Cob - Tales from the EarthSea / Agatha Rogowska, Cakefield Avenue

I have to admit I've never heard of Studio Ghibli before. I am delighted though I was asked to be a part of Irish cake collab again this year - thanks to this I could discover crazy world of Japanese Anime :) My choice of Cob was pretty obvious as I love scary and ugly things :) It was a pleasure to recreate him in sugar! 

River Spirit - Spirited Away / Amy Millar

 I chose this image to recreate because I loved the texture of him and knew it would be technically challenging.  I started with a pastillage mask and layered from there  I'm delighted to be part of this collaboration.  

Heen - Howl's Moving Castle / Anne Geraghty, Cakes Glorious Cakes

I'm Anne Geraghty from Cakes Glorious Cakes.  I was delighted again to have been asked to take part in another Irish Cake Collaboration.

When Studio Ghibli was mentioned, to be honest I'd never heard of them, but I soon got googling and found a few characters I liked. But, I kept coming back to 'Heen'.  

So, here he is and he's all edible!  Thank you, Anne

Haru - The Cat Returns / Anne-Marie Cahill Byrne, Cherub Couture Cakes

 Delighted to be asked to do my first collaboration, which is Haru..... a girl turned Cat from The Cat Returns.  Why did I choose this piece?  All my cats have Japanese name, thanks to my children. 

Also, my favourite movie is, none other, than Haru so it was a perfect choice.  

My previous occupation was in psychiatry, but to be honest, you have to be nuts to be a caker.

Nausicaa - Nausicaa Valley of the Wind / Charlotte Gillane, Lotties Cakes and Slices

 

This story is about the courageous Princess Nausicaa, who leads the people of the valley to engage in a struggle to restore the bond between humanity and Earth.

I chose this piece as I think that it reflects a lof of the current struggles we have in our current world.  I was also immediately taken in by the cover photo with all the beautiful shades of blue and green.  I love to use cocoa butter and edible dusts as a painting medium and thought that this image would be a great challenge for me as a cake artist.

The Sky Coloured Seed / Ciara Kinch, Truly Scrumptious Cakes

Hi my name is Ciara Kinch and I set up my custom cake business, Truly Scrumptious Cakes 4 years ago after starting my family and and leaving the corporate pharmaceutical world.  Finally I returned to my creative self.  

I was delighted to be asked to contribute to this wonderful collaboration, as modelling cartoon characters is top of my list of things I love doing.   I choose 'The Sky-Colored Seed' for my piece as I was drawn to the picture  found online of the little boy and the fox, who gives him a sky-colored seed that grows into a big blue house full of animals.  The story was based on a 1964 childrens book by ReikoNakagawaand and Yuriko Omura.  

Haku - Spirited Away / Corinna Maguire, Lovin' From The Oven

Introducing Haku from the movie Spirited Away.  I was thrilled to do this piece as I saw the movie years ago and completely fell in love the with film and especially the river spirit, Haku’s character, who sometimes takes the form of a human boy.

To create this piece, I wanted to give Haku the appearance of floating and splashing over the water.  I used modelling wire, and rice crispie treats to build the structure and used pour sugar and isomalt to create the effect of the river and splashes.

Princess Kaguya - The Tale of the Princess Kaguya / Ellen Redmond, Splendor - Cakes and More

When it came to choosing our character for this collaboration I was immediately drawn to the timeless, loosely sketched style of this movie.  I love the dreamy lightness of the animation.  Hand painting on cakes is one of my all-time favourite techniques (I also have a soft spot for Cherry Blossoms).  After having watched the full film, I couldn't wait to get started.

The tale of Princess Kaguya is both moving and beautiful.

The Bathhouse - Spirited Away / Gail Porter, Lizzie May's

I kept coming back to this scene when i was choosing my piece.  I loved all the colour and detail but it was really Chihiro who drew me in.  How small she looks in front of that huge, imposing building!  I created a large cookie base and all the decorative detail is piped by hand with royal icing.

Scene from Arrietty - The Secret World of Arrietty / George Tyrrell & Jennifer Craven, Craven Cakes

 We chose Arrietty having grown up watching The Borrowers.  We love the colour and busyness of her bedroom, the use of everyday objects that she adapts into it.  

Kiki - Kiki's Delivery Service / Geraldine Arnold, Cake My Day

I fell in love with the film 'Kiki's Delivery Service' as soon as I saw it.  Brave little witch. Kiki, making her way in the world with the help of her cat Gigi.  Gig's wise words of advice "don't panic" came in very useful when the first version of my Kiki model met with an untimely death.

Heidi - Heidi, Girl of the Alps / Jenny Canning, The Little Cake Fairy Dublin

Hi, I'm Jenny from The Little Cake Fairy Dublin. For this collaboration, I chose Studio Ghibli's "Heidi - Girl of the Alps". "Heidi" was my mum's favourite book as a child, and she often read it to me as I grew up, so I loved that I had a personal connection to the character. For my piece, I wanted to do something a little different from my usual style, so decided to do an edible painting over a three tier cake, using cocoa butter tinted with edible lustre dusts. I framed the piece with a gilded border and some pretty alpine sugar flowers. Hope you like it!

Hayao Miyazaki - Miyazaki and Family / Karen Geraghty, Bake Cake Create

I was thrilled to be asked to participate in this 3rd Irish collaboration. I wasn't very familiar initially with Studio Ghibli, so when asked to select a particular character to model in sugar, I couldn't narrow down the field. Through my research, I came across a fabulous image of Hayao Miyazaki who is the founder, author, animator, producer and director at Studio Ghibli. In the midst of all the wonderful Ghibli characters at this exhibition, I felt it would be appropriate to pay homage to the brilliantly talented Mr. Miyazaki. I knew it would be a time consuming and challenging project to incorporate the miniature Ghibli characters but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Scene from Arrietty - The Secret World of Arrietty / Kathy Ryan, Cakes by Kathy

This movie is the story of miniature family who live a life under the floorboards of another family's residence. They 'borrow' simple things for them to live from the inhabitants of the house. Life changes for Arrietty's family when she is discovered. In my piece I have depicted Arriety 'borrowing' a cube of sugar just before she is discovered.

Dragon - Tales from the Earthsea / Louise Crowley

My name is Louise Crowley.  I have been a hobby sugar artist for four years now and absolutely love it.  When I heard of this collaboration I was so excited as it was a chance to do something really different.  I have always loved the Studio Ghibli Movies and Tales from the Earthsea is the one I chose to bring to life.  I made the dragon because they are such beautiful strong, yet delicate, creatures.  I also have a love for anything that is dark and macabre.