wedding. I am so excited to share with all my brides the handmade element of these darling children's dresses...or Fluff Balls as I call them! 

 To contact Karen....

ellisoriginals501@gmail.com 

Or they can FB message me @ Karen Ellis or Ellis Originals 

Or 

can text Karen @ 501-951-2986

Enjoy!