Lollies!

So, last year I had my first Independent Work Proposal, and (without the fear of needing to make something amazing and, um, permanent) came up with this lolly art. I got an iron, a toaster, a pot, a teapot, and a beater, and replaced parts of them with repilcas made from toffee. For the iron I made the metal part, there was lolly bread for the toaster, lolly tea in the cup and teapot, and handles for the pot and beater. I used rubber, metal, and plaster molds, as well as just pouring and hand molding the lollipop mixture (that being sugar, glucose syrup, water, vinegar and food colouring). Sometimes I used hundreds and thousands or sugar to reference the material.

Anyway, a friend of mine was telling me about this rapid prototyper that uses sugar as its medium!
(Note: a rapid prototyper is like a 3D printer – it takes a 3D model from a program, and makes it out of plastic, by laying down melted plastic strings, and moving back and forth, eventually making many, many, many layers.)
So this rapid prototyper is called the CandyFab, and is created by the Evil Mad Scientist Laboratory. And it makes things out of sugar!!! Look at it go!

Instead of laying down melted sugar itself, it starts off with a layer of sugar, and a small nozzle blasts heat that melts the sugar below. Then more sugar is sprinkled in a layer, and then more layers are melted. The end product of caramelised, solid sugar, is fished out of the rest of the sugar I suppose, and there it is!
I know it’s not the same kind of effect – for them it’s a question of affordability, and also a bit of novelty – but I really love the idea of making things out of sugar. If only I could use this to make completely awesome sugar cubes!

And speaking of lollies (and Japan being only afew days away) – in Japan i want to visit this lolly/dessert shop called Toraya. It sells traditional confectionery called Wagashi, and has done for centuries! How beautiful are they? I wonder if they taste as good as they look… I guess I’ll find out soon.

-Lydia