My name is Lindy Roxburgh and this is how I became involved in Sugarcraft.

Lindy at work

I became interested in Sugarcraft in 1986. At that stage I was living in South Africa and I attended a comprehensive 16 week course at a local Cake Decorating supply shop. Shortly thereafter we immigrated to New Zealand, where I continued my interest in Sugarcarft. I attended several courses, both at night school and at a cake decorating school. The most influential event in my career was attending a Sugarcraft course given by Nicholas Lodge. He is a world renowned Sugarcraft artist and has published many books on the subject. I began teaching after several friends, who had admired my work, asked me to tutor them.

In 1991 we again moved countries, this time to Muscat, in the Sultanate of Oman. It wasn’t long before I was again asked to teach my skills. Here, not only did I teach, but I was a founding member of the Cake Decorator’s guild. The guild was extremely successful: we held a large Sugarcraft competition in a major shopping mall and had 73 entrants. I was one of the three judges, and we were all very pleased with the high standard achieved. In April 1994 I went to England, and took courses to perfect the Royal Icing aspect of Sugarcraft. Whilst there I also taught the local guild members my version of a rose and the poinsettia. A class with Tony Warren, on the making of flower fairies, has resulted in my now teaching these enchanting creatures.

In March 1995 we moved to Dubai. In the December 1995 issue of the Connector magazine, I was featured on the craft corner page, demonstrating the Bas Relief technique. In the UAE I gave demonstrations at several local clubs and ladies associations, both in Dubai as well as Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Due to the large local interest in Faux Porcelain flowers I was persuaded to demonstrate my sugar flower techniques in this new medium. Flowers made in sugar or Faux Porcelain are virtually indistinguishable from each other, with the added advantage that the Faux Porcelain flowers are not as fragile. I continued to teach throughout my stay in the Middle East, until we returned to New Zealand in July 2000.

I held a Christmas cake class at the Puketapu Community Hall in November / December 2001 and then started teaching cake decorating and sugarcraft at William Colenso College, through the Adult Education Department in October 2003, and continue to teach there.

It is increasingly difficult to obtain Sugarcraft equipment in New Zealand. I therefore decided to re-start my business, calling it "SUGARCRAFT HAWKES BAY". I travel to various cake decorating guilds, giving demonstrations, and selling equipment.

In March 2007, I was one of four demonstrators taking part in the Napier Cake Decorator’s Guild demonstration day, held at the Eastern Institute of Technology. Several ladies in the audience were from the Central Hawkes Bay and were interested in taking classes with me. They approached the Central Hawkes Bay College, asking that I join their Adult Education Department. In late April 2007, I introduced Sugarcraft classes to the Central Hawkes Bay College. This course is well attended with pupils asking for it to be extended in term 3.

In June 2007 I was appointed tutor for the Celebration Cake module of the Diploma in Patisserie at the Eastern Institute of Technology. This involves teaching qualified chefs the skills of cake design and completion including the skills needed to make sugar flowers.

October 2007 saw me start Adult Education classes at Hastings Boys High School. Demand for the class was good and will continue in 2008.