Invited to participate in the international collaboration of cake and sugar artists Sugar Myths and Fantasies, I set plans for my contribution. While in mid-production, we received devastating news my niece had taken her own life.

My original design idea was based on Maleficent’s Moors and much like the story, my unfinished contribution piece had become dark, full of sorrow. Everything around me had stopped, I found it difficult to continue with my project, every time I looked at my workbench I was reminded of my sadness. I didn’t want to let the collab down, I knew they would understand, but I would never forgive myself later.

Finding some solace in one of my favorite internet videos, “Dances With Dandelions”, I decided to take a chance and make contact with the wire sculptor, Robin Wight, of Fantasy Wire . I asked if he would allow me to apply some of his inspiration into an edible sculpture and he delightfully said yes. The days had dwindled and neared the deadline to submit to the collab, with only two days left I began creating my fairy.

Her internal structure is comprised of floral wire and a wooden dowel rod. My new favorite edible medium is wafer paper, so I decided to try something different. The fairy’s entire body, head, neck, arms, legs, feet, hands, muscle and tone were built up using wafer paper in a papier mache manner. To mimic the wrapped wire look of Mr Wight’s sculptures I alternately laid thin strips of wafer paper around the fairy’s body. The hair is wafer paper and there are 3 thin floral wires to support the “root” at the scalp. The metal finish was achieved using an airbrush loaded with Silver Sheen color. The wings are isomalt cast from a silicone mold sheet attached to the fairy’s body with isomalt. The dandelion center is a wafer paper ball attached to a wooden skewer, the thistles are hand pulled isomalt into various lengths, some as thin as hair, and attached to wafer paper ball with melted isomalt.

I lovingly named her Taylor’s Wishes, in dedication to my niece.

Most know to make a wish and blow the thistles of a dandelion, but most don’t know that they also carry thoughts and affection to loved ones. So the next time you see those little white things floating about for no apparent reason…take a pause and know that you are loved, you matter.
<3 Chef Mitchie

#stopbullying #youmatter

If you or someone you know is going through a rough time, feeling depressed, or thinking about self-harm, you can call the national suicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit their website. You can also head over to ReachOut.com and check out some of its resources.