An enjoyable Easter has gone, leaving me able to focus on returning to art work, whilst eating chocolate and thinking of love.

I made a chocolate creation for us all at Easter, meet Darren the rabbit ( or was it Hera?)

Next time, I must make the fondant ears in advance, so they can harden slightly, and be at a jaunty angle.  Sam tasted Darren on my return, and said the concept was good, but the cake was too dry.  When he looked at my slightly hurt expression, he quite rightly said that those were the things I needed to hear, in order to strive for the best, and especially if compiling a cookery book.
 Empty praise really does cause more problems for us creative types.  Must track down the Bero 'rubbed-in' chocolate cake, now that really is a winner.

The first achievement since Easter. My painting 'Cakes for Tea' is now ready to be exhibited next week, in the Preview Exhibition for the Chichester Art Trail, at the Oxmarket gallery in Chichester. http://oxmarket.com/chichester-open-studios-art-trail
Do visit if possible, it starts next Tuesday.

This painting was inspired by my own wedding cakes, and next month we will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary.  We have decided to celebrate it together this year.

  Last year on our anniversary, Mr Cooper went on a short walking holiday with his good friend Kevin, and I had a short crying holiday at home, before spending another day at the steamy sinks.

I hasten to add that it was our decision to spend the time apart as that was the only slot for Mr Cooper and Kevin to meet and walk the Pilgrim's Way, but in hindsight not our best decision.

On a much more cheerful and loving note, here are some of the cakes that were such a lovely part of our wonderful and colourful celebrations, and the starting point for my painting.

Other people have been thinking about love too….

Mr Cooper has now returned from his skiing experience, to marvel at the clean house. 

 Personally, I think he could have marvelled a little more, as it is such a rare occurrence!

Whilst he was away in Austria, he got a text from his very excited daughter Sarah, to say she had become engaged to her boyfriend, Ali Bonner.

 Then their extremely clever cat told everyone else about it on Facebook! 

As Sarah lives in the Falkland Islands, we have not met Ali yet, but we are both really looking forward to meeting him next summer when they come over to visit. Then we will be with them in The Falklands, when they get married there  the following January.  What could be more exciting than that!

Here are Sarah and Ali.

And lots of you who are reading this will also be meeting him, when we have a pre-wedding party in the garden.  Must start buying the champagne ready, but hiding it somewhere.  Perhaps in the studio?

Although it has been lovely having an Easter break, it is now time to get back into that studio, as the May deadlines approach.  I need to complete 3 more detailed drawings for my jigsaw picture,  'Cinderella' would look a lot better if she was given a face as well as a shoes, and sailing pastry cakes have to be added to my toadstool cake painting.

But the image to leave you with this week, is our other wedding cake.  As well as my sparkly, beautiful and romantic fairytale cakes, we also had a substantial, unusual but down-to-earth cake, to bring real sustenance and also a touch of humour to our union.

A bit like marriage, really.

Some people would not be able to remember what we wore, but everyone remembers the 

3-tiered pork pie cake!