Have you heard about pop-up stores? Pop-up events are so hot right now. The first one popped up in Los Angeles in 1997, and now these short terms shops can be found all over the US, Canada, UK, and even as far as Australia! These shops and events are short term, sometimes just a single day, sometimes a few weeks. In 2002 Target opened a pop-up store on a boat at Chelsea Pier in New York City; cell phones providers, airlines, clothing designers, bands, and even restaurants have popped up in different places to the delight of shoppers. 

These short term shops and sales, and events can even be seasonal. That's where ISAC comes in: we are hosting our very own pop-up event starting December 3, 2016! If you are in the Atlanta, Georgia area this December, we would love to have you visit our very own pop-up event: Gingerbread Depot!

Studio B will be transformed into a gingerbread construction zone! All of the supplies will be ready and waiting; when you and your family arrive, your house will be assembled and ready to be designed and decorated! All the candy and icing necessary will be included with the house; of course if you wanted to go for a bolder design, we will have additional candy and icing available. 

ISAC is offering two hour sessions in the morning and afternoons on the following days in December:

Saturday, Dec. 3rd
Wednesday, Dec. 7th
Friday, Dec. 9th
Saturday, Dec. 10th
Wednesday, Dec. 14th
Friday, Dec. 16th
Saturday, Dec. 17th

Gingerbread Depot is the perfect place to make holiday memories. Families, grandparents and grandchildren, couples, and even friends can come together this December and have a little fun with us at our Gingerbread Depot! If you would like to secure your spot, give us a call at 770-453-9449! We can't wait to see you pop in to our pop-up event!

Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie

Don't just follow our blog! Follow Chef Lodge on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award. 

There is less than two weeks to go until our 2016 Grand Holiday Open House!! Following the tradition that we began last year, ISAC will again be hosting two fantastic guest instructors- Wayne Steinkopf and Steven Stellingwerf. Chef Nicholas will also be debuting two brand new products in his demonstrations!

Last year at our Grand Holiday Open House, Chef Nicholas debuted these

gorgeous poinsettia's as part of his then upcoming Craftsy class!

Do you know Karen Portaleo? Oh, right, of course you do. How could you not? She is so outrageously talented: she has been on Food Network Challenge (four times), Halloween Wars, and Cake Wars- winning all but one; and her client list includes Sir Elton John, Usher, Jane Lynch, T-Pain, Demi Moore, Andrew Young, Kasim Reed, AMC's The Walking Dead, The Cartoon Network, Coca Cola, Delta Airlines, Turner Broadcasting, CNN, The Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta, The Atlanta Opera, Georgia Public Broadcasting, The W Hotel, and Westin Hotels.

WOW.

Karen has taught classes on cake sculpting and modeling chocolate throughout the world, but she calls Atlanta, Georgia home...  Just like Chef Nicholas. For years Chef Nicholas has wanted to host one of Karen's classes in our very own Studio B. Sadly, when you have two superstars of the cake world, scheduling can be a bit tricky. But, it seems that the wait is over!

FINALLY, and proudly, I am happy to announce that Karen Portaleo will be teaching at the International Sugar Art Collection on December 5-6, 2016! Hooray!

In Karen's class, students will not only finish a lovely Santa Cake (see photo above) that can be used as a center piece to Holiday Celebrations, they will learn a great many techniques! Such as:

-Sculpting faces

-Working with modeling chocolate

-Painting on modeling chocolate

-Cake structure and armatures

-Draping and working with fondant

-Painting on fondant

-Using molds and cutters

While Karen will be demonstrating a specific color pallet for her Santa, students are encouraged to take the techniques they are learning and get creative with their Santa! This class will be informative and FUN!

This is a two-day class and a light lunch will be provided.

I cannot wait for this class, and this Santa is coming just in time for the holidays! When Chef Nicholas and I were discussing this class last week, he said it best, "This class is the ultimate holiday gift for sugar artists." I don't disagree- why not give yourself the gift of this class, or surprise your favorite cake decorator with a seat in this class! And after the class, you will be sure to impress all of your holiday guests with the Santa that you have created. 

If you'd like to sign up for Karen Portaleo's Santa class just click here! We can't wait to see you in class..

Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie

Don't just follow our blog! Follow Chef Lodge on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award. 

As many of you may know, Chef Nicholas is lucky enough to be the Brand Ambassador for Renshaw, the world's leading manufacturer of rolled fondant. We have been working even more closely with Renshaw for the last few months... doing what you ask? Well, let me tell you!

When I was growing up, one of my favorites things to do during the holiday season was to build a gingerbread house. I say, "WAS," because as I grew up and starting building the house on my own I realized how much WORK it was! Cutting and baking the ginger bread (or even going to the store and buying a kit), setting up your workspace and all the necessary supplies, constructing the house and waiting for the royal icing to dry... and that's before you get to the fun of decorating! Oh, then you have to clean everything up! Oy! Sadly, for me and probably many other families, the planning, preparation, and clean up just outweighed the fun and memory making of building gingerbread houses as a family!

I miss the happy memories of being silly with my brother and parents as we decorate a yummy little holiday house, and I want that back now that I have kids of my own. Well, Scott decided that maybe ISAC could become a tasty, gingerbread construction site over the holiday season- and now we have Gingerbread Depot! 

Ok everyone- last week I told you all about the demo and classes being taught by Wayne from Swank Cake Designs at ISAC's Grand Holiday Open House and in Studio B, respectively. I also told you that we had to iron out a few last minute details, and the classes weren't yet live on our website. Well, I have got something to share: the classes are live, on our website, and ready and waiting for you to register! I just couldn't wait until Thursday to share the good news!

I have some FABULOUS news to share with all of you, and I am pretty excited! Wayne Steinkopf of Swank Cake Designs will be our guest instructor at this year's Grand Holiday Open House! Not only will Wayne have an incredible demo for the event, he will also be teaching two classes in Studio B!! You guys... all of Wayne's projects are amazing, and I really think seats are going to sell out faster than you can say, "ISAC!"

Hi everyone! Earlier today I posted our weekly blog with a chance to win Chef Nicholas' newest book Spring and Summer Gumpaste Flowers. I asked that you each comment on the post with the flower you were most excited to try from the new book (and there are eighteen flowers- tons of options!), and from those comments, Chef Nicholas would choose a winner. 

Many of you emailed us to let us know you were unable to comment. THANK YOU! I had no idea that the comment feature wasn't working properly! Luckily, the issue has been resolved and I have already had some new comments posted! In addition, the deadline has been extended to Wednesday! 

So! If you tried commenting earlier, and was not able to, please try again! You can find the original post here. 

Thanks for your patience, and good luck!!!

Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie

We are smack dab in the middle of our HUGE 13-day PME Master Class! The students have already conquered rolled fondant and they are two-thirds finished with the royal icing module. They will finish up with five days straight of gumpaste flowers! If you know anything about Nicholas Lodge, you know that flowers are his game, so it's fitting to end a two-week class on such a high note. I myself have been a busy bee- printing class textbooks, getting practice sheets made, printing recipes, and preparing the diplomas and master certificates, that I realized I didn't have a blog topic for this week! But thanks to a suggestion from Scott, I realized that I could share some Chef Nicholas gumpaste flower magic with all of you too (his students shouldn't get to have all the fun)!

How exactly can I share sugar flowers through a blog? Well, because Chef Nicholas has a new book out with SIXTEEN different types of beautiful flowers: Spring & Summer Flowers in Gumpaste. Has there ever been a sweeter sixten? I think not. In fact, there is even a chance to win this new book!

Hello friends and happy Thursday! I am in a fantastic mood because Chef Nicholas is featured in an interview in the August 2016 Cake Masters Magazine! Oh, and also because the ICES Convention begins today! Hooray! 

For weeks and weeks Chef Nicholas and I have been politely asking all of you, students, clients, and fans, to nominate Chef Nicholas for the Best Learning Experience Cake Master Award. Nominations have closed, but I am hoping that Chef Nicholas' feature in the Cake Master Magazine is a good omen- fingers crossed that he is selected as a finalist! We won't know who is selected for a while, so until then, why not snag a copy of this month's Cake Master Magazine. It's the floral issue, so Chef Nicholas was the perfect person to interview this month! You can get your copy on their website. Of course, a HUGE thank you to each and everyone one of you that nominated both Chef Nicholas and Scott for the Cake Master Awards!

Let's switch gears to ICES. Earlier this week, the ISAC team diligently packed up loads of fun tools and goodies to bring to all of you this weekend at the ICES Convention in Mobile, Alabama! Chef Nicholas will be teaching his Lily of the Valley and Stephanotis hands-on class this evening, and he will be hosting his Camellia demo on Saturday morning! I know Chef Nicholas hope to see you all in his class or demo! Oh, and of course don't forget to visit Scott at the ISAC booth! We are debuting some new items that you will not want to miss out on!

I hope everyone going to ICES has a great weekend, and you all have fun in your classes and demos! Good luck to all the competitors! And EVERYONE go visit the ISAC booth to take home some cake swag!

Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie

Don't just follow our blog! Follow Chef Lodge on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award. 

The ISAC Family must say goodbye to a big part of our team this week. Larry Hunn, our General Manager, is retiring to spend more time with his family. While we are so very sad to see him go, we know that he will be enjoying his grandchildren and the sunny weather in Florida!  Larry has been instrumental in helping ISAC to grow as a business, that we wanted to pay tribute to him in our blog this week.

2015 National Showpiece Championship Winner. Team Kengo Akabame and Toshinori Akishiro won "Best Overall," "Best Chocolate," "Sponsors' Choice," and "People's Choice."

It's that time of year again folks- Pastry Live! In just one month, August 20-21, 2016, the kings of pastry will be visiting our hometown of Atlanta, Georgia for a weekend of competition, seminars, and shopping! Chef Nicholas will be back as a judge again this year, and Renshaw is one of the event sponsors! Yay!

Chef Nicholas' 2015 seminar sponsored my Nielsen-Massey Fine Vanillas & Flavors.

Greetings from Tokyo, Japan!! Just kidding- I'm not lucky enough to be in Japan, but Chef Nicholas is that lucky! Last week Chef Nicholas flew out to teach two weeks of classes at his school; The Nicholas Lodge International Sugar Art Collection Japan. We've been missing him at lot here at ISAC in the good ol' USA, but it looks like he and his students are having the time of thier lives from the photos. I normally only do photoblogs after our Open House events, but I thought I would make an exception for our fantastic Japanese students! Hope you enjoy seeing everything they have created so far!

Bryson Perkins will be visiting ISAC this August and teaching a two-day class in Studio B! Originally from Kailua-Lona, Hawaii, Bryson dove into cake decorating as a hobby to fill his void of homesickness while living in New Hampshire.  Shortly after discovering his talent for cake decorating and sugar art, he was hired as a cake artist at a well know pastry shop. Bryson set off on his own and opened Triolo's Bakery in December of 2012.  Although his cake career is still relatively short, Bryson has had the pleasure of creating one of a kind cakes for, "celebrities, politicians, charitable foundations, and everyone in between."

Earlier this week the Cake Masters Awards opened their nominations for the 2016 awards! In 2015 Chef Nicholas was honored to be a finalist in the Cake Hero category. This year we are hoping that Chef Nicholas will be selected as a finalist (and eventual winner!) of the Best Learning Experience Award. With 38 years of experience, Chef Nicholas has reached an innumerable about of students around the world. On Facebook, Chef Nicholas shared the highlights of his teaching career, and I thought I would do the same here. It's our hope that you will consider nominating Chef Nicholas for the Best Learning Experience, especially if you have had the privilege of taking one of his classes!

Chef Nicholas at the ICES Convention

Guess what happens on Monday? Chef Nicholas will debut his 11th Craftsy class! How amazing is that? Sweet Seasons: Fall Foliage is the last of four seasonal floral themed classes that Chef Nicholas created with Craftsy. Unlike the previous three class (Poinsettia, Cherry Blossoms, and Sunflower) this class does not include any flowers! I bet you'd love the chance to win this class for free! Keep reading to enter our contest!

It's that time of year again my fellow cake decorating friends! ICES CONVENTION 2016! We are less than two months away from bringing the cake decorating world to Mobile, Alabama. Chef Nicholas has already begun to prepare for the big weekend, and I am super excited to share some of what ISAC will be offering, as well as some of the activities at this year’s convention.

In the ISAC family, everyone has their job. Chef Nicholas designs cakes and teaches classes, Scott takes beautiful  photos (and makes the best cookies), I write the blog, and Molly is in charge of making sure we have tons of fantastic products for everyone to enjoy. One of my very favorite things is when Molly tells me we have fun new products in the house. That means we get to try them out and tell you all about them! This is one of those blog posts- new product here for your cake decorating pleasure!

Memorial Day is just around the corner, and that means summer fun is officially on its way! June is a BIG month at ISAC; Sidney Galpern is returning to Studio B with three isomalt classes, and Chef Nicholas has two classes (including a BRAND NEW CLASS)!

Today we are going to talk about what you can do with rolled fondant. And I'm not talking about covering you cake! Chef Nicholas has two techniques to change things up with rolled fondant that students just go bananas over when they learn them for the first time: modified rolled fondant and softened rolled fondant.