Grace Potter Album Release

My husband and I have always been huge fans of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, dating back to their days playing small shows at Nectars, Halversons and the Rusty Nail. So I'm always thrilled when I have the chance to make them a chocolate sculpture when they come back home to Vermont.

Chocolate Flying "V"

Back in 2010, Grace Potter teamed up with Lake Champlain Chocolates to create a chocolate bar called "Grace Under Fire."

Grace Potter approached the Burlington-based company with the idea to collaborate on a bar a couple of months ago and it took off from there. “We may be a rock ‘n roll band, but the Nocturnals and I take an unprecedented interest in all things food! I’ve been a fan of Lake Champlain Chocolates since I was a kid, so to combine forces to create a rock n’ roll chocolate bar is a dream come true!” said Potter. “The idea behind our pistachio pepper flake blend was to go outside the box and blend our love of spice, dark chocolate and nuts.”

The chocolate bar, as you can imagine, is absolutely fantastic -- spicy and sweet. To celebrate the occasion, I made Grace a chocolate "Flying V" guitar. Anyone who's seen Grace plays knows how she rocks a Flying V like few others. In fact, Gibson even unveiled a signature Grace Potter Flying V guitar that is absolutely beautiful with a grade-A mahogany body. The chocolate guitar, meanwhile, is made from grade-A chocolate ... seems like a perfect match.

Grand Point North

Grand Point North is the annual music festival that Grace and the band host on the Burlington waterfront. It features both local and national acts, as well as some incredible Vermont food and art.

So what better way than to celebrate such a great event than with custom chocolate sculptures?

In 2012, I created a sculpture inspired by the band's The Lion, The Beast, The Beat cover. I was thrilled to have the chance to hand deliver the sculpture to Grace backstage before the show. She was incredibly welcoming and enthusiastic about it; truly a highlight for me.

I hear that the band devoured the sculpture after the show. To me, there's nothing better -- not only did they get to enjoy the sculpture visually, but tastefully as well!

For 2014, I received a note that Grace had personally requested another chocolate sculpture. Yes! This year I decided to honor the festival itself by recreating the logo in chocolate. You get the sense that it's something the band is incredibly proud of ... and rightfully so. It must take so much work and dedication to pull off a festival like this, not to mention headline the shows on back to back nights. So if ever need a little sugar boost, they know where to turn.

I have some great ideas ready for GPN 2015. If Grace and the guys want another sculpture, I'll be ready.