This is My Story

This is My Story

My first gingerbread house at age 19

My name is Veronica Arthur. When I was 17 years old I became interested in cake decorating and started teaching myself using Wilton books and magazines. In 1985, cake decorating wasn't main stream like it is today. There were no Youtube tutorials or extreme cake decorating shows on Food Network so when a person wanted to teach themselves they had to learn the hard way! (For petal dust we used non toxic chalk. Can you imagine?)During that time I also taught myself to design and create gingerbread houses and in 1987 I entered my first Gingerbread House Competition in the Good Housekeeping Magazine. Our old oven went out before I could finish baking all the pieces but that didn't stop me! I just fired up the stove burners, placed my gingerbread pieces on a giant 2" deep sheet cake pan up-side down, placed it over the burners and covered it with another giant sheet pan. It worked! I was able to bake the rest of my gingerbread that way! Necessity is indeed the mother of invention! My pink Victorian gingerbread house was awarded runner-up! Not too bad for my very first gingerbread house. ;)

Giant Sugar Cookie and
gumpaste roses and bow

Word got around quickly about my gingerbread structures and decorated cakes and it wasn't long until everybody at our church was placing orders for my cakes. My father even talked his boss into ordering cakes for all the employee's birthdays. Eventually I was recommended to the brides at Bob Jones University and before I knew it, I had cake orders every week! I'll never forget the first Kitchen Aid mixer that my parents bought me when I turned 20. (I still have it, btw! Needless to say, I burned it out years ago!) My brother bought me my first (Wilton) gumpaste flower cutter kit on that 20th birthday as well. (Still have it AND use it!) My family has always been very supportive and encouraging and I love them for it!

Teapot Gingerbread Cottage

By the early 90's I wasn't doing quite as many cakes. In 2000 I decided to enter the Good Housekeeping Contest again. This time I made a teapot shaped cottage. I received runner-up again. It was a little disappointing. That same year I won a cookie decorating contest and was awarded the grand prize which was a trip to Wilton school in Chicago. I completed the Master Class and received my certificate. I also entered the Grove Park Inn Gingerbread House competition with my mushroom shaped gingerbread cottage but didn't place.

Enchanted Mushroom Cottage

Our wedding day

In August 2000 I met the love of my life and we got married in February 2001. We 
now have two beautiful children. We have a daughter (11) and a son (9). I had the honor of leading them each to Christ at very young ages. They both show artistic abilities and my daughter is becoming a very good baker! I've been teaching her since she was a toddler. She has entered 3 pieces in The National Gingerbread House Competition at the Grove Park Inn in Ashville, NC. At 3 years old she placed 1st. At 9 she placed 2nd and at 10 she placed 3rd.

My daughter and her award winning gingerbread house

Presently, I'm taking a few cake orders and teaching scratch baking and cake
decorating classes in my home. Recently, I have had the honor of having two of
my cakes featured in the international Cake Central Magazine. The cakes featured
two of the techniques I developed--The stone look and the weathered wood with
peeling paint technique. On one of the cake designs I incorporated gingerbread
which has been a dream of mine. There are lots of designs and ideas floating
around inside my head! There's just never enough time to execute them! 

With one of my cake class students and her
first wedding cake

Teaching others the art of cake & confectionery design makes me happy. I love to
see the faces of my students light up when they finally see their cake coming
together and they are so thrilled that they actually decorated a cake from start to
finish in just a few hours! I've made many life long friends through teaching my
art and that also makes me happy. I thank the Lord every day for blessing me with
that privilege. 

With lots of Love & Confection,

Veronica Arthur ♥



PS- Although I do LOVE cake and confectionery art, my number one loves are being a wife and mother!

Thank you for stopping by!