Three days of Cake Heaven…

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Cake International – The Cake Decorating & Baking Show arrived at ExCeL, London 27-29 April in a flurry of cupcakes, cake pops and all the cake baking and decorating supplies you could dream of! The long-awaited sister show to Cake International – The Sugarcraft & Cake Decoration Show at the NEC in November, had high expectations to meet – and meet and surpass them they did!

Winner of the Great British Bake Off, Jo Wheatley, opened the show to a raucous reception and crowds of people who had been queuing for hours to be some of the first people into the show.  After cutting the ribbon with a flourish, the eagerly awaiting visitors descended onto the halls, and into cake heaven!

  

Over 80 exhibitors from across the UK offered cutting-edge cake decorating and baking supplies, and plenty of expert advice to the scores of cake enthusiasts. One area which drew many gasps of admiration and delight was the Competition Area – with classes ranging from Wedding Cakes and Novelty Cakes to Cupcake Class and A Decorative Exhibit, there were so many wonderful entries to be amazed by. The coveted Best in Show Prize went to Terry Tang from Liverpool for his stunning ‘Chinese Tree’ inspired creation entered into Class K – a Decorative Exhibit. The Best in Show, International Exhibit, went to Deidre Kavanagh from Ireland for her incredible ‘Cat tied down by mice’ cake which certainly did look too good to eat! This cake was entered into Class E – Sculpted Novelty Cake.

 

As well as opening the show, Jo Wheatley offered her expertise in Question and Answer sessions before appearing in The Bakery Theatre alongside guest chef Paul da Costa Greaves showcasing a couple of her favourite recipes, macaroons with two types of delicious fillings and irresistible cookies!

Jo said, “It has been really fantastic being a part of Cake International, especially at its
first show at ExCeL.  There were so many fans of baking and cake decorating and it shows just how much of a revival home baking has had over the last few years. Since winning The Great British Bake Off I have had the most amazing year, what with my cookery school, blog and new book coming out, but there is nothing quite like getting into my kitchen and whipping up a delicious treat.  I hope that people will be racing home to try my macaroons as well – they are my favourite recipe at the moment!”

  

We completely fell in love with the Queen of Hearts Couture Cakes exquisite buttercream artistry – and we were lucky enough to sample one of their cupcake creations! Now to say they were delicious would be an understatement – we could have quite happily lived off their cupcakes for three days! Here’s Valeri and Christina from Queen of Hearts, posing with their cakes.

 

There’s almost too many highlights of the show to mention! Visitors flocked to A Taste of Sugarcraft Workshops run by Inspired Creations, where they could learn Royal Icing Skills, Modelling Skills using Sugarpaste and Marzipan, plus Sugar Flower Skills. The Demonstration Theatres were once again very popular, with our International Guest Kelvin Chua and Stephanie Weightman both hosting exciting demonstrations amongst many other prolific industry experts. Chocoholics were easily tempted by the Chocolate Workshops run by David Leslie Cakes, plus the Giant Pink Flamingo Cake by Tracey’s Cakes, made completely out of chocolate, drew in many gasps of admiration. Renshaw also hosted a varying array of Workshops daily, plus the LIVE PME Team Challenge Extravaganza produced some amazing results. There were also plenty of Jubliee themed cakes and supplies to enjoy!

 

 

As you can see from this selection of pictures, there were some truly outstanding creations to be seen at the show. Keep your eyes peeled as we will be uploading a full gallery to our webiste in due course.

Don’t forget, Cake International – The Sugarcraft & Cake Decoration Show is coming to the NEC, Birmingham from the 9-11 November, and you can expect another three days of cake heaven! There will be an abundance of cake decorating supplies to discover and a host of demonstrations, workshops and special features to enjoy, plus prestigious competitions for both beginners and experts alike – just like the recent London Cake event, the show really will be a true cake enthusiast’s dream! What’s more, this longstanding show will also be running alongside three other successful ICHF shows, Hobbycrafts, Crafts for Christmas and Art Materials Live.

We hope you enjoyed Cake International – The Cake Decorating & Baking Show as much as we did. The world is going cake mad, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that! :)

Until next time,

The ICHF Team x

Easter fun and Sewing, Fashion and Hobbycrafts show report…

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First and foremost ICHF must say Happy Easter to everyone! We hope you had a lovely Easter weekend, and gorged on plenty of chocolate… we know we did! Well it’s the only time of year you can get away with eating chocolate for breakfast isn’t it?! :)

We’re delighted to be able to share some of the wonderful photos from the Sewing for Pleasure, Fashion Embroidery & Stitch and Hobbycrafts shows, held at the NEC Birmingham 22-25 March. For those of you who attended, you’ll know how amazing the event was – from the cheers of joy upon the show opening, to the overwhelming applause for the daily catwalk shows, the mood was undeniably upbeat, the atmosphere exciting and electric. As one of our biggest events of the year, the Sewing, Fashion and Hobbycrafts shows always have a lot to live up to, and they certainly didn’t disappoint!

 

 

From the moment the doors opened at 9.30am on Thursday 22, the buzz was infectious – scores of creative craft enthusiasts came from across the UK to indulge their creative passions and hobbys. Whether it was supplies, inspiration, or expert advice you were looking for, the Sewing, Fashion and Hobbycrafts shows had it all! The workshops, including Crafting with Stephanie, Madeira and Vilene workshops, filled super quickly with crafters eagers to learn new and exciting techniques, while the Catwalk Fashion Shows provided visitors with a stylish showcase of clothing collections, displaying the talents of both exhibitors and students from the Inkberrow Design Centre.

 

Highlights of the catwalks shows included the ‘Design for a 1960′s Icon’ competition finalists, showcasing their designs on the runway, with live judging and prize giving on the Friday. Many of the young finalists bravely took to the runway to model their designs to much raptuous applause! And for all those chocoholics amongst you, the stunning ‘Caburys’ dress was an inspired use for all those leftover Dairy Milk wrappers! Local dress designer Karen Delahunty from Coventry, a previous student of the Inkberrow Design Centre, wowed the crowds with her Cadbury couture creation, a corseted gown made entirely of Cadbury Dairy Milk wrappers, hand woven with fabric and yarns.

 

The Sewing Hub was a popular area for dressmakers and fashion fans, who could learn how to update and re-invent their wardrobes in the Stitch Divas Den, or choose a new pattern and start from scratch with inspiration and guidance from The Pattern Bar. There was also help at hand for anyone starting out in dressmaking or struggling to master a new technique at the Sewing Machine Clinic, where Thelma Judge offered helpful hints and tips to interested visitors.

The winner of the prestigious ‘Glimpses of Blighty’ Madeira Competition was also announced at the show – Michelle Blower – with her glorious interpretation of the British theme, describing perfectly what us Brits do best – keep smilin’ through!

 

This upbeat and positive attitide continued throughout the four day show run – we hope you enjoyed yourself as much as we did! Now onto the final preparations for the last of our spring shows – Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts at Liverpool 26-28 April, and Brighton 10-12 May, plus our first outdoor craft show of the year, the Weald of Kent Craft Show, Penshurst 5-7 May. Oh, and not forgetting our highly anticpated new Cake show – Cake International – The Cake Decorating & Baking Show! Check out our website www.ichf.co.uk for more details! Now back to the remainder of our Easter Egg chocolate…

The ICHF Team x

 

 

A true success story…

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Our first show of the year, Creative Stitches and Hobbycrafts at Glow, Bluewater, started the year as we mean to go on – as a fabulous success! We’ve received some heartwarming feedback from visitors and exhibitors alike, which is always what we like to hear! The two shows at the stylish new events venue Glow at Bluewater saw over 11,000 visitors throughout the four days, despite a few inches of snow fall on the Sunday. Dedicated crafters, including Gill from London, braved the icy conditions – nothing could keep her away!

“We nearly didn’t think we’d make the show on Sunday due to the snow, but luckily we braved it after digging out the car from the drive(!) and made it to Bluewater.  We had a great day and will definitely visit the show again.” – Gill, London

There were many positive reviews about the venue itself, accessibility, catering and variety of creative crafting supplies on offer, plus the stunning displays including Downton Abbey costumes; the whimsical ‘Romance of the Words’ (very apt for this time of year, wouldn’t you agree?); and the exquisite ‘Art of Lace’ exhibit. Not to mention the stylish catwalk shows, which saw a host of stunning models strutting a fashionable collection of garments and accessories down the runway.

  

The 3D knitted spectacular Above and Below the Waves drew many gasps of admiration, with its three dimensional tunnel depicting life under the waves in all its knitted glory! It leaves us even more excited and in anticipation for knitting goddess Alison Murray’s next project – The Big Books – coming to an ICHF show near you in 2013. The finished project will feature three enormous freestanding textile books each measuring up to nine feet high by five feet wide, with each book depicting a separate theme –  ‘Mythology’, ‘Nature through the Day’ and ‘Future and Science’ - this project looks set to be even more magical than the last!

After the shows at Glow, Bluewater received such a fantastic reception, we look forward to bringing back Creative Stitches and Hobbycrafts to Glow, Bluewater in the autumn, 6-9 September (previously 5-8 September).

  

It was a wonderful first show to start a monumental year for ICHF… which brings us to some very exciting news, and an amazing milestone for us… our 500th show with Craft Hobby + Stitch International! A fitting show to celebrate this fantastic achievement, as Craft Hobby + Stitch International, or International Craft & Hobby Fair (as it was previously known, and also where our name comes from!) was the first ever ICHF show, held back in 1976 at Wembley Conference Centre. As Europe’s largest trade show for the art, craft and hobby industry, our flagship show is going from strength to strength and signifies a bright future for both ICHF’s trade and consumer shows. Here’s to the next 500!

And so, as preparations are well underway for our upcoming Creative Stitches and Hobbycrafts shows at the SECC, Glasgow, and Sewing for Pleasure, Fashion Embroidery & Stitch and Hobbycrafts at NEC, Birmingham - which show are you most looking forward to? We’re super excited to be bringing you The Sewing Hub to both the SECC and NEC, which will be a haven for dressmakers and fashion fans looking for something unique on a budget, and comprises of the Stitch Diva’s Den, The Pattern Bar and the Sewing Machine Clinic. Not to mention ICHF’s very own version of London Fashion Week at Fashion Embroidery & Stitch! We always love to hear from you, so let us know which show/features you’re excited about by writing a comment below or emailing info@ichf.co.uk.

  

Before we sign off, we cannot fail to mention the most romantic holiday of the year… Valentine’s Day! How did you celebrate the day of love? Hearts and flowers? Cupcakes and champagne? Single or loved up, we hope you had fun! Take a look at what one of the girls in the office made in honour of the occasion…

 

Love was definitely in the air, with some very lucky girls in the office also receiving roses delivered to the door! :)

Until next time,

The ICHF Team x

All about Cake!

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We have some very exciting news for all you cake enthusiasts – if you haven’t already heard, we have a brand new Cake Show coming to ExCeL in London, on 27-29 April 2012!

Cake International – The Cake Decorating & Baking Show promises to showcase an equally impressive range of features, demonstrations, displays and competitions as it’s sister show, Cake International – The Sugarcraft & Cake Decorating Show at the NEC. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert in cake decorating and baking, there will be a fabulous variety of supplies and features to discover, products to try out and demonstrations from the experts that you won’t want to miss!

Now we’ve got that wonderful news out of the way, it’s time for a recap from Cake International – The Sugarcraft & Cake Decorating Show 2011! For those who visited the show over the 4-6 November you’ll know what an amazing and successful time was had by all. Thousands of visitors flocked to the NEC, Birmingham, (with advance tickets even selling out for the Saturday!) and by 9am on the Friday the crowds were forming… with more than 100 exhibitors over three days, the show was the biggest it has ever been!

Visitors and competitors had come from all over the world to the show, including as far afield as Peru, America, South Africa, Holland and even Australia! And they certainly weren’t disappointed. The atmosphere was buzzing, and the air filled with gasps of wonderment and awe as visitors caught sight of the simply stunning competition entries – tables were lined with entries for categories including Novelty, Figurine and Wedding. Some of the entries had to be seen to be believed, as the detail and work gone into them was astonishing. CLICK HERE to find out the full list of winners and runners up!

Chocolate lovers rejoiced in the irresistible new chocolate flavoured goodies from Renshaw, while Leeds City College impressed visitors with their expert chocolate techniques. The Baking Theatre with Paul Da Costa Greaves certainly drew in the crowds with live baking tips and tricks, as did Sharon Essop’s and Paula Macleod’s expert demonstrations on Cake Pops, Cupcakes and Cake Stencils in The Cake Decorators’ Kitchen.

Cupcake fever has swept the nation, and nowhere more so than at Cake International! The Knightsbridge PME Live Competitions were a great success, with the standard of work exceptionally high this year – CLICK HERE to discover the full list of finalists and winners! One area which was extremely popular was the Women’s Weekly Area – in celebration of their Centenary, the iconic women’s magazine held fabulous Make & Take sessions, where visitors could decorate their own cupcake. Decorations and toppings were supplied by Snip & Swirl, Buy ‘n’ Bake and Frost & Snow, and some truly wonderful creations were made. We even had a go at creating these ICHF cupcakes – not the most professional of decorating skills I think you’ll agree!

With a host of demonstrations to watch, inspiring displays to see, and an unrivalled variety of supplies to discover, there was never any doubt that sugarcrafters and cake decorators left the show fully inspired to start creating their very own masterpieces! And now with another Cake Show date to add to your diary for next year, there’s plenty of opportunity to hone your cake baking, decorating and sugarcrafting skills.

And don’t forget to check our website for the latest Cake Show news!

The ICHF Team x

The Magic of Christmas at the NEC

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Hello to all our loyal blog followers!

We must apologise for the delay in blog postings, but we’re back with plenty of exciting show news from our Crafts for Christmas, Hobbycrafts and Art Materials-Live shows at the NEC, Birmingham, which took place over last weekend!

Christmas had certainly arrived at the NEC towards the end of last week, as the ICHF team were busy setting up the show, arranging magical Christmas displays and an eyecatching Christmas showcase, which included a host of wonderful products from exhibitors.

It was on the following day, Thursday 3rd November, that the Christmas spirit really took hold! Queues of eager creative crafters and art lovers waited anxiously for the show to begin, and as the doors opened at 9.30am, they poured into the arena which had been transformed into a creative and inspirational extravaganza!

Christmas melodies from the Sax on TV Quartet filled the air, and the irresistible smells drifting from the Food Court attracted many noses straight away… with a range of luxury chocolates, Welsh wines and liqueurs, fresh curry sauces, handmade giant pies and various confectionary, you could spend hours wandering the stalls looking (and sampling!) everything. We had to try the Sparkling Gold Bubbly from Perfect Tipple, and we weren’t disappointed. As well as looking gorgeous, the champagne tasted delicious and would make the perfect Christmas gift for a glamorous family member or friend!

Arona Khan and her internationally acclaimed gift wrapping skills drew in the crowds, and the handsome Rocking Horses on display at The British Toymakers Guild showcased the wonderful but rare talent of traditional toymaking. There was some beautiful and unusual jewellery for sale at the Margaret MacEvoy and Isobel’s Designer Jewellery stands, while at the Prima Craft Theatre, you could discover how to make Candles and a Christmas Wreath. We were especially enchanted by the artworks on offer at Love Live Laugh – produced by Karen, the exquisite detailing and the stories behind the pictures truly warmed our hearts!

The halls filled up quickly, and many exhibitors we spoke to, including WOW! Embossing Powders and Jumping Clay, had their Make & Take Workshops slots completely booked up! The Workshop Area and On Stand Mini Make & Takes proved to be very popular, and were the perfect opportunity to get a headstart on those unique Christmas gifts and cards. There was endless craft supplies on offer in Hobbycrafts – with everything from beads, sequins, buttons and fabrics, to papercrafts, knitting, tools and ‘make it yourself’ kits, craft enthusiasts weren’t disappointed.

Wandering over into the Art Materials-Live area of the Hall, we were overwhelmed with the buzz of activity going on around us – professional artists were demonstrating and showcasing their extraordinary talents, including Jane Booth who we avidly watched painting her pet Poodle Penny! The SAA offered demonstrations and hands-on areas from three expert artists, while Pebeo, The Art Shop Skipton and Hugh Miller had their very own dedicated area which showcased the innovative ‘People’s Painting’ – a ‘paint by numbers’ for visitors based on one of Hugh Miller’s own stunning artworks. While we haven’t got a finished picture for you today, we will do soon, so watch this space! The Artists Theatre also proved to be a pull for visitors, which saw Linda Wain and Humbrol Art amongst others putting on educational presentions.

A special mention goes to Nathan Wyburn, who made a picture of Jedward entirely out of Marmite and white toast! Love it or hate it, you cannot fail to be impressed with his rather unique skills…

The show only got better and better over the weekend, and with Cake International opening on the Friday, the crowds became even bigger. We will have a full run down on the Cake Show for you with some lovely pictures, so don’t forget to check back early next week.

We hope you enjoyed the show as much as we did, and came away with lots of inspirational ideas for your own creative Christmas!

Until next time,

The ICHF Team x

A fabulous first day at Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts!

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As many of you will know, yesterday was the first day of our Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts in Exeter – and what a first day it was! When the ICHF team arrived at Westpoint in the morning, scores of people were already swarming into the exhibition area to discover what irresistible gifts and craft products lay in store!

As the first visit to an indoor creative show for the new Sales and Marketing girls, yesterday was an overwhelming and inspirational experience – we enjoyed meeting all the lovely exhibitors and were swept up in the excitement of it all! We were delighted to finally see the Downton Abbey costumes that everyone has been talking about - and they certainly lived up to expectations!

     

We were particularly taken with the gorgeous jewellery and unique accessories offered by Michelle from Handmade by Me. So much so, we just HAD to have this photo taken with her cute pink Scrabble rings! Besides these adorable and unusual pieces, she had Liquorice Allsort charm bracelets, Lego earrings, Loveheart pendant necklaces, plus so much more!

The smell of nuts from the popular Gourmet Nuts stand drifted through the arena, tempting everyone around! We also sampled some dark chocolate infused cheese from The Truckle Cheese Co which was surprisingly tasty. We couldn’t help but stop by Annah Stretton’s ‘Chameleon’ stand, as the stunning array of dresses was just too good to miss! One of the ICHF girls became a willing clothes horse, and was shown all the wonderful ways you can wear these beautiful dresses – up to 30 in some cases!

    

We also had a quick chat with Alison Murray – the mastermind behind the fabulous international knitting project Above and Below the Waves – who told us all about her next exciting project, The Big Books, which comprises three books, each with a separate theme – ‘Mythology’, ‘Nature through the Day’ and ‘Future and Science’. We had a sneak preview of her first book, ‘Mythology’ and she’s hoping to take the main feature of that book, the Dragon’s head, to the Cardiff show next week. Fingers crossed! And although we didn’t take part in any workshops ourselves, Stephanie Weightman’s Make & Take workshops and the SAA workshops and demonstrations certainly drew in the crowds.

If you came along yesterday, we hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did! And if you’re visiting over the weekend, we hope we’ve whetted your appetite for all the inspirational displays, supplies, demonstrations and workshops awaiting you.

Until next week,

The ICHF team x

 

Creative show news and celebrations…

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Welcome to our very first blog entry! We have decided to bring this blog to you, our very loyal fans, customers and exhibitors, so you can get a glimpse of what really goes on behind the scenes at ICHF Events.

We’ve had a super busy week in the ICHF offices, as final preparations for the Creative Stitches & Hobbycrafts show at Westpoint, Exeter are well underway! We have a variety of exciting features in store for you this year, notably the capsule collection of Downton Abbey costumes from the first series. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year, you may have noticed how Downton Abbey fever has truly swept the nation! Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and co have captured our hearts with the passions, scandals and conflicts of a vanishing class system in Edwardian Britain, cementing the TV show as one of the country’s best loved costumes dramas. And, with the second series starting this Sunday, (Downton Abbey AND X-Factor – we love you ITV1!) there’s no better opportunity to see these exquisite costumes in all their glory!

  

The Chilterns Craft Show & the Weald of Kent Craft Show Report

For those of you who came to one (or both!) of our outdoor craft shows, we hope you had a fabulous time! There was an abundance of arts and crafts on offer from hundreds of exhibitors, plus plenty of exciting features, workshops and demonstrations to keep the family entertained, including Birds of Prey displays and the irresistible Good Food Live Area. As always, Linden Lady proved very popular with visitors with her sumptuous selection of handmade chocolates!

  

Despite the varying forecasts, we managed to escape the majority of bad weather, apart from a couple of on-off days of rain at Stonor Park. Not that this dampened spirits! Visitors arrived in their droves throughout both long weekends, and when the sun did decide to grace us with its presence, it was like a gorgeous summer’s day.

Amongst all the preparation for the upcoming shows, these last few weeks have also seen an influx of cakes and treats appear in ICHF’s kitchen! Birthdays, show successes, the opening of a letter – you name it, we’ve celebrated it! Well, it’s not like you need an excuse to enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake is it?

We would love to hear from you, so please feel free leave comments below.

We hope you have a fun and creative weekend!

The ICHF Team x