TELL US THE STORY OF HOW YOU GOT INTO CAKE DECORATING AND HOW PETALSWEET STARTED AND EVOLVED INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY ? Cake decorating and sugarcraft are a second career for me ! Directly out of school , I spent 17 years working in the non-profit sector for an amazing organization that provides assistance dogs for people with disabilities . I trained working dogs for 10 years , and then moved into management and staff training , which is where I also fell in love with teaching . I also grew up baking for my family , so I nurtured my creative side at the non-profit by becoming a hobbyist baker and making birthday cakes for my friends and co-workers . At some point along the way , I wanted to learn to bake at a more professional level , so I enrolled in a baking program at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco . I also found a small decorating book at a bookstore that featured little pulled sugar flowers . and I immediately fell in love with making them . Further research led me to some flower classes with Nicholas Lodge and Colette Peters , and once I saw what was possible , I knew I wanted to make wedding cakes with sugar flowers full-time . I soon left my position at the non-profit , and Petalsweet Cakes became an official business for me around 2003 . I began sharing my work online in 2005 , and within a few years started getting contacted by other artists who wanted to learn how to make sugar flowers . Surprisingly , that grew into teaching both local and overseas classes , and now I spend all my time teaching the art of sugar and wafer paper flowers , and occasionally making cakes for family and friends . DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST EVER FLOWER YOU MADE AS PART OF YOUR BUSINESS ? The first sugar flower I made for my business was hydrangea . I was obsessed with the green Mophead variety , and thought they were the perfect filler to go with my other favorite flowers like tulips , ranunculus , and peonies . I still love them today , and think they are great as a delicate detail for cake designs .
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR FLOWERS ? I am fortunate to see beautiful flowers in all the places I walk every day , and they are a great source of inspiration . I follow a lot of florists on social media , and love both the gorgeous blooms they share , as well as the color palettes they put together . I have flower and gardening books I love , and I ’ m frequently on Google and Pinterest to search for flower images . I try to follow the flower seasons , but sometimes I just get inspired to work on certain flowers when I happen to see someone share a beautiful bouquet .