many for others in her young lifetime that she's lost count.

Yet she never forgets a creation, because each one is photographed and filed in an album -- a practice that recently led her to international recognition.

A regular reader of Mail Box News, a food enthusiasts' magazine, Mrs. Furbert submitted photographs of her work and information about herself to the US publication. So impressed was editor Char Brown that she was chosen as the personality of the month for Readers' Spotlight, a regular feature of the magazine.

And no-one could have been more surprised or pleased that Mrs. Furbert. "I was very excited to see it,'' she said. "I had no idea they would use the material I sent.'' No stranger to the kitchen, Mrs. Furbert grew up with the smell of freshly baked goods wafting through the family kitchen. Her mother still loves to bake -- "for everybody in the neighbourhood'' her daughter laughed -- and regularly supplies her children with treats from her oven.

While Mrs. Furbert did some baking growing up, it wasn't until after her marriage to her husband Lance that she became fascinated with cake decorating and took a beginners' evening course at the Warwick Community School.

"After the course I started doing cakes for my family and friends, and the word got around...'' A subscription to Mail Box News further fuelled her enthusiasm, and seven years after the first course, she went back to the Community School to complete the advanced level.

Over the years, the combination of a natural talent, training and experience has produced a host of eye-catching designs for all occasions. Working with either a layer cake or pound cake base, the latter made from her mother's recipe, Mrs. Furbert usually completes her exacting decorations in the wee small hours of the morning.

"That's when everybody's asleep and the house is quiet,'' she explained. "I have a lively two-year-old son so I like to do everything when he's in bed,'' she explained. "My best work is produced between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.

Everything is still and quiet then, and I can think because there are no distractions.'' A browse through her photo album reveals just how varied and charming her creations are. Though she has only done a few wedding cakes for very, very special friends -- and then only simple but elegant designs -- she has created many special occasion cakes, some reflecting a personal interest of guest of honour.

But children's cakes remain her favourite.

"I love doing children's cakes best because of the bright colours,'' she explained.

And of course, when it's her seven-year-old daughter's birthday, Leah's classmates are treated to something very special.

Mrs. Furbert's most recent effort, in fact, was included in the magazine feature, and its inspiration came from a tube of candies.

"I bought a case of Smarties to send to the children in Leah's class, and then I thought, `Why not carry this theme onto the cake?' So I carved the cake to look like a tube of Smarties and completed the colourful design, including the cut-out letters, in fondant icing.'' While Mrs. Furbert can produce original designs, she is also adept at copying designs from other sources, including books and paper napkins.

"Sometimes the cake has to reflect a particular theme, in which case I will transfer the design to the cake freehand. I don't consider myself an artist but I can look at a illustration and copy it on to a cake. And if I don't have an illustration to copy, I will draw something freehand, but it is very time consuming,'' she said.

Indeed, Mrs. Furbert is longing for the day when she can afford to purchase a time-saving piece of equipment will eliminate the cumbersome transfer process.

"Right now it takes me about one and a half hours to complete a design,'' she said.

Although she can work in all types of icings, butter cream is the preferred medium.

Despite her nine years' experience, Mrs. Furbert -- who is also a private elementary education tutor -- is not above seeking the opinion of her household "jury'' -- including little Jamin.

"My husband has a critical eye and always gives me pointers. And if I'm doing a picture of something like a well-known cartoon character which I'm not sure of, I say to Jamin, `Who's this?' If he says, for example, `Big Bird' I know I'm okay, because if a two-year-old can recognise the character, then the child for whom the cake is destined will also recognise it,'' she explained.

And is she ever satisfied with her work? "I always do a cake that I like better than the last one,'' she smiled.

"People compliment me on my designs, but I would say that the biggest compliment was being featured in Mailbox News.

In addition to the five-page article, which included 11 photographs of her work, Mrs. Furbert was given a $40 gift certificate by the magazine to be spent with a US company specialising in cake decorating equipment, and also a special certificate.

"My husband is very proud of me, and he insists that I have the certificate framed. I will hang it in the kitchen right above where I work on my cakes,'' the cakemaker said.

KITCHEN HELPER -- Two-year-old Jamin Furbert and mom Margo ice the cake.