Sensational Sugar Animals
Frances McNaughton's sugary delight will really appeal to all those crafters keen to try their hand at 2012's darling of the creative world - cake making and sugarcraft. The book offers step-by-step instructions on how to make 16 gorgeous trinkets to sit atop baked offerings. The modelling techniques are simple to ensure sugarcrafters are able to make everything from lions and cats to gorillas and polar bears.-Craft Business I purchased this book thinking it was similar to the 20 things to make series. How wrong was I - this book is so much bigger. The book is a step by step guide to creating realistic animals rather than cartoony ones. The contents include pig, kangaroo and joey, elephant rhino plus many more (they are just my favourite ones). The start of the book shows you different techniques for creating textures for animal skins. There are tons of photographs to ensure that you get each step correct along with templates to copy so you get the correct shapes. I also love the way that some of the animals are built up. I won't give it away as you will have to get the book to see that - but I would never have thought to do it like that.(http://twinplums-cakesbysarah.blogspot.com/)-British Sugarcraft Guild How many people do you know who love animals, and maybe have a particular favorite?  This has to be most people, and when making celebration cakes getting the special beastie right is not easy - but here is a whole bookful of different creatures to craft. Sixteen of them in fact, and all of them popular species.  Choose from farm animals, pets and zoo favourites such as lion, rhino, elephant, gorilla and meerkat, wild bear, beaver and fox, Easter bunny and Halloween bat.  Each project is handsomely illustrated with large format (this book has larger than usual sized pages) staged photos with lots of helpful captions.  As you craft you learn different techniques to get those tricky features like shiny eyes, fluffy fur, wrinkly hide, markings etc right and then you can go on to make your own favorites.  There are tips on getting basic shapes right, how to handle the various substances employed in sugarcrafting and handy recipes for Mexican paste, royal icing and candy sticks for good strong legs.  Find out what you need to have in stock to make all of these items (and be a general sugarcrafter) and how to use it.  Beginners might find some of the projects a little daunting, but with their chunky shapes they tend to be more forgiving than delicate flowers so I can recommend this one for all levels.  Good for getting the shapes right when working with polymer clays as well - this is a useful hands-on primer that should guarantee some professional-looking models.-Myshelf.com Modelling animals on cakes can be a tricky area for cake decorators, and although there are books that show you novelty style animals sometimes your customers want a more realistic approach. This is exactly what Frances has achieved in her clever book, with 16 projects and 500 step-by-step photographs.-Cake Craft & Decoration Popular sugarcrafter, Frances McNaughton, presents a selection of sugar modelling projects to make realistic animals which would be perfect cake top decorations for wildlife fans young and old. As well as more familiar animals such as cats and rabbits, you can learn how to make exotic wild animals including a polar bear, gorilla and rhinoceros, all with lifelike colouring and expressions. Step-by-step photography and clear instructions mean anyone can have a go at creating these creatures.-Cakes & Sugarcraft Popular sugarcrafter, Frances McNaughton, presents a selection of sugar modelling projects to make realistic animals which would make perfect cake top decorations for a novelty wedding cake. As well as more familiar animals such as cats and rabbits, you can learn how to make more exotic wild animals, all with lifelike colouring and expressions. Step-by-step photography and clear instructions mean anyone can have a go  -  then you can simply add wedding accessories such as a veil and bow tie!-Wedding Cakes