Nicholas Lodge is one of the most well known names in the cake decorating business.  His demonstrations at the International Cake Exploration Societe's annual convention is literally "flooded" with excited conventioneers who know they are attending a demonstration of one of the most popular and talented professionals in the world.  Nicholas' exceptional skills in his creativity and execution of his work are matched also by the gift of his high level of teaching and the love to share and help others learn. 

Nicholas was honored by being inducted into the ICES (International Cake Exploration Societe) Hall of Fame at the annual convention in August of this year.  I am thrilled and honored to have Nick share his talents on my web site. 

Nicholas teaches and demonstrates his unique skills around the world. Over the years his teaching tours have taken him to twenty-six different countries, and has introduced sugar art into unlikely places such as India, China and Fiji. He is internationally known, not only for his unique skills in sugar art, but also for the quality of his demonstrations and classes, at which he inspires enthusiasm in everyone who attends. This reputation has also involved him in judging sugar art events around the globe.

Nicholas was born in Essex, near London, England, and became interested in cookery and cake decorating at an early age. Nicholas can remember designing his first cake at the early age of ten for his parents anniversary. On leaving school, Nicholas worked in a bakery as a cake decorator to gain practical experience and commercial speed in decorating. He then was offered a position at The National Bakery School of England, located in London. Here he completed a two year course in cake decorating and design. After gaining distinctions in all his assignments and examinations, he received the award for the most outstanding cake decorating student.

Moving rapidly to even higher achievements, Nicholas became Principal Wedding Cake Designer at Woodnutts, located in Brighton, one of England's top sugar art schools. Here he made cakes for large London hotel's, including Claridges, The Ritz and the Savoy.

After eighteen months, at the age of twenty-one, Nicholas became the tutorial manager at Mary Ford's School in Bournemouth, another top sugar art school. During this time, Nicholas was commissioned to do work for England's Royal Family and other celebrities. This included one of the official wedding cakes for Lady Diana and Prince Charles. This Royal wedding cake was also reproduced by Nicholas in Japan for the visit of the Prince and Princes of Wales, during their official visit in Tokyo. Nicholas also worked on cakes for the Queen Mother and Prince William.

Nicholas was commissioned to write his first book in 1985, and as his reputation increased, additional books followed. Currently Nicholas has authored and co-authored over a dozen books and has acted as a consultant to several publishers and overseeing books written by others.

Nicholas has also been involved with CelCakes, located in York, England and has co- authored with Margaret Ford on the instructional module, "Sugar Facts," and also six video tapes, as well as teaching with Margaret at the CelCakes summer schools and road shows.

In 1993 Nicholas received an invitation from The White House to participate in a Presidential appointment on internal affairs. This appointment would have resulted in many trips to Washington D.C. and the White House, covering a period of one year. Unfortunately, due to his previous teaching commitments, he was not able to accept this invitation from President Clinton's office.

The International School of Sugar and Confectionery Arts, teaches all levels and aspects of sugar art, cake decorating and cold porcelain. The International Sugar Art Collection, is the division that manufactures and distributes over 400 specialized tools and equipment use in creating sugar art and cakes. The school, offices and product distribution are located in Norcross, Georgia, just a few miles north of Atlanta, which has been home for Nicholas since 1991.

As well as the school in Atlanta, Nicholas also has a sister school in Tokyo, Japan, and he spends his year teaching and traveling between the two locations, as well as special classes held at other schools throughout the United States and around the world.

The most recent book by Nicholas, "A Potpourri of Flowers,"  features fifteen life size gum paste flowers including the chrysanthemum. For a current catalog or a listing of equipment used in creating the chrysanthemum please contact us at:

The International Sugar Art Collection
6060 McDonough Drive Suite D
Norcross, GA 30093-1230

1-800-662-8925 toll free phone
770-453-9449 office
770-448-9046 fax

web site at www.nicholaslodge.com
e-mail to nicklodge1@aol.com

Nicholas also has a new Video Catalog. This two hour VHS video features Nicholas showing and demonstrating most of the popular tools and equipment in his collection. It also features Nicholas demonstrating step by step the gum paste rose from start to finish. All for only $12.99.  The Video Catalog is also available in DVD format.

For information to have Nick teach in your area, please contact Nick at: nicklodge1@aol.com

Nicholas' instructions throughout the book on the various flowers will bring joy and pleasure to the creator.  His instructions are wonderful to follow, and the layout is superb.  There even is a "Size Guide" to aid in floral creations.

I am thrilled to have Nicholas share the instructions for one of the flowers that is in his book - the chrysanthemum!

Flowers in Nicholas' book are:
sunflower, rose, poinsettia, magnolia, dutch iris, tulip, calla lily, gerbera daisy, hibiscus, longiflorum lily, phalaenopsis orchid, cattleya orchid, lily, gardenia and chrysanthemum.

To send for a catalog as well as the equipment to make the 
chrysanthemum, you may contact Nicholas at:

The International Sugar Art Collection
6060 McDonough Drive Suite D
Norcross, GA 30093-1230

1-800-662-8925 toll free phone
770-453-9449 office
770-448-9046 fax

Please visit Nicholas' web site:  www.nicholaslodge.com

Poinsettias, when they bloom, have different combinations of bracts and flowers.  The bracts are the red and green parts of the poinsettia and the flowers are in the center of the poinsettia.  The red poinsettia in the photograph has the following bracts and flowers:
Three large, two medium and two small green bracts.
Seven large, five medium, five small and four extra, small, red bracts.
Fifteen flowers made from a combination of five of each size.

Green Bracts
1.  Roll a number 16 sausage of green gum paste over the five ridges of the large CelBoard.  Dust with cornstarch, flatten using the XXL pin, then roll up and roll down, until the ridge is visible through the paste.  Peel off and turn over, cut out with the small and medium cutter.  The ridge should be about 3/4 of the way up the leaf.  Insert a 26g green wire that has been dipped into egg white, half way up the leaf and mold around the base.  Vein flat side on the small multi-leaf veiner, pressing on the back with a piece of foam.  Remove, soften edge on the soft side of the CelPad with medium pin.  This is done on the back of the leaf, (ridge side,) so as not to remove the veining.  Turn over the leaf and with the veining tool, vein down the center of the leaf on soft foam on the flat side.  Then hollow the base of the leaf, also on the flat side.  Dry on crumpled aluminum foil.  For large leaves, roll a number 12 ball of gum paste over the long ridge of the large CelBoard.  Repeat all steps as for small and medium leaves, but use 24g wire and vein on the large multi-leaf veiner.

2.  Once day, tape the base of leaf with 1/2 width light green floral tape about two inches down the wire.  Dust lime green in the center of the leaf and forest green on the edge of the leaf.  A little red is then dusted at the base of the leaf.  Once dusting is completed, stem the leaf to set the dusting powder, then brush with shortening.

Red Bracts
Repeat as for green.  The only difference being:
The small and extra small have 28g white wire used and are dried flat. 
The medium and large have 26g white wire used.  Once made, these are dried over small Wilton (R) flower former.  Once dry, tape as for green bracts, dust a little lime green at the base, and a little red highlight.

Flowers
The central flowers of the poinsettia are made up of three different stages, (small, medium and large.)

Small
Take a 28g hooked green wire, dip into egg white and insert into a number 4 ball of yellow paste.  Mold into a balloon shape, pinch with tweezers and mark in half with a toothpick, (like ("Mickey Mouse" ears.)  Once dry, dust lime green at base about 3/4 way up.

Medium
Same as small.  Once balloon shape is created, pinch two times with tweezers, (like a pair of lips.)  Once dry, dust lime green at base and a little red to one side of the lips.

Large
Same as medium and small, but use a number 5 ball of paste.  Once balloon shape is created, pinch center and snip with scissors, fold around to form a "spiky" center, (looks like an upside down onion.)  Once dry, dust base lime green and red on the "spiky" tip ends.

Assembly
Divide the green bracts, red bracts and flowers into three fairly equal groups.  Tape each group to form a 1/3 circle.  This is done by starting off with the large buds, medium buds, small buds, red bracts (smallest first); then, green bracts to finish.  Once the three separate sections have been taped, tape together to form the finished flower, adding one 18g wire in the center.  Once completed, steam the flower.