My Story – A Life in Blooms & Craft

From the very first sugar bloom I created, I knew I had found my calling. I started cake decorating at the age of 20, never imagining that a simple love for flowers would grow into a lifelong passion. Sugar flowers became more than decorations for me – they became an art form, a way to capture nature’s fleeting beauty and preserve it in edible elegance.

When sugar flowers returned to popularity around 2009, I began sharing my creations online. To my surprise, people from all over asked me to teach them. At first, I wasn’t sure I was ready – I was a decorator, not a teacher. But soon, my classes became a source of joy. Each lesson allowed me to pass on my knowledge, and what began as a hobby transformed into a journey of teaching and artistry.

Over the years, students traveled from across Africa to learn with me – some even flying in from East Africa – and I was invited to teach abroad. These experiences deepened my belief that sugar flowers are more than skills; they are traditions, memories, and stories shaped petal by petal.

Life, however, brought challenges. After falling gravely ill during the Covid pandemic, I was forced to step back from teaching. But even during recovery, my creative spirit never faded. Instead, I found new outlets for my artistry – expanding into hand-painted and printed vintage-style canisters that now hold coffee, tea, sugar, and our proudly South African Rooibos. Each one is crafted with the same care and detail I put into my flowers, turning everyday items into timeless pieces of décor.

Alongside this, I began creating my unique leather proteas and strelitzias – lifelike, lasting blooms that have quickly become a favorite among my clients. These leather flowers are not just décor; they are heirloom pieces, celebrating our rich South African heritage in a form that never fades.

Today, I continue to share my craft through online flower tutorials and my long-awaited secret flower paste recipe, perfected over decades to withstand even the harshest climates. Whether I am shaping a delicate sugar petal, painting a canister, or handcrafting a leather protea, my mission remains the same: to blend beauty, heritage, and artistry into creations that inspire and endure.

This is more than my work – it is my life’s passion. And I am honored to share it with you.