It's not all about cake...

Over the last year, I have been gradually collecting slices of trees to build up a selection of potential rustic cake stands & displays. These have been drying out in a warm room over the months and a few weeks ago, I armed myself with a power sander to take them to task!

With over 10 logs of varying shapes, sizes & diameters, I had my work cut out and by the end of the day, my hands and arms were tingling from the vibration of the sander and my eyes & nose felt so dry & itchy from all the sawdust. But it was worth it! Some of the logs were decidedly rough and ready with blackened surfaces and bark hanging off but the sander revealed hidden beauty. I have always loved the look & feel of natural wood and to see a mildewed piece of rough, discarded timber become smooth, and glowing with raw beauty was a great accomplishment. In fact, some of the most disheveled pieces, turned out to be my favourites with the blackened sections giving character and interest to the wood. I peeled the flaking bark off a couple of the tree trunks then sanded the sides and smoothed off the edges to reveal gorgeous markings.

I then spent the next week painting on coats of clear matte varnish to seal the raw wood and enhance the natural grain and markings of the tree slices. Each piece is unique and undeniably beautiful.

I have already used some of them when displaying my own cakes, for photo shoots and for couples to display their wedding cakes & cupcakes on.