JOANNE THACKRAY says she took a risk when opening a shop entirely devoted to celebration cakes that she made and iced herself.

But her gamble paid off and six years later her tiny outlet, Cakes by Joanne, is still doing well in the village of Milnsbridge.

She’s even had a celebrity order – for the recent 70th birthday party of screen star Sir Patrick Stewart at the University of Huddersfield.

And now, despite the recession, the 47-year-old self-taught cake decorator is taking another risk by launching a sugar craft school to teach others the skills she has been practising for more than 20 years.

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Joanne, who lives in Netherton, is relying on the fact that cakes have a universal appeal and the demand for absorbing, stress-busting hobbies is on the increase.

She has teamed up with Sue Foster, a fellow member of The British Sugar Craft Guild, Huddersfield Branch, to run the school, which opened a month ago in Oakes Mill and offers classes two evenings a week.

The two cake enthusiasts met through Joanne’s daughter Lydia, eight, who is a member of the Guild’s junior section, the Cygnets, of which Sue is the leader.

The women believe that sugar craft is a relatively low-cost, pleasurable, useful and satisfying hobby.

“And,” says Sue, “you can eat your rejects!”

She added: “I started six years ago because I enjoyed baking but never did anything much with the cakes I made. I work full time in housing management and find cake decorating very relaxing.”

Joanne says sugar craft can be a way to put problems to one side. “It’s a form of therapy,” she explained.

Student Sheena Miller, 38, from Outlane, is a part-time lecturer in nursing at Huddersfield University and joined the sugar craft class after seeking Joanne’s advice on how to make a second birthday cake for her son Wilson.

“I didn’t know where to start,” said Sheena, “when I was a child I used to do all sorts of crafts with my grandma and I’ve rediscovered my crafty side. I find it relaxing.

“You are doing something creative. It works on two levels – you have the satisfaction of having created something and you also enjoy the process.”

Teenager Miriam Robinson, from Paddock, says she was looking for a hobby when she saw a sign in Joanne’s shop advertising the new school.

“I enjoy baking,” said the 14-year-old Salendine Nook High School pupil, “and I find that the sugar craft takes away stress.

“Not everyone is artistic but this is something anyone can do.”

So far the students have learned basic icing techniques but will be moving on to sculpting figures and decorative objects.

Joanne and Sue say that a lot of people feel they have no artistic ability but then discover a creative side when learning to ice a cake.

They have certainly harnessed their own creative skills.

Joanne has been asked for all sorts of cakes – from an Examiner front page and sporting themes to a ball pool, motorhome, gorilla, pork pie and a pug dog.

One of her more unusual commissions was for a cake in the shape of a racing camel, created for a family from Dubai who were holding a birthday celebration in Huddersfield.

She enlisted Sue’s help to make the camel. “It took us five hours to carve out the cake and it was baked with 56 eggs,” said Joanne.

“I iced it and decorated it. It was 19 inches long.”

But the real icing on the cake was the request for Patrick Stewart’s birthday. Joanne created a pure white cake with a Thespian theme.

“He sent me a lovely letter afterwards thanking me,” she said.

The new sugar craft school is based in a mill building in Oakes, which had been left empty for six years and is now being redeveloped for a mixture of uses – from dance studio and martial arts centre to office space.

Joanne is delighted to be part of the regeneration of the mill and is already talking about expanding her school. She plans to run school holiday workshops for children and special themed days. A former hairdresser by trade, Joanne’s own cake-decorating story is an inspiration to her students.

When her first son, Daniel, now 24, was a baby she wanted to buy a special cake for his first birthday but found she couldn’t afford one from the baker’s.

Supermarkets at that time didn’t sell them so she decided to make one for herself. The cake was much admired and so began her cake-making career.

For details of local sugar craft courses and demonstrations check out www.bsghuddersfield.org.ukand www.cakesbyjoanne.co.uk.

The Sugar Craft Guild meets on the second Saturday in the month at Park Road West Community Centre in Crosland Moor. There is waiting list for membership of the Cygnets junior section.