Friday, December 18, 2009

SOO SORRY!!!

Just a real quick sorry for the WRONG Twitter feed! I just now noticed it and wow - I was surprised. I'm not sure for how long it was like that, but until they can work out the problems, I've take the feature off.

If you want to follow me on Twitter - please visit www.twitter.com/KreacionesKity. That is the ONLY Twitter account for Kreaciones Kity.

Again, I apologize for the confusion. Hopefully, I'll be able to work out the problems soon and put the Twitter feed back up.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Full-time job + starting business + volunteerism = NO TIME

If someone would have told me six years ago that I would be opening my own business, I would have found it hard to believe. Six years my mind was deadset on being a reporter. I envisioned myself working for The Kansas City Star or a local television news station. Running a custom bakery was definitely not in the plans. But as we all know things happens and plans change. And quite honestly, I could not be any happier.

These past few weeks have been CRAZY and AWESOME! Not only have we been able to put together some great school and church events, we've helped support other local businesses and artists in the process. While this is also a bit of a 'downtime' in terms of cake orders, it does not mean I've rested! On the contrary! I've met with a new customers for their 2010 weddings and quinceañera and equally exciting, I'm developing new products. These new products are going to be great for when the store opens.

I don't think anyone in the process of opening or developing their new business fully knows what to expect. On one of my favorite cake forums, the question of "how to start a business" comes up all the time. I always want to scream - say good-bye to weekends, Friday nights, family and so much more. And really this can go for any business. If you want to open a business, you have to be willing to make sacrifices.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

New Menu Ideas

I know I've talked all summer about the opening of Jose Fiestas Rental, but it's taken longer than we ever anticipated. This has truly been a big step for us all and while there have been times that we're grown impatient, we know when all is said and done it's going to be great! 

The experience is also exciting and nerve-wrecking at the same time. I know I'll pretty much have to give up my weekends (not that I don't already). Demands will be higher, expenses will add up more quickly and it won't be so easy to finish things up at 2 or 3 in the morning and then just head up on to bed. But on the plus side, I am SUPER excited to expand the business!  Jose Fiestas Rental customers will know get to know Kreaciones Kity and vice versa. I can't think of any other party shop in town that offers people what we will be offering.

So on this train of thought, the Kreaciones Kity menu will be expanding on so many levels! We're talking gelatina, a wider variety of cupcakes, Mexican treats and who knows what else. I have so many ideas in mind as to what I want to offer. Family and friends are either going to love or hate me during this waiting period. I'll be testing out new recipes and perfecting skills they have yet to see. They will be my test tasters - for better or worse :)

Monday, October 12, 2009

Es un ranchero en plena moda que le gusta el buen vestir....

Part of running a business is expanding your knowledge as to be able to offer your customers more. This is exactly what I did when I took a one-day class with cake decorator extraordinaire Bronwen Weber of Frosted Art Bakery & Studio. Bronwen and her husband Francois Long taught an awesome class on how to make a 3D cowboy. Now, given the fact that one of my favorite songs in the entire world is "Ranchero Chido" how could I do a cowboy any other way?



So birth of "Ranchero Chido" begins. It's actually a pretty simple concept. All you need is the right tools. I started out with a PVC structure Bronwen and Francois provided us. They gave us tips on how to create our own for future uses. It's funny to see the progression of "Ranchero Chido". As you can see from the right, he's pretty bare.









Next step was to give the poor fella a real body! There he goes! Sadly I think that's what cakes does to all of - a big panza! :) The craving cake is tricky and much easier said than done. Unlike with other forms of art, you really can't "add" more cake once you've taken it away. Especially when you are craving something like this. It's always better to start small.





See? Now he's starting to take shape. I think this is definitely one of my favorite parts of 3D cakes. You totally have to have a vision of you want to make. Yes, it may not always turn out perfect or EXACTLY as you envisioned, but what does in life? And this is just cake! Cake is meant to be fun and creative.


Now let's get some clothes on this fella!






So, yes I know that "Ranchero Chido" wears su saco rojo, but we didn't have red. And even if I did - it was going to take forever to get it red. I'm digging the pink though. I think it worked out prefectly!








Another favorite part of this cake - doing the face! Omg - it was so much fun! It completely took me back to ceramics classes. I looked it!


Bronwen and Francois did show us two different techniques (they actually showed us different ways to do everything throughout the course of the class), but I opted for the more 'realistic' way.









And ta-dah! Say hello to "Ranchero Chido"! I honestly cannot tell you how
AWESOME Bronwen Weber and Francois Long were. Talk about SUPER nice, down-to-earth people. They were great instructors, fun to be around for the day and all-in-all just seemed like two people who genuinely love what they do.





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The class was a great learning experience. I can't wait to implement what I learned into the business. This industry is evolving so much and customers are becoming more and more educated about what can be made out of cake. It's a very exciting time to be part of the cake world.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

New season + new inspiration = new ideas

Last week marked the official change of seasons. As we put away our flip-flops and tank tops we pull out our boots and hoodies. I, for one, am excited for the new fall season. The smell of cool, crisp air while walking in the beauty of nature is an inspiring thing for me. Thankfully, this new inspiration has also led to some new ideas.

As you've noticed, this is a new blog address. I decided to make the switch after I realized that all the blogs I follow are hosted by Blogger. Why I didn't make the switch sooner is beyond me. I am still in the process of moving over past entries to this new blog. Hopefully, I'll figure it out soon so it won't take too long. In the meantime, please just hold tight. I know this move will overall result in a better, more convenient and accessible site.

As far as other new ideas, they are more like plans in progress. I've talked all summer about the new venture Jose Fiestas Rental and yes, it is still in the works. It's just taking a bit longer than we had anticipated. It's a step in a new, better direction that will ultimately allow us to better serve all of our customers. Just like you, we too, have become very impatient, but trust me it will be worth the wait!

And while it may seem that I am skipping over fall, I've already started to make plans for the new year. It is still all in the VERY beginning brainstorming stages, but I can assure you that you will only be seeing more from Kreaciones Kity in 2010.

Lastly, September marked the return of the monthly Kreaciones Kity e-newsletter. Under a new format, the issue highlighted some of my favorite cakes of the previous month, upcoming event and other valuable information. I've also added a "Vendor Connection". Email me at cristina@kreacioneskity.com if you would like to recieve the monthly e-newsletter. The next issue will be sent out within the next week.

As always, thanks for the love. Hit me up for your custom cake and cupcake orders and peace out!

Monday, August 31, 2009

Icings with a Purpose

As I uploaded some recent photos to www.flickr.com/kreacioneskity I noticed something. The more I use fondant, the more I love it. It’s an absolute great medium to be able to use. It allows for a more smooth finish and in some cases a more realistic depiction of a particular item. However, this doesn’t mean I love using it more than I do whipped frosting. As a matter of fact, frosting a cake in whipped icing is one of my favorite things. I can give a 14” round a smooth coat in about 7 minutes – start to finish. But each icing serves its purpose – a different purpose.

 

 

Look at the cakes below. Rachel’s “Ashtray cake” would have never come out so realistic if it had been done in the whipped icing. Likewise, if they had been done in fondant, Gaby’s “Baptism Wings” wouldn’t look like they are indeed about to fly away.

 

 

 

In the case of the pink ashtray, it called for a very specific smooth look. The black and white sanding sugar used to form the ‘ashes’ could have soaked into the whipped icing, and once removed the fondant cigarettes would have also left their mark. Neither one of these things happened with the fondant-covered cake.

 

 

The whipped icing gives the wings an airy and soft look. They truly look like wings. Had the wings been done in fondant, it wouldn’t have been able to give that same airy and soft look. Also it would have been very heavy. The weight of layers and layers of fondant would have definitely added additional weight to the cake.

 

 

Now, even though each icing serves it’s own purpose and produce very different results, it doesn’t mean that they can’t be combined. Val’s and Mike’s “Ball & Chain” is the perfect example of combining the best of both worlds. The ball is covered in fondant and the chain is made of a gumpaste/fondant mixture. Placed atop whipped-covered cakes with flames, the ball and chain look great. The whipped flames give the cake a certain texture and feel. The cake as a whole highlights the best of each icing’s purpose.

 

 

The use of fondant, whipped or buttercream, icing can make a difference in the design of a cake. A knowledge and capable baker should be able to tell you what will work best for the cake you have in mind.

 

 

As always, much love. Hit me up for your cake and cupcake orders. Peace out!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Talk about busy!

It's been a while but boy has it been busy!

First have you checked out the new flickr account? Check out www.flickr.com/kreacioneskity. I'll slowly be moving the entire photo gallery there. It's been a slowly but steady process. It's MUCH easier to access and much more user-friendly than the Myspace gallery. I won't change anything from the Myspace account, so consider the flickr page a supplement.

Secondly, don't forget to follow me on Twitter. Go to www.twitter.com/kreacioneskity. When you login you be sure to send me an invite to cristina@kreacioneskity.com so I can follow you as well.

Thirdly, Jose Fiestas Rental is almost opening. Anyone that has opened a storefront knows that opening is much easier said than done. Trust me though, it is going to be AMAZING! Imagine one place to get all your party party rental equipment, party supplies, cakes and so much more. It's going to be unbelievable! Trust me on this one.

And finally, mark your calendars. Kansas City Quinceañera is working to put together a quinceañera expo. This is the perfect opportunity to meet a great group of vendors all working to give you a great event! Not planning a quinceañera? No worries. If you are planning any sort of event, you need to come to this. DJs, reception halls, musicians, photographers - you name it - and there will be a vendor there. It's tentatively scheduled for September 26, 2009. Once I have all the details, I will pass them along. In the meantime, check out Kansas City Quinceañera at http://kcquinceanera.ning.com/. This is a GREAT resource for anyone have a party.

Sorry for the lack of pictures this time around. I do have one special treat - an oldie but a goodie. Theya's Surprise cupcakes. I LOVE these cupcakes!!! Remember, you can only get these from Kreaciones Kity. :)

As always, much love. Hit me up for your cupcake and cake orders. Peace out!

P.S. On Sept. 22, I'll be taking a class with Bronwen Weber! Yes, Bronwen Weber - Food Network Challenge competitor and winner. I am super excited about it! I'll be creating a 3D Cowboy Cake. AWESOME!!!! I'll definitely be posting after it happens.

Now really - much love and peace out!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

I'm finally back!

Yes, it has only been about two weeks, but that has seemed like forever! I have good reason though. I've been busy in the kitchen - baking! I'm even going to have to cut it short today. I'm only posting two photos today - Emilio's boxing gloves and Ruben's "21" cake. I did an awesome Tinkerbell cake on July 4, but of course, I forgot to take a pic. I was very bummed about that. I LOVED how it came out!

Other tidbits before I get to the photos. Jose Fiestas Rental is moving right along - A GREAT JOB!! I can't wait for all of you to see the final product! You are not going to want to leave the shop. Second, don't forget to book your XV or wedding cake with plenty of notification! Same goes for your regular orders. I need at least 48 hours notice for my minimum order. I can't guarantee anything after that. Finally, I'm planning my yearly vacation. I'll let you all know when it is coming up so you can prepare yourself.

Now onto the goods :) I was proud of Emilio's boxing gloves. They were the first ones I ever did and I'd have to say not bad for a first time. I know what I need to improve on for next time though.

And then we have Ruben's "21". This was DEFINITELY a changing process. Not really what I had envisioned from the get-go, but I like it. The blistering heat was not it's friend as the day progressed, but nonetheless he liked it. Again, I know what I would like to improve on for next time. What do you think?

Monday, July 6, 2009

Busy, exciting week!

Last week was a busy - that's for sure! Along with some last minute orders (that I was able to fit in) I had my 4th of July cake, some church cupcakes and my nephew's birthday cake. But the most exciting news happened earlier last week. I can't go much into detail, but let's just say that some BIG news is going to be coming from Jose Fiestas Rental and Kreaciones Kity. It's all very exciting! I know you are going to love it!

I didn't have my camera with me, so no pictures of the two cakes or cupcakes. The cupcakes looked delicious! Strawberry cupcakes with whipped vanilla icing topped with sprinkles and a marachino cherry...mmmm!

You'll have to wait for a photo of my nephew's cake. He has to see it first! I can't ruin the surprise. :)

I am very much looking forward to this weekend however - time for Ruben's big "21" cake! I can't wait. If all goes to plan, it'll going to be amazing! I'll need to start working on some of the gumpaste work tonight.

Thanks for checking in with me and as always, hit me up for the cakes and peace out!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The crazy madness went GREAT!!! Congrats to all!

So the crazy madness I was talking about last time? It went great! I totally LOVED the cakes!!! It was stressful, but all came out wonderful!

Here's a shout out to Brandon! ¡Felicidades en tu bautizo! Que Dios siempre te acompañe. I love the simple elegance of this cake. The mom picked a simple white on white design w/silver dragees. I guess you can technically eat the dragees, but I don't know anyone who would - they are HARD!!!

Next up - the Lara quinceañera. The mom was so happy with it!!! YEA!!! I hope the quinceañera loved it as much as the mom did. They were an awesome family. Not even a little bit of rain ruined their spirits. They too picked a simple, yet elegant design. The real flowers really make the cake, in my opinion. Congratulations Natalie!!!!!! Espero que se la hayan pasado de lo mejor!!

And finally, a good ol' birthday cake. A sheet cake at that! Ha! I don't think I've done three sheet cakes in a row in a long time. But it serves as yet another example of how a sheet can be something different. Did you see the border? With a simple switch of a decorating tip, it really gives the cake a different look. I like it. I need to practice my soccer ball design! lol!

Oh, dude, I was almost forgetting! I joined the bandwagon and am a Twitter! Follow me at www.twitter.com/kreacioneskity. What is Twitter? Pretty much my random, instant cake thoughts. You'll get more instant news. Plus - it's something fun!!!

So, check me out here, on Myspace - www.myspace.com/kreacioneskity, Twitter - www.twitter.com/kreacioneskity and of course, my Web site - http://www.kreacioneskity.com/. No excuses to not know what's going on! lol!!

As always, hit me up for your cakes and take care. Peace out!

Friday, June 19, 2009

I know when your birthday is, I guess you should know more about me

I held off as much as I could in adding the "About Cristina" section to http://www.kreacioneskity.com/. I've never been a big fan of the section on other sites, but came to fufill the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" theory. I caved. Then I realized, I should share more about myself and what I believe. I'm a strong believer in supporting causes and businesses that you believe in and the only way people are going to believe in Kreaciones Kity is knowing more about me.

I'm not going to rehash the "About Cristina" section - I'll let you read it for yourself. One thing I don't mention in it is my education. I have a B.A. in Communication and Spanish with a minor in Journalism from Rockhurst University (Go Hawks!). Quite a different step from owning a custom bakery, huh? The passion is the same, though. The ability to visually create something that is going to inform or bring a happiness to someone is a great feeling. Taking a step back to read a finished article or an edible piece of artistry gives me a level of joy and satisfaction like no other.

But so how did I leap from writing B2B articles on agriculture to making cakes? Simple - corporate layoffs. After leaving the agriculture magazine, I took a much needed break to do some soul-searching and figuring out what I wanted my next step to be. I knew I needed to pursue a more creative outlet. Come into play my longtime love of cooking and baking - and ta-dah! Kreaciones Kity is born.

What lies ahead only God knows. I thank Him everyday for what He has given me in this life. He has given me more than I asked for or could have ever imagined. I only hope I am making Him proud. And while only He knows what lies ahead, I am taking the gifts He gave me and making some goals. When I think of what I want to achieve I'm unable to contain the excitement. If I'm able to achieve all my dreams - DUDE, IT'LL BE FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!!

So, there, now you know a little more about me and where I come from. Maybe this will make you more inclined to support Kreaciones Kity. Maybe I just talked about myself for a really long time. Either way - I hope you enjoyed it.

As always, hit me up for your cakes and peace out!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

I need some R&R!!

Man, I so need some R&R. I've got another big cake weekend coming up.

I'm about to hit the grocery store to do the shopping and picking up other materials. I'm really excited about the two big cakes of the week - they've got an awesome classic design to them!

Then I have my nephew's b-day and Father's Day - gifts and cakes to worry about! It's all good though.

But DUDE, some awesome news - Jose Fiestas Rental's shop is coming along nicely!!!! It's so great. They'll be located on 9th street in KCMO and it'll pretty much be your one-stop party shop. You'll be able to pick up your tables, chairs, moonwalks, tablecloths, food chafer and other rentals there as well as other party supplies. We're talking ballons, plastic tablecloths, candles - everything! And the awesome thing - I'll in their in-house baker! Yup! You'll get to pick up your custom cakes and cupcakes and even pick up some last minute pastries. Definitely a VERY exciting thing. I haven't gotten around to take photos of the place (combo of no time and camera still messing up), but as soon as I get some, I'll post them.

So yes, it's an exciting time - I'm loving it!

As always, hit me up for those cake orders - peace out!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Last Week's Cakes

What did I say last week? Sheet cakes DO NOT have to be your typical rose and shell border cakes. If that's what you like, than I'm more than happy to do so, but in my experience, most guys aren't big fans of roses. So this is why it's good to mix it up a bit.

Now I know this b-day cake has a shell border, but it's still diffferent! I'm lovin the car! It was perfect! I had just got the mold (remember the cool cake stuff I got? - this is one of the things :), so it was awesome to use it. The other awesome thing about it - it's 100% edible - pure white chocolate! Mmmm.....

Next up - a wedding and groom's cake. The groom LOVED his Raiders cake - it was a complete surprise! Surprises are always great. I love the simplicity of the cake. I think the combination was GREAT! Plus - I love the look of a hexagon cake. So a big congrats to Cyla and Abraham! Much love and I wish you guys the best! (OMG - Cyla looked so pretty! Gorgeous dress!)

What's up for this weekend you ask? CRAZY MADNESS is what! Along with baptism and xv cakes I've got my nephew b-day and Father's Day. Wow, then it's about three weeks for Ruben's big 21 b-day cake. I totally got to finalize the design on that one! It has to be awesome. I've got everything I want to incorporate into it, but I just don't know how I'm gonna do it all. I think I'm gonna have to break some child labor laws and get my niece to help. I'll pay her in cookies or something! lol!!!

I think that's all for now. As always - much love and hit me up for your cakes! Peace out!

Monday, June 8, 2009

A different spin on an old classic

Sheet cakes do not - I repeat - do not have to be your typically shell border with roses! They can be different, but still give you the ease a sheet cake has to offer.

I'll admit they aren't always my favorite - usually because they are harder to make creative! It's a good challenge to have though. Which I think is one of the reasons I really like this graduation cake. It's simple, but effective. I guess that can be said for any cake though. You don't need a huge eleborate design to make a cake look awesome (although if you WANT it - that's a different story :).

As always, it's been a joy. Hit me up for your cakes.

Oh, and I think I'm going to do a cupcake special for Father's Day. Something a little different for Dad.

Friday, June 5, 2009

I pity the fool who doesn't read this! LOL!

So, it's unbelievable how freakin' awesome today has been!

First, I finally got my Mr. T Water War! Yes! Does anybody remember this? We had one when we were kids and I so can't believe that I actually found it on ebay. Nah, I can't believe I was the only bidder! Something is wrong in this world when only one person bids on Mr. T's Water War....ha,ha,ha....

Oh, and I LOVE Canon! So my camera was messin' up (see XV pic). Well, it was a manufacturer defect. They are gonna fix it FREE! Sweet! I love Canon - great product and after nearly five years they still stand behind it!

Other awesome thing of the day - picked up some new cake stuff. Nothing too special, but at a great price. You can't argue with that!

I think I'm gonna hold off on the exercise tonight. I need a day off. But check out Zumba tomorrow at SSA and you'll see me there! It's an even exchange :)

I'll be working on Cheli's cake tonight. I'm excited - as always!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Check it out! Ruben finished the logo!!



Can I just say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!? Ruben did an freakin' awesome job!!! I so couldn't ask for something better!

It’s funny I kept asking him if he was done and then he started asking what I wanted on it. He pretty much came up with this on this own. It definitely fits me perfectly! I don’t think I could have asked for something better.

Be ready to see it posted EVERYWHERE! lol!!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Saturday was a great day!

Saturday started great! I hit the 9:30 Zumba class at St. Stephen’s. If you haven’t tried Zumba - you should! Check out www.casadefitness.com.

Cake deliveries were made yesterday. I’ve an order for tomorrow, so I’ll be working on that in a little bit. It’s a graduation cake, so that’ll be great.

I’m still trying to figure out my Father’s Day cake special, so be sure to watch out for that. It’s Sunday, June 21 this year so don’t let it sneak up on you.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Dude! I can't wait!

So, my brother, Ruben, is working on my new logo (finally :) and I’m LOVING it!!! It’s still in the developing stages, but it looks awesome! I can’t wait for him to finish so I can reveal it here. I’m so excited.

On to the cakes!

I LOVE, absolutely LOVE this latest quinceañera cake! They had a great color scheme and gracias a Dios everything came out good!


Hmm, my camera is still acting goofy (see that purple line up top?). I'm gonna have to get a new one soon. But no worries, I have my eye out for one - it's too cool! Okay, I'll stop there otherwise my nerdy side is going to come out. :)


Now say hello to Banana Split Cupcakes! Dude, omg - I LOVED making these!!! They look so good! I was so disappointed that I didn't have any extra leftover. My sister ordered them for her "Take to Kids to Work Day" back in April. Hmm, maybe I should make them for July 4th or Father's Day. Hmmm......



So, what else is coming up? June is crazy busy, so that's awesome. I'm planning Ruben's 21st b-day cake, so that'll be cool. I can't wait!

Alright, back to work. It's a beautiful day for walking - so get out there!

Friday, May 29, 2009

I'm blogging!

¿Como la ven? In the midst of the busy season I decided to start a blog. Like I need to add one more thing to my “To Do List”.


The awesome thing will be that I’ll be able to keep you up to date on some of the newer cakes I do. Updating the gallery can be a lot of work!


So, aqui les va el primero! Era para el cumpleaños de Celia. ¡Dure 3 HORAS decorandolo! (Because I couldn’t figure one thing out J But I LOVE it!!! Red velvet con relleno de cream cheese - SO GOOD!